New Stories from Žumberak, The Land of Tourism & Futurism / in ENGLISH

August Šenoa (1838-1881)

Croatian writer of popular historical novels

New Stories from Žumberak, The Land of Tourism and Futurism

While the last I was writing about one uskok from Žumberak, Janko Šajatović Krabat, who became 

celebrated abroad, primarily in German countries, this time the subject is an important and well-known 

Croatian writer who is not a native of Žumberak. He lived in Zagreb but was very close to this region 

whole his life. August Šenoa (1838-1881) is the most important Croatian writer of historical novels in 

the 19th century. He was not only a friend of Tadija Smičiklas, a well-known historian from Žumberak, 

to whom Šenoa devoted this Latinised poem, calling him "Croatian Herodotus", moreover in his historical

novels, mostly placed in the 16th and 17th centuries, August Šenoa wrote about the royal soldiers from 

Žumberak or about uskoks, as well soldiers and occasional pirates who moved in a large number from 

Senj to Žumberak in the later centuries.

It is especially interesting here to show the Šenoa's novel “Čuvaj se senjske ruke” 

(“Beware of the uskoks from Senj”, translated in German as “Piraten von Senj”). 

This historical novel was first published in 1876. The novel is based on historical facts and 

represents the image of the coastal Adriatic town of Senj and its surroundings in the first 

half of the 17th century, within the Habsburg Monarchy, as Croatian lands were at the southern 

borders of the Kingdom in that time. Thus people in these Croatian lands fought against the 

invasions of Turks and Mleci (Venetians). Especially the uskoks proved in Senj, as the brave 

knights and royal soldiers who were defending these lands from attacks of both enemy sides.

This historical novel particularly describes the life and struggle of the uskoks from Senj against The 

Venetian Republic in the first half of the 17th century (from 1600 to 1614). After that period as a result 

of political intrigues and agreement with the competitive Venetian Republic, the uskoks were being 

continuously settled to the Žumberak area, through the 16th and 17th century, on the command of 

Austrian emperors. In Žumberak they continued to be border soldiers defending the Austrian 

multinational empire from the Otoman Turkish attacks.

I use this opportunity to wish to all of You who read this blog, very happy and prosperous 

new Year 2018!

In addition, I announce soon the beginning of the video promotion of my futuristic novel Shengzian Oparamun on youtube, and I invite You as well to visit the Facebook page of Žumberak, 

Perfecta Terra Futura.

Also visit our official www page.croatia-tourism-culture.com, 

where we announce news on the offer of tourist and cultural events in Žumberak in NW Croatia.