Ban Ivan Mažuranić , was one of the most significant people in Croatian history – the highest state dignitary besides the King.
When you say in Croatia; I owe you 3 Mažuranić! It means – I owe you 300 hundred kunas. One Mažuranić is a value of 100 kunas, (around 15 euro), so in total – this amount would be a very nice dinner! Mažuranić is at the 100 kunas banknote
The family name Mažuranić became famous because after some other family members left their mark in Croatian history. And one extraordinary woman; Ivana Brlić Mažuranić. But, let’s start with the first one according to the historical appearance.
Croatia has given throughout history many notable people in various fields. Just think of Ivan Vuković, Nikola Tesla, Marko Marulić, St.Jerome, and so on. But most of these people were prodigies inside their environment and family tree. Not often you’ll come across such a family name that had given generations of individuals who had such influence in Croatian culture.
One of those family names indeed goes for the Mažuranić family,The family name Mažuranić – Part 2 and trust us; you won’t find a single Croatian person who wouldn’t know at least the basics of this amazing family.
First of the representatives of the family is Ivan Mažuranić (1814-1890) (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ivan_Mažuranić). Living in the 19th century, he was holding the title of the Ban which is a form of state dignitary, the highest in Croatia since the medieval times (besides the king). Croatia had many men serving as Ban. Only a few remained remembered as those who made crucial changes to the country (p.s. Josip Jelačić (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Josip_Jelačić), the man after whom the main square in Zagreb was named was also a Ban!). A poet, linguist, and politician, one of the central figures in the most significant movement in Croatia’s history, Croatian national revival. In the difficult times during the 19th century, when Hungarians were determined that Croatia should stay inside the Austro-Hungarian Emire, Mažuranić was vocal about how Croatia strives for its independence and new future as a state with its autonomy.
Ivan Mažuranić has shown significant talent when it comes to literature and linguistics. He is known for writing the first modern German- Croatian dictionary with over 40 000 words included!
His contribution is visible in the invention of some of the words in Croatian such as ice-cream, rhinoceros, high-treason, and metropolis. He also left a huge mark in Croatian literature as a famous poet whose works are in the regular school syllabuses of every Croatian school.
Because of his many contributions to the nation, many streets and squares in Croatia are named after him, but even more, his face is on the 100 kunas bill. A way to give some honor, right?
