Ivan Kukuljević Sakcinski

Ivan Kukuljević Sakcinski (Varaždin, 29 May 1816 – Puhakovec near Sveti Križa Začretje, 1 August 1889), Croatian historian, writer, bibliographer, politician and cultural figure. One of the leading representatives of the Croatian national revival (Illyrian movement) and founder of modern Croatian historiography, archaeology and art history.

He came from an old noble family originally from Herzegovina. He attended high school in Varaždin and Zagreb, studied philosophy in Zagreb and trained as a military officer in Vienna. He served in the army, and from the 1840s he became actively involved in political and cultural life. In 1843, he gave the first speech in the Croatian language in the Croatian Parliament (2 May), which marked the beginning of the struggle for the official use of the vernacular language instead of Latin. In 1847, he repeated the request, after which Croatian became the diplomatic language of the Parliament. He participated in the revolution of 1848, was a member of the Ban's Council, an associate of Ban Josip Jelačić and one of the compilers of The Demands of the People. After the collapse of the revolution, he withdrew from active politics, only to return in the 1860s as the Grand Prefect of Zagreb (1861–1867) and the Ban's governor.

He founded the Society for Yugoslav History (1850), launched the Archive for Yugoslav History (1851–1875), was the first provincial conservator of monuments (from 1855) and president of the Matica hrvatska (1874–1889). He founded the modern archival service as a provincial archivist. He traveled throughout Croatia, Dalmatia, Bosnia, Italy and elsewhere, collecting historical material, epigraphic monuments and works of art.

Main works (selection):

• Literary: drama Juran and Sofia or the Turks at Sisak (1839), Slavjanke (1848), tragedy Marula (1879), Historical Songs (1874).
• Scientific: the first Croatian bibliography Bibliografia hrvatska: tiskane knjige (1860, with an addition in 1863), Slovnik umjetnikah jugoslavenskih (1859–1860, unfinished), collections of sources Iura regni Croatiae... (1861–62), Acta Croatica (1863), Codex diplomaticus... (1874–75), monographs on Marko Marulić, Julije Klović, Andrija Medulić, Zrin, etc.

Kukuljević's work is characterized by its versatility: from the political struggle for the Croatian language and law, through the systematic collection and publication of historical sources, to the establishment of scientific disciplines. Despite his noble origin, he was an ardent advocate of national identity and South Slavic cooperation. His legacy is the foundation of Croatian historiography and cultural heritage of the 19th century. The Kukuljević Charter of the Croatian Library Association is named after him.