Denied Teaching Croatian, Man Changed Name in Protest and Drove for UNPROFOR

A man named Ljudevit, whose original name reflected his Croatian roots, recounts a protest that led him to change his name to Ludwig. He states he was prevented from teaching the Croatian language, prompting his act of defiance. Following this, he found employment as a driver for UNPROFOR, the United Nations Protection Force operating in Croatia during the 1990s.

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Because of my origins, I was not allowed to teach Croatian, so I changed my name to Ludwig in protest and got a job as a driver for UNPROFOR.

The narrative also offers glimpses into his intellectual and social life. He mentions associating with notable figures such as the writer Milan Kundera in Prague and engaging with left-wing intellectuals associated with Jean-Paul Sartre in Paris. These connections suggest a life engaged with European intellectual circles.

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I socialized with Kundera in Prague, and Sartre's leftists in Paris.

Furthermore, the article alludes to past political stances. Ljudevit, or Ludwig, recalls consistently and fiercely criticizing Stipe Šuvar, a prominent Croatian politician and intellectual. Despite these strong criticisms, he notes that Šuvar did not retaliate against him.

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Šuvar did not retaliate against me, although I constantly attacked him fiercely.