Mate Balota: Difference between revisions

| name = Mijo Mirković

| image = MateBalota1MateBalota.jpg

| imagesize =

| caption = Mijo Mirković (Mate Balota)

| pseudonym = Mate Balota

| birth_date = {{Birth date|1898|09|28|df=y}}

| birth_place = [[Rakalj]], [[Istria]], [[Austrian Littoral]], [[Austria-Hungary]] (modern-day [[Croatia]])

| death_date = {{death date and age|1963|02|17|1898|09|28|df=y}}

| death_place = [[Zagreb]], [[SR Croatia]], [[SFR Yugoslavia]] (modern-day [[Croatia]])

| occupation = Poet, novelist, economist, professor, [[academician]]

| alma_mater = [[University of Zagreb]]<br/>[[Universität Frankfurt am Main]] ([[Doctor of Philosophy|Ph.D.]])

| spouse =

| children = =

| awards =

| signature = Mijo Mirkovic Mate Balota signature.svg

'''Mijo Mirković''' ({{IPA-sh|hr|mǐjo mǐːrkɔ̝v̞it͡ɕ|hr}}; 28 September 1898&nbsp;– 17 February 1963), also known by his [[pen namesname]]s '''Miho''' and '''Mate Balota''', was a prominent [[Croats|Croatian]] poet, novelist and economist. Considered one of the most prominent Croatian poets of the 20th century and often credited as the greatest Istrian poet, he was called "the greatest [[List of Istrians|Istrian]] after [[Labin]]'s [[Matthias Flacius|Matija Vlačić]]" by [[Tone Peruško]].<ref name="istrapedia">{{cite web|url=https://www.istrapedia.hr/hr/natuknice/554/perusko-tone|title= Peruško, Tone (''audio file on the bottom of the page'')|author= [[Miroslav Bertoša]]|publisher= [[Istrapedia]]|access-date=22 January 2021|archive-date=305 JanuaryFebruary 2021 |archive-url=https://archive.vntoday/w5Lse20210205113534/https://www.istrapedia.hr/hr/natuknice/554/perusko-tone |url-status=live}}</ref>

Mirković was born in [[Rakalj]], southeastern [[Istria]]. His family was evacuated to [[Moravia]] at the beginning of the [[Great War]]. Upon his return to Croatia he worked as a journalist in [[Pula]] before moving to [[Zagreb]], where he graduated from the [[Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, University of Zagreb|Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences]]. He later studied economy and social sciences in [[Berlin]] and [[Frankfurt]], where he had gone in order to examine the original manuscripts of [[Matija Vlačić]] (Flacius). He obtained his doctorate from the [[Goethe University Frankfurt|University of Frankfurt]] in 1922, and subsequently taught in [[Osijek]], [[Subotica Law School|Subotica]] and [[Belgrade]]. After [[World War II in Yugoslavia|World War II]], he was a professor at the [[Faculty of Economics, University of Zagreb|Faculty of Economics]] in Zagreb until his death. A member of [[JAZUCroatian Academy of Sciences and Arts|Yugoslav Academy of Sciences and Arts]] (JAZU) since 1947, he was its [[List of members of the Croatian Academy of Sciences and Arts|Secretary General]] from 1958 until 1961, and in 1960 received the [[:hr:Državna nagrada za znanost RH|Lifetime Achievement Award]].

Mirković is one of the most appreciated Croatian [[Dialects of Serbo-Croatian|dialect]] poets.<ref name="Brucke"/> Beside poetry, he is also known for his novelsnarrative and nonfiction books, and for his works on economy. He published many discussions, books and textbooks on the theory of foreign and domestic trade, industrial policy, national economy, history of economy and economics of agriculture, publishing such works as ''Trade and Domestic Trade Policy'' (1931), ''Foreign Trade Policy'' (1932), ''Industrial Policy'' (1936), ''Agrarian Policy'' (1940), ''Economic Structure of Yugoslavia 1918–1941'' (1950) and ''Economic History of Yugoslavia'' (1958).<ref name="hrv"/><ref name="istr"/>

His best known work of poetry is the collection ''[[Dragi Kamen|Dragi kamen]]'', published in Zagreb in 1938 and named after the 1931 poem,<ref name="istr2">{{cite web|title=Susreti na dragom kamenu|url=http://istra.lzmk.hr/clanak.aspx?id=2620|publisher=[[Istrian Encyclopedia]]|access-date=21 March 2021|archive-url=https://archive.vntoday/EQ4o920210322002349/http://istra.lzmk.hr/clanak.aspx?id=2620|archive-date=22 March 2021}}</ref> which was later published in several more editions. Described as a nostalgic experience of Istria, [[Susreti na dragom kamenu|a meeting named after the book]] is held in Rakalj since 1968, in Mirković's honour.<ref name="hrv"/><ref name="istr"/> Among his other books there are ''Stara Pazinska Gimnazija'' and ''Puna je Pula'', the latter a monograph in which Mirković combines fiction with documentary work. These [[Literary realism|realist]] novelstexts depict life in the Istrian villages, with both the Istrians' happy and tragic moments.<ref name="hrv"/><ref name="istrianet">{{cite web|title=Mirković, Mijo (Miho, pseud. Mate Balota)|url=https://www.istrianet.org/istria/illustri/mirkovic/index.htm|publisher=Istrianet|access-date=21 March 2021|archive-url=https://archive.vntoday/JEG1f20130704032750/http://www.istrianet.org/istria/illustri/mirkovic/index.htm|archive-date=4 July 2013 }}</ref> His only novel is ''Tijesna zemlja: roman iz istarskog narodnog života'' (1946), an economic and social study in which he portrays life in an Istrian village from the second half of the 19th century until the 1940s, following the life of a family through three generations.<ref name="hrv"/><ref name="istr"/>

Mirković attended the high school ''Veliku državnu gimnaziju u Pazinu'' ("Royal Great State Gymnasium") in [[Pazin]], and later in [[Zabreh]], in the [[Czech Republic]]. His family had been evacuated to [[Moravia]] following the outbreak of [[World War I]].<ref name="istr">{{cite web|last=Biletić|first=Boris Domagoj|author-link1=Boris Domagoj Biletić|title=Mirković, Mijo (Miho, pseud. Mate Balota)|url=http://istra.lzmk.hr/clanak.aspx?id=1765|publisher=[[Istrian Encyclopedia]]|access-date=21 March 2021|archive-url=https://archive.phtoday/m2EBH20150927222812/http://istra.lzmk.hr/clanak.aspx?id=1765|archive-date=27 September 2015}}</ref><ref name="business"/><ref name="hrv"/>

Starting from 1919 he studied [[philosophy]] and [[Slavonic studies]] in [[Zagreb]] and [[Belgrade]]. He later studied economics and humanities in [[Berlin]] and [[Frankfurt am Main]], where in 1922<ref name="kadic">{{cite book|authorsauthor=Ante Kadic, |author2=Ante Kadić |url=https://wwwbooks.google.com/books/edition/Contemporary_Croatian_Literature/UYAwAAAAIAAJ?hlid=UYAwAAAAIAAJ|title=Contemporary Croatian Literature|langlanguage=en|page=63|publisher=[[De Gruyter|Mouton]]|year=1960|isbn=}}</ref> he received his doctorate in economics with a [[thesis]] titled ''O glavnom razlogu gospodarske zaostalosti slavenskih naroda'' ("on the main reason for the economic backwardness of the Slavic peoples").<ref name="istr"/><ref name="business"/><ref name="hrv"/> The dissertation is kept at the [[Frankfurt University Library]].<ref name="moderna vremena">{{cite webbook|title=Glavni uzroci gospodarske zaostalosti slavenskih naroda|url=https://mvinfo.hr/knjiga/4359/glavni-uzroci-gospodarske-zaostalosti-slavenskih-naroda|publisher=Moderna Vremena|access-date=21 March 2021}}</ref>

Mirković had decided to go study in Frankfurt, because there were stored the manuscriptmanuscripts of Vlačić (Flacius), who he considered the "greatest Istrian of all time."<ref name="istrianet"/> His studies of Vlačić's manuscripts in Frankfurt later resulted in his extensive and well-documented work on the reformer.<ref name="istrianet"/> In the [[interwar period]] he worked as a substitute professor in several places throughout former Yugoslavia, including the Trade Academy in [[Osijek]] and the Maritime Academy in [[Bakar, Croatia|Bakar]]. He taught at the [[Subotica Law School]] (1928-391928–39) and at the [[University of Belgrade Faculty of Economics|Belgrade School of Economics]].<ref name="hrv"/><ref name="istr"/> Mirković also visited many European universities and scientific cultural centers.<ref name="istr"/><ref name="business"/><ref name="hrv"/>

The 1930s were an extremely fruitful decade for Mirković. At this time he intensively studied the life and the works of [[Matija Vlačić Ilirik]], publishing ''Flacius'' (1938); ''Matija Vlačić'' (1957); ''Matija Vlačić Ilirik'' (1960). A monograph resulting from these studies, ''Matija Vlačić-Ilirik I–II'' was published posthumously.<ref name="hrv"/><ref name="istr"/> Mirkovic's interest in Labin native Flacius reportedly dated back to his childhood, and it might have been transmitted to him by his mother, who was originally from [[Skitača]], in the [[Labinština]].<ref name="istrianet"/>

During the [[Second World War]] he completed his only novel ''[[Tight Country.: A novelNovel from Istrian folkFolk lifeLife]]'', or ''Tijesna zemlja. Roman iz istarskog narodnog života'' (1946). He united documentary and fiction works in his ''Puna je Pula'' (1954). Another well known book by MirkovicMirković is ''Stara Pazinska Gimnazija'' (1950). MirkovicMirković's [[Verismo (literature)|verist]] novelsworks depict life in the Istrian villages, with the Istrians' happy, sad and tragic moments.

Mirković participated to the [[Paris Peace Conference (1946)|Paris Peace Conference]], and thus contributed to the annexation of Istria to [[SR Croatia|Croatia]].<ref name="istr"/><ref name="hrv"/><ref name="business">{{cite web|title=Mijo Mirković|url=https://www.efzg.unizg.hr/mijo-mirkovic-42022/42022|publisher=[[Faculty of Economics & Business, University of Zagreb]]|access-date=22 March 2021|archive-url=https://archive.vntoday/T75WW20210322131542/https://www.efzg.unizg.hr/mijo-mirkovic-42022/42022|archive-date=22 March 2021}}</ref> From 1957 until his death he was full professor at the [[Faculty of Economics & Business, University of Zagreb| Faculty of Economics in Zagreb]].<ref name="istr"/><ref name="business"/><ref name="hrv"/> In 1960, he received the [[:hr:Državna nagrada za znanost RH|Lifetime Achievement Award]].<ref name="hrv"/><ref name="crorep">{{cite web|title=Državne nagrade za znanstvenoistraživački rad za 1960. godinu|url=https://archivemzo.vngov.hr/ikJRXprint.aspx?id=662&url=print|publisher=[[Republic of Croatia]]|access-date=21 March 2021|archive-url=https://archive.vntoday/ikJRX20210322134918/https://mzo.gov.hr/print.aspx?id=662&url=print|archive-date=2722 SeptemberMarch 20152021}}</ref> Starting from 1947 he was a full member of the [[Croatian Academy of Sciences and Arts]], where he was [[List of members of the Croatian Academy of Sciences and Arts|Secretary General]] from 1958 until 1961.

Mirković published a large number of university textbooks and works on economy, including ''Ekonomsku historiju Jugoslavije'' (1958).<ref name="istr"/> He was one of the most prolific writers on economy between the two world wars.<ref name="istr"/> He published works on economy history and discussions in the field of foreign and domestic trade theory, agrarian economics, and industrial policy. Such works include ''Trgovina i unutrašnja trgovinska politika'' ("Trade and Domestic Trade Policy"), 1931; ''Spoljna trgovinska politika'' ("Foreign Trade Policy"), 1932; ''Industrijska politika'' ("Industrial Policy"), 1936; ''Agrarna politika'' ("Agrarian Policy"), 1940; ''Ekonomska struktura Jugoslavije 1918–1941'' ("Economic Structure of 1918–1941 Yugoslavia"), 1950; ''Ekonomika agrara FNRJ'' ("Economics of Agriculture of the Federal People's Republic of Yugoslavia"), 1950; ''Seljaci u kapitalizmu'' ("Peasants and Capitalism"), 1952; ''Ekonomska historija Jugoslavije'' ("Economic History of Yugoslavia"), 1958; ''Uvod u ekonomiku Jugoslavije'' ("Introduction to the Economy of Yugoslavia"), 1959.<ref name="hrv">{{cite web|title=Mirković, Mijo|url=https://www.enciklopedija.hr/Natuknica.aspx?ID=41145|publisher=[[Croatian Encyclopedia]]|access-date=21 March 2021|archive-url=https://archive.vntoday/oMY0k20210321210537/https://www.enciklopedija.hr/Natuknica.aspx?ID=41145|archive-date=21 March 2021}}</ref>

He died in Zagreb and was buried in Rakalj. His funeral in Rakalj "went into memory as the largest spontaneous funeral Istria had ever seen," with reportedly eight thousands poeplepeople coming from all parts of the Kvarner and Istria.<ref name="istrianet"/>

Mirković is considered one of the leading Croatian poets of the 20th century, is often credited as the greatest poet from Istria, and has been described as the most prominent Istrian of all times, with [[Tone Peruško]] crediting him as the second greatest Istrian after [[Matija Vlačić Ilirik]].<ref name="istrapedia"/>

His poetry influenced the following generation of poets. He published a total of 50 poems of uniform quality. With his poetry, "he anticipated and touched on important ideological problems and existential doubts of the contemporary intellectual."<ref name="istr"/>

The South Istrian Chakavian of his poetry has been described as musical and somewhat archaic. In his songs he has his most unstable verse, which in places is completely [[free verse|free]]. The rhythm of poetry "often follows the rhythm of folk songs."<ref name="istr"/> The "relation to verse, versification and metrics is unpredictable," and the verse is markedly [[freedom|free]], as is "the relation to language and its grammatical and orthographic laws, regardless of whether it is written in a dialect or a book-standard." His poems treat urban themes.<ref name="istr"/> His collection of poems "became a cult book of Istrian Croats due to its great popularity."<ref name="hrv"/> Mirković is credited with having expressed in poetry and journalism "the voice of the [common] people of Istria."<ref name="istrianet"/> He is one of the most appreciated Croatian dialect poets.<ref name="Brucke">{{cite book|url=https://wwwbooks.google.com/books/edition/Br%C3%BCcke/?id=vpZIAQAAIAAJ?hl|title=Brücke

|langlanguage=it|page=3|publisher=[[Ministry of Culture and Media (Croatia)|Ministry of Culture]]|year=2008|isbn=}}</ref>

His novel and indirect autobiographical work ''Tijesna zemlja: roman iz istarskog narodnog života'' (1946) polarizes the critics to this day.<ref name="hrv"/><ref name="istr"/> It is a socioeconomic study of Istrian villages in the second half of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century. In this book he portrays life in an Istrian village, from 1870 until 1941. The novel follows the life of a family through three generations. The narrator speaks in the Croatian language, while the characters communicate in the [[Chakavian dialect|dialect of southeastern Istria]].<ref name="istrianet"/>

Mirković's feuilleton and travel books, so far "an insufficiently valued part of his oeuvre",<ref name="istr"/> confirm him as one of the most prominent Croatian writers in the middle course of the [[Croatian literature]].<ref name="istr"/> The thematic of his travelogues is somewhat complementary to BalotaMirković's work ofin other genres. The thematic framework of his work consists of "social peasant misery, love themes, betrayal and the destinies of emigrants," as well as "travel, the sea, the world of childhood [...] ideological choice and commitment."<ref name="istr"/> His other notable works of prose include ''Proza i poezija'' ("Poetry and Prose"), 1959, the drama ''Smrtni grijeh'' ("Mortal Sin"), 1964, ''Selected Works'' (with N. Pavić, P.Ljubić and [[Drago Gervais]] in the edition ''Five Centuries of Croatian Literature'', 1973) and a selection from the work ''Na crvenoj istarskoj zemlji'' ("On the Red Istrian Land"), 1979.

* [http://www.labin.com/web/neobavezna.asp?id=1138&idkat=53 Biografija] {{in lang|hr}}

*{{cite encyclopedia | url=http://www.istrapedia.hr/hrv/296/mirkovic-mijo-mate-balota/istra-a-z/ | encyclopedia=Istrapedia | title=Mirković, Mijo (Mate Balota) | last=Biletić | first=Boris Domagoj | publisher=[[Istria County]] | language=Croatian | accessdateaccess-date=5 March 2011}}

[[Category:CroatianYugoslav economists]]

[[Category:MaleCroatian male novelists]]

[[Category:20th-centuryYugoslav novelists]]