Porges was born in Zagreb to a Jewish family who came to Zagreb from Vienna and Bratislava. His paternal grandparents were killed during the Holocaust by the Steamship Prinz Eugen Division, while his father"s life was spared due to a fact that he was an essential worker for the Third Reich.
University of Zagreb. Faculty of Economics and Business, University of Zagreb.
Porges received his degrees from the University of Zagreb (a bachelor"s degree in economics and a master"s degree in marketing) and was a lecturer in marketing and management in postgraduate studies at the Faculty of Economics of the University of Zagreb. He was the president of the Jewish community of Zagreb until 1993, when he retired from the position. As a president of the Jewish community Zagreb, Porges was a strong advocate of Croatian independence.
In the letter he appealed for the recognition of Croatia and support in the Croatian War for Independence which was fought "against a brutal military force led by the Yugoslav Army".
He served as adviser to the Prime Minister for two years. Prior to his post as adviser to the Prime Minister, Porges served as Deputy Minister of Economy, Labour and Entrepreneurship.
In 1997 he became the Minister of Economy, Labour and Entrepreneurship in the Croatian Government. He has also worked on a number of marketing research projects and published numerous papers.
In 2005 Porges was named among the one thousand most influential Croatians.
Although not active one, Porges is still member of the Jewish community in Zagreb.
