Popular Writer Zvonimir Pužar and Križevci 1910-1923

Zvonimir Pužar (Zajezda, 1875. - Zagreb, 1926.) bio je vezan uz Križevce, gdje je učio tipografski zanat kod Gustava Neuberga. Radio je u Varaždinu, Požegi, Vir ju, Petrinji i Zagrebu i svugdje je za sobom ostavio trag u pisanoj i tiskanoj riječi. Pored tipografskog posla, gdje je bio vrstan stručnjak, bavio se i pisanjem povijesnih pripovijesti, a imao je sklonost i za narodno blago. Zahvaljujući ovim njegovim sklonostima ponajviše su profitirali Križevci jer je napisao i objavio više pripovijesti i romana vezanih uz povijest grada kojemu je upravo to trebalo u vremenu kad se je počelo zaboravljati da su Križevci bili do 1886. sjedište županije i da su imali značajnu povijest. Kako bismo prikazali Pužarevu cjelokupnu djelatnost, ovaj rad se osvrće i na njegovo djelovanje u drugim mjestima, jer samo tako možemo Zvonimira Pužara prihvatiti kao pučkog pisca koji je sastavio Križevačke štatute, onako kako ih mi danas poznajemo i izvodimo.Zvonimir Pužar (Zajezda 30/01/1875 - Zagreb 13/04/1926) was a typographer and a popular writer. He worked as editor for various magazines and also wrote himself - articles, historical and social stories. First being a member of the Croatian Party of Rights he later supported the Croatian Popular Peasant Party, performing various jobs for the opposition. According to what we know today, he worked in Varaždin, Požega, Petrinja, Zagreb, leaving traces along the way in the form of written and printed word. He learned the typographic craft in Križevci at Gustav Neuberg’s, and was specially fond of Križevci, studying its history for years and writing historical stories. For Križevci he also produced the books Križevački statuti (Statutes of Križevci) (Križevci, 1912) and Pjesmarica (Songbook), which Križevci is very proud of even today and which are inexorable sources of folk tradition. He wrote many historical stories and novels based on Croatian history, following many other writers of the period, when the historical style was popular. Although Pužar falls behind in quality compared to Šenoa, Tomić and others, his value lies in concentrating on themes from Križevci, resulting in the novels: Life for a life, head for a head or The revenge in Kalnik (Križevci, 1910), The beauty from Križevci or Fighting for the right (Križevci, 1910), Peasants’ revolt in the region of Križevci in 1755 (Križevci, 1911), Life or death or The victim of revenge, Captain’s darling or Traitor’s fee (Križevci, 1912). Many Pužar’s articles dealing with social issues can be found in Hrvatski ratni koledar (Croatian war caroler), which was published in Križevci. He also published a chronicle of the first and secon Balcanian wars, in which he, like many others at the time, gave support to the idea of a brotherly South Slavic state. His stories about Kraljević Marko and Miloš Obilić belong to the same context. Since 1917 he was actively engaged on providing care for the hungry Hercegovinian, Dalmatian, Istrian and Bosnian children in northern parts of the country, organized by National protection and coordinated by dr Gjuro Basariček and dr Josip Šilović. Pužar wrote and worked a great deal and, in my opinion, he especially indebted Križevci which should always remeber him