Background
Rudolf Vimer was born in Bjelovar on March 21, 1863 as the ninth child in family of Austrian origin.
Rudolf Vimer was born in Bjelovar on March 21, 1863 as the ninth child in family of Austrian origin.
He graduated with top grades. He finished his studies in Vienna on the University Pázmáneum, and was ordained a priest in 1885 with only 22 years.
After finishing elementary school in Bjelovar, Vimer enrolled in Classical Gymnasium in Zagreb with help of the Archdiocese of Zagreb. After finishing high school, Vimer went to study theology in Zagreb. He served his first Mass in Bjelovar in 1885 in the Parish Church of Saint Teresa of Avila (now: Bjelovar Cathedral).
From year 1890, Vimer served as a catechist at the Zagreb Upper Town Gymnasium and longtime Prefect of the Noble Convict.
After Vimer received a doctorate in theology in Vienna in 1892, he was appointed assistant professor at the Catholic Faculty of Theology at the Department of Oriental Languages (Arabic, Syriac and Chaldean). In 1895 he received a scholarship from the Provincial Government of Croatia, Slavonia and Dalmatia so he went on a scientific journey through the Middle East.
He traveled throughout Palestine, Syria and Egypt and took part in an expedition to Mount Sinai. After Vimer came back from his journey, he became a full-time professor of Itroductory Science to the New Testament and the Interpretation of Scripture.
He was fluent in most of the European languages, including Latin, Greek and many oriental languages.
Vimer visited many major European libraries and libraries of the Middle East. He was a prolific writer of biblical themes. He wrote the best Croatian "of Jesus Christ in three books", and "The Life of the Saint Paul." He is also known as a great humanist.
He was helping to poor, and was organizing work of many charitable and cultural institutions.
He donated his rich library to the Catholic Faculty of Theology. He died in Zagreb on October 28, 1933 and was buried in a common priests grave at Mirogoj Cemetery.
Because of his reputation as a scholar, he was elected as a dean of the Faculty, the Rector of the University of Zagreb (1900/1901) and a corresponding member of the Yugoslav Academy of Sciences and Arts.