Anton Kržan

Who was Anton Kržan?

Anton Kržan was a Croatian philosopher, university professor and a rector.

Professor Kržan was the third rector magnificus of the University of Zagreb, in the academic year 1876/1877. Since that year, the choice of rector is per turnum. He received his Ph.D. in philosophy in 1859 in Rome. He was ordained in 1862, and a year later receiving a Ph.D. in theology in Rome. After the return to Zagreb, he worked as a professor at the Archiepiscopal Seminary where he taught metaphysics and special dogmatics. He served as a full professor at the Faculty of Theology since 1874.

Kržan wrote papers on the creation and the development of the organic world, being an ardent opponent of Darwinism. That was also a topic of his inaugural rectorial speech on October 19, 1876, when he was 41 years of age. After the expiry of his 1-year mandate, he served as a prorector. He was appointed as a canon in 1879. In two mandates, he served as a dean of the Faculty of Theology.