Aleksa Santic, the great poet from Mostar is one of the most famous lyric poets. Aleksa Santic was born in 1868 in Mostar, in the heart of Herzegovina, where he spent most of his life. Father Risto died early, so taking care of him took up the uncle. Aleksa had two brothers, Peru and Jakova, and Sister Radojka, married to the poet and Aleks’s friend Svetozar Čorović.

Aleksa Santic lived in Mostar, in a family where they had no understanding of his talent, and after the completion of the school at Trieste and Ljubljana , he returned to his native Mostar. His poetry was made between the 19th and 20th centuries. The poets Vojislav Ilić and Jovan Jovanović Zmaj were the most influential in his poetry rendering.

Furthermore foreign authors, such as Heinrich Heine, whose work was translated by Aleksa Santic himself. In the period between 1905 and 1910, Aleksa created his most beautiful songs full of strong emotions, love and sadness, and sorrow.

The house in which Aleksa was born into a family of merchants still stands on Brankovac. Aleksa also has a lifesize monument in the park that carries his name at Luke in Mostar

Lost love inspires the Aleksa Santic’s amazing poetry works

In Mostar, Aleksa Santic wrote first verse, worked there, loved and lived. He fought with the whirlwinds of social change at the turn of the 19th to the 20th century. He fought it mostly with longing.  It is the impossible love and longing that inspired Aleksa to wrote some of the most beautiful poems. His two greatest loves have been women and homeland.

Aleksa Santic did not have good fortune with love. First women he loved he had to leave because of disapproval of his family. It has been said Aleksa hated himself for making such a cowardly move. The second love of his life was Anka but she married another man as Aleksa Santic did not fit her life plans.

The most famous song written by Aleksa Santic is probably “EMINA”. One that you can still hear on the streets of the Old Town. His song” Emina” is a legendary and sort of a hymn to the poet as well as to the soul of the town.  Although Aleksa Santic lived in the Old Town, he never actually spoke to Emina who at that time was 11 years of age. Emina got married when she was 16 and bore 14 children. She never forgot the famous poet but claimed also never to speak one word to him.

Aleksa Santic poured all his heart and soul in this unforgettable song. It would be hard to find a person who would not know the words. It is said that life isn’t worth living if you did not have at least one Emina in your life 🙂

Here is a video where the song is performed for the Red Bull Cliff Diving Opening.

His workroom is exposed and open to the public

Disappointed by his parents, who also had no understanding of his great talent, Aleksa moves to the home of his contemporaries and friend Svetozar Ćorović. Svetozar married his sister Radojka, therefore, was a member of the family.

Finally, at that address, Aleksa writes his most famous songs.   His workroom is exposed and open to the public. It’s a small room with a desk, an original icon from the home, a pair of Alex’s sticks with which he walked, his poems and letters.

Aleksa Šantić, in addition to the memorial room in Mostar today, has its own street, monument, park and club of book lovers.

When the poet Aleksa Santic died on February 02, 1924, the whole Mostar mourned. There were black flags on the houses. In addition, even the street fencers were covered with black cloth. The poet’s body to the burial ground was carried by members of the Serbian singing society “Gusle” and the Croatian “Hrvoje”. The funeral procession was five kilometres long.  In conclusion, it was a day of great sadness.

Aleksa’s spirit is still very much alive, he lives through his songs, as people still recite and sing his songs.

Aleksa Santic is also pictured on 10 Bosnia and Herzegovina convertible marks bill.

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