Marin Lurcic Grubisic (1886–1964) was a Kresimirian politician, administrator, and philanthropist who served as the first Senator for District VIII (Zahodecelska). A foundational figure in the politics of western Kresimiria, he served in the Assembly for thirty years.
Originally a member of the Revolutionary People’s Party (RPP), Grubisic was a key figure in the 1924 Schism, defecting alongside Kresimir Basic to co-found the hardline religious party, the Sons of Kresimir (SoK). He is best remembered today as the founder and namesake of Marin University Varazdinske (MUV).
Early Life and Military Service
Born in 1886 in Varazdinske, Grubisic came from a family of local landowners. Under the Vosti Empire, he worked as a municipal administrator and later as a police officer, gaining a reputation for strict adherence to the law and Kresimirian nationalist sympathies.
When the empire collapsed in 1918, Grubisic rallied a volunteer regiment from Zahodecelska to join the Centralist Faction. He served as a Colonel in the Unification War, fighting under the overall command of General Dominik Loncar. His experiences in the war hardened his views on national unity and the role of the state religion.
Political Career
The RPP Years (1922–1924)
In the inaugural 1922 election, Grubisic ran as the RPP candidate for District VIII. Given his war record and local prominence, he won the seat easily. However, he quickly found himself at odds with the pragmatic leadership of Assembly Chair Filip Novak, whom he viewed as too lenient toward the Bosken population in the south.
The Sons of Kresimir (1924–1952)
The breaking point came during the 1924 Constitutional Crisis following the assassination of Senator Ivana Simuna. When Novak opted for a special election rather than martial law, Grubisic defected. He joined Kresimir Basic in forming the Sons of Kresimir, becoming the party’s primary financier and organizer in the western districts.
For the next three decades, Grubisic turned Zahodecelska into a stronghold of religious conservatism. He used his position to advocate for funding for religious schools and opposed the industrialization policies that would later transform the district.
Founding MUV
In 1948, concerned by what he saw as the “godless secularism” spreading from Sinj University, Grubisic donated a significant portion of his personal fortune to establish a conservative institution of higher learning in his hometown. Marin University Varazdinske opened its doors that year, originally serving as an ideological training ground for SoK cadres.
The 1952 Defeat
Grubisic’s political career ended in the 1952 election. By the 1950s, the demographic makeup of Zahodecelska was changing. The industrial city of Cetingrad was growing, and the electorate was becoming more focused on economic development than religious purity.
Grubisic was challenged by Dragan Senar of the newly formed Vjetrusa party. Vjetrusa was led by Grubisic’s former commander, General Dominik Loncar. Senar campaigned on a platform of industrial nationalism and modernization.
Grubisic, representing the “Old Right,” was defeated by Senar, representing the “New Right.” The loss marked the end of the Sons of Kresimir’s dominance in the west.
Retirement and Death
Following his defeat, Grubisic retired to Varazdinske. He spent his final years acting as the Chancellor of the university he founded. He died in 1964 at the age of 78. While his political party has faded in his home district, his name survives through the university, which has since grown into the largest in the region.