Ivan Katardžiev facts for kids
Ivan Katardžiev (Macedonian: Иван Катарџиев; Bulgarian: Иван Катарджиев; January 6, 1926 – December 1, 2018) was a very important historian from North Macedonia. He was known as the country's top expert on the Internal Macedonian Revolutionary Organization (IMRO) and the history of Macedonia when it was part of Yugoslavia. He also led the Macedonian Institute for National History.
Early Life and Education
Katardžiev was born in 1926 in a town called Ploski, in Bulgaria. This area is also known as Pirin Macedonia. He finished high school in Sveti Vrach, Bulgaria.
In 1946, during a time when people in Pirin Macedonia had more cultural freedom, the Bulgarian government sent him to study history. He went to Skopje, which was the capital of the new SR Macedonia (part of Yugoslavia). In 1948, he was one of 13 students from Pirin Macedonia in Skopje who signed a statement. This statement was against new decisions made by the Bulgarian Communist Party. After this, the cultural freedom in Pirin Macedonia ended. Because of these changes, Katardžiev stayed and lived in Yugoslavia.
His Work as a Historian
In the 1950s, Ivan Katardžiev held several important jobs. He was in charge of the University Library in Skopje. He also worked at the Diaspora Office, which helped people living outside their home country. He was also the secretary for the Institute for National History of Macedonia.
Katardžiev was a very respected historian. He focused on understanding the history of the Macedonian people and their journey to becoming a nation. He wrote many books and studies about important events and movements in Macedonian history.
Important Books by Ivan Katardžiev
- The Serres District from the Kresna Uprising to the Young Turks Revolution (1968)
- Time of the Maturation: The Macedonian National Question between the Two World Wars, 1919–1930 (1977)
- The Struggle for the Development and Affirmation of the Macedonian Nation (1981)
Ivan Katardžiev passed away in Skopje on December 1, 2018, at the age of 92. He left behind a great legacy of historical research and knowledge.
