Juraj Dobrila facts for kids
Juraj Dobrila (born March 16, 1812 – died January 13, 1882) was an important Catholic bishop from Istria. He worked hard to help the Croats and Slovenes living in Istria. At that time, Istria was ruled by Austria. He wanted them to have more rights and for their languages and cultures to be respected.
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Juraj Dobrila's Early Life and Education
Juraj Dobrila was born in a small village called Veli Ježenj. This village is near Pazin in the middle of Istria. Back then, Istria was part of the Habsburg monarchy.
He was a very smart student. He went to elementary school in Tinjan and Pazin. After that, he attended a gymnasium (a type of high school) in Gorizia and Karlovac. He also studied to become a priest at a seminary in Karlovac.
In 1837, he became a priest. He worked in Munama and Hrusici for a short time. From 1839 to 1842, he studied theology in Vienna.
Becoming a Bishop and Helping His People
After his studies, Dobrila worked as a chaplain in Trieste. He also became a principal of a girls' school.
From 1857 to 1875, he was the bishop of the Poreč and Pula region. Later, from 1875 until his death, he was the bishop of the Trieste and Koper region.
Dobrila was a good friend of Josip Juraj Strossmayer. Strossmayer was another important Croatian bishop. Both bishops strongly supported the Croat and Slovene people in Istria. These groups were the majority in Istria. However, people from the coastal towns, mostly Italians, had more power and influence.
Supporting Slavic Languages and Culture
During the European Revolutions of 1848, Dobrila joined a group called the "Slavic society" in Trieste. He believed that Slavic languages should be used more in schools and public life.
He helped children financially so they could attend schools in the Croatian parts of the monarchy. These schools were in Rijeka and Kastav. He also encouraged farmers in Istria, who were mostly Slavic, to read books in their own language. This helped them avoid being unfairly treated by their landlords.
Dobrila also helped publish important books and newspapers. In 1854, he printed a prayer book in Croatian called Oče, budi volja tvoja. He also supported the first Croatian newspaper in Istria, Naša sloga, which started in 1870. He even published a collection of folk tales and proverbs called Različno cvijeće. Another prayer book, Mladi Bogoljub, was published after his death in 1889.
Political Involvement and Legacy
Juraj Dobrila was also involved in politics. He was a member of the Regional Council of Poreč from 1861. He also represented the council in the Parliament in Vienna until 1867.
In 1870, he took part in the First Vatican Council. Here, he supported Bishop Strossmayer's ideas about the future of the Church.
Dobrila cared deeply about others. After he passed away, he gave all his money and property to charity.
His legacy lives on in Croatia. His picture was on the 10 kuna banknote. This banknote was printed in 1993, 1995, 2001, and 2004. Two high schools are named after him, one in Pazin and one in Pula. The University of Pula is also named in his honor: Juraj Dobrila University of Pula.
