Branko Bokun (

Serbian Cyrillic The Serbian Cyrillic alphabet (, ), also known as the Serbian script, (, ), is a standardized variation of the Cyrillic script used to write the Serbian language. It originated in medieval Serbia and was significantly reformed in the 19th cen ...

: Бранко Бокун; 28 June 1920 – 1 January 2011) was an

author In legal discourse, an author is the creator of an original work that has been published, whether that work exists in written, graphic, visual, or recorded form. The act of creating such a work is referred to as authorship. Therefore, a sculpt ...

in the fields of sociology and psychology.

Early life

Bokun was born in

Koljane Koljane is a small village in Split-Dalmatia County, Croatia. Koljane is a settlement in the Vrlika municipality, and the majority of the population are Croats. In the 1991 census, the population of Koljane was 285, and the majority were Serbs with ...

Croatia Croatia, officially the Republic of Croatia, is a country in Central Europe, Central and Southeast Europe, on the coast of the Adriatic Sea. It borders Slovenia to the northwest, Hungary to the northeast, Serbia to the east, Bosnia and Herze ...

, a small village in the

Dalmatia Dalmatia (; ; ) is a historical region located in modern-day Croatia and Montenegro, on the eastern shore of the Adriatic Sea. Through time it formed part of several historical states, most notably the Roman Empire, the Kingdom of Croatia (925 ...

n mountains of the

Kingdom of Yugoslavia The Kingdom of Yugoslavia was a country in Southeast Europe, Southeast and Central Europe that existed from 1918 until 1941. From 1918 to 1929, it was officially called the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats, and Slovenes, but the term "Yugoslavia" () h ...

. He began to study at the

University of Belgrade The University of Belgrade () is a public university, public research university in Belgrade, Serbia. It is the oldest and largest modern university in Serbia. Founded in 1808 as the Belgrade Higher School in revolutionary Serbia, by 1838 it me ...

; however his education there was interrupted by the

German invasion of Yugoslavia The invasion of Yugoslavia, also known as the April War or Operation 25, was a German-led attack on the Kingdom of Yugoslavia by the Axis powers which began on 6 April 1941 during World War II. The order for the invasion was put forward in "Fü ...

in 1941. He fled to

Italy Italy, officially the Italian Republic, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe, Western Europe. It consists of Italian Peninsula, a peninsula that extends into the Mediterranean Sea, with the Alps on its northern land b ...

, where he enrolled at the University of Rome, studying

economics Economics () is a behavioral science that studies the Production (economics), production, distribution (economics), distribution, and Consumption (economics), consumption of goods and services. Economics focuses on the behaviour and interac ...

and

social science Social science (often rendered in the plural as the social sciences) is one of the branches of science, devoted to the study of societies and the relationships among members within those societies. The term was formerly used to refer to the ...

s. At the same time he also signed on as an

extra Extra, Xtra, or The Extra may refer to: Arts, entertainment and media Film * The Extra (1962 film), ''The Extra'' (1962 film), a Mexican film * The Extra (2005 film), ''The Extra'' (2005 film), an Australian film Literature * Extra (newspaper), ...

with the

Cinecittà Cinecittà Studios (; Italian for Cinema City) is a large film studio in Rome, Italy. With an area of 400,000 square metres (99 acres), it is the largest film studio in Europe, and is considered the hub of Italian cinema. The studios were constru ...

film studio A film studio (also known as movie studio or simply studio) is a major entertainment company that makes films. Today, studios are mostly financing and distribution entities. In addition, they may have their own studio facility or facilities; how ...

in order to earn a living. Later, he acted as a go-between on behalf of the

Yugoslavia , common_name = Yugoslavia , life_span = 1918–19921941–1945: World War II in Yugoslavia#Axis invasion and dismemberment of Yugoslavia, Axis occupation , p1 = Kingdom of SerbiaSerbia , flag_p ...

n embassy to the

Holy See The Holy See (, ; ), also called the See of Rome, the Petrine See or the Apostolic See, is the central governing body of the Catholic Church and Vatican City. It encompasses the office of the pope as the Bishops in the Catholic Church, bishop ...

, communicating with the many Yugoslav

Jew Jews (, , ), or the Jewish people, are an ethnoreligious group and nation, originating from the Israelites of ancient Israel and Judah. They also traditionally adhere to Judaism. Jewish ethnicity, religion, and community are highly inte ...

s who were hidden in Italy at the time. He recorded these years in his ''

Spy in the Vatican, 1941–45 ''Spy in the Vatican, 1941–45'' is an autobiographical writing by author Branko Bokun. It was first published in 1973, in the United Kingdom by Tom Stacey and in the United States by Praeger. The book is about Bokun's experiences in warti ...

'' (1973). He also exposed the

genocide Genocide is violence that targets individuals because of their membership of a group and aims at the destruction of a people. Raphael Lemkin, who first coined the term, defined genocide as "the destruction of a nation or of an ethnic group" by ...

committed by the Ustashi in the so-called

Independent State of Croatia The Independent State of Croatia (, NDH) was a World War II–era puppet state of Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy (1922–1943), Fascist Italy. It was established in parts of Axis occupation of Yugoslavia, occupied Yugoslavia on 10 April 1941, ...

against its citizens, the Serbs,

Roma Roma or ROMA may refer to: People, characters, figures, names * Roma or Romani people, an ethnic group living mostly in Europe and the Americas. * Roma called Roy, ancient Egyptian High Priest of Amun * Roma (footballer, born 1979), born ''Paul ...

and Jews. Bokun graduated from the University of Rome in 1945 and went on to attend the

Sorbonne University Sorbonne University () is a public research university located in Paris, France. The institution's legacy reaches back to the Middle Ages in 1257 when Sorbonne College was established by Robert de Sorbon as a constituent college of the Unive ...

Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of France. With an estimated population of 2,048,472 residents in January 2025 in an area of more than , Paris is the List of ci ...

, taking courses in

sociology Sociology is the scientific study of human society that focuses on society, human social behavior, patterns of Interpersonal ties, social relationships, social interaction, and aspects of culture associated with everyday life. The term sociol ...

and

social psychology Social psychology is the methodical study of how thoughts, feelings, and behaviors are influenced by the actual, imagined, or implied presence of others. Although studying many of the same substantive topics as its counterpart in the field ...

, and graduating in 1949. In Paris he at one time supported himself by working as a dishwasher.

Life in England

In 1960 Bokun settled in

London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Northwestern Europe, off the coast of European mainland, the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...

, where he remained for the rest of his life. After his death at the

Chelsea and Westminster Hospital Chelsea and Westminster Hospital is a 430-bed teaching hospital located in Chelsea, London. The hospital has a rich history in that it serves as the new site for the Westminster Hospital. It is operated by Chelsea and Westminster Hospital NHS ...

on 1 January 2011, an obituary in ''

The Times ''The Times'' is a British Newspaper#Daily, daily Newspaper#National, national newspaper based in London. It began in 1785 under the title ''The Daily Universal Register'', adopting its modern name on 1 January 1788. ''The Times'' and its si ...

'' described him as "a beguiling Balkan boulevardier, author and anecdotist, and for half a century a familiar figure in the cafés and bookshops of Chelsea." He left a son and two grandchildren.name=vita>Cite web , url=http://www.vitabooks.com/ , title=About Vita Books , date=5 January 2011 , website=Vita Books , quote=Vita Books regrets to announce the death of Dr. Branko Bokun aged 90 on Saturday 1st January 2011 in

after a short illness. He is survived by his son and two grandchildren and many who regarded him as father, mentor, and friend. R.I.P. , archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110202142527/http://vitabooks.com/ , archivedate=2 February 2011

Bibliography

* ''Are We Freaks of Nature?: A New View on Evolution'' * ''Humour and Pathos in Judaeo-Christianity'' * '' Spy in the Vatican, 1941-45'' * ''Stress-addiction: A New Theory on Evolution'' * ''Self-help with Stress: A New Approach'' * ''The Pornocracy'' * ''Man — The Fallen Ape'' * ''Bioeconomy — Matriarchy in Post-capitalism'' * ''Humour Therapy''

References

External links

*
Vita Books
— Branko Bokun's books website, which makes his most recent book - ''The Origin of the Mind and its Follies/Humour Remedy'' available for free download.
''Humour Remedy''
Global Ideas Bank {{DEFAULTSORT:Bokun, Branko 1920 births 2011 deaths 20th-century Croatian writers Yugoslav writers Yugoslav sociologists Yugoslav psychologists Yugoslav diplomats Croatian sociologists Croatian psychologists University of Belgrade alumni University of Paris alumni Yugoslav expatriates in Italy Yugoslav expatriates in France Yugoslav emigrants to the United Kingdom People from Vrlika

Early life

Life in England

Bibliography

See also

References

External links