Tibor Sekelj facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Tibor Sekelj
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Tibor Sekelj in 1983
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| Born | 14 February 1912 Szepesszombat (part of Poprad), Austria-Hungary |
| Died | 20 September 1988 (aged 76) Subotica, Yugoslavia |
| Occupation | writer, lawyer, explorer, Esperantist |
| Citizenship | Yugoslavian |
| Education | lawyer |
| Alma mater | University of Zagreb |
| Period | 1929–1988 |
| Genre | Esperanto literature |
| Notable works | Kumeŭaŭa, la filo de la ĝangalo (1979) Tempesto sur Akonkagvo, La trovita feliĉo, Tra lando de Indianoj, Nepalo malfermas la pordo (Window on Nepal), Ĝambo Rafiki, Mondmapo, Padma, Mondo de travivaĵoj, Elpafu la sagon, Neĝhomo, Kolektanto de ĉielarkoj; See bibliography |
| Spouse | Erzsébet Sekelj |
Tibor Sekelj (born February 14, 1912 – died September 20, 1988) was an amazing person from Hungary. He was an explorer, an author, and could speak many languages. He was also known as a "citizen of the world" because he felt at home everywhere.
In 1986, he became a member of the Akademio de Esperanto and an honorary member of the World Esperanto Association. One of his most famous books is Kumeŭaŭa, la filo de la ĝangalo ("Kumewawa, the son of the jungle"). It's a children's book about the life of Brazilian Indians. This book was translated into seventeen languages and was even voted the best children's book in Japan in 1987. In 2011, the European Esperanto Union honored him by calling 2012 "The Year of Tibor Sekelj" to celebrate 100 years since his birth.
Contents
About Tibor Sekelj
His Early Life (1912–1939)
Tibor's father was a veterinarian in the army, so his family moved around a lot. Tibor was born in Hungary, but his family moved to Romania when he was a baby. He lived there until he was ten. Hungarian was his first language, but he also learned German.
Later, his family moved to Kikinda, which is now in Serbia. There, Tibor learned Serbo-Croatian. He was very good at languages and learned a new one every four years! In 1929, he started studying law at the University of Zagreb in Croatia. He graduated very young, in 1933. While studying, he also learned about painting, sculpture, Esperanto, filmmaking, and journalism. He found law boring, so he became a journalist and later a film screenwriter.
A World Traveler
Starting in 1939, Tibor Sekelj became a constant traveler. He always returned to Serbia between his trips, but he loved exploring new places and learning about different people. His journeys led to many books that have been translated into over twenty languages.
Adventures in South America (1939–1954)
In 1939, Tibor went to Argentina to write about people from Croatia living there. He traveled by ship, and it was one of the last trips before World War II started. He arrived in Buenos Aires in August 1939. Tibor was a peaceful person and wanted to be far from the war. He was very brave, but he didn't want to be part of any military actions.
He quickly learned Spanish and started working as a journalist. He even published his own magazine about travel and exploration. Tibor stayed in Argentina for 15 years, writing and exploring South America.
Climbing Aconcagua (1944)
In 1944, Tibor joined a team to climb Aconcagua, the highest mountain in South America (6,962 meters). He had no climbing experience before this! Tibor and two others reached the top. But a terrible snowstorm hit, and four of the six climbers died. This sad event inspired Tibor to write his first book, Storm Over Aconcagua, which tells the exciting story.
Later, Tibor led another climb to find the bodies of the lost climbers. He added a chapter about this rescue to his book. The President of Argentina, Juan Perón, even tried to give Tibor honorary Argentine citizenship and a special medal for his bravery. But Tibor politely said no, explaining that he was a "Citizen of the World" and couldn't belong to just one country.
Exploring the Amazon (1946–1947)
Because his first book was so popular, Tibor's publisher asked him to write another. With a small budget, Tibor decided to explore the unknown parts of the Brazilian rainforests in Mato Grosso. In 1946, he went on his first trip into the Amazon jungle. This trip led to his popular book, "Along Native Trails."
His partner on this journey was Mary Reznik. They spent almost a year exploring tribes along the Araguaia River and Rio das Mortes Rivers. They even met the brave Xavantes Indians, who had been known to be dangerous to outsiders. They also met the Karajá and Javae Indians. Their book, Por Tierra de Indios (1946), was about surviving in tough conditions, dealing with sickness and hunger. It was a big success and was translated into many languages. Tibor and Mary got married in 1946.
Journey to Bolivia (1948–1949)
In 1948, Tibor and Mary went to Bolivia. They met the President, Enrique Hertzog, who encouraged them to explore the unknown Itenez River area. This difficult six-month journey brought them face-to-face with more challenges and even hostile tribes, like the Tupari, who had been cannibals just a few years before.
In 1949, the President of Bolivia offered Tibor a huge piece of land to manage, hoping to house a million European refugees there. Tibor turned down the offer because he didn't want to wait six months for the government to decide. He later wished he had taken it, as he hoped it could have been a place where Esperanto became the main language.
Venezuela and Central America (1949–1954)
After a trip to Europe, Tibor joined Mary in Venezuela. He wrote newspaper articles and managed a music store. He and Mary later separated. Tibor then traveled alone through Central America.
He wrote about visiting the San Blas Islands in Panama and meeting the Kuna Indians. He tried to climb the Izalko volcano in El Salvador, but an eruption stopped him. He also discovered the ruins of an ancient city in Honduras that many only knew from legends. During his trips through Guatemala and Honduras, Tibor became very interested in archeology and anthropology.
In 1953, when Tibor arrived in Mexico, many climbing clubs invited him to join their treks. His book « Tempestad sobre el Aconcagua » had become a guide for mountain climbing. He climbed famous volcanoes like Popocatépetl and Iztaccihuatl, becoming an expert climber. One amazing adventure was exploring a 14-kilometer underground river called San Heronimo.
Travels from Europe (1954–1988)
In 1954, Tibor returned to his home in Belgrade, Yugoslavia. He was warmly welcomed. His books were translated into many languages, and he continued to travel and write.
India, China, Nepal (1956–1957)
In 1956, he traveled through Asia for the World Esperanto Association. When his car crashed in Tehran, he continued by bus and train. He met important leaders like Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru and his daughter, Indira Gandhi. He also became friends with future president Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan.
In January 1957, he visited China, which was closed to most visitors at the time. Then he spent six months in Nepal, invited by King Mahendra. King Mahendra thanked Tibor for starting the first people's university there and helping to spread Esperanto. This friendship is part of Tibor's book, « Nepal opens the door », 1959. He wrote it in Esperanto while studying yoga in Chennai. The book was translated into many languages.
Vinoba Bhave, Japan, Sri Lanka (1958–1960)
After six months in Europe, Tibor went back to India to teach Esperanto to the great Indian mystic, Vinoba Bhave. The scholar learned Esperanto in just one month! Tibor stayed in India for five months.
Then, he went to Japan with no money. In March 1960, he toured 30 cities in Japan for four months, staying with Esperanto speakers. He earned enough money by lecturing and writing articles to buy a plane ticket to Sri Lanka and then to Israel before returning to Belgrade.
Morocco and Africa (1961–1963)
In 1961, Tibor visited Morocco and joined a group of Tuaregs nomads in the Sahara desert. In March 1962, Tibor started a "Caravan of Friendship" to Africa. Eight people from four countries traveled in two special cars. Their goal was to connect directly with people. This year-long journey took them to Egypt, Sudan, Ethiopia, Somalia, Kenya, and Tanzania. When a second caravan didn't happen, Tibor climbed Mount Kilimanjaro, the highest mountain in Africa. This trip is the subject of his book Ĝambo rafiki.
Russia, Japan, Mongolia, Europe (1965–1966)
In 1965, Tibor traveled by train across Russia and Siberia to reach Japan for the World Congress of Esperanto in Tokyo. A month later, he crossed Siberia again by train, with a side trip to Mongolia. His three-month stay in Mongolia was difficult because foreigners were not usually welcome. In the years that followed, Tibor Sekelj visited almost every country in Europe.
Australia, New Zealand, New Guinea (1970)
In 1970, Yugoslav television sent Tibor to Australia, New Zealand, and New Guinea. During his six-month trip, he climbed Mount Kosciuszko. In New Guinea, he met native people who had little contact with the outside world, which sometimes led to tense situations. But Tibor was very good at adapting to new customs and communicating with people, which often helped him escape danger.
North America, Russia, Nigeria, Ecuador (1972–1980)
In 1972, Tibor visited eastern Canada and the United States while attending a meeting of ethnologists in Chicago. In 1977, he saw Uzbekistan and Central Asia during a similar event in Saint Petersburg. That same year, he took part in a festival in Lagos, Nigeria. In 1978, he returned to South America for Yugoslav TV, visiting Ecuador and the Galápagos Islands.
Many people wondered how Tibor always found money for his travels. He said it was because he did the work of seven people: writer, cameraman, assistant, photographer, and buyer/shipper of artifacts. He was a one-man team! He also often got discounted airline tickets by arranging advertising deals.
Work for Esperanto
Tibor Sekelj spent much of his life supporting and promoting Esperanto, the international language. He was a committee member of the World Esperanto Association (UEA) since 1946. In 1983, he helped start the Esperantist Writers Association and was its first president. In 1986, he became a member of the Akademio de Esperanto.
He always looked for chances to promote Esperanto, especially at the international Writers association PEN and UNESCO. In 1985, Tibor worked hard to get UNESCO to pass a second resolution that was good for Esperanto. He convinced many governments to support it.
Museum Director (1972–1988)
In 1972, Tibor became the head curator of the Municipal Museum in Subotica (Serbia). He also studied museology at Zagreb University and earned a doctorate in 1976. He had many new ideas for museums, but they didn't get much support, so he left the job.
In 1985, Tibor met Erzsébet Sekelj, a librarian born in 1958. She learned Esperanto that year, and they married in 1987. They attended three World Congresses of Esperanto together. Tibor lived in Subotica until he died on September 20, 1988. He is buried there, and his gravestone has an inscription in Esperanto: "TIBOR SEKELJ, 1912–1988, WRITER, WORLD TRAVELER."
Tibor's Amazing Skills
Tibor Sekelj had many talents! He was a journalist, explorer, adventurer, mountaineer, writer, artist, filmmaker, geographer, ethnologist, museum expert, and could speak many languages. He also met and advised many important politicians. His main goal was to connect with people from all over the world.
Geographer
His travels made him a geographer. He even created maps of parts of South America that had never been mapped before, especially in Bolivia and Brazil. Because of his work, a river in Brazil was named after him: Rio Tibor. He also published world maps in Esperanto and edited a geography magazine called «Geografia Revuo». In 1946, the Royal Geographical Society of United Kingdom made him a member because of his achievements.
Journalist
Tibor learned journalism in Zagreb. A Croatian newspaper sent him to Argentina to write about Yugoslav people living there, which started his travel adventures. After two years, he learned enough Spanish to publish his own monthly magazine in Buenos Aires called « Rutas » (Ways), which was about geography, travel, and exploration.
He supported himself by writing for many newspapers, especially in South America and Yugoslavia. He wrote for youth magazines in Yugoslavia, teaching young people about Esperanto. In his 60s, he became a TV journalist, filming travel reports for Belgrade, Zagreb, and Novi Sad television stations. He was also a brilliant journalist for Esperanto, editing several Esperanto newspapers and magazines. He gave about 7,500 speeches, mostly about his travels.
He traveled through 90 countries, and his books were published in many of them and translated into many languages.
Filmmaker
Tibor's first job after law school was with a film company. They sent him to Prague to learn film direction. When he returned to Yugoslavia in the 1960s, he started making TV films about his trips to New Guinea and Australia. He did everything himself: directing, sound, lighting, and camera work. These films became a 10-hour travel series shown across Yugoslavia. Later, he worked with a professional team to make films about Colombia and Ecuador.
He was also interviewed many times on TV, and much of that material has been saved.
Mountaineer
In Argentina, Tibor learned about mountaineering just before climbing Aconcagua. He survived that dangerous climb and later climbed many other difficult mountains on different continents, including in Nepal, Mexico, Mount Kilimanjaro in Africa, and Mount Kosciuszko in Australia. His detailed book about climbing Aconcagua became a textbook for mountaineering in Mexico and other South American countries.
Ethnologist
During his travels, Tibor collected native masks, hats, and musical instruments. He also recorded spoken native poetry and published a book called Elpafu la sagon (Pull out the arrow) about it. He gave his collections to the Ethnographic Museum of Zagreb and the Municipal Museum of Subotica.
Adventurer
Tibor's adventurous spirit was very appealing to the public. He was always searching for the true nature of the human spirit, which led him to remote parts of the world. For over forty years, he studied and interacted with tribes in the rainforests of Brazil and New Guinea. He learned about their customs, lifestyles, and beliefs, often risking his life. He wrote about these experiences in his Esperanto book "Mondo de travivaĵoj" (The world of experiences ), 1981.
Political Connections
Tibor was very good at making friends with politicians and leaders. Many heads of state welcomed him and listened to his advice based on his travels. He met Juan Perón, the President of Argentina, who offered him an award and citizenship. He also met Jawaharlal Nehru, the Prime Minister of India, and his daughter Indira Gandhi. The President of Bolivia, Enrique Hertzog, asked him to explore unknown areas and even offered him land for European refugees. He also met King Mahendra of Nepal, who thanked Tibor for starting the first people's university in Nepal.
In 1985, Tibor played a key role in getting UNESCO to pass a second resolution supporting Esperanto. He met with many leaders and diplomats to make this happen.
Polyglot
Tibor Sekelj learned 25 languages and many dialects! By the end of his life, he still knew nine languages well: Hungarian, Serbian, German, Esperanto, Italian, English, French, Spanish, and Portuguese. He wrote many books in Spanish, Esperanto, and Serbo-Croatian. He often worked as an interpreter during his travels.
Esperantist
Tibor became an Esperantist in 1930 and remained dedicated to the language his whole life. He founded ten Esperanto associations in South America and Asia and Esperanto societies in 50 cities worldwide.
He was a committee member of the World Esperanto Association for over twenty years and was key to getting the second UNESCO resolution for Esperanto passed in 1985. One-third of his books were originally written in Esperanto. He wrote many articles for Esperanto newspapers and magazines and edited Geografia Revuo, E-Gazeto, and Velo. He also helped start the International Puppet Theatre Festival (PIF) in Zagreb, which still gives an annual "Tibor Sekelj" prize for the most humanitarian message.
His motto for success was: "Three things are essential for success: precisely define your goal, move steadily toward it, and persist until you have reached it."
Teacher
Tibor also helped teach Esperanto. He was involved in launching the first televised Esperanto course in China. In the 1980s, he wrote textbooks for learning Esperanto. He led many Esperanto classes wherever he traveled and helped improve the "Zagreb method" textbook. Tibor Sekelj gave thousands of speeches, often with photos from his travels, and wrote countless articles about Esperanto. He was interviewed hundreds of times for radio, newspapers, and television, always talking about Esperanto.
His World View
In his lectures and activities, Tibor shared his simple life philosophy: every person is valuable, no matter where they come from or how much education they have. He showed this clearly in his book "Kumeŭaŭa." He believed that human culture is a product of all humanity. He used the example of a dining table, explaining that each piece of tableware and each food item was developed by different people. So, when we sit at a table, we are interacting with the efforts of many cultures. Therefore, every person is worthy of respect, and what we have today is the result of efforts from all nations, belonging to everyone.
Artist and Writer
Besides being a great writer, Tibor studied painting and sculpture in Zagreb. When he first arrived in Argentina, he earned money by painting portraits. He often illustrated his own books.
Tibor is one of the most famous Esperanto writers, especially among people who don't speak Esperanto, because so many of his books have been translated. His most successful work, Kumewawa – the son of jungle, has been translated into 22 languages. In 1983, the Japanese Ministry of Education named it one of the four best children's books published in Japan. As a result, 300,000 copies were printed in Japanese, making it probably the largest printing of an Esperanto-based work. In total, over a million copies of Kumewawa have been printed worldwide.
His book Tempest above Aconcagua was popular with people of all ages. His stories won awards, and his poetry, though not extensive, is considered very valuable.
Tibor Sekelj's Books
Tibor Sekelj's books, including his novels and travel stories, contain interesting observations about different cultures. He also wrote guides and essays about Esperanto. Most of his books were first written in Esperanto, but they were translated into many other languages. Tibor Sekelj is probably the most translated Esperanto author.
Travel Books
- Tempestad sobre el Aconcagua, a novel about his trip to the Aconcagua mountain in Argentina. Written in Spanish, 1944.
- Storm on Aconcagua and a year later, Serbian translation, 1955.
- Storm on Aconcagua, Czech-Slovakian translation, 1958.
- Storm over Aconcagua, Esperanto translation, 1959.
- Por tierras de Indios, about his experiences with Indians in Brazil. Written in Spanish, 1946.
- Through Brazil's Jungles to Wild Indian Tribes, German translation, 1950.
- Jungles of Brazil, Czech translation, 1956.
- In the Land of Indians along Brazilian Rivers and Forests, Slovenian translation, 1966.
- Through the Land of Indians, Esperanto translation, 1970.
- Excursion to the Indians of Araguaia (Brazil), about the Karajá and Javaé Indians in Brazil. In Spanish, 1948.
- Nepal opens the door, originally written in Esperanto, 1959.
- Nepal opens the door, Serbian translation, 1959.
- Window on Nepal, English translation by Marjorie Boulton, 1959.
- Nepal opens the door, Slovenian translation, 1960.
- Ĝambo rafiki. The caravan of friendship through Africa, originally written in Esperanto, 1991.
- Djambo rafiki. The path of the friendship caravan through Africa, Slovenian translation, 1965.
- Laugh with Esperanto, 1973.
- Awarded and other short stories, seven short novels, originally written in Esperanto, 1974.
- Kumeŭaŭa, the son of the jungle, a children's book about the life of Indians in Brazil, originally written in Esperanto.
- 1st edition 1979.
- 2nd edition 1994.
- Kumewawa jungle's son, Swedish translation, 1987.
- Kumewawa, the son of the primeval forest, Hungarian translation, 1988.
- Kumewawa, son of the jungle, Ukrainian translation, 1989.
- Kumewawa, son of the jungle, Serbian translation, 2003.
- Kumewawa – Son of the Jungle, Maltese translation, 2010.
- World of experiences, his autobiography and adventures across five continents. 1st edition 1981, 2nd edition 1990.
- Snowman, a story about life during a mountain climb. 1988.
- Collector of rainbows, novels and poems, originally written in Esperanto, 1992.
- Temuĝino, the son of the steppe, a novel for young people, translated from Serbian, 1993.
Books about Esperanto
- The importance of the international language in education for a better world, 1953.
- The international language Esperanto, common language for Africa, common language for the world, translated from Esperanto to English, 1962.
- The linguistic problem within the non-aligned countries movement and the possibility of solving it, 1981.
- The language problem of the Non-Aligned Countries Movement – and its possible solution, 1981.
Esperanto Textbooks
- The found happiness, a novel for children, 1945.
- With Antonije Sekelj: Esperanto course, according to audiovisual structural method, 1960.
- With Antonije Sekelj: Esperanto correspondence course, 1960.
Ethnography Works
During his travels, he collected important information about different cultures. He gave these collections to the Ethnographic Museum of Zagreb and the Municipal Museum of Subotica.
His main ethnography book is:
- Elpafu la sagon, from the oral poetry of the world (Pull out the arrow, about oral poetry of the world ), 1983.
This book contains translations of recordings he made during his travels.
Dictionary
Tibor Sekelj helped create a dictionary in 20 languages about museology (the study of museums), called Dictionarium Museologicum, published in 1986.
See also
In Spanish: Tibor Sekelj para niños
