Individuals that have left their mark.
Walking around the town, you might meet someone whose bright future is still in the years to come. A little puzzled boy with a spark in his eye, sitting on a river bank, might be the next scientific genius on a par with Nikola Tesla. A girl with a guitar larger than herself, already late for her morning classes, may be an undiscovered virtuoso reminding one of Ana Vidović. You might be glad one day to remember those encounters you never thought would become so magical.
Nikola Tesla
Nikola Tesla is the most famous pupil of the Karlovac Grammar School (the Real Gymnasium), and his Great Royal Realschule diploma is the only diploma he ever received, since the health and family reasons prevented him from finishing his university studies and...
Vjekoslav Karas
Vjekoslav Karas was the first major formally trained painter in the second half of the 19th century. He was born in Karlovac, in a humble artisan family. As a ten-year-old, he was already fascinated by art. His first teachers were Karlovac painting craftsmen and the...
Ana Katarina Zrinski
Ana Katarina Zrinski made an indelible mark in Karlovac's timeline thanks to the most famous wedding that took place in town. She married Petar Zrinski in 1641, and this marriage connected the two most powerful Croatian aristocratic families by way of close family...
Dragojla Jarnević
Dragojla Jarnević was an impulsive woman ahead of her time, who took everything life offered completely open-mindedly. We could say she was the first Karlovac feminist even though the term did not even exist at the time. She made her name as an adventurous hiker and...
Ivan Mažuranić
Apart from being Croatian ban (governor), Ivan Mažuranić was one of the greatest 19th century Croatian poets. His most important work is the epic poem The Death of Smail-aga Čengić. Its first public reading was held in Karlovac, in 1847. He was born in Novi...
Mirko i Stjepan Seljan
The Seljan brothers are Karlovac's most famous globetrotters. Mirko Seljan was born in Karlovac on April 5, 1871, his brother Stjepan on August 19, 1875. Having graduated from primary school, they started travelling around Europe, which would prove a valuable...
Martin (Matija) Gambon
Martin Gambon was the chief constructor of the Karlovac fortress. He was from northern Italy and one of the most prominent builders of his time. A quiet Karlovac street has been named after him, inside the former fortress, close to his moats and walls. In some texts,...
The Vranyczany-Dobrinović Family
The members of the Vranyczany-Dobrinović family have been the protagonists of some of the most exciting events in Croatian history since 15th century. Their importance and influence are reflected in the mansion on Zrinski trg, Karlovac's central square, as well...
Josip Stiller
Josip Stiller was an architect, urban planner and a visionary whose legacy are unique Karlovac panoramas. He was of Czech origin, but not much is known about his life before his arrival to Karlovac. He came here as a young man, started his career as a...