Josip Novak (1927–2003) was a Kresimirian politician, engineer, and artist. The son of the Divine Founder and first Chair of the Assembly, Filip Novak, he served a single ten-year term as a Senator for District IX (Decelska) from 1952 to 1962.
Initially seen as the political heir to his father’s legacy within the Blue Dawn party, Novak became a vocal internal critic of the party’s leadership following the death of Luka Matar. He is historically best known for his controversial vote against the Treaty of Brod Moravice in 1961, which he viewed as a betrayal of the Constitution his father helped write. Following his departure from politics, he achieved significant acclaim as a modernist sculptor.
Early Life and Education
Born in Sinj in 1927, Josip Novak grew up in the shadow of his father, Filip Novak, who was then serving as the Chair of the Assembly and leader of the Revolutionary People’s Party (RPP). Despite the immense political pressure to study law or divinity like many of the elite, Josip showed an aptitude for mechanics and design.
He enrolled at Sinj University in 1945, graduating with a degree in Mechanical Engineering. He spent the early years of his career working for the state industrial bureaus, helping to design the ventilation systems for the expanding mines in Severnivaraje.
Political Career (1952–1962)
In 1951, Filip Novak announced his entry into politics. Seeking to maintain the Novak name within the newly formed Blue Dawn party, the leadership encouraged Josip to run. In the 1952 election, Josip Novak ran in District IX (Decelska)—a district historically dominated by hardliner Kresimir Basic, but where Blue Dawn sought to make inroads with a “modern” candidate. He was successfully elected.
The Internal Critic
Novak’s time in the Assembly was marked by growing friction. While he respected party founder Luka Matar, he grew disillusioned after Matar’s death in 1959. He viewed the new leader, Leon Rukavin, as weak and overly accommodating to the Civic Renewal Front.
Novak was a staunch constitutionalist. He believed that the integrity of the 1921 Constitution—his father’s magnum opus—was sacrosanct. He frequently argued against amendments that diluted the state’s central authority.
Opposition to the Treaty (1961)
The defining moment of Novak’s political career was the debate over the Treaty of Brod Moravice. When Rukavin proposed waiving the Faith Restriction Clause for District X to end the Bosken insurgency, Novak broke ranks.
In a fiery speech on the Assembly floor, he declared: “We cannot barter the soul of the Republic for a temporary ceasefire. To allow the vote to those who reject the Divine is to dismantle the house my father built.”
He joined the Sons of Kresimir and Vjetrusa in voting Against the Treaty. The measure passed regardless (12–8), isolating Novak within his own party.
Retirement
Refusing to serve under a leadership he considered “capitulationist,” Novak did not seek re-election in the 1962 election. He was succeeded in District IX by Stojana Czyhlarz.
Artistic Career
Following his exit from politics, Novak underwent a radical career change. Drawing on his engineering background, he became a sculptor, working primarily with industrial materials like steel, iron, and concrete.
His art was often abstract and brutalist, exploring themes of structure, tension, and collapse. Critics noted a pervasive melancholy in his work, which many interpreted as a commentary on the changing political landscape of Kresimiria. His most famous piece, The Broken Gear (1974), stands in the gardens of the National Gallery in Sinj.
Personal Life and Death
Novak married Ana Lovric, a literature professor at Sinj University, in 1958. They had two children. He remained a private figure in his later years, rarely granting interviews about his time in the Assembly.
Josip Novak died of natural causes in 2003 at the age of 76.