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Comment by bkovacev | Hacker News Reader

Why does it always have to be someone that involves politics into this? Tesla during his life said he is of Serbian origin and thinks of himself as a Serbian, even though he was born in Croatia. Don't steer it up in here too, I'd like HN to remain what it is.

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In fact, born in the territories that are currently inside of the borders of the country now called Croatia which at that time didn’t exist as the independent country, especially not there. As far as I understand, he was born in the “Military Frontier” lands of Austro-Hungarian monarchy (Wikipedia: “Born 10 July 1856 Smiljan, Austrian Empire”), and went to Polytechnic school in Graz, today Austria:

https://teslauniverse.com/nikola-tesla/timeline/1875-tesla-a...

Present Croatia exists for less than 30 years, it’s important not being anachronistic in historical statements. At the time Tesla was born his birthplace was not even administratively “Croatia”:

“By the Basic Law of the Frontier from 1850, the administration of Military Frontier was split and the land started to look like a state. The Main Command had its headquarters in Zagreb, but remained directly subordinate to the Ministry of War in Vienna.”

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Military_Frontier

Of course, pedantry isn't easy: I was also anachronistic by mentioning “Austro-Hungarian” which also didn't exist at the time Tesla was born, but at least I've quoted Wikipedia correctly. Wikipedia must be right, it was just Austrian Empire in 1856 as Tesla was born:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Austria-Hungary

Austro-Hungarian Empire came into existence in 1867, 11 years later.

Even if Croatia did not exist at the time of Tesla's birth, it does not change the fact that he was not born in Serbia.

I never claimed he was. ‘trodemode’s claim was Croatia, and that’s what isn’t historical.

However if you’d actually want to visit Tesla’s birthplace, you would need to buy a ticket to Croatia. The place is in Croatia now.

Ethnically Tesla was a Serb, his birthplace was then Austrian Military Frontier and now in Croatia, that’s the background to different attempts of ignoring the history.

For the downvoters - you obviously have zero idea how much of an issue this presents on the Balkan. Embrace Tesla's work, not origin or nationality, it really does not matter.

Facts are not politics.

When out of the whole article you point out something that is not the focus of the article and introduce a true and undeniable fact that is (unfortunately) most often used as a way of scoring political points on the Balkan from both sides, that fact does in fact become political.

And sometimes pointing out a factual error is just that. You are now the one bringing politics into the discussion. You are making it worse.

Truth can be (often is) politically incorrect.

That doesn't make any sense.

Edit: Serious question, is that rhetoric, platitude, bromide, something else?

Truth isn't just fact, it's also narrative. Trying to separate the two is impossible, therefore truth can often be political.

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