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Andriya HebrangCroatian and Yugoslav politician
Date of Birth: 21.09.1899
Country:  Croatia |
Content:
- Early Life and Political Activism
- Imprisonment and Resistance
- World War II and Leadership Role
- Post-War Politics and Conflict with Tito
- Death and Rehabilitation
Early Life and Political Activism
Andrija Hebrang was born in Donje Novo Selo, Austria-Hungary (now part of Croatia) in 1906. He became a member of the Communist Party of Yugoslavia (CPY) in 1919. In 1921, he was imprisoned for six months for "disrespect to superiors" while serving in the army.
After his release, Hebrang returned to Zagreb in 1923, where he became involved in demonstrations and trade union activities. He was soon arrested for illegal activities and imprisoned again.
Imprisonment and Resistance
In 1928, Hebrang was arrested during a meeting of Yugoslav communists in Berlin. He was sentenced to three months in prison but was soon released. However, he was arrested again and sentenced to 12 years in prison for communist activities.
Hebrang served time in various prisons, including those in Lepoglava and Sremska Mitrovica. During his imprisonment, he was accused of Trotskyism by other CPY members. He was released in early 1941 and returned to Zagreb.
World War II and Leadership Role
In September 1941, Hebrang became a member of the Main Headquarters of the Partisan Movement in Croatia. He was captured and wounded in the head by the Ustaše in February 1942. After receiving medical treatment, he was imprisoned and then placed in a concentration camp. He was later exchanged for two high-ranking Ustaše members.
After his liberation, Hebrang served as the political secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Croatia. He participated in the first meeting of the Anti-Fascist Council for the National Liberation of Yugoslavia (AVNOJ) in Bihać in 1942.
Post-War Politics and Conflict with Tito
In the Tito-Šubašić coalition government of 1944, Hebrang was appointed Minister of Industry. However, he was dismissed from his post and expelled from the CPY in 1945 due to his disagreements with Tito over the future of Yugoslavia.
Hebrang sided with the Stalinists in the conflict between Tito and Stalin. He was placed under house arrest in April 1948 and arrested in May. He was charged with collaborating with the Ustaše and being a Soviet spy.
Death and Rehabilitation
Hebrang denied the accusations but did not renounce his support for the Stalinist Cominform. He was allegedly found hanging in his cell in the Belgrade prison on May 11, 1948. No official investigation was conducted, and the charges against him were never brought to trial.
In 1992, the Croatian Parliament declared Hebrang a victim of the communist regime and rehabilitated him.
