Josip Runjanin (Serbian: Јосиф Руњанин, Josif Runjanin; 8 December 1821 – 2 February 1878) was a Croatian Serb soldier and composer from the Austrian Empire best known for composing the melody of Lijepa naša domovino, which later became the Croatian national anthem.
While serving in Glina, he attained the rank of captain, and became proficient in playing the piano, being taught by the military bandmaster of Glina. There, he was introduced to the Illyrist circles, where he met noted poet Antun Mihanović.[7] It is generally agreed that Runjanin, an amateur musician, composed the music for Mihanović's patriotic Croatian poem "Horvatska domovina" in 1846 using inspiration from Gaetano Donizetti's aria "O sole piu ratto a sorger t'appresta" from the third act of his opera Lucia di Lammermoor, according to Croatian musicologist Josip Andreis [mk].[8]
The Croatian anthem by Mihanović and Runjanin would be first played in the streets of Zagreb in 1891 during the Croatian-Slavonian exhibit, so both men only achieved postmortem fame.[11] An obedient soldier, Runjanin was later made colonel.
In 1864 at the age of 43, Runjanin married the daughter of the pensioned captain Toma Perković.[12] As a representative of the First Banate regiment, he entered the Croatian Assembly in 1865.[12]
After retirement, Runjanin moved to Novi Sad where he died at the age of 57 on 2 February 1878 and was buried at the Serbian Orthodox cemetery.[13]
There are several schools in Croatia named after Runjanin, most notably the Elementary Music School of Josip Runjanin (Osnovna glazbena škola Josipa Runjanina) in Vinkovci.[14]
^His baptism record documents his given nameasJosif, the Serbian variant of the given name Joseph. His name is often incorrectly spelled Josip, the Croatian variant of the name.[1] His surname comes from the name of the village Runjaniinwestern Serbia, where the family of his ancestors came from.[2]
^"Josip Runjanin" (in Croatian). Vinkovci: Josip Runjanin Music School. 13 May 2014. Archived from the original on 7 September 2021. Retrieved 31 May 2016.
