Academy Members

Batušić Nikola, F.C.A.

Academic titles:

• Fellow of the Croatian Academy of Sciences and Arts
• Professor emeritus
• Doctor of Science

Institutions:

• professor emeritus – University of Zagreb
• full professor, retired – Academy of Dramatic Art

Functions in Academy:

• deputy secretary – Department of Literature (01/01/2004 – 01/22/2010)
• secretary – Department of Literature (01/01/2001 – 12/31/2003)

Membership in Academy:

• full member – Department of Literature (05/12/1994 – 01/22/2010)
• associate member – Department of Literature (06/09/1983 – 05/12/1994)

Nikola Batušić, F.C.A., a prominent Croatian theatrologist, was born on February 18, 1938, in Zagreb, where he graduated from the Classical Gymnasium in 1956. He studied French and German language and comparative literature at the universities of Zagreb, Münster and Paris, graduated from the Roman group at the University of Zagreb in 1961, and obtained the degree of Doctor of Science in Literature at the University of Zagreb in 1965.

For over forty years (1963–2004) he taught at the Academy of Dramatic Art in Zagreb, and on several occasions, he was dean and vice dean, and his lectures on the History of Drama and Theatre in that rather long period were attended by all students of theatre departments. In 2005, by the decision of the University of Zagreb, he became professor emeritus. On that appointment, he founded a scholarship intended for dramaturgy and theatre directing students at the Academy of Dramatic Arts.

As one of the leading experts in the history of Croatian theatre in 1983, he became an associate member, and in 1994 he was elected a full member of the Croatian Academy of Sciences and Arts in the Department of Literature. Since 2004, he has been secretary of the Literature Class.

He has taught as a guest professor at all Croatian universities and universities in Vienna, Paris, Venice, Warsaw Prague, Munich, and Udine, and has participated in international theatre congresses and scientific conferences in various European cities.

Nikola Batušić was a member and held numerous positions in significant scientific and professional societies: he was one of the five founders of the Croatian Society of Theatre Critics and Theatrologists (1969) and a perennial president of the society, from 1979 to 1985 one of the two vice-presidents of the Fédération internationale de Recherche théâtrale (FIRT), a non-governmental professional organization within UNESCO, a member-worker of Matica Hrvatska since 1971 (member of its Board of Directors 1990-1993),  member of the Croatian Writers’ Association since 1972 (member of the presidency 1990-1994) and member of the Croatian Centre P.E.N. since 1980.

Nikola Batušić received numerous awards for his work: The Annual Vladimir Nazor Award for 1979 for the book History of Croatian Theatre, the Quadrennial Theatre Award “Marko Fotez” for 1984 for the book Gavella, Literature and Theatre, in 2001 “Petar Brečić Award” by HRT and Školska knjiga Zagreb for total contribution to Croatian theatrology, J. J. Strossmayer Award for 2002 for the book Literary Counterworlds – Chapters in Croatian Modernity (Zagreb, 2001, together with Zoran Kravar and Viktor Žmegač), “Judita” Award of the Croatian Writers’ Association for 2002 for the book Older Kajkavian Drama, Vladimir Nazor Lifetime Achievement Award (Zagreb, 2005) and the City of Zagreb Award 2007 for the book On the Edge of the Horseshoe.

Nikola Batušić is the author of sixteen titles and an anthological proceedings Folk Plays of the 19th Century, and has edited several books in series: Five Centuries of Croatian Literature and Centuries of Croatian Literature, critical editions of works by A. G. Matoš and V. Nazor and about thirty books in the Theatrological Library of the Croatian Society of Theatre Critics and Theatrologists. For fifteen years (1965–1980) he wrote theatre reviews in the magazine Republika. He was a permanent associate of the Miroslav Krleža Institute of Lexicography and editor of the profession ‘theatre’ in the Croatian Biographical Lexicon and the author of numerous shows on the 3rd channel of the Croatian Radio and shows on Croatian Television.