Tibor Sekelj

Tibor Sekelj (Hungarian: Székely Tibor; born February 14, 1912 in Spišská Sobota, Poprad, then Austria - Hungary, now Slovakia, † September 23, 1988 in Subotica, Yugoslavia, now Serbia) was discoverer, esperantist, author and lawyer.

He made expeditions throughout South America, Asia and Africa. In addition to Hungarian and Croatian, he also spoke German, Spanish, English, French and Esperanto. He was a member of the Academy of Esperanto language and honorary member of the World Esperanto League. He wrote a number of books ( short stories and novels ) in Esperanto and is one of the better-known Esperanto writers. His wife was Erzsébet Sekelj.

Biography

The father of Tibor Sekelj was a veterinarian and the family moved around. A few months after his birth the family moved to Tschene, in present-day Romania. In 1922 she moved on to Kikinda in Vojvodina, Serbia. After Tibor Sekelj there had completed his primary school, the family moved to Nikšić, Montenegro, where he attended high school. After graduation, he went to Zagreb; there he studied law.

Later he worked as a journalist in Zagreb. In 1939 he traveled to report on Yugoslav emigrants to Argentina. He remained where he worked for 15 years as a journalist and explorer. In 1944, he managed the ascent of Aconcagua, the highest peak in the Americas. This experience inspired him to write his first work storm on Aconcagua. In 1954 he returned to Yugoslavia, where he settled down in Belgrade; he still traveled a lot. From 1972 on he lived in Subotica, Vojvodina, in present-day Serbia. There he was director of a museum. He died in Subotica, where he is also buried.

Works

The works Tibor Sekeljs - novels and records of his travels - contain interesting ethnographic observations. He also wrote books and essays on international language Esperanto. The majority of his books originally written in Esperanto Sekelj; they have often been translated into numerous languages. Tibor Sekelj is undoubtedly one Esperanto author whose Esperanto works were most frequently translated into other languages.

Travel records

• Tempestad sobre el Aconcagua. Novel, originally written about his expeditions in the Argentine massif of Mount Aconcagua in Spanish, Ediciones Peuser, Buenos Aires, 1944. Oluja na Aconcagui i godinu dana kasnije. Serbo-Croatian translation of Ivo Vecerina, Zagreb 1955.
• Burka na Aconcagui. Czechoslovakian translation of Edward V Tvarožek, Osveta, Martin 1958.
• Tempesto super Akonkagvo. Translation into Esperanto by Enio Hugo Garrote, Serbio Esperanto - Ligo, Belgrade 1959.

• Through jungles of Brazil to the wild Indian tribes. German translation of Rodolfo Simon, Orell Füssli, Zurich 1950.
• Pralesmi Brazílie. Czech translation of Matilda V. Husárová, Osveta, Martin 1956.
• V dezeli Indijancev po brazilskih Rekah gozdovih. Slovenian translation by Peter Kovacic, Zalozba obzorja Maribor, Maribor 1966.
• Tra de lando indianoj. Translation into Esperanto by Ernesto Sonnenfeld, Eldona Societo Esperanto, Malmö 1970.

• Nepla otvara vrata. Serbian translation of Antonije Sekelj, Belgrade 1959.
• Window on Nepal. English translation by Marjorie Boulton, Robert Hale, London 1959.
• Nepal odpira vrata. Slovenian translation of Boris Grabnar, Mladinska knjiga, Ljubljana 1960.

• Djambo rafiki. Pot caravan prijateljstva po Afriki. Slovenian translation of Tita Skerlj - Sojar, Mladinska knjiga, Ljubljana 1965.

• Kumeuaua djungels son. Swedish translation by Leif north Storm, soil 1987.
• Kumevava, az őserdő fia. Hungarian translation by István Ertl, Budapest 1988.
• Kumevava syn, ĝunhliv. Ukrainian translation of Nadiya Hordijenko Andrianova, Kijivo, Veselka, 1989.
• Kumevava, sin prašume. Serbian translation, 2003.

Books about Esperanto

• La importancia del idioma internacional en la educacion para un mundo mejor, Mexico: meksika Esperanto FEDERACIÓ, 1953.
• The international language Esperanto, common language for Africa, common language for the world. From the Esperanto translated into English by John Christopher Wells, Rotterdam: UEA, 1962.
• Le problème linguistique au mouvement des pays you to be non alignés et la possibilité de le resoudre, Rotterdam: UEA, 1981 ( = Esperanto dokumentoj 10). La Lingva problemo de la Movado de Nealiancitaj Landoj - kaj Gia ebla solvo, Rotterdam: UEA, 1981 ( = Esperanto dokumentoj 13).

Esperanto -textbooks

• La trovita Felico, short story for children, Buenos Aires: Progreso, 1945.
• With Antonije Sekelj: Kurso de Esperanto, Lau aŭdvida structuralist metodo, 1960.
• With Antonije Sekelj: Dopisni tečaj Esperanta, Belgrade: Serba Esperanto - Ligo, 1960.

Ethnographic works

During his travels in South America, Africa, Asia and Oceania, he put together an important ethnographic collection, which he handed to the Ethnographic Museum in Zagreb.

His most important ethnographic work is:

• Elpafu la sagon, el la Busa poezio de la mondo ( shooting the arrow, from the orally transmitted poetry of the world), Roterdamo: UEA, 1983, ISBN 92-9017-025-5 ( = Serio Oriento - Okcidento 18)

In which he presents translations of recordings that he had made during his travels.

Dictionary

Tibor Sekelj was employee of a dictionary in 20 languages ​​on museology, which was published in 1986 under the Latin title Dictionnaire Museologicum.