The Alexander Family Chronicle

• Authors: Ljiljana Dobrovsak , Ivana Žebec Šilj

Title variants

PL

Kronika rodziny Alexander

Abstracts

PL

W tekście zaprezentowana jest historia rodziny Alexander (Aleksander), żydowskiej rodziny z Zagrzebia, która prawie przez sto lat odgrywała ważną rolę w gospodarczym, kulturalnym i społecznym życiu miasta oraz całej Chorwacji. W czasie osiedlenia się w Zagrzebiu wszyscy członkowie rodziny byli wyznawcami judaizmu, jednak do 1941 roku większość z nich przeszła na katolicyzm, a jeden z nich dołączył do wyznawców kościoła ewangelickiego. Rodzina do Zagrzebia przybyła w połowie XIX wieku z terenu Gradišće (Burgenland). Po osiedleniu się zaczęła działać w handlu, a ponieważ członkowie rodziny byli niezwykle pracowici, już przed końcem XIX wieku rodzina stała się jedną z najbardziej szanowanych i majętnych, zarówno w Zagrzebiu, jak i w Chorwacji, a nawet poza nią. Już w drugim pokoleniu członkowie rodziny wyróżniali się jako znakomici lekarze, prawnicy, inżynierowie, artyści, profesorowie i przedsiębiorcy. W Zagrzebiu zawierali małżeństwa z członkami wpływowych rodzin, zarówno żydowskich, jak i katolickich, pozostawali w stosunkach towarzyskich z lokalną elitą i w ten sposób zyskali wysoki status w otoczeniu. Byli kosmopolitami: życie dzielili między Zagrzeb i Wiedeń, a i Budapeszt nie był im obcy. Wśród nich swoimi talentami wyróżniali się bracia Aleksander/Šandor (1866–1929) i Samuel David (1862-1943). Byli  szanowanymi przemysłowcami: założyli zagrzebski browar, fabrykę słodu, olejarnię, cementownię i inne obiekty przemysłowe w Zagrzebiu. Zasiadali w zarządach kilku zagrzebskich banków, założyli także kilka towarzystw przemysłowych. Wyróżnili się w czasie I wojny światowej, a Aleksander otrzymał węgierski tytuł szlachecki za swoją działalność humanitarną. Okres Królestwa SHS/Jugosławii również nie zagroził ich pozycji, co więcej – nadal z powodzeniem pracowali i działali. Po wybuchu II wojny światowej większość członków rodziny opuściła Niezależne Państwo Chorwackie, kilkoro z nich zginęło w czasie Holokaustu. Obecnie potomkowie tej wielkiej rodziny mieszkają w Izraelu, Stanach Zjednoczonych Ameryki, we Włoszech oraz w Zagrzebiu, a o ich obecności w historii miasta świadczą schody na Tuškanacu, które noszą imię Šandora Alexandra Sesveckiego.

EN

The paper focuses on the history of Zagreb’s prominent Jewish family, the Alexanders (or Aleksanders), who were influential in the cultural, economic and social life of the city and Croatia for almost a century. At the time of their arrival in Zagreb and after the end of the First World War, they all belonged to the Jewish religious denomination; later most of them converted to Catholicism and one was an Evangelical Christian (Protestant). The Alexander family moved to Zagreb from Burgenland (Güssing) in the 1850s. Upon their arrival, they worked in commerce and were known as diligent businessmen. Soon they became respected and wealthy patrons well-known in Zagreb, Croatia and abroad. The second-generation family members were distinguished physicians, lawyers, engineers, artists, professors and businessmen. They formed marriage alliances with Zagreb’s prominent Jewish and Catholic families and socialised with the nobility, thus making acquaintances and forming social networks that upgraded their social status. Also, they were cosmopolitans with one foot in Zagreb and the other in Vienna. Thereby, Budapest was not far-fetched for them. Among the most prominent and distinguished family members, one finds the brothers Aleksander/Šandor (1866–1929) and Samuel David (1862–1943). They were well-respected industrialists, founders of Zagreb’s brewery, malt factory and cement factory. They were also board members of several banks and founders of industrialists’ associations. Thus, their work and diligence were much appreciated during the First World War, for which Aleksander was awarded an Austro-Hungarian noble title. The post-war unification of the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes had no negative impact on their social standing. Thereby, the brothers managed to continue their business successfully, and were greatly appreciated by the newly formed political elite. Later, at the beginning of the Second World War, the majority of the family members managed to escape Nazi persecution, while some perished in the Holocaust. Today, descendants of this large family live scattered around the world, in Israel, the United States, Italy and Zagreb. The only visible memory trace – proof of the family’s existence in Zagreb – are the stairs in the Tuškanac city park, named after Šandor von Alexander of Sesvete.

Keywords

PL

rodzina Alexander; Żydzi; przedsiębiorcy; Zagrzeb

EN

Alexander family; Jews; entrepreneurs; Zagreb

• Publisher: Instytut Slawistyki Polskiej Akademii Nauk
• Journal: Colloquia Humanistica
• Year: 2020
• Issue: 9
• Pages: 255-272

Dates

published

2020

Contributors

author

Ljiljana Dobrovsak

• Institut društvenih znanosti Ivo Pilar [Institute of social science Ivo Pilar], Zagreb

• https://orcid.org/0000000218992306

author

Ivana Žebec Šilj

• Institut društvenih znanosti Ivo Pilar [Institute of social science Ivo Pilar], Zagreb

• https://orcid.org/0000000150419537

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Identifiers

DOI

10.11649/ch.2020.015

Biblioteka Nauki

31339656