One of the oldest members of CPEAC moved to Chile in 1927. He wrote for the Punta Arenas-based magazine Male novine and published numerous Spanish language books in Santiago concerning his native island, the Dalmatia region and Croatia.
One of the oldest members of CPEAC passed away in Santiago on the 12th of May at the age of 98. Antun Domić Bezić was a native of the island of Brač (Ložišća, 1919), a construction engineer and a writer. He moved to Chile in 1927 and lived and worked in Santiago. He wrote for the Male novine magazine of Punta Arenas. His key articles include: Hrvatska u Isla Negra (Croatia in the Isla Negra), Dalmatinsko iseljavanje za vrijeme Austrije (Emigration from Dalmatia During the Austrian Administration, Otvoreni prozori na Dalmaciju (Open Windows to Dalmatia), 2500 godina povijesti (2,500 Years of History) and Književnost Hrvatske u srednjem vijeku (Croatian Literature During the Middle Ages).
After Croatia regained its independence he published the following books in Santiago: Breve historia de la isla de Brac (A Brief History of the Island of Brač, Santiago, 1995), Breve historia de Dalmacia (A Brief History of Dalmatia, Santiago, 2000), Breve historia de Croacia (A Brief History of Croatia, Santiago, 2004), Breve exposicion de la literatura Croata (A Brief Exposition on Croatian Literature, Santiago, 2005), Cientificos de Croacia y cientificos chileno-croatas (Croatian Scientists and Chilean-Croatian Scientists, Santiago, 2005) Poesia en la vida (Poetry in Life, Santiago, 2005) and La Defensa Nacional Yugoslava durante la II. Guerra Mundial (The Yugoslav National Defence in World War II, Santiago, 2006).
In his final years he lectured in the topic of the Dalmatia region, Croatian emigrants in Chile and the genetic origins of the Croatian people.
He completed his book Croacia en el despedazamiento de la Republica federal socialista de Yugoslavia (Croatia in the Breakup of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia), which did not see a print edition but can be read on the Internet. He wrote in Spanish with the intention of promoting Croatia in South America.
See more at: profesionalescroatas.cl
His wife Haydee Tomicic Papic (Antofagasta, 1927 – Santiago, 2010) was a professor of history and geography and a pedagogue. She worked with the newspaper La Mañana. She published Yugoslavia: Habia una vez un pais (Yugoslavia: Once Upon a Time a Country). In her later years she penned essays: Dos destinos Maria Curie-Sklodowska y Mileva Einstein-Maric (Two Destinies: Maria Curie-Sklodowska and Mileva Einstein-Maric, 2005), Caballos con historia (Horses with a History, 2005) and Los pueblos balcanicos en la Historia europea (The Balkan Peoples in European History, 2006). She penned her final work, Memorias tardias (Late Memories), in 2009, in which she reminisced on her youth in Antofagasta and her life with Antun Domić Bezić. The manuscript work is preserved at the Institute of Advanced Ideas in the Professor Tomicic Papic collection at the Universidad de Santiago de Chile.
By: Branka Bezić Filipović