Tibor Sekelj: Difference between revisions

{{Use dmy dates|date=SeptemberJuly 20132024}}

| spouse = Erzsébet Sekelj

In 1939 he left Zagreb for [[Argentina]] to write an article on Croat exiles for a Zagreb newspaper ''Hrvatski Dnevnik''. Sekelj was on the ship Teresa<ref>Maybe was the last journey of the ship Teresa to South America because of the start of the world war. In 1939 the other ships that accustomed to travel to South America from Rijeka were used then of Italy because of the war in Africa. Deal about "Isarco", "Barbargo" and "Birmania" (all perished during the world war, and Teresa is taken by Brazil)</ref> on what might have been that ship's last voyage due to the start of World War II. In 1939 the other ships that normally traveled to South America from Rijeka-Fiume were being used by Italy due to the war in Africa. Setting sail from [[Rijeka]] (then Fiume in Italy), he headed for Buenos Aires, with stops in Naples, Genoa (Italy) Santos (Brazil), and Montevideo (Uruguay). Tibor reached Buenos Aires on August 19, August 1939. A pacifist by nature, Sekelj had anticipated the outbreak of war and so chose to be far from the fighting. This difficult decision was due not to a lack of personal courage—Sekelj was known to display almost foolhardy bravery throughout his life—but because this Jewish Hungarian/world citizen was simply unwilling to hew to any ideology tied to military purposes.

Within two years <ref name="Bonaero">One or two years. He wrote « one » but said « two » during interview to ''Rukovet''. « One year after the arrival in Buenos Aires, I already knew quite a lot the Spanish language for can start collaboration in some organ [...] », Sekelj T., ''Mondo de travivaĵoj'', Edistudio, 1981, p15</ref> he had honed his knowledge of Spanish and got work as a journalist, publishing a monthly magazine dedicated to travel and exploration. Sekelj remained in Argentina for the next 15 years, writing and exploring South America.

In 1944, with no prior mountaineering experience, Sekelj joined a crew on an ascent on [[Aconcagua]], the highest mountain ({{Formatnum:6962}}m) in the South American continent.,<ref name="Akonkagvo">In 40th years according to measure of Argentinian army one considered that Aconcagua was {{Formatnum:7021}} m high. Sekelj mentions {{Formatnum:6980}}m. Of 1989 one considers that it is {{Formatnum:6962}}m</ref> led by the Swiss German mountaineer [[Georg Link]]. Sekelj, the Austrian Zechner and the Italian Bertone reached the summit on February 13, February 1944. But tragedy loomed: Four of the six men on that climb perished in a snowstorm. This terrible experience inspired Sekelj to write his first book: ''Storm Over Aconcagua'', which recounts the drama in thrilling detail. On a second climb—initiated by the Argentinian Army, which Tibor led—the corpses of the four young men were found and brought home. As a result, Sekelj added a chapter to the second edition of ''Tempestad sobre el Aconcagua, 1944'' in which he describes that adventure. Then Argentine President Juan [[Juan Perón|Perón]] personally tried to award Sekelj honorary Argentine Citizenship for his actions, along with the Golden Condor the country's highest medal of honor. Tibor, in his gentle rejection of the offer of citizenship, stated that, while he deeply appreciated the offer, as a Citizen of the World, he could not be bound to any one country.

Based on the success of his first book, Sekelj's publisher urged him to write a second, unrelated one. With a budget of two thousand dollars, Sekelj chose to explore uncharted regions of the [[Brazil]]ian rainforests in [[Mato Grosso]], otherwise known as the River of Death. In 1946 he undertook first of two expeditions into the Amazon jungle, which produced a popular book, "Along Native Trails" (Por Tierra De Indios). His partner on this arduous journey was an Argentinian of Russian descent [[Mary Reznik]] (1914–1996). Together they spent nearly a year exploring tribes along the [[Araguaia River|Araguaia]] and [[Rio das Mortes]] Rivers. Along the way they survived contact with the fearsome [[Xavante people|Xavantes]] Indians, who had killed over a hundred people, in many expeditions before them. They also encountered the ''[[Karajá people|Karajá]]'' and ''[[Javae]]'' Indians on this expedition. Eventually the book ''Por Tierra de Indios'' (1946) chronicling survival in difficult circumstances, amid illness and near-starvation, met with great success, was reprinted repeatedly and translated into many languages. In 1946 Tibor and Mary married. Together they returned to the Amazon in 1948. After that expedition he penned "Where Civilization Ends" (''Donde La Civilizacion Termina'').

In the summer of 1946, Tibor traveled through Patagonia with three companions : Zechner, Mary and Dr Rosa Scolnik. During the following years he audited classes at the [[University of [[Buenos Aires]] to attend lectures on anthropology, ethnology and archeology, in order to get useful knowledge for his upcoming expeditions.

After attending the [[World Congress of Esperanto]] in UK, Tibor spent seven months in Europe. He returned to South America, joining Mary in [[Venezuela]]. For the next seventeen months he wrote newspaper articles, while managing a musical instruments store in [[Maracaibo]]. After going to [[Caracas]] to oversee the creation of a series of historical murals, he began traveling through Central America on his own, as by this time he and Mary and separated. The couple formally divorced in 1955, and soon after Mary went to the United States, where she remarried. Their son, originally named Diego after a son of Christopher Columbus, took her second husband's surname. Daniel Reinaldo Bernstein {{as of|2011|lc=on}} is a respected acupuncturist and musician living in New York City.

Tibor later wrote about being on the island of [[San Blas Islands|San Blas]] in Panama, where he engaged with the ''[[Kuna people|Kuna]]'' Indians; of an attempt to scale the volcano [[Izalko]] in El Salvador, that was cut short by a volcanic eruption; and of discovering the ruins of an ancient city in [[Honduras]], which many people knew from legends only, and that was built by [[Indigenous peoples of the Americas|Indians]]. It was during these treks through [[Guatemala]] and Honduras that Sekelj became ever more immersed in [[archeology]] and [[anthropology]].

In 1956 he drove through Asia as a [[World Esperanto Association]] (UEA) observer to an upcoming [[UNESCO]] talk held in New Delhi. When his car crashed in [[Tehran]] he continued on by bus and rail. During that journey he met extensively with Prime Minister [[Jawaharlal Nehru]] and his daughter, future prime minister [[Indira Gandhi]]. He also befriended the future president Dr [[Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan]]. In the Yugoslav embassy he met with [[Ljubomir Vukotić]], then president of the [[World Federation of the Deaf]] When Vukotić met with Indian and Chinese representatives to open an Asian office, Seklelj acted as interpreter, bridging a communication gap between non-hearing people of different languages. In January 1957, he accompanied Vukotić to China, which at the time was not accepting visitors. This was followed by a six-month stay on the invitation of King Mahendra of [[Nepal]], another country that was, at that time, hostile to foreigners. King [[Mahendra of Nepal|Mahendra]] personally thanked Sekelj for founding the first people's university, and for helping to spread the teaching of Esperanto.<ref>Group picture before the Statue of Kala Bhairava with Tibor Sekelj, Founding assembly of Esperanto-Group in Kathmandu, 1957, Österreichische Nationalbibliothek [http://www.bildarchivaustria.at/Pages/ImageDetail.aspx?p_iBildID=8092775 ÖNB 8092775]</ref> This friendship is in part the subject of Tibor's book, ''« Nepal opens the door », 1959,'' which he first wrote in Esperanto while in [[Madras]] studying [[yoga]] philosophy. The book was translated into multiple languages, including English, Spanish, Serbian and Slovenian. His journey through India, on foot and by bus, led Tibor from village to village, and from temple to temple, culminating in a month-long stay in a cave with three Yogin.

In 1961, Sekelj accepted the invitation of Moroccan Esperantists and traveled to [[Morocco]], where he joined a caravan of [[Tuareg people|Tuaregs]] nomads into the Sahara. In March 1962, Tibor set off for Africa on a ''Karavano de Amikeco'' (Caravan of Friendship), with eight people from four countries in two all-terrain cars. With a goal of direct communication between people, this yearlong journey reached [[Egypt]], Sudan, [[Ethiopia]], Somalia, [[Kenya]] and [[Tanzania]]. When a second caravan meant for other African countries failed to materialize, Tibor climbed [[Mount Kilimanjaro]], the highest peak in Africa. This trip is the theme of his book ''Ĝambo rafiki''. Although he wrote the book in Esperanto, it first appeared in Slovene.

In 1965, on his way to the [[World Congress of Esperanto]] in Tokyo, Tibor traveled by train across Russia (Moscow) and Siberia ([[Irkutsk]] and [[Khabarovsk]]) to [[Nahodka]], before landing in [[Yokohama]] by boat. A month later Tibor crossed Siberia by train, with a side trip to [[Mongolia]]. Given the antipathy to foreigners there, his three-month stay was difficult, despite having a stamped visa and correct documents. In ensuing years Tibor Sekelj managed to visit every European country, with the exception of Albania and Iceland.

In 1972, while at the international congress of ethnologists in Chicago Tibor visited eastern Canada and United States. In 1977, during the same event in [[Leningrad]], he saw [[Uzbekistan]] and Central Asia. That same year he took part in a festival celebrating the culture of former slaves in Lagos ([[Nigeria]]). In 1978, during an assignment for Yugoslav TV, he returned to South America, where he visited [[Ecuador]] and the [[Galápagos Islands]].

He took every opportunity to advocate for Esperanto, particularly in the [[international PEN|international Writers association PEN]]<ref>50th PEN-Congress, Lugano 1987 [[Leon Maurice Anoma Kanie]], [[Côte d'Ivoire|Ivorian]] writer and ambassador, at table with the world traveler, investigator and Journalist Tibor Sekelj, defender of recognition of Esperanto as literary language, Österreichische Nationalbibliothek, [http://www.bildarchivaustria.at/Pages/ImageDetail.aspx?p_iBildID=7920556 ÖNB 7920556]</ref> and at [[UNESCO]]. In 1985, during the 27th Conference in [[Sofia]], Sekelj was commissioned by UEA to ensure that Unesco would draft a [[:eo:Unesko#Rezolucio de 1985 (Sofio)|second resolution]] that would be favorable to Esperanto .

Tibor lived in [[Subotica]] from 1972 until his death, September 20, September 1988. He is buried in ''[[Bajsko groblje]]'' (Baja cemetery) in Subotica, with the highest honors from the city of Subotica. On his grave, under bronze bas-relief one can read that inscription in Esperanto: (WRITER, TRAVELER)

He learned about journalism during his student years in Zagreb, where he became a correspondent for Croatian newspapers : one from them, ''Hrvatski Dnevnik'', sent him as his correspondent to [[Argentina]], to do a report on Yugoslav emigrants, which is how he became a traveller. After two years <ref name="Bonaero"/> he learned Spanish enough to self-publish, [[Buenos Aires]], in Spanish, monthly organ ''« Rutas »'' (Ways) a magazine dedicated to geography, journeys, tourism, explorations, etc.<ref>According to available information, appeared only three editions, with colour cover and black-white content: the first 15 September 1943 (32 pages), the second 15 October (32 pages), and the double edition 3–4 (probably the last) month later, with only 16 pages.</ref>

Working as a journalist for an Argentinian newspaper, he decided to join a planned expedition to [[Aconcagua]], the highest mountain of Americas (more than 7000 m according to contemporary ratings).<ref name="Akonkagvo"/> For the most part he was able to support himself through writing, contributing to many newspapers, mainly in South America and Yugoslavia. In Yugoslavia he contributed to many small newspapers, so that the younger generation learned about Esperanto through his articles in young people's periodicals. In his 60s he became a television journalist, filming a series of TV-reports for the [[Radio Television of Serbia|Belgrade Television]] about the [[Caravan of Friendship]] (travel through Africa) for the [[Zagreb Television]] about exploring unknown tribes in Australia and [[New Guinea]] and for the [[Novi Sad Television]] about Bolivia, Ecuador and Peru. He was also a brilliant journalist for Esperanto. Except contribution to many Esperanto-newspapers and organs he was chief editor during 8 years for the [[Geografia Revuo]], [[E-Gazeto]] (initially IOE-Gazeto) of 1966–1972 (monthly organ – entirely appeared 65 editions) and [[VELO]] during six years (1983–1988 – Vojvodina Esperanto-newspaper).

He traveled through 90 countries and his books appeared in as many countries and a great many languages.<ref>Tibor mentioned that his books also were translated in Urdu and other Mid-Eastern languages, although that has yet to be proven. Certainly it is possible they were in fact published there, but it was impossible to track them down in those countries' libraries because of the Arab and Sanskrit scripts .</ref>

In Argentina he learned about [[mountaineering]] with barely enough time to prepare before taking part in an expedition to Aconcagua. Still he was able to survive the climb up that treacherous mountain. Later on, he climbed a number of very dangerous mountains, and on all the continents, between the mountains of Nepal, Mexico and [[Mount Kilimanjaro]] in Africa, and [[Mount Kosciuszko]] in Australia. His detailed description of the ascent on Aconcagua in a book in Spanish became a sort of textbook for mountaineering in Mexico, and other countries across South America.

{{QuoteBlockquote|I learned around 25 of languages. Many of them I forgot, because I stopped using them. I still can use some 9 languages, and although that's not enough to get by in the entire world, I can communicate with almost anyone despite that.|Interview with Stipan Milodanoviĉ<ref name="StipMilo">Radio-interview with Stipan Milodanoviĉ: « Ja sam učio oko 25 jezika. Mnoge sam zaboravio jer ih nisam više koristio. Uspeo sam da zadržim kao svoju trajnu svojinu 9 jezika koje i sada govorim Tih 9 jezika nisu dovoljni za ceo svet, ali jedan dobar deo sveta mogu da obidjem.» http://www.ipernity.com/doc/fulmobojana/7066327/</ref>}}

For over twenty years Sekelj was a committee member of UEA and he was single-handedly responsible for the second resolution where UNESCO positively addressed Esperanto in 1985. One-third of his books were originally written in Esperanto. He wrote a great many lucid and cogent articles for various Esperanto-newspapers and magazines, and he drafted ''Geografia Revuo, E-Gazeto ''and'' Velo.'' But his intense activity in the name of Esperanto related to his foundation and guide of [[International Institute for Officialization of Esperanto]] (IOE)<ref name="IEO"/> that launched the motto « better practice than 100-hours sermon » like this requiring more open activity of Esperantists. In that sense he especially engaged in diverse travel, organizing bus caravans that traveled across the world, having its greatest impact at the start of the [[International Puppet Theatre Festival]] (PIF) in Zagreb and later at the foundation for ''[[Internacia Kultura Servo]]'' (International Cultural Service). PIF still exists, [[now in 2011|currently]] after 44 years and still distributes an annual prize "Tibor Sekelj" for the most humanitarian message. His very intensive activity in the name of IOE had a strong effect on the classical neutral Esperanto-movement in the practical application, on the one hand in terms of culture and tourism and on the other to a more elastic conception of impartiality that followed [[TEJO]].

** ''Kumevava, syn ĝunhliv,'' Ukrainian translation by [[Nadija Hordijenko Andrianova]], [[KievKyiv]], Veselka, 1989.

Tibor Sekelj collaborated on a dictionary in 20 languages about [[museology]], ''[[Dictionarium Museologicum]]'', appearing in 1986. —– {{ISBN|963-571-174-3}}

* Tibor Sekelj, after Zamenhof the most important esperantist in the non-esperantist world, [[Zlatko Tišljar]], Esperanto-Organ (UEA Rotterdam) June 2011, 104th year, nro 1248 (6), pages 124–125

* [http://www.liberafolio.org/2011/vizagoj-la-mondvojaganto-kiu-revenis Faces: The world traveler that returned], [[Spomenka Štimec]], 27/11/ November 2011