Media in Croatia again refer to Nikola Tesla as "Croatian"

Media in Croatia again refer to Nikola Tesla as "Croatian"

The Rijeka, Croatia-based Novi List daily writes:

"Croatian and American world-famous inventor was born in the Lika town of Smiljana in 1856, but spent almost his entire life working in the United States, where he also realized all his inventions. He died in New York in 1943, aged 87."

Tesla was born to an ethnic Serb family in Smiljan - a small town that was then a part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, and is now located in Croatia. He became a U.S. citizen in 1891.

According to Tanjug, "precisely this data" has kept the debate about his nationality alive even 73 years after his death - with "each side in the dispute having its arguments - Serbia his origins, Croatia his land of birth, America, the famous scientist's citizenship."

According to Tanjug, however, Tesla himself put an end to the debate in 1936, when he sent a telegram to Croatian politician Vlatko Macek, that read:

"Thank you very much for your much appreciated greetings and honors, I am equally proud of my Serb origin and my Croat homeland. Long live all Yugoslavs."

The urn with Tesla's ashes was brought to Belgrade in 1957 - a decision made by Dr. Milica Trbojevic, a member of Tesla's wider family and the legal heir of his estate.