Juraj Dobrila

Who was Juraj Dobrila?

Juraj Dobrila was a Catholic bishop and benefactor from Istria who advocated for greater national rights for Croats under foreign rule.

Dobrila was born in the village of Veli Ježenj, Tinjanština region of middle Istria, which was then and for a brief period part of Napoleon's Illyrian provinces and shortly thereafter the Habsburg monarchy. His above-average intelligence let him engage a German elementary school in Tinjan and Pazin, then a gymnasium in Gorizia, and Karlovac where he also attended a seminary. He became a priest in 1837 and took duty 1837 - 1838 in Munama and Hrusici. From 1839 he studied theology at Augustineum in Vienna and finished in 1842. After his studies, he became a chaplain in Trieste, a German enlighter and a principal of a girl-school. From 1857 to 1875 he was the bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Parenzo e Pola - Poreč i Pula region and from 1875 until his death he was the bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Trieste e Capodistria - Trst in Koper region.

Dobrila studied with and was a friend of Josip Juraj Strossmayer, another Croatian bishop and benefactor of the 19th century. He was a vocal supporter of the Croat and Slovene population in Istria, which was the majority there, but culturally and politically dominated by Italians from the coastal towns.