28/06/1914

[Executioner128]

Hello Forumites

Maybe some odd-looking questions, but I think this is the place to fire them! (I love accuracy and although the net very often supplies all the information you want, it failed this time)

1. Why is there so little known about Franz Urban (or Leopold Loyka??? ) (the archduke's driver on that faithful day)
No date of birth, no date of death... I mean.... I would very much like any additional information on him !

2. The same goes for Muhammed Mehmedbasic: here there is some more information, but just one VERY unclear photograph (just hit it at google or any searchmachine)

Is anyone strongly into this drastic day of human history?

kind regards

[NeilE]

1) perhaps because in the wider scheme of things he just isnt very important, apart from being in the wrong place at the wrong time. To source his date of birth/death you would need to check genealogical sources in his country of origin.

2) Have you seenhttp://net.lib.byu.edu/~rdh7/wwi/bio/m/mehbasic.html ?

Also it seems that Mehemedbasic was executed by the Ustashe in 1943.

Once again he is just one of thousands of obscure actors in a much wider drama. I wouldn't expect there to be much on him. Why do you think there should be? There may be a Bosnian biography but I bet it would be obscure to find. For this sort of thing, you'd need primary sources, and that means a trip to Bosnia or even perhaps Serbia.

Regards

Neil

[Executioner128]

Thanks, Neil_E

Yes I had already seen this page on Mehmedbasic (believe me, I've searched for a long time!)

I agree they didn't play a major role, but frankly, I've already bumped into huge biographies on persons with no or a much lesser significant role in history. And here we're speaking about one of the most important days of the 20th century, perhaps in history.

So that's why it keeps me wonderin' why there isn't anything more than this!

Anyone?

[leo]

This event was a pivitol one in the history of Europe and the World. I have never found any reading about Franz Ferdinand that goes much into what sort of man he was. He always appears as a one dimensional character with not much to recommend him. It seems to me that had he lived he might have inststuted some reforms which might have extended the life of the Empire.

[Executioner128]

Originally Posted by leo

This event was a pivitol one in the history of Europe and the World. I have never found any reading about Franz Ferdinand that goes much into what sort of man he was. He always appears as a one dimensional character with not much to recommend him. It seems to me that had he lived he might have inststuted some reforms which might have extended the life of the Empire.

nice observation indeed... there's always this enigma around him.