Antun Knežević

Born in Varcar Vakuf (today Mrkonjić Grad) 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.

Fra Antun Knežević studied in Fojnica, Rome and Siena, and became friar on 26 April 1851, while his first Mass was on 21 September 1856.

He was one of the main proponents 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 them Catholic Bosniaks and Orthodox Bosniaks in his work. His position and doctrine was that all Bosnians or Bosniaks are one people of three faiths, and that up to late 19th century, no Croats and Serbs lived in Bosnia and Herzegovina.[2] Although Fra Antun Knežević was not a unique phenomenon in this sense, he was certainly among most articulate. He had strongest impact, along with fra. Ivan Franjo Jukić from whom he took the idea, and who was his teacher and mentor earlier in his life. Since 17th century many other members of Franciscan order in Bosnia accepted the idea of a Bosniak identity, nurturing it within the brotherhood and carried it over into 18th and 19th century.[3][4][5] But it was these two, fra. Knežević and his mentor, fra. Jukič, who left deepest mark on Bosnian culture and history, while championing the notion that Catholics, Orthodox and Muslims are one nation, and Bosnia and Herzegovina country with deep cultural and historical roots.[6][7][8] Like Jukić before him, Knežević too articulately expressed his feeling of national belonging, which he always and primarily defined as Bošnjak (Bosniak) in such a way so that include all three religious groups inhabiting Bosnia and Herzegovina. 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.

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).[9] 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 mass. 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.

• "Rieč popa Gojka Miroševića svojem Bošnjakom i Hercegovcem"
• "Rieč Hodže bosanskog Hadži Muje Mejovića"
• "Mladić bosanski proviđen u svojoj učionici za prvu godinu"
• "Rieč hodže Petrovačkog bratiji Turcima"
• "Suze bošnjaka nad grobnicom kralja svoga u Jajcu"
• "Krvava knjiga"
• "Opet o grobu bosanskom"
• "Kratka povjest kralja bosanski"
• "Pad Bosne"
• "Carsko - turski namjesnici u Bosni i Hercegovini"
• "Povjesnica novoimenovanog Franjevačkog samostana u Jajcu I-III"
• "Varica"

• Franciscan Province of Bosna Srebrena