Nadina Abarth-Zerjav

Who is Nadina Abarth-Zerjav?

Nadina Abarth-Zerjav was the daughter of the Slovene political minister Gregor Zerjav and his wife, Milena née Lavrencic. Her elder brother was Borut Zerjav, journalist in Paris, and her twin sister was Tatjana, who died young from tuberculosis.

Nada Abarth Zerjav spent her early childhood in Graz and Ljubljana. As her father Žerjav was preventively arrested and imprisoned in WWI in the Ljubljana Castle and in Graz by the Austro-Hungarian authorities for his "notorious pro-Serbian attitudes", she lived some time at her grandparents. After the early death of both her parents from tuberculosis she was educated at Munich and Paris.

On 28. November 1949, she was married to Carlo Abarth, the well known Turin–Automobile-Industrialist. Nada Abarth-Zerjav and Carlo Abarth met in 1944 at Lake Garda. Nada Abarth supported her husband during the founding period of the Abarth-works as later on in every possible way. She initiated the contact to Tazio Nuvolari which became important during the first years of the existence of the Squadra Abarth. She spoke seven languages which enabled her to engage in public-relations in foreign countries as well. Even after the divorce in 1979 she remained on friendly terms with Carlo Abarth and after his death she continued to admire him greatly. The couple had no children.