Izidor Kršnjavi : a sketch of an intellectual at the turn of the twentieth century

Abstract

This study examines the cultural and political work of the first professional art historian in Croatia, Izidor Kršnjavi (1845-1927). Special emphasis is given to intellectual and political currents of mid-nineteenth century Vienna and Kršnjavi’s education there. Education in the imperial center shaped his liberal worldview and influenced his socio-political ideas and actions. One of those ideas was reconciliation between the empire and the nation. Contrary to the widely-held belief that the empire and nations were permanently clashing, I present how the empire often unintentionally fostered nationalism. My aim is to present how the empire and the nation tried to find answers and resolve their imperial and national problems in the new socio-political context of growth in industrialization, population, literacy and nationalization of most spheres of life. More particularly, I want to present on Kršnjavi’s case how imperial and national elites cooperated thanks to the Habsburg’s policies of protecting and fostering diversity of its population, unlike the forceful assimilation of other European empires. Kršnjavi's initiatives had the main aim in achieving political goals through the nationalization of culture. These initiatives included areas such as arts and crafts, architecture, scholarly work, academic and public lectures, and opened debates with main questions like the dominant character of the Croatian nation, the Croatian legal system and its national territories. Kršnjavi’s liberal idea that he could persuade everyone to accept his view through open debate and arguments left him unable to adapt to the new socio-political reality at the turn of the twentieth century. Ironically, Kršnjavi’s initiatives often had the opposite effects of what he intended - instead of bridging the national differences, his initiatives deepened them further.