Nikola Tesla - Pictures and Experiences from Childhood and Education Page 4

rather, he allows foreigners to appropriate his inventions, including himself. Here’s what Slobodna Misao says next in its aforementioned preface, after stating that every American child knows who Edison is: “...Unfortunately, not to mention shameful, there are a large number of adult “children” who do not they know, maybe haven’t even heard of the name of Nikola Tesla. This is a really sad, but true fact... Slavs lost a lot of famous people abroad. For example, let’s mention Nietzsche, Copernicus and our great philosopher and the father of atomistics Ruđer Bošković. Those peoples who appropriated our great Slavic sons know the value of their works, we don’t, they know how to appreciate scientists, philosophers and geniuses, we don’t... Today, it's an open secret that Americans, English, French, Germans, Hungarians, and Italians are all claiming our genius Tesla...”

When Tesla held his historic lectures in America and Europe, newspapers publishing his biography increased their circulation tenfold: printed in hundreds of thousands of copies and eagerly snapped up. However, we know little about this giant of ours.

It is comforting, however, that at least recently our people have awakened. About Tesla and his works, more and more is being written and the broad masses of people are becoming acquainted with them. Significant works about him have been published in other languages, so that other nations can learn the truth about the discoveries and inventions of this unattainable genius*. Tesla’s 80th anniversary was celebrated throughout our Homeland in the most solemn manner, and, thanks to the efforts of our people, also celebrated in other countries. At celebrations in Belgrade, Zagreb, Smiljan, Sofia, Prague, Munich, Paris, Graz, and other places, Tesla received the highest praises and acknowledgments from scientists all over the world. Many of their lectures have been collected and published in a separate book - “Memorials of Nikola Tesla” (Spomenici Nikole Tesle). The Society for the Establishment of the Nikola Tesla Institute in Belgrade has also been formed, which tirelessly works to realize this great idea as soon as possible. This Institute will be not only a focal point - our national temple of science, but

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*)Engineer Slavko Bokšan’s work “Nikola Tesla und sein Werk,” published in Vienna in 1932 by Deutscher Verlag, Burgring 9, was particularly successful abroad.