Gajo Filomen Bulat (January 4, 1836Bulat, Gajo (1836–1900)
// Österreichisches Biographisches Lexikon 1815-1950 nline-Edition Bd. 1 (Lfg. 2, 1954), S. 126 – June 9, 1900) was a Croatian lawyer who served as the Mayor of Split and as a member of the

Diet of Dalmatia The Diet of Dalmatia ( hr, Dalmatinski sabor, it, Dieta della Dalmazia) was the regional assembly of the Kingdom of Dalmatia within the Austro-Hungarian Empire. It was founded in Zadar in 1861 and last convened in 1912, before being formally diss ...

and the Vienna Imperial Council.

Biography

Gajo Bulat was born January 4, 1836 to Francis, a judge in Supetar. He attended high school in

Zadar Zadar ( , ; historically known as Zara (from Venetian and Italian: ); see also other names), is the oldest continuously inhabited Croatian city. It is situated on the Adriatic Sea, at the northwestern part of Ravni Kotari region. Zadar ser ...

, and received higher education in the

University of Graz The University of Graz (german: link=no, Karl-Franzens-Universität Graz, ), located in Graz, Austria, is the largest and oldest university in Styria, as well as the second-largest and second-oldest university in Austria. History The univers ...

and the

University of Padua The University of Padua ( it, Università degli Studi di Padova, UNIPD) is an Italian university located in the city of Padua, region of Veneto, northern Italy. The University of Padua was founded in 1222 by a group of students and teachers from ...

. He received his doctorate of law and became a secretary for the Chamber of Commerce in Zadar, and then dedicated himself to being a lawyer between the years 1865 and 1879, he was one of the most distinguished lawyer in

Split Split(s) or The Split may refer to: Places * Split, Croatia, the largest coastal city in Croatia * Split Island, Canada, an island in the Hudson Bay * Split Island, Falkland Islands * Split Island, Fiji, better known as Hạfliua Arts, entertai ...

. Although he was raised in an Italian culture, but due to

Miho Klaić Miho Klaić (Dubrovnik, August 19, 1829 – Zadar, January 3, 1896) was a Croatian politician and a leader of the Croatian revival in Dalmatia. He obtained a PhD in architecture in Padua, Italy. He was a member of the National Party and was elec ...

influence he became a supporter of the Croatian national idea, and leader of the People's Party from Split, he was a strong opponent of the Autonomist Party. He won the election against

Antonio Bajamonti Antonio Baiamonti (19February 182213January 1891) was an Austrian and Dalmatian Italian politician and longtime mayor of Split. He is remembered as one of the most successful mayors of the city, occupying the post almost continuously for twenty ...

whose autonomist party used all kinds of means to maintain power. On 28 June 1882 Bulat was made a mayor in the constituting session of the Split Municipal Council. Between 1885 and 1893, he was the

Mayor of Split The Mayor of the City of Split ( hr, Gradonačelnik Grada Splita), colloquially the ''Poteštat'' (derived from "'' podestà''"), is the highest official of the Croatian city of Split. From 1990 to 2007 the mayor was elected by the city assembly. S ...

, and member of Dalmatian Parliament and Vienna Imperial Council. He fought for the introduction of Croatian in schools and the railway connecting Split with Croatian Slavonia. A historian Dr. Rudolf Horvat writes, "his merit into the municipal government, school and society, and what is built the Croatian Theater ". Bulat started a newspaper "The People" (Narod) and was one of the contributors of the cultural-educational societies "Slavs progress" and "Zvonimir". His People's Party contributed much of the Croatian national awakening of consciousness and defeating the Autonomist. In 1890, Gajo Bulat officially opened monumental fountain known as the Split, Bajamonti fountain. Gajo Bulat died of a heart attack in Vienna, 9 June 1900 in the middle of parliamentary work, and was buried in Split with great honor, as a great fighter for Croatian ideas and unity of all Croatian area from the Adriatic to the Drava River.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Bulat, Gajo 1836 births 1900 deaths People from Supetar People from the Kingdom of Dalmatia Croatian People's Party – Liberal Democrats politicians People's Party (Dalmatia) politicians Mayors of Split, Croatia