Žarko Petan facts for kids
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Žarko Petan (born March 27, 1929 – died May 2, 2014) was a talented Slovenian writer, essayist, and director for theatre and film. He was especially well-known for writing short, wise sayings called aphorisms.
Contents
Early Life and Challenges
Growing Up in Different Cities
Žarko Petan was born in Ljubljana, Slovenia. At that time, Slovenia was part of a country called the Kingdom of Yugoslavia. His family was quite well-off. He spent his childhood in Zagreb, Croatia, where his father owned a hotel.
In 1940, his family moved to Maribor in Slovenia. There, they owned a café. When World War II started and the Axis powers invaded Yugoslavia in 1941, his family moved to Trieste. They did this to stay safe from danger. After the war ended, they returned to Maribor.
Facing Difficult Times
After World War II, a new government came to power in Yugoslavia. Žarko Petan soon found himself in disagreement with this new system. In 1949, while he was serving in the army, he was accused of speaking against the government. He was sent to jail for a short time.
He was released in 1951. After that, he went to the University of Ljubljana. He studied economics there. Later, he also studied theatre directing at the Academy for Theatre, Radio, Film and Television in Ljubljana.
A Career in Theatre and Film
Directing and New Ideas
In the late 1950s, Žarko Petan worked with other artists at the Drama theatre in Ljubljana. This theatre was one of the first to show a new style of plays. These plays were called "theatre of the absurd." They often showed life as confusing or meaningless.
He also helped start an experimental theatre group called Stage 57. This group wanted to try new things and challenge the strict rules about art at the time. However, the authorities closed the theatre in 1964. After that, Petan went back to working in more traditional theatres.
Leading National Broadcast
From 1992 to 1994, Žarko Petan held an important job. He was the Director General of the Radiotelevizija Slovenija. This is Slovenia's national radio and television company.
A Prolific Writer
Žarko Petan was an incredibly productive writer. He published more than 60 books in Slovene, his native language. He also wrote many books in other languages, especially in Croatian. His work was very popular and has been translated into more than twelve different languages around the world. He passed away on May 2, 2014.
See also
In Spanish: Žarko Petan para niños
