Born: March 2, 1873 (Negovec, Croatia)
Biography:
Marija Jurić Zagorka, born on March 2, 1873, in the village of Negovec, was a Croatian journalist, writer, and women’s rights activist. Known by her pen name Zagorka, she was the first female journalist in Croatia and among the most read Croatian writers. Her life was full of challenges and triumphs, and her influence on society and women’s history is undeniable.
Born into a wealthy but unhappy family, Zagorka spent her childhood on the Golubovec estate in Hrvatsko Zagorje. She received her education from private tutors who taught her alongside Baron Geza Rauch’s children, the owner of the estate her father managed. Zagorka’s intelligence and talent were evident during her time at elementary school in Varaždin, where she consistently achieved the highest marks.
Despite her father’s desire to send her to Switzerland for high school, Zagorka’s mother objected, and she ended up attending an all-girls high school at the Convent of the Sisters of Mercy in Zagreb. It was during this time that she married Andrija Matraja, a Slovak-Hungarian railway officer who was seventeen years her senior, in an arranged marriage. However, she quickly realized that her husband held chauvinistic views against Croats, leading to a strained relationship.
The couple lived in Szombathely for three years, during which Zagorka experienced a mental breakdown. Eventually, they divorced, and she found herself living with her uncle in Sremska Mitrovica and later in Zagreb. Matraja accused her of being mentally unstable and had her confined to an asylum temporarily. However, doctors eventually recognized her mental health and discharged her.
With the help of her father, Zagorka was able to obtain a divorce. However, due to her mother testifying against her, she was declared guilty of marriage failure, leaving her former husband without an obligation to pay alimony or return her personal belongings.
Zagorka’s journalistic career started during her time in high school when she edited her first newspaper, the Samostanske novine (Convent Newspaper). Despite having only one copy, she lent it to other students. In 1891, she edited the only student newspaper in Krapina, Zagorsko proljeće (Spring of Zagorje), under the pseudonym M. Jurica Zagorski, giving the impression that she was a man. The first issue caused controversy and was subsequently banned due to its provocative content.