Josif Runjanin
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Josif Runjanin Јосиф Руњанин |
|
 |
|
| Born | December 8, 1821 Vinkovci, Slavonian Military Frontier, Austrian Empire, (in modern day Republic of Croatia) |
|---|---|
| Died | February 2, 1878 (aged 56) Novi Sad, Bacs-Bodrog county, Kingdom of Hungary, Austria-Hungary, (in modern day Serbia) |
| Occupation | soldier and composer |
Josif Runjanin (Serbian Cyrillic: Јосиф Руњанин (Josif Runjanin); Croatian: Josip Runjanin; December 8, 1821–February 2, 1878) was a Serb from Croatia and composer (most notably composing the music for the Croatian national anthem). He was lieutenant-colonel in the Austro-Hungarian Army.
Contents |
[edit] Origins
The Runjanin family originates from the village of Runjani in Jadar, in the Drina valley. The family moved to Bijeljina in Bosnia in 1718 when Asutria took over Serbia and Northern Bosnia.
Most of the family's members fled once again, during the Second Great Migration of Serbs in 1739 when Serbia and Northern Bosnia returned to Ottoman rule and founnd refuge in the area of Osijek in the Austrian Empire controlled Slavonia.
One Đorđe Runjanin then settled in the village of Grk, in Syrmia with his family. Đorđe's son Stojak was a Serbian Orthodox Church priest in Kuzmin to his death in 1758. The list of descendants to Josif Runjanin runs in the following pattern: Stojak fathered Vasilije who was the father of Petar (another Orthodox minister), and whose son was Ignjat (1798 - 10 November 1876) who was an Austrian army captain in Vinkovci.
Josif was the eldest of Ignjat's 7 children.
[edit] Life
Young Runjanin was baptized in the Orthodox shrine of the Descent of the Holy Ghost (Silaska Svetog Duha) in Vinkovci. The ceremony was carried out by the renowned local priest Adam Popović. He received education in Vinkovci, and then Sremski Karlovci. He was named "Josif" in accordance to Biblical traditions of the Serbs of his age. Between 1848 and 1866 he served in four Austrian military engages in Italy. In the age of 43 he married the daughter of the pensioned captain Toma Perković. As a representator of the First Banate regiment he entered the Croatian Assembly in 1865.
In his youth, he served in the Imperial Army as a cadet in Glina, Military Frontier. There, he was introduced to the Illyrian circles, where he met Antun Mihanović. Josif composed music for his patriotic Croatian song Lijepa naša domovina in 1848, although this Croatian Anthem would be first played in the streets of Zagreb in 1891 during the Croatian-Slavonian exhibit, so both men only achieved post-mortal fame. While serving in Glina, he attained the rank of captain, and became proficient in playing the piano, being taught by the military kapelnik of Glina. An obedient soldier, Josif later was later made colonel.
After retirement, Josif moved to Novi Sad where he died at the age of 57 on 2 February of 1878 and was buried at the Serbian Orthodox Ascension Cemetery (Uspensko groblje).
[edit] Legacy
During his lifetime he was recognized for having composed two major songs which are popular to this day:
- music for the Croatian national anthem Lijepa naša domovino (Our beautiful homeland)
- Rado Srbin ide u vojnike (Gladly will the Serb enlist in the Army)
