House of Drašković
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The House of Drašković was one among the oldest Croatian noble families, originally descended from lower-rank nobility of the Lika region.
There are no reliable data on them before the 15th c. The first reliable information is provided by three documents written in Glagolitic alphabet in 1490 (mentioning "35 noblemen of the Drašković family), kept at the Budapest National Archives. In the 15th c., they owned an estate in Donje Zazično (today's Donje Pazarište) in Buška parish and around Knin, which is why Bartol, who started the family's noble line, was in a document from 1520. referred to as "Kninjanin" (from Knin). In the first half of the 16th century, due to the Turkish threat, Bartol left Zazično and moved to Kupa Valley. He fathered cardinal Juraj I Gašpar who was made baron in 1567, and given Trakošćan in 1569. After that, the family members were referred to as "Trakoščanski" (from or of Trakoščan).
[edit] Famous family members
In the 16th c. - 19th c. period, several family members became renowned in Croatia as politicians, army leaders, and religious dignitaries.
Juraj Drašković(1525-1585) was trained for priesthood in Krakow, Vienna, Bologna, and Rome. He made a good career as a religious dignitary, and considerably added to the family fortune. In 1557, he was made bishop of Pécz, and, in 1563, of Zagreb. As of 1576, he was the Croatian ban (Vice-Roy). He left behind several tractates, as well as a collection of sermons and speeches in manuscript.
Ivan Drašković III. (1603-1648) studied philosophy in Graz and law in Bologna. In 1640, he became the Croatian Vice-Roy. He lead victorious battles against the Turks, and was particularly concerned with fortifying burgs and Croatian Military Border fortifications, which is why he was called "defensor Croatiae". At the assembly held in 1646 in Požun, he was made the highest Hungarian national dignitary. He was the only Croatian who had this honour during the Hapsburgs' rule.
Josip Kazimir general. His marriage to a noblewoman of lower descent hurt his brilliant military career and made it impossible for him to advance. He played a particularly important role in the seven-year war (1756-1763).
Janko Drašković(1770-1856), national reformer and politician. He was very broadly educated, and even considered as the best educated person in Croatia at the turn of the 18th c. His best known piece is Disertacija or Tractate published in Karlovac in 1832. It was the first political pamphlet written in štokavian dialect. Disertacija is the political, economic, and cultural programme of the Croatian Illyrian Movement. In 1842, he gave a programmatic speech on the occasion of Matica ilirska's (the local cultural and publishing society's) establishment, as its first chairman. He dedicated all of his energy to his political activity and to the battle against pro-Hungarians. His Disertacija was translated into German in 1834. He also wrote poetry.
Juraj Georg Drašković V As Major-General, he fought with Radetzki, and later also with ban Jelačić. He was an MP, and one among the founders of JAZU (the then Yugoslav Academy of Science and Art). He started making callotypes already in 1848, his collection being one among the earliest and best preserved of its kind in the country.
Karlo Dragutin (1873-1900), amateur photographer. After finishing high school in Zagreb, he studied law and technology in Budapest. He became engaged in photography in 1892. In 1895, he became a member of the Wiener Camera Club. There are several hundred of his negatives, prints, and slides preserved from the 1894-1899 period. Particularly interesting are those recording fast movements. He was one among the most pronounced 19th c. amateur photographers.
Julijana Drašković(1847-1901) Here paintings may today be found mostly in Trakoščan. Along with her brothers Rudolf and Stjepan, and son Karlo, she was also engaged in amateur photography.
