Ilija Jakovljević – A Croatian Victim of Twentieth Century Totalitarianism

On the 110th Anniversary of his Birth and 60th Anniversary of his Death

Abstract

Dr. Ilija Jakovljević - writer, journalist, editor and lawyer - was born in Mostar on October 21, 1898 and died in Zagreb (?) on October 28, 1948. He was involved in the Croatian Catholic Movement between 1915 and 1930 and was also a member of the Croatian People's Party during this time, as well as of the Croatian Writers' Circle, having written a number of studies and articles concerning Catholic authors and Catholic literature. As journalist and politician devoted to the cause of the Croatian Peasant Party he never renounced his Christian principles. He held the position of editor of the literary journal called «Savremenik» and that of president of the Croatian Writers' Society. During World War II he was interned in the prisoner of war camp in Stara Gradiška but was later released. Toward the end of the war, due to impending threats of arrest, he joined the partisan movement and, after peace was restored, resumed his law practice. In 1948 he was arrested in the course of investigations into the «Hebrang case». His death in prison was never fully explained. It is the purpose of this article, aside from providing biographical data, to put into proper perspective his contribution to literature and culture and his opposition to 20th century totalitarianism of which he was a victim.