Rudolf Arapović 1937 - 2007

Dear Nenad Bach,
 
Rudolf Arapović of blessed memory died on August 3, 2007.  He was an active parishioner of the Croatian Catholic Mission of St. Blaise in Washington, D.C., from its founding until his return to Croatia in 1997. The funeral was held on August 6, 2007 in Otruševac, outside of Samobor.  Fra Vjekoslav Lasić spoke about Rudolf's devoted efforts to bring about the Croatian state, Rudolf's collaboration with the martyred Bruno Bušić, and his own collaboration with Rudolf. Fra Nediljko Knezović spoke of Rudolf's donation of 10,000 euros worth of books to the Church of Croatian Martyrs in Udbina. 
 
Below is the eulogy delivered by Anđelko Mijatović in the original Croatian and an English translation, for publication in the Croatian World Network Newsletter
 
Very truly yours,
 
Miroslav Vuko
Margaret Casman-Vuko

Bereaved Family and Friends!
 
The inescapable death of our dear Rudolf Arapović - husband, father, brother, cousin and friend to those assembled here and many others throughout Croatia and the world, a Croatian patriot, political exile, distinguished political emigrant, writer and publicist - and this moment, as we accompany his earthly remains to their eternal repose, provide the occasion to say something about his life and work, his impact and significance.  He was born on December 8, 1937, in Busovača, central Bosnia, into a large family which was persecuted by the communist authorities. His Croatian Catholic family background and milieu marked his destiny. As a young child in 1945, he and his family were sent on a forced march, referred to as a "death march" because many did not survive.  Most of his family was persecuted under the communist authorities. On account of his brother, Pero, a member of HOS (the Croatian Armed Forces, which continued to offer resistance even after the war), Rudolf, together with his family, spent three years under internment and persecution in Zavidovići.
 
He attended elementary school in Zavidovići and his native Busovača. He completed the classical-program secondary school at the Franciscan seminary in Visoko from 1955 to 1959.  After two years of compulsory military service in čuprija and Kragujevac, from 1961 to 1962 Rudolf completed the state secondary school in Travnik and Zagreb. From 1962 to 1965, he studied philosophy and German at the School of Liberal Arts, University of Zagreb.  As evident from available documentation, the infamous Yugoslav secret police, UDBA, kept tabs on him starting from the 1950s, when he was a secondary school student in Visoko, and especially after August 1964. When anti-Yugoslavia flyers were distributed in Zagreb in 1965, Rudolf, then a third-year student, together with several colleagues and friends, was arrested on June 7. Following a detailed, exhaustive and for many a very difficult investigation, on March 25, 1966 at the Circuit Court in Zagreb, Rudolf,  together with five colleagues and friends, was sentenced to a year in prison for reading the emigrant press and distributing it to others. This sentence was served in Zagreb.

Four and a half months after leaving prison, on October 25, 1966, he escaped to Austria, together with his friend and former fellow inmate, Bruno Bušić. Rudolf continued his studies at the University of Vienna and became involved in the prohibited political activity among the local Croatian emigrants.  When the Declaration on the Position and Name of the Croatian Literary Language was published in the Zagreb Telegram on March 17, 1967, Rudolf translated it into German and sent the translation to the media and diplomatic missions in Vienna. In April 1967, together with friends he inaugurated the Bilten hrvatskih socijalista (Bulletin of Croatian Socialists), in which he wrote articles that were critical of the communist system in Yugoslavia. Rudolf was also followed by the UDBA agents in Vienna, with the code names of "Boško," "Putnik," "Branko," "Krpan," "Marjan," "Marko" and others. From late June to October 1968, he harvested tobacco with Austrian and German students in Canada, as well as engaging in other activities.  He described his stay in Canada and the life of the Croatians living there when he returned to Vienna in an article entitled Amerika ili čemerika (America or Despair), published in the Bilten hrvatskih socijalista. On June 24, 1969, after over two and a half years in Vienna, he moved to Washington, D.C., where he lived until returning to Croatia in 1997. Rudolf completed studies in computer science (programming) at the Graduate School, USDA, in Washington, D.C. In November 1971, he inaugurated the monthly Hrvatska borba (Croatian Struggle), which he edited and published until 1979 and again in 1991.  After Bruno Bušić was murdered in 1978, Rudolf continued to edit Hrvatski list from 1979 to 1984.  In addition, Rudolf also wrote anti-Yugoslav articles for a number of emigrant publications, including Republika Hrvatska, Hrvatski put, Hrvatska država, HT Danica, Zajedničar, Pregled and Hrvatska sloboda, and also contributed to the Washington Post and Washington Times. The list of his publications is extensive. Upon returning to Croatia in 1997, he became involved in public life and continued to publish his articles, reviews and opinions on historical and current events in the press and electronic media, right up to the time of his death. 

In the year 2003, he published two books, Bruno Bušić. Meteorski bljesak na hrvatskom obzorju (Bruno Bušić, Meteoric Brilliance on the Croatian Horizon) and DL 229503. UDB-a i njeni suradnici prema tajnim izvještajima (DL 229503, UDBA and Its Collaborators according to Secret Reports), which refers to Rudolf's activities between 1964 and 1977. Arapović's HB PRESS also published books by other authors:  Ante Ciliga, Sve i odmah (Everything and Immediately), Zagreb, 1998, and nearly all the texts by Vjekoslav Vrančić in two volumes: Branili smo državu (We Defended the Country), Zagreb, 2006, and U službi domovine (In the Service of the Homeland), Zagreb, 2007, which provide highly objective testimony on the wartime events in Croatia between 1941 and 1945. We can say that all of this, as well as the publication of his other texts, is of lasting value and high intellectual quality, especially the polemics. Rudolf and his friends also participated in other patriotic and nation-building programs, which cannot be presented here for lack of time. 
 
Our dear Rudolf wrestled very patiently for three years with a malignant disease, with the very devoted care of his wife, Marija, and many friends, all of whom were convinced that he would conquer it. Only he and Marija knew what he endured. Rudolf did not complain about his illness. Even as he approached death, he did not abandon his disciplined work or his computer, via which he communicated with friends, the electronic media and the world. 
 
Rudolf Arapović died in the arms of his wife, Marija, at 7:10 a.m. on Friday, August 3, 2007, at his home in nearby Savršćak.  It is impossible describe the emptiness that his passing has left among us all. An exhaustive assessment of our dear Rudolf's life cannot be made in such a short time. He always retained his integrity and uncompromising views, for which he was victimized under the regime of the totalitarian Greater Serbian communist Yugoslavia. He always gave the maximum. As a student, he was always among the best. He mainly acted alone, printing and publishing himself, or prepared mailings with the assistance of his wife, Marija, and his son, Goran. He did not concern himself with material gain and Marija frequently covered expenses. Although he was devoted to the creation of a Croatian nation throughout his life, he never joined or committed himself to political party. He belonged to Croatia with his whole being. His overall opus reinvigorated emigrant revolutionary activity and had a particularly strong impact upon the young generation. He is to be counted among the most worthy of the Croatian emigrants from the 1970s and 1980s. 
 
And now, when we must bid farewell to you on these beautiful Samobor-Žumberak hills, what should we say to you, our dear Rudolf? Rest in peace in our beloved and beautiful land of Croatia, for which you fought with your whole being. All of us, your wife, Marija, and son, Goran, your brothers and other relatives, your fellow combatants, friends and admirers from Australia to Sweden and America who are assembled around your coffin and those who could not be here for objective reasons, are grateful and proud to have been with you briefly on this earthly journey. Although you will continue to be in our thoughts and hearts, we shall still miss you very much! May God grant you eternal rest!
 
 
Otruševac, August 6, 2007                                                   Anđelko Mijatović
  
 

Ucviljena obitelji i rodbino, tužni zbore!
 
Neizbježna smrt dragoga nam Rudolfa Arapovića, supruga, oca, brata, rođaka i prijatelja nas ovdje okupljenih  i mnogih drugih diljem Hrvatske i svijeta te hrvatskoga domoljuba, političkoga progonjenika, dugogodišnjega  poznatog političkog emigranta, pisca  i publicista, i ovaj trenutak, kada na vječni počinak ispraćamo njegove posmrtne ostatke, prigoda su da se nešto više, koliko nam prilike dopuštaju,  kaže o njegovu životu i djelovanju, njegovu značaju i značenju u ukupnoj  hrvatskoj zbilji.
 
Rođen je 8. prosinca 1937. u   Busovači u srednjoj Bosni, u mnogobrojnoj i progonjenoj obitelji  od komunističke vlasti.  Rudolfovo podrijetlo iz hrvatske katoličke obitelji i  sredine utjecalo je i na njegovu ukupnu životnu sudbinu. Još kao dječak našao se je s obitelji na Križnom putu g. 1945., većina njegove obitelji je progonjena u komunističkoj vlasti, a zbog brata Pere, pripadnika HOS-a koji je  nastavio pružati otpor i nakon rata,  s obitelji, tri godine proveo je u internaciji,  progonstvu, u Zavidovićima.
 
Osnovno školovanje  završio je u Zavidovićima i u  rodnoj Busovači. Srednje školovanje klasičnu gimnaziju pohađao je i završio  g. 1955. -1959. u Franjevačkom sjemeništu u Visokom, a  potom je, nakon odslužene dvogodišnje vojne obveze u ćupriji i Kragujevcu, g. 1961. -

1962.  polagao i završio državnu gimnaziju u Travniku i Zagrebu. Od godine 1962. do 1965. studirao je filozofiju i njemački jezik na Filozofskom fakultetu u Zagrebu. Koliko se vidi iz dostupne  dokumentacije, zloglasna tajna jugoslavenska policija  Udba  prati ga  još od srednjoškolskih dana u Visokom 1950-ih godina, a posebno od kolovoza 1964. Kad su g. 1965. u Zagrebu  bacani protujugoslavenski letci i on je, zajedno s više kolega i prijatelja,  uhićen  7. lipnja 1965. kao student treće godine studija  i nakon opsežne, iscrpne i za mnoge vrlo teške istrage 25. ožujka   1966. na Okružnom sudu Zagreb osuđen  je zbog čitanja i davanja drugima na čitanje emigrantskog tiska kao trećeoptuženi, s još petoricom kolega i prijatelja,  na godinu dana zatvora koju je izdržao u Zagrebu. četiri i pol mjeseca nakon izlaska iz zatvora, 25. listopada 1966., zajedno s prijateljem i suosuđenikom Brunom Bušićem prebjegao je u Austriju. Na Sveučilištu u Beču nastavio je  studij, ali,  iako je to bilo zabranjeno,  uključio se i u politički rad među tamošnjom hrvatskom emigracijom. Kad je u "Telegramu" 17. veljače 1967. u Zagrebu objavljena "Deklaracija o položaju i nazivu hrvatskoga književnog jezika", Rudolf ju je preveo na njemački jezik i sa suradnicima dostavio prijevod medijima i diplomatskim predstavništvima u Beču. U travnju 1967.  s prijateljima je pokrenuo "Bilten hrvatskih socijalista" u kojima je pisao članke protiv totalitarnoga komunističkog sustava u Jugoslaviji. I u Beču ga  Udba prati preko više suradnika sa suradničkim imenima: "Boško", "Putnik",  "Branko", "Krpan", "Marjan", "Marko" i drugi. Od konca lipnja do listopada 1968. boravio je  u Kanadi, gdje je, s drugim austrijskim i njemačkim studentima, radio na berbi duhana, ali i na drugim poslovima. Taj boravak u Kanadi i  život tamošnjih Hrvata opisao je po povratku u Beč u članku "Amerika ili čemerika", objavljenom u "Biltenu hrvatskih socijalista". Nakon više od dvije i pol godine boravka u Beču   24. lipnja 1969. odselio je u Washington u SAD, gdje je  boravio do g. 1997., kada se vratio u Hrvatsku. Na Graduate SCHOOL u Washingtonu, D.C.,  završio Computer Science (Programming),     u studenom 1971. pokrenuo je i više godina, do g. 1979. i ponovo g. 1991. uređivao i izdavao  mjesečnik "Hrvatska borba", a  nakon Bušićeva ubojstva g. 1978., od g. 1979. , pa do g. 1984., nastavio je uređivati  "Hrvatski list". Osim u navedenim glasilima Rudolf je objavljivao  protujugoslavenske članke  u više emigrantskih glasila (Republici Hrvatskoj, Hrvatskom putu, Hrvatskoj državi, HT Danici, Zajedničaru, Pregledu, Hrvatskoj slobodi, a surađivao je i u Washington Postu i Washington Timesu. Svakako, bibliografija njegovih tekstova je velika. Po povratku u domovinu g. 1997.,  uključio se je u javni život objavljujući sve do smrti u tiskovnim i elektronskim medijima svoje članke, osvrte i mišljenja o aktualnim povijesnim i političkim zbivanjima.

G. 2003.  objavio je i dvije knjige: "Bruno Bušić. Meteorski bljesak na hrvatskom obzorju" i  "DL 229503. UDB-a i njeni suradnici (prema tajnim izvještajima)"  što se odnosi na njegovo djelovanje   g. 1964. - 1977.  Arapovićeva  "HB PRESS" objavila i knjige drugih autora: Ante Cilige, Sve i odmah, Zagreb, 1998. te skoro sve tekstove Vjekoslava Vrančića u dvije knjige: Branili smo državu, Zagreb, 2006. i  U službi domovine, Zagreb, 2007.  koji  vrlo objektivno svjedoče o zbivanjima u Hrvatskoj ratnih godina 1941. - 1945. Pripremao se je i za druge nakladničke programe. Sve to, kao i   objavljivanje i drugih vlastitih tekstova, možemo sigurno reći trajne vrijednosti i visoke intelektualne razine, posebno onih polemičarskih, koje je on znao  vrlo razložno i smireno upućivati svima kada je  smatrao da  je to potrebno. Rudolf je s prijateljima sudjelovao i u drugim domoljubnim i državotvornima programima, vrijeme nam ne dopušta sve to prikazivati.
 
Naš je dragi Rudolf  tri godine hrvao se vrlo strpljivo s opakom bolešću uz jako brižnu pomoć supruge Marije i brojnih prijatelja, svi  uvjereni  da će je nadvladati. Što su sve u tom smislu poduzimali samo su on i supruga Marija znali.  Nije se ni na bolest žalio. I sada, kada je očito polazio onamo, kako reče pjesnik "gdje za vazda gre se", nije pridavao tomu značenje, nije napuštao radne navike i teško se odvajao od računala preko koga je komunicirao s prijateljima, elektroničkim sredstvima i  svijetom. 
 
Umro je u  petak, 3. kolovoza 2007. u 7,10 sati, u svom domu u nedalekom Savršćaku, na rukama supruge Marije. Nemoguće je opisati prazninu koja nastaje njegovom smrću u svima nama, jer, zapravo, još je  nismo osjetili. Iscrpan sud o našem  dragom Rudolfu teško je u ovom kratkom vremenu  izreći. Uglavnom, uvijek je hodio uspravno i s vlastitim beskompromisnim stanovištem. U domovini je bio  velika žrtva  prilika u kojima je živio u totalitarnoj velikosrpsko-komunističkoj Jugoslaviji  te programa kojih se  prihvaćao u tuđini. Uvijek je najviše moguće davao od sebe. I kao đak i kao student bio je po učenju među najboljima.

U većini je samostalno djelovao, sam je objavljivao, tiskao i tiskovine, često uz pomoć supruge Marije i sinčića Gorana, otpremao poštom. Nije gledao na svoje materijalne probitke i često je njegova  supruga Marija to  i financijski pokrivala. Iako je hrvatski državotvorac od mladenačkih dana, nije ga nijedna strančarska opredijeljenost  opteretila.   čitavim svojim bićem pripadao je Hrvatskoj i ona je bila njegova glavna misao. Svojim je ukupnim radom unio više revolucionarnosti u učmalu emigrantsku  kolotečinu i osobito je imao  velik utjecaj  na mlađu generaciju.  Zbog toga spada među najzaslužnije ljude u hrvatskoj emigraciji 1970-ih i 1980-ih  godina.
 
I sada, kada se moramo oprostiti od Tebe u ovom lijepom samoborsko-žumberačkom gorju,  što Ti reći dragi naš Rudolfe? Ti mirno počivaj u ovoj najdražoj i najljepšoj nam zemlji Hrvatskoj za koju si se čitavim svojim bićem borio, a  svi mi, supruga Marija i sin Goran, Tvoja braća i rodbina, Tvoji suborci,   prijatelji i poštovatelji od Australije do Švedske i Amerike okupljeni oko Tvoga lijesa, i oni koji  iz objektivnih razloga nisu mogli biti ovdje, zahvalni smo i ponosni smo što smo na ovom zemaljskom putu  nakratko  s Tobom bili jedno.  Iako ćeš i dalje  biti u našim mislima i  našim srcima, ipak  puno ćeš nam nedostajati! Neka Ti Bog podari vječni pokoj!
 
Otruševac, 6. kolovoza 2007.                                                   Anđelko Mijatović