Uspon i pad „Baruna Ciganina”: dvanaest epizoda iz života Julija pl. Zigeunera Blumendorfskoga
The Rise and Fall of the “Gypsy Baron”: Twelve Episodes from the Life of Julius Zigeuner Edler von Blumendorf

Summary/Abstract: The article brings highlights from a hitherto almost completely unknown biography of the Viennese nobleman Julius Zigeuner Edler von Blumendorf, mostly from the time of his stay in Zagreb (1878-1894). Since there is almost no mention of him in scholarly literature, basic biographical data have been collected from newspaper articles and archival sources, and a part of his life has been reconstructed. Thus, his life can be followed from the beginnings of service industry in the Croatian capital, through his acquisition and spending of a large inheritance, all the way to his financial ruin caused by gullibility and reckless financial investments. Zigeuner’s life story is told through twelve sections dealing with various aspects of his diverse activities. After an introduction, information is provided about his life from his birth on June 5, 1852 until his arrival in Zagreb in 1878, his first Zagreb deals, his acquisition of the rich inheritance of the Viennese industrialist Alfred Skene, his charity work, business investments, construction of a villa in Zagreb, activities in Zagreb’s Voluntary Fire Department, short-term involvement in photography and the founding of the Amateur Photographers’ Club Zagreb, his debauched life and spending of inheritance, and the lawsuits that largely marked his life after leaving Zagreb, up to his death in Vienna on January 19, 1897.

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