Info on migrations of Greeks to Zagreb in the 18th and 19th centuries
Dimitriou family
The start was made by Gregory Dimitriou, a merchant from Siatista, who landed at Herzegovina around 1770, probably due to the Orlov events or other unrest that made difficult the life of a lot of Greeks, events not rare during the Ottoman rule.
Dimitriou family
The start was made by Gregory Dimitriou, a merchant from Siatista, who landed at Herzegovina around 1770, probably due to the Orlov events or other unrest that made difficult the life of a lot of Greeks, events not rare during the Ottoman rule.
He was followed by his two sons, Naum and Theodore. The family was active in the area between Trieste and Budapest, based in Zagreb.
Naum Dimitriou got married to Catherine Popović. It is not known whether her origin was Greek or whether she was related to Elisabeth Popović, who married another Greek, Constantine Mallin (probable surname Mallinis or Mallinos, also found in Greek West Macedonia).
Theodore Dimitriou got married in 1790 to Afrati or Afratia Afksenti[ou] (the recorded surname is "Aksent", of Kozani) and they begat Dimitrios Dimitriou – later a nationally-acclaimed literary man in Croatia, known as Dimitrije Demetar (1811-1872 [link to my earlier blogpost in Greek]) – and several other children:
- Elisabeth (born 1806) – wife of Baron Nikolić
- Alexandra (born 1815) – wife of Ivan Mažuranić, the important ruler (ban) who reformed the legal and educational system of Croatia
- Some more siblings - including brothers who reportedly took part in founding Trieste's Lloyds
Mallin family
Constantine Mallin (died 1809) begat John and Eva.
John Mallin (1786-1854) got married to Sophia, daughter of Naum Dimitriou (and cousin of Demetar). He had a store at today's Radićeva, the then Long Street (Duga Ulica) – the uphill road linking the downtown Jelačić square to the Stone Gate (Kamenita Vrata) of the upper town. It is mentioned that the prominent bourgeois had taken the title of the "free citizen" and had been exempted from paying dues at all "free towns", in which he traded cereals with the boat "Katarina". He is portrayed as a dynamic merchant, active in the city and the chamber, and a practical person, of deeds not words.
Their son Naum Mallin (1816-1893) excelled in trade. In the area of the St. Joseph Ksaver monastery, close to the Mihaljevac tram station, there is a garden with his name, with "exotic trees" brought from an international trade fair. At 31, Naum Mallin became vice president of the First Croatian Savings Bank and was co-founder of the Croatian Commercial Bank. He became twice an editor of the Agramer Zeitung. He was the administrative vice president of Matica Hrvatska (a foundation for promotion of the Croatian national identity). His signature, as well as that of Anastas Popović, is featured in the contract with A. Fernkorn (in 1864) for erecting the statue of the Croat leader (ban) Jelačić, which dominates the namesake square downtown. For 40 years he was a secretary and treasurer of the Orthodox church community.
Son of Naum Mallin was John or Ivo (1855-1907). A street in his name exists a bit south of the Mallin park, close to the Romanian embassy. Ivo was a trustee and a lawyer, with a strong role in promoting economic development in continental Croatia. Ivo had two more siblings, Theodore and Sidonia.
Popović family
Eva Mallin, Constantine's daughter, died very young - at 23. She only barely got married to Marko Kumanović and gave birth to a daughter, Christine. She got later married to Kumanović's assistant, Anastas Popović, family originating from Greece. Thus, the Popović surname gets again connected to the other branches of the Greek community. Anastas (1786-1872) was co-founder of the First Croatian Savings Bank (see Mallin) and helped this institution survive even after the tough year of 1848 – marked by internal revolt in Austria-Hungary, part of which Croatia was at the time. He was the first chairman of the Commercial Chamber from 1852 to 1866. He was also chairman of the Orthodox community and contributed to the reconstruction, in 1866, of the Orthodox church of the Transfiguration - which nowadays seats the Serbian metropolitan bishopric of Croatia/Slovenia and is located in the bustling Flower Square (Cvjetni Trg).
Anastas Popović's daughter, Maria, got married to major Stefan Miletić. The namesake son (1868-1908) was a famous playwright. It is an impressive coincidence that the early leader of Croatian theater was a Greek (Demetar) and the tradition was followed by Stjepan Miletić, also descendant of Greeks.
Popović family
Eva Mallin, Constantine's daughter, died very young - at 23. She only barely got married to Marko Kumanović and gave birth to a daughter, Christine. She got later married to Kumanović's assistant, Anastas Popović, family originating from Greece. Thus, the Popović surname gets again connected to the other branches of the Greek community. Anastas (1786-1872) was co-founder of the First Croatian Savings Bank (see Mallin) and helped this institution survive even after the tough year of 1848 – marked by internal revolt in Austria-Hungary, part of which Croatia was at the time. He was the first chairman of the Commercial Chamber from 1852 to 1866. He was also chairman of the Orthodox community and contributed to the reconstruction, in 1866, of the Orthodox church of the Transfiguration - which nowadays seats the Serbian metropolitan bishopric of Croatia/Slovenia and is located in the bustling Flower Square (Cvjetni Trg).
Anastas Popović's daughter, Maria, got married to major Stefan Miletić. The namesake son (1868-1908) was a famous playwright. It is an impressive coincidence that the early leader of Croatian theater was a Greek (Demetar) and the tradition was followed by Stjepan Miletić, also descendant of Greeks.
The intertwining of the Popović family with the remaining Greek clans does not stop here. Anastas' brother, Andreas, also got married to a Mallin descendant, and they had three children. For many years the family owned a shop on Jelačić square, where another Greek family also had their home (Gavella - a name to be found in central Greece and Euboea island).
Gavella family
The centrally located, alternative theater in the name of Branko Gavella (1885-1962), as well as the street name in the Folnegovićevo quarter – near the mosque –, are linked to that family. According to his granddaughter, the University lecturer of French Yvonne Vrhovac, Branko Gavella was of Greek origin, although it has been suggested that he was also a Činčar or Vlach (note: this view has also been expressed for Demetar and other Orthodox migrants to the Balkans). His grandfather, George, had migrated to Zagreb and was a successful merchant of rope and blankets. He funded many artists. At the onetime theater (of St. Mark's square, which no longer exists) there was a lodge with his name. The family house, in which grandfather Branko grew, was on the north side of Jelačić square, at the location of the only passage leading to the Dolac market.
Gavella family
The centrally located, alternative theater in the name of Branko Gavella (1885-1962), as well as the street name in the Folnegovićevo quarter – near the mosque –, are linked to that family. According to his granddaughter, the University lecturer of French Yvonne Vrhovac, Branko Gavella was of Greek origin, although it has been suggested that he was also a Činčar or Vlach (note: this view has also been expressed for Demetar and other Orthodox migrants to the Balkans). His grandfather, George, had migrated to Zagreb and was a successful merchant of rope and blankets. He funded many artists. At the onetime theater (of St. Mark's square, which no longer exists) there was a lodge with his name. The family house, in which grandfather Branko grew, was on the north side of Jelačić square, at the location of the only passage leading to the Dolac market.
Sources
- Text by the Croat author Đuro Szabo titled "On an old home and people from old times in Zagreb", written in 1933, part of a bigger project titled "On Zagreb" (O Zagrebu, in Croatian). Đuro Szabo was a director of Zagreb's city museum.
- Text by Theodor de Canziani Jakšić, in the review Acta med hist Adriat (2008), volume 6(2), p. 243 onw., titled "The heritage of Dr. Dimitrije Demetar in the Mažuranić-Brlić-Ružić memorial library and collection".
- The Zagreb city museum, in which the three first families' names are mentioned, as well as a fourth one (Stova), of which I have not yet found any trace.
- Interview of Yvonne Vrhovac, granddaughter of the playwright, critic and essaywriter Branko Gavella, in the website of the leading newspaper Jutarnji.
Note: The biblical name Naum is a surname or first name used in northern Greece and neighboring countries. St. Naum was a missionary together with Cyril and Methodius and a church in his honor is located on Ohrid lake, at the namesake settlement of FYR Macedonia.
Photo: Zagreb's Orthodox church.
Photo: Zagreb's Orthodox church.
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