Fra Antun Knežević was a Bosnian Franciscan friar, historian and writer from Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Background
Born in Varcar Vakuf (today Mrkonjić Graduate) in 1834, his father Anto came from the town of Uskoplje, and his mother was Agata Stipić (née Ivekić) from Varcar Vakuf. His father died early and he was raised by his uncle from father"s side, Fra Grgo Knežević, who when died was buried in Ivanjska village.
Education
Fra Antun Knežević studied in Fojnica, Rome and Siena.
Career
He became friar on 26 April 1851, and held first Mass on 21 September 1856. Fra Antun Knežević was one of the main protagonists of Bosniak nationhood, and he fiercely advocated against imminent Croatization of Bosnian Catholics on one side, as well as imminent Serbianization of Bosnian Orthodox people on the other, as he called it in his work. His position and doctrine was that all the Bosnians are one people of three faiths, and that up to late 19th century, no Croats and Serbs lived in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Knežević"s, as well as Jukić"s, national belonging was always and primarily defined as Bošnjak (Bosniak) in such a way so as to include all three religious groups inhabiting Bosnia and Herzegovina.
He was a great opponent of any foreign occupation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, in his time occupation by Turkey and Austro-Hungarian Empire. Fra Antun Knezević 1877 started the construction of the Franciscan monastery in Jajce (without permission).
He also opened first public school in Bosnia in his own house. Knežević died on 22 September 1889 in Kotor Varoš while holding the folk Massachusetts
The bones were transferred to Jajce in 1955.
Later friars of Jajce monastery moved the bones of Fra Antun Knežević to nearby new church of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Jajce, his definite resting place. Curate and teacher in Varcar Vakuf (Mrkonjić Graduate) 1857
curate in Bugojno 1858
curate in Carcar 1864
tutor and professor franciscan youth in Livno 1861 - 1864
lector of theology in Guča Gora 1864
vicar in Dobretićimi 1868
spiritual leader of youth in Đakovo 1868
vicar in Varcar Vakuf (Mrkonjić Graduate) 1873
vicar in Ivanjska 1873
vicar in newly built monastery in Petrićevac 1875
vicar in Jajce 1876 - 1879
beget foundation of the monastery in Jajce 1882, officially opened 1886
vicar in Liskovica 1884 – 1886
vicar in Kotor Varoš 1889.
Membership
The only other cultural identity he recognized was Illyrian, as a cultural supra-identity of all South Slavs, hence his interest and activity as a member of the Illyrian movement.