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Karlovac Gymnasium

Coordinates: 45°29′9″N 15°33′21″E / 45.48583°N 15.55583°E / 45.48583; 15.55583
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Karlovac Gymnasium
Gimnazija Karlovac
Address
Map
Rakovac 4

,
47000

Information
Typepublic
Founded1766; 258 years ago (1766)
PrincipalSnježana Štranjgar
LanguageCroatian
WebsiteGymnasium Karlovac (in Croatian)

Karlovac Gymnasium (Croatian: Gimnazija Karlovac), sometimes historically referred to as Higher Real Gymnasium,[1][2] is a secondary school (gymnasium) located in the city of Karlovac in Croatia.

Description

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Housed in a dedicated building constructed in 1863, the school considers itself to have been founded as early as 1766.[3] At that time, Karlovac was part of the Croatian Military Frontier under the rule of the Austrian Empire. Starting in 1766 and under the direction of Maria Theresa of Austria, piarists were sent to Karlovac to teach subjects to two grade levels, the main subject being the Latin language.

In early 2010 the gymnasium was accepted as the 37th member of the German global school network in Croatia. This designation allows students to attend German universities without having to complete the usual prerequisite German language entrance examination.[4]

Notable alumni

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The inventor, electrical and mechanical engineer Nikola Tesla, who attended the school from 1870 until 1873 (age of 14 to 17), attributes his interest in electricity to what he learned at Karlovac. In his 1919 autobiography My Inventions he wrote that demonstrations by his "professor of physics" sparked his interest in this "mysterious phenomena" and made him want "to know more of this wonderful force".[5][6] Stricken with malaria shortly after his arrival in the mosquito-infested swampy lowlands of Karlovac, he was bedridden at times and often took his school books home to read and memorize when he was unable to attend class. He graduated with honours from the four-year course in only three years.[7][8]

Other notable alumni include actress Zrinka Cvitešić,[9] poet and writer Ivan Goran Kovačić,[10] politician and founder of the Croatian Peasant Party Stjepan Radić[11] and explorers and brothers Mirko and Stjepan Seljan.[12]

Notable teachers

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References

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Notes

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  1. ^ O'Neill 1944, p. 32
  2. ^ Stewart 1999, p. 26
  3. ^ (in Croatian)"Povijest naše škole". Gimnazija Karlovac. Retrieved 17 October 2021.
  4. ^ Karlovac high school becomes German school partner Archived 2011-07-08 at the Wayback Machine, Croatian Times, January 26, 2010. Accessed March 25, 2010.
  5. ^ W. Bernard Carlson, Tesla: Inventor of the Electrical Age, Princeton University Press - 2013, page 29
  6. ^ Tesla, Nikola (1919). My Inventions - III.My Later Endeavours (The Discovery of the Rotating Magnetic Field). New York: Experimenter Publishing Company, Inc. pp. 864–865.
  7. ^ O'Neill 1944, p. 32
  8. ^ Stewart 1999, p. 26
  9. ^ (in Croatian)"Poznati bivši učenici". Gimnazija Karlovac. Retrieved 17 October 2021.
  10. ^ (in Croatian)"Poznati bivši učenici". Gimnazija Karlovac. Retrieved 17 October 2021.
  11. ^ (in Croatian)"Poznati bivši učenici". Gimnazija Karlovac. Retrieved 17 October 2021.
  12. ^ (in Croatian)"Poznati bivši učenici". Gimnazija Karlovac. Retrieved 17 October 2021.

Bibliography

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  • O'Neill, James (1944). "Light and Power". Prodigal Genius: The Life of Nikola Tesla. Ives Washburn. pp. 32–33. ISBN 978-1-58509-308-3.
  • Stewart, Daniel Blair (1999). "Reality". Tesla: The Modern Sorcerer. North Atlantic Books. p. 26. ISBN 1-883319-91-9.
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45°29′9″N 15°33′21″E / 45.48583°N 15.55583°E / 45.48583; 15.55583