Poznanstva

The poetry collection Poznanstva (Acquaintances), published in 1960 by the Zagreb-based publishing house Lykos, represents a mature poetic achievement by Đuro Šnajder (Nuštar, 1919 – Zagreb, 1993)—a prominent Croatian writer, critic, and long-time editor, as well as the father of the renowned novelist and playwright Slobodan Šnajder. In this collection, the author—whose life path was marked by the dramatic historical circumstances of World War II, including time spent in camps and joining the Polish partisan movement—presents himself with exceptional lyrical restraint.

Although close to the poetic circles of his generation, Šnajder brings a distinctive, ironic tone and a subtle shift toward elements of Hermeticism to Poznanstva. Through the poems gathered in this edition, the author explores the nature of human connections, the transience of time, the realms of intimate memory, and profound existential dilemmas.

His expression is characterized by linguistic discipline and clear visual imagery, devoid of superfluous sentimentality. This collection offers valuable insight into the intellectual climate of its time and bears witness to the author's versatile literary body of work, making Poznanstva a valuable read for connoisseurs of mid-20th-century Croatian poetry.