Enver Čolaković (27 May 1913 – 18 August 1976) was a Bosnian novelist, poet and translator, best known for his 1944 novel ''The Legend of Ali-Pasha''. During the later stages of World War II he served as a cultural attaché to the

Independent State of Croatia The Independent State of Croatia ( sh, Nezavisna Država Hrvatska, NDH; german: Unabhängiger Staat Kroatien; it, Stato indipendente di Croazia) was a World War II-era puppet state of Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy. It was established in p ...

embassy in Budapest. After the war he spent the rest of his life in

Zagreb Zagreb ( , , , ) is the capital and largest city of Croatia. It is in the northwest of the country, along the Sava river, at the southern slopes of the Medvednica mountain. Zagreb stands near the international border between Croatia and Slov ...

, where he published a number of literary translations from Hungarian and German.

Biography

Born in

Budapest Budapest (, ; ) is the capital and most populous city of Hungary. It is the ninth-largest city in the European Union by population within city limits and the second-largest city on the Danube river; the city has an estimated population ...

in 1913 to Bosniak father Vejsil-'' beg'' Čolaković and Hungarian mother Ilona ( née Mednyanszki), Čolaković spent his childhood traveling around the region, and after

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

he settled in

Sarajevo Sarajevo ( ; cyrl, Сарајево, ; ''see names in other languages'') is the capital and largest city of Bosnia and Herzegovina, with a population of 275,524 in its administrative limits. The Sarajevo metropolitan area including Sarajevo ...

. He was a student of physics and mathematics in Budapest and history in Zagreb. Between 1931 and 1939, Čolaković wrote in the Hungarian and German languages. Between 1939 and 1941, his works were published by a number of magazines based in Sarajevo and Zagreb, such as ''Osvit'' (''Dawn''), ''Hrvatski misao'' (''The Croatian Thought''), ''Hrvatski narod'' (''The Croatian People''), ''Hrvatsko kolo'' (''The Croatian Circuit'') and ''Novi behar'' (''The New Blossom''). Čolaković also wrote a series of essays and reviews in which he advocated rights for Bosniaks. His comedy ''Moja žena krpi čarape'' was performed at the

Sarajevo National Theatre The Sarajevo National Theatre ( Bosnian and Serbian: ''Narodno pozorište Sarajevo'', Народно позориште Сарајево, Croatian: ''Narodno kazalište Sarajevo'') was founded in November 1921. The opening ceremony was led by ...

in 1943 and later at the

Banja Luka Banja Luka ( sr-Cyrl, Бања Лука, ) or Banjaluka ( sr-Cyrl, Бањалука, ) is the second largest city in Bosnia and Herzegovina and the largest city of Republika Srpska. Banja Luka is also the ''de facto'' capital of this entity. I ...

Theatre in 1944. His novel ''The Legend of Ali-Pasha'' (1944) was awarded with Matica hrvatska (''Matrix Croatica'') Award. In 1944 he was appointed cultural attaché at the embassy of the Axis-allied

in Budapest. In a 1971 interview, Čolaković stated: "I began writing ''The Legend of Ali Pasha'' with a specific purpose - to preserve our Bosnian language. Not the language of denominations or peoples of Bosnia, but the language of Bosnia. I also wanted to re-create a historical period of Bosnia." After

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...

he was arrested in Sarajevo, detained in Zagreb, and eventually released. He later worked as an editor at the Publishing Institute of Croatia until 1946. Between 1952 and 1954, he was an editor at the Croatian Lexicographical Institute. Since he was not allowed to publish original works, he translated literary works from other languages. He translated Hungarian, Austrian and Hebrew poetry. For his enormous body of translations of Hungarian and Austrian authors, he was awarded the Hungarian Petőfi Award and the

Austrian Decoration for Science and Art The Austrian Decoration for Science and Art (german: Österreichisches Ehrenzeichen für Wissenschaft und Kunst) is a state decoration of the Republic of Austria and forms part of the Austrian national honours system. History The "Austrian ...

in 1970. He translated the novels of Ervin Šinko and Gyula Illyés,

Zoltán Kodály Zoltán Kodály (; hu, Kodály Zoltán, ; 16 December 1882 – 6 March 1967) was a Hungarian composer, ethnomusicologist, pedagogue, linguist, and philosopher. He is well known internationally as the creator of the Kodály method of music edu ...

oratorio An oratorio () is a large musical composition for orchestra, choir, and soloists. Like most operas, an oratorio includes the use of a choir, soloists, an instrumental ensemble, various distinguishable characters, and arias. However, opera is ...

'' Psalmus Hungaricus'' and Richard Wagner's opera '' Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg''. Together with his wife Stella Čolaković he also created many classical music programs for radio broadcast. Čolaković was member of Matica hrvatska,

Croatian Writers' Association Croatian Writers' Association ( hr, Društvo hrvatskih književnika; abbreviated DHK) is the official association of Croatian writers. It was founded in 1900 in Zagreb with the goal "to unite writers and help them support one another, and promote ...

, the Association of Literary Translators and the Yugoslav branch of the International PEN. He was among writers who signed the Declaration on the Name and Status of the Croatian Literary Language. Enver Čolaković died in Zagreb on 18 August 1976 of a heart attack. A square and park in Zagreb, Croatia, and a street in Sarajevo, and several schools in Bosnia and Herzegovina are named after him. In 1970, Čolaković was awarded the

Austrian Cross of Honour for Science and Art, 1st class The Austrian Decoration for Science and Art (german: Österreichisches Ehrenzeichen für Wissenschaft und Kunst) is a state decoration of the Republic of Austria and forms part of the Austrian national honours system. History The "Austrian D ...

Works

*''Legenda o Ali-paši'', Zagreb 1944, 1970, 1989, Sarajevo 1991, 1997, 1998. * ''Moja žena krpi čarape'', salonska komedija, 1943. *''Mali svijet'', Zagreb 1991. *''Gyula Illyés'', Poezija, Zagreb 1971. *''Zoltán Csuka'', Moje dvije domovine, Sarajevo 1972. *''Zoltán Csuka'', Poezija, Zagreb 1975. *''Zlatna knjiga mađarske poezije'', Zagreb 1978. *''Izabrane pjesme'', Zagreb 1990. *''Lokljani. Iz Bosne o Bosni'', Zagreb 1991. *''Bosni'', Zagreb, 1998 " Jedinac", Novel in verses, Zagreb 2001 "Knjiga majci", Novel, Zagreb, 2013.

References

;Notes ;Bibliography * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Colakovic, Enver 1913 births 1976 deaths Writers from Budapest Bosniak writers Bosniak poets Bosnia and Herzegovina writers Burials at Mirogoj Cemetery Recipients of the Austrian Cross of Honour for Science and Art, 1st class University of Belgrade alumni Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, University of Zagreb alumni 20th-century Hungarian poets Bosnia and Herzegovina people of Bosniak descent Bosnia and Herzegovina people of Hungarian descent Cultural attachés Yugoslav writers