Ivan Zakmardi


Ivan Zakmardi was a Croatian humanist, lawyer and poet, who served as the prothonotary of the Habsburg Kingdom of Croatia-Slavonia in 1644, and was the representative of both the King and Ban of Croatia in legal matters. He is notable for setting the foundations for the Croatian State Archives in 1643.

Biography

He studied at the Classical Gymnasium in Zagreb, which was followed by studying philosophy in Olomouc, Bohemia. After returning to Croatia, he became a lawyer representing the Bishopric of Zagreb, and worked as a public servant in various roles, such as judge in the Križevci county, notary of the Varaždin county, county notary of the Kingdom, chief treasurer and taxer of the Kingdom. He brought the Paulines to Križevci, who established a monastery, and secondary and primary schools. In 1641, the Croatian Sabor chose him as a member of a commission for making an inventory of and analyzing all the privileges of Croatia. He collected all the charters, laws and privileges and gave them to the Kaptol for safe keeping in the so called "chest of privileges". In 1644, the same body chose him as the protonotary of the Croatian Kingdom. From 1662 until his death, he served as th vice-count of the Varaždin County. He was a well known benefactor, who frequently endowed poor students, and left a considerable sum to the Jesuit and Pauline collegiums in Varaždin, Lepoglava and Križevci. In the wars against the Ottomans, he helped supplying food and arms to the local soldiers. He died in Banska Bistrica, in today's Slovakia, and was buried in the Zagreb Cathedral.

Works

His surviving works are all written in Latin.