“Greetings from Starčević and myself… yours forever by faith:ˮ A Political and Social Portrait of Nobleman Eduard Halper Sigetski (1824-1877), Adherent of the Party of Rights

Abstract

Eduard Halper Sigetski (Škarićevo near Krapina, December 14, 1824 – August 23, 1877) belonged to the noble family Halper Sigetski, originally from Hungary. Having arrived in Croatia in the second half of the 18th century and integrated into the Croatian nobility, the family acquired estates in the broader area of Hrvatsko Zagorje, specifically within Zagreb and Varaždin Counties (Martinci, Pavlovec, Pluska, Luka, Sela, Donje Turnišće, Hum, and Zajezda), with a central property in Škarićevo near Krapina. Throughout the 19th century, family members actively participated in the political and administrative life of Civil Croatia, serving as lawyers and district judges in the Varaždin County. Nikola and Eduard Halper Sigetski were elected to the Parliament as people’s representatives for the districts of Klanjec and Sv. Križ. Influenced by the Party of Rights in the 1860s, Eduard served as a district judge in Mali Tabor and later in Pregrada, which became the party’s main pillar and hub in Hrvatsko Zagorje. In addition to the known information about Halper’s financial support to the Party of Rights, as he paid a deposit for the launch and printing of the party newspaper Hervatska and became politically involved in various ways, climbing within the party’s ranks (participating in party meetings, opting for parliamentary seats), this paper explores his political, social, and cultural contributions at the local level to complete his political portrait. To this purpose, the study includes an analysis of letters he received from the leaders of the Party of Rights, Ante Starčević and Eugen Kvaternik. Finally, the paper sheds light on the political and social activities of Eduard Halper Sigetski as a member of the Party of Rights from 1869 to 1875.