A teacher in a Croatian village during the First World War and the interwar period

Abstract

The paper examines the life and work of Stanko Horvatin, the head teacher (principal) of the public/elementary school in Gračani, which changed its name several times during its existence. The central time frame covers the period from 1913 to 1933, when Horvatin was active in the Gračani area, but the paper also covers earlier and later phases of his life. On the basis of archive material, the paper analyzes various aspects of Horvatin's life, from pedagogical work at school, to social involvement, political positions and everyday existential problems in family life. Horvatin's biography clearly reflects the educational system and its influence on the life of a Croatian village during the First World War and the interwar period. The paper also shows the status of Croatian teachers in relation to the political changes and regimes they were exposed to, as well as the challenges they faced as a result. In a broader context, changes caused by modernization can be observed in the Croatian countryside of Northwestern Croatia during the researched period.