Lavoslav Singer (1866–1942) was Croatian industrialist notable for his role in the development of Bjelovar.

Lavoslav Singer
Born1866
Died1942 (aged 76)
Cause of deathMurdered in Holocaust
NationalityCroat
OccupationIndustrialist
SpouseAmalia (née Herenshtein) Singer

Singer was born in village Bulinac (part of Nova Rača), into a Croatian Jewish family of Josip (Yosef) Singer. He was educated at the best business schools in Austrian Empire. Upon completion of his education he was engaged in industrial revolution that led to the development of factories in Bjelovar. Singer developed the milling industry in Bjelovar, but was also active in the development of coal mining, gravel extraction from the river Drava and its shipment to the big cities, and has also extracted gold from Drava. Singer was one of the leading financiers and representative of concessionaires that built the railway Bjelovar-Garešnica/Grubišno Polje. He was one of the most important and wealthiest townsman of Bjelovar.[1][2][3][4] Singer was married to Amalia (née Herenshtein) Singer. Being Jews, during World War II, Singer and his wife were forced to wear yellow star of David on their clothes.[5] In 1942 Singer and his wife were arrested and deported to Auschwitz concentration camp where they were killed during the Holocaust. He was 76 years old.[6][7]

References edit

  1. ^ Miodrag Savkovitch (1926, p. 168)
  2. ^ (in Croatian) Mira Kolar-Dimitrijević: Pretvaranje Bjelovara iz vojničkoga u privredno središte od 1871. do 1910. godine.: stranica 44: Bjelovar: 16 svibanj 2007.
  3. ^ (in Croatian) Podravina: Željko Karaula - Mira Kolar-Dimitrijević: Studije iz povijesti Bjelovara (1848.-1991).: Volumen 10: broj 20: stranica 174: Koprivnica: 2011.
  4. ^ (in Croatian) Ruah Hadaša (Glasilo Židovske vjerske zajednice Bet Israel): Željko Karaula: Holokaust u Bjelovaru - nestanak Židovske zajednice u Bjelovaru tijekom razdoblja NDH: stranica 27, broj 11, godina IV, 2009.
  5. ^ (in Croatian) Hrvatski državni arhiv; Mirjana Jurić; Analitički inventar, Ravnateljstvo ustaškog redarstva – Židovski odsjek 1941-1942; stranica 18; 2005.
  6. ^ "Lavoslav Singer". Pages of testimony by Yaakov Harel (relative). Yad Vashem.
  7. ^ "Amalya Singer". Pages of testimony by Yaakov Harel (relative). Yad Vashem.

Bibliography edit

  • Miodrag Savkovitch, Emerih Mike (1926). Zbirka portreta i biografija znamenitih ljudi kraljevstva Srba, Hrvata i Slovenaca. Vienna: Union - Stephen A. Schwarzman Building / Slavic and Baltic Division.