Znameniti Pančevac, patriota, doktor nauka, liberal, pesnik, diplomata, novinar, Jugosloven.

Milan Ćurčin, srpski književnik, rođen je u Pančevu 14. novembra 1880. godine, a preminuo je u Zagrebu 20. januara 1960. godine. Završio je studije germanistike i slavistike, stekavši doktorat 1905. godine u Beču. Od 1914. do 1941. godine, obavljao je dužnost docenta na Beogradskom univerzitetu. Tokom Prvog svetskog rata, bio je član Jugoslovenskog odbora u Londonu. Nakon rata, preselio se u Zagreb, gde je od 1920. do 1941. godine bio izdavač i urednik časopisa „Nova Evropa“. Tokom  1950. godine, kratko vreme je bio redaktor Leksikografskog zavoda „Miroslav Krleža“ u Zagrebu.

Kao pesnik, Ćurčin se istakao kao modernista koji je bio među pionirima slobodnog stiha u srpskoj poeziji. Njegovi stihovi su obilovali razgovornim i humornim tonom, kao i proznom konciznošću, što je bio parodičan pristup formalnoj strogosti i uzvišenosti simboličkih fraza. U svojoj publicističkoj i uredničkoj karijeri, Ćurčin je pokazao širinu obrazovanja i dubok uvid, naglašavajući liberalnu koncepciju društva i kulture. (Hrvatska enciklopedija).

Detinjstvo

Otac Milana Ćurčina, Vasa Ćurčin, bio je imućan trgovac i suvlasnik u to vreme poznate trgovačke firme „Ćurčin i Stojanović“. Poznatog komediografa Branislava Nušića je otac Đorđe Nuša slao da uči trgovački zanat baš kod Vase Ćurčina. Međutim, umesto da završi kao trgovac, Branislav Nušić je postao bard srpske književnosti.

Izgleda da je Vasa Čurčin više uticao na dečake tog vremena da se okrenu lepoj reči nego trgovini. Zato je i Milan, njegov sin, krenuo tim putem i postigao slavu. Osnovnu školu mladi Ćurčin završio je u Pančevu, a gimnaziju je pohađao u Novom Sadu, gde je učio kod Jovana Grčića.

Akademski život

Milan Ćurčin je upisao studije germanistike i slavistike 1900. godine u Beču. Četiri godine kasnije, doktorirao je sa tezom „Srpska narodna poezija u nemačkoj literaturi“. Ta teza je objavljena u Lajpcigu, a prevedena na srpski jezik 1987. godine povodom dvestogošnjice Vukovog rođenja.

Od 1906. do 1914. godine, Milan Ćurčin je bio docent na Katedri za nemački jezik i književnost na Beogradskom univerzitetu. U to vreme je takođe izdao i uredio dve knjige Srpskohrvatskog almanaha (Beograd-Zagreb).

Diplomatija i prevodilaštvo

Za vreme Prvog svetskog rata bio je član Jugoslovenskog odbora u Londonu, gde je delovao u jugoslovenskom duhu. Za vreme svog boravka u Londonu sarađivao je sa Robertom Smithom Watsonom, britanskim političkim aktivistom i istoričarem koji je igrao aktivnu ulogu u podsticanju raspada Austro-Ugarske i nastanku Čehoslovačke i Jugoslavije tokom i posle Prvog svetskog rata.

Tokom Drugog svetskog rata, proveo je vreme u Splitu, gde se bavio prevođenjem sa nemačkog na engleski, francuski, rumunski, češki i italijanski jezik. Pedesetih godina dvadesetog veka radio je kao redaktor u Leksikografskom zavodu u Zagrebu.

Novinarsko-izdavački rad

Milan Ćurčin bio je pokretač i urednik časopisa „Nova Evropa“ koji je izlazio u Zagrebu u periodu od 1920. do 1941. godine. Časopis se bavio svim društvenim pitanjima i namenjen je bio stranački formalno neangažovanim liberalnim intelektualcima jugoslovenske orijentacije.

Inspiraciju za pokretanje ovakvog časopisa Milan Ćurčin je dobio u istoimenom časopisu „The New Europe“, koji je uređivao i izdavao Robert Seton Watson, vođen idejom o nužnosti demokratskog preuređenja Evrope.

Pesme i književne kritike

U našoj književnosti, Ćurčin se pojavio krajem 19. i početkom 20. veka, odmah nakon Vojislava Ilića. Bio je savremenik Milana Rakića, Jovana Dučića i Vladislava Petkovića Disa.

Svoje pesme, književne studije i kritike objavljivao je u “Carigradskom glasniku” , “Srpskom književnom glasniku” “Srjemskim novinama” i mnogim drugim …

Milan Ćurčin se isticao kao izuzetan modernista, izdvajajući se od svojih prethodnika i savremenika. U svom tekstu „O mojim pesmama“, koji se smatra manifestom književnog pravca Moderne, donosi novo shvatanje poezije i kreativnosti. Ovaj tekst je objavljen dvadeset godina pre sličnih tekstova Miloša Crnjanskog i Stanislava Vinavera.

Ćurčin je zagovarao autentičnost u stvaranju i bio je predstavnik avangarde, suprotstavljajući se tradicionalizmu i normativizmu u književnosti. U svojoj poeziji, pokrenuo je ozbiljnu raspravu o konceptima, smatrajući da stare forme poetskog izražavanja zahtevaju preoblikovanje kako bi se otvorio put napretku. Stihovi Milana Ćurčina su obogaćeni humorom i sadrže teme koje susrećemo svuda oko nas.

Poruka i zaostavština

Milan Ćurčin je svojim pesništvom, društvenim angažmanom, političkim i diplomatskim radom težio napretku, modernizaciji i prekidu sa tradicionalnim vrednostima 19. veka koje nisu bile sposobne da prate sveopšta društva koja su se razvila početkom 20. veka.

Kao predstavnik građanskog društva, spreman da izađe iz zone komfora, Milan Ćurčin je  predstavljao pravu figuru novog doba.

Svojim radom i entuzijazmom, bio je učesnik i pokretač mnogih ideja i poduhvata, spreman da prihvati novo i nepoznato, bez obzira na rizike koje to može doneti u budućnosti.

Današnje vreme, prelazak iz 20. u 21. vek, može se okarakterisati kao doba ubrzanog napretka. Tehnološki razvoj ubrzao je društvene procese, i mnoge društvene okolnosti koje sada doživljavamo su slične onima na početku 20. veka. Da li smo mi spremni da izađemo iz zone komfora kako bismo stvorili nešto novo i nepoznato?

Miodrag Škundrić     August 4, 2023

Renowned Pančevac, patriot, doctor of science, liberal, poet, diplomat, journalist, Yugoslav. Milan Ćurčin, a Serbian writer, was born in Pančevo on November 14, 1880, and died in Zagreb on January 20, 1960. He completed his studies in Germanistics and Slavic Studies, earning his doctorate in 1905 in Vienna. From 1914 to 1941, he served as a lecturer at the University of Belgrade. During the First World War, he was a member of the Yugoslav Committee in London. After the war, he moved to Zagreb, where from 1920 to 1941, he was the publisher and editor of the magazine „Nova Evropa.“ In 1950, he briefly worked as an editor at the Miroslav Krleža Lexicographic Institute in Zagreb.

As a poet, Ćurčin stood out as a modernist and was among the pioneers of free verse in Serbian poetry. His verses were characterized by a conversational and humorous tone, as well as prose conciseness, which parodied the formal rigidity and grandeur of symbolic phrases. In his journalistic and editorial career, Ćurčin demonstrated a broad education and deep insight, emphasizing a liberal concept of society and culture. (Croatian Encyclopedia).

Childhood

Milan Ćurčin’s father, Vasa Ćurčin, was a wealthy merchant and co-owner of the then-famous trading company „Ćurčin and Stojanović.“ The famous playwright Branislav Nušić was sent by his father Đorđe Nuša to learn the trade at Vasa Ćurčin’s firm. However, instead of becoming a merchant, Branislav Nušić became a luminary of Serbian literature.

It seems that Vasa Ćurčin influenced the boys of that time to turn to the literary arts rather than commerce. Therefore, Milan, his son, followed that path and achieved fame. Milan completed primary school in Pančevo and attended high school in Novi Sad, where he studied under Jovan Grčić.

Academic Life

Milan Ćurčin enrolled in Germanistics and Slavic Studies in 1900 in Vienna. Four years later, he earned his doctorate with a thesis titled „Serbian Folk Poetry in German Literature.“ This thesis was published in Leipzig and translated into Serbian in 1987 to commemorate the bicentennial of Vuk Karadžić’s birth.

From 1906 to 1914, Milan Ćurčin was a lecturer in the Department of German Language and Literature at the University of Belgrade. During this time, he also published and edited two volumes of the Serbo-Croatian Almanac (Belgrade-Zagreb).

Diplomacy and Translation

During the First World War, he was a member of the Yugoslav Committee in London, where he promoted Yugoslav interests. During his stay in London, he collaborated with Robert Smith Watson, a British political activist and historian who played an active role in encouraging the breakup of Austria-Hungary and the emergence of Czechoslovakia and Yugoslavia during and after the First World War.

During the Second World War, he spent time in Split, where he engaged in translation from German into English, French, Romanian, Czech, and Italian. In the 1950s, he worked as an editor at the Lexicographic Institute in Zagreb.

Journalistic and Publishing Work

Milan Ćurčin was the founder and editor of the magazine „Nova Evropa,“ which was published in Zagreb from 1920 to 1941. The magazine dealt with all societal issues and was intended for politically unaffiliated liberal intellectuals of Yugoslav orientation.

The inspiration for launching such a magazine came from the similarly named „The New Europe“ magazine, edited and published by Robert Seton Watson, driven by the idea of the necessity of democratic reorganization in Europe.

Poems and Literary Criticism

In our literature, Ćurčin appeared at the end of the 19th and the beginning of the 20th century, immediately after Vojislav Ilić. He was a contemporary of Milan Rakić, Jovan Dučić, and Vladislav Petković Dis.

He published his poems, literary studies, and criticisms in “Carigradski glasnik,” “Srpski književni glasnik,” “Srjemske novine,” and many others.

Milan Ćurčin distinguished himself as an exceptional modernist, standing out from his predecessors and contemporaries. In his text „About My Poems,“ considered a manifesto of the Modern literary movement, he brought a new understanding of poetry and creativity. This text was published twenty years before similar texts by Miloš Crnjanski and Stanislav Vinaver.

Ćurčin advocated for authenticity in creation and was a representative of the avant-garde, opposing traditionalism and normativism in literature. In his poetry, he initiated a serious discussion on concepts, believing that old forms of poetic expression required reshaping to open the way for progress. Milan Ćurčin’s verses are enriched with humor and contain themes that we encounter everywhere around us.

Message and Legacy

Milan Ćurčin, through his poetry, social engagement, political, and diplomatic work, strived for progress, modernization, and a break from the traditional values of the 19th century that were unable to keep pace with the comprehensive societies that developed at the beginning of the 20th century.

As a representative of civil society, ready to step out of the comfort zone, Milan Ćurčin represented a true figure of the new era.

With his work and enthusiasm, he was a participant and initiator of many ideas and ventures, ready to embrace the new and unknown, regardless of the risks it might bring in the future.

Today’s time, the transition from the 20th to the 21st century, can be characterized as an era of accelerated progress. Technological development has accelerated social processes, and many social circumstances we are experiencing now are similar to those at the beginning of the 20th century. Are we ready to step out of our comfort zone to create something new and unknown?