The Great Men in the Shadows
Located in the picturesque bay at the mouth of river Krka
Šibenik has always, for centuries, due to its unique location,
stood side by side with most developed cities of eastern Adriatic coast.
However, the circumstances changed drastically during the middle of the 17th Century
when the Plague epidemy decimated the city population
changing the demographic picture of the city.
Šibenik was brought to stagnation in development
which lasted until the second half of the 19th century.
In the year 1872. as the first municipal prefect of the City of Šibenik
Ante Šupuk, a member of Croatian National party, was elected.
That historical day determined the start of a new era in the development of the city
which would be marked by its fast development and transformation
into an important municipal center.
During the modernization period
Šibenik would gradually transform from undeveloped medieval society
into the developed industrial city.
The great role in that transaction was held by the Major Ante Šupuk.
Despite that fact if you take a walk through the city today
in search for the signs of Šupuk legacy
you would surprisingly find almost nothing.
Not even a memorial plaque devoted to him.
One could wonder who Ante Šupuk really was...
Ante Šupuk
...the Visionary of the City...
In the first half of the 19th Century
Dalmatia was a part of the Austrian Empire
known as Dalmatian Kingdom.
The other parts of Croatian teritory under Austrian Empiere were
Banovina of Croatia and Slavonia.
Intensifcation of politicing in Empire during the 1860-ies
also had an effect on the political life in Dalmatia
which was characterised by confrontation of two main political streams:
Autonimist and Nationalist.
The center of Dalmatian Kingdom was Zadar
while the neighbouring Šibenik was scraping along
as an undeveloped, almost rural society.
A society in which small craftsmanship represented
the main production activity.
The dominant role in Dalmatia was held by
doc. dr. sc. Ante Bralić, University of Zadar the Patrician-Bourgeois class of the coastal Dalmatian cities,
which at that time accepted the ideology of 'Slavodlamatism'.
Slavodalmatism is a sort of ideological teaching
which claims that people od Dalmatia are Slavs in their origins
but under strong influence of the Italian culture and language.
Anyhow, the Dalmatians are not Croats
but a special ethnic group.
Slavodalmatian class had developed a special political profilation
known as 'Autonomist' stream,
whose members advocated the preservation of Dalmatian independance
and refusal to attach to northern part of Croatia, Banovina.
1860-ies were a period of intense political struggle
between the Autonomists on one side
and Nationalists groupation on the other side.
Nationalists advocated unification of Dalmatia and Banovina of Croatia
and introduction of Croatian language in all the institutions
from administration to education.
prof. Joško Zaninović, arheologist and historian 1860-ies are years of awaking of the national identity
and attempts of Nationalists party to take the governance
from the Italian loyalists stream.
Priest don Josip Mrkica was working in Šibenik at that time
and owing to him the famous Public library was built
on the site of todays National Library.
The Library was a center of political and cultural thinking
of Croats in Šibenik
and has a exceptional role in
the formation of Croatian National Revival movement.
Don Mrkica obviously managed to persuade
Ante Šupuk, a young Autonomist at that time, to join
the Movement and to become its constituent part.
Šupuk accepted the Revival movement ideas
and in 1873. became the Major of Šibenik.
Afterwards, he enters the Dalmatian Parliament and then as a representative
of Šibenik district enters the Monarch Council in Wienna.
Ante Šupuk, the descendant of a prominent Šibenik family,
served as a Major for full 30 years.
In addition to that from 1870. till his death he was
a representative in Dalmatian parliament in Zadar.
From 1879. he also served as a representative in Council in Wienna.
There, as a Representative of Distrtict of Northern cities,
Šibenik and Zadar, he was sitting on the place number 250.
In 1875. Monarch Franz Josef I made a 15 days long journey
starting from Opatia in Istria on his new jacht 'Miramare',
A jacht which was actually a reconstructed British warship.
Comming to Šibenik an incident occured
when Ante Šupuk, a relatively young Major of the City,
did not want to greet his Monarch in neither German nor Italian,
which were official languages at that time.
Ha rather started his greetings by saying 'Your Majesty' in Croatian.
Monarch found himself offended so he turned away
with all his suite and ordered to head off to Skradin.
There he was greeted by Major Conte Borelli in Italian language.
Afterwards they went to visit Krka waterfalls.
engineer Josip Mozer, researcher and publicist Interesting fact was that Ante Šupuk sent a carriage for Monarch
which Monarch accepted. So, in the end,
Monarch did spend half a day in Šibenik.
River Krka ha always been an intersection
people, ideas, innovations.
All of which had been bringing prosperity and progress to the District.
Water mill system on river Krka was throughout the history
important for economy and basis for the development of industry.
In 18th Century family Šupuk acquired much property
on left bank of Krka river, from which the most important
was part on Skradinski Buk waterfall where mills were locatad.
This preindustrial machinery enabled Šupuk family to grow in economical strenght
and invest capital in development and expansion of their business.
Industrial revolution came to Dalmatia later compared to developed European countries.
However, the situation changed drastically when Ante Šupuk bacame the Major of Šibenik.
Firstly, the potential of Krka river, till then not exploited suficiently,
was recognised and used for producition of electricity on Skradinski Buk waterfall site.
Šupuks son Marko, a sailor, travelled a lot
happened to find himself in 1891. in Frankfurt am Mein
during the first big World Electrotechnic Exposition
where all the inventions and novelties were displayed.
People from all around the world were coming there to whitness everything.
The exhibits stayed there for 6 months so people could see how it all functioned.
Could really...experience it all!
Marko saw there first AC powerplant,
which was supplying electricity, through 175 km long lines, to exhibition premises
where fountain was spraying water 6 meters high powered by an electrical engine
so people could see how the motor drove the whole process.
In addition to this engine people could see a couple light bulbs, an electric arc type ones.
All in all, one could really experience, the manifestations of electricity, even touch!
He was thrilled with it!
Later he described evertything to his father.
To Ante Šupuk idea of construction of powerplant was presented by Sir Vjekoslav Meichsner,
an engineer, investor and project designer,
with whom would later Šupuk carry out a couple of big communal projects in Šibenik.
Šupuk agreed to become Meichsners main partner in construction of first Croatian powerplant at Krka.
Before all, he offered land on which HPP would be built.
A contact with someone who could build something like that had to be established.
Here emerged one big industrialist, Michael Ganz, a Swiss from Zurich,
who from his commercial reasons came to Budapest and founded his firm Ganz
and at first started the production of DC motors and generators.
When he was contacted by Šupuk in 1893 asking if they could build required AC system,
bearly two years after the Exhibition,
Michael Ganz replied: 'Mister Major we can do it...
...eventhough it still hasn't been done in Europe!'
At that time there were only rumors of such system beeing planned to be built in USA.
But still they agreed to make an experiment.
Šibenik was far enough in Province in Austro-Hungarian Empire
so in case they failed... noone would know.
But if they succeeded... noone would claim thier credit!
And that was how it happened!
They worked out the idea with Meischner,
who investigated which permits and administrative conditions had to be acquired.
Bureaucracy then had similar form like today
so a Building permit had to be issued.
And then an array of documents including inspections of engineers
who had no knowledge of how AC system worked
but still had to make inspections and sign the allowances!
Interesting fact is that the duo was so confident
that even before they settled the administrative barriers
they ordered the machinery to ba made!
It is important to highlight that
25th August 1895 was the day hydro plant at Niagara was comissioned,
built by Teslas blueprints.
But at that moment transmission line, 40 km long,
from HPP to the City of Buffalo was not finished.
Nor was the street lights and transformer system finished.
In other words this system lacked some vital components.
Therefore the Croatian power plant Jaruga I on Krka waterfalls near Šibenik
with transmission system on 3000V and main transformer station near waterfront
was fully bringing electricity to 11 km distant City.
Despite the starting enthusiasm towards the building of public lights system
people in Šibenik still kept a dose of caution.
They were against the installation of transmission lines on facades.
Because of that transformer stations were put on the roofs
in order to be far from reach to prevent possbible accidents.
Rudolf Meichsner insisted on installation of telephone line
between his house and machinery compartment in Jaruga
That way he could constantly be informed
and this was the channel through which he was informed of the first lights beeing lit.
Bringing the electricity to Šibenik was exhausting
but eventually they menaged to achieve it as planned and in time.
When the lamps started glowing the excitement was huge.
The newspapers were writing that Šibenik was glowing like Bethlehem.
On that day two 'musics' were flowing through the City:
one national Croatian along the Kallelarga
and one Italian along the coast.
It was important to avoid collisions so they were going their own ways
both praising the advent of electricity to Kallelarga and City.
At start 3 individual houses were lit:
one Meichsers, one Šupuks and one belonging to an enthusiast
who suggested it himself in 1896.
He listed precisely how many bulbs and wires he needed
and Šupuks company installed it.
Electrification of Šibenik, which among first cities,
got the AC public lights systems resonated far.
Papers in Wienna and Zadar were mentioning it.
It was really interesting to see what was written
in Wienna by Austrian journalists.
He stated that noone was aware how advaneced Šibenik was
in comparisson to Wienna! Just the National theatre in Šibenik proved it!
1st of May 1891. Mazzoleni theatre in Šibenik was lit
by 16 spotlights into which
glass plates of various colors could be inserted.
That made the scene really attractive and beautiful.
Unfortunately it was challenging for actors.
Actress Leonora Duzen stated in one interview in Trieste
that in Šibenik under electrical spotlight every fold on her face could be seen
so she had to act thoroughly different.
Not by voice but with gestures and expressions everything could be shown!
Ante Šupuks commitment resulted with Dalmatian Parliament
reaching a decision to build District Hospital
with psychiatry institution attached.
The building of the hospital based on the blueprints
of a famous Austrian expert Kruno Weidman
was started in August 1881.
The works were led by Vjekoslav Meichsner.
It was of a pavillion type consisting of 9 stone buildings.
24th of June 1883. was the ceremonial oppening.
Meichsner and Šupuk, but mostly Meichsner,
came with an idea to have a pavillion type hospital in Šibenik with
all hospital units separated first in the world!
That idea was copied later numerous times all over the world.
But today it is forgotten that Meichsner first came with that idea
and Šupuk as a Major financed it!
The nearby Courthouse,
was also designed and build by Meichsner.
It was designed so that the prison was attached directly to it.
All the credit Ante Šupuk deserves
for the development of these parts can't be forgotten.
Bringing the railway to Šibenik and building the water supply also included.
For that all Monarch Franz Joseph I honored him with knights title.
It was the title that can't be inherited by his sons, grandsons etc.
It was exclusively for him for the things he achieved.
Ante Šupuk realized a couple more important projects
that vastly improved economy and overall state of the City.
In Year 1877. Šibenik got a connection with railway Siverit-Split
and afterwards water supply system with drinking fountains across the city.
Later, company Ante Šupuk & Son built another hydro power plant: Jaruga II
which si opertational even today.
My grand-grandfather was very generous man,
Danira Šupuk-Vuletin, grand-granddoughter of Ante Šupuk a good hearthed man always ready to help.
It was inherited by his children. My father for example
He was a hunter, who loved to hunt a lot, and had many friends
and they would often meet and have drinks together.
There he would meet people who, for example, had no shoes or shirt.
He would take of his off and give them coming home covering his missing clothes.
Making me wonder where his shirt was!
It was simple reply he would give that he gave it to the poor and needy.
That's the way all Šupuks were!
Ante Šupuk was the men of his people
who in first place wanted good for his City and people of Šibenik.
And... he had luck to govern a city which was at that time
and given circumstances very interesting
since it was on very brink of fast development..
Ante Šupuk, an entrepeneur and visionary,
during whose mandate Croatian language was introduced
as an official language in administration.
He stayed humble despite his success and the welfare
of his city was always in the first place.
Šupuks credit for turning Šibenik into a modern city are huge
because thanks to his projects Šibenik had undergone
a political, economical and cultural ascent
after 2 century long stagnation period.
In the end he got the honor...
...that not many politicians get:
Stanko Ferić, journalist and publicist people of Šibenik dedicating song to him,
and in the moment of his passing
veiling whole city in black, all poles and city lights,
to express their grief and their loss.
The development of Šibenik during the time of Ante Šupuk
was known as golden age of the City
which was, in coming years, not likely to reoccur.
The ascent of the City as Šupuk planned it had no leader in years to come after him.
Many political overturnes and instabilities of political government
could not maintain the stability present during 20 years
of Šupuks govern of the city.
He was a person who recognised public welfare and interests and
did everything to bring all the institutions that trully made a city
a great city...
Continuing the search for Ante Šupuk it is not hard to see
that signs of his legacy are fading away.
There is still no memorial in his honor...
...just an old, stained photograph
which reminds us on passed times of one visionary
who was creating a great story...
...about a small city...