Schaffer Karel

Rear Admiral Karel Schaffer (Sežana 1831– Sežana 1904)   

 

Born in Sežana. He attended a secondary school in Ljubljana, then enrolled at the age of 16 at the Merchant Marine Academy in Trieste. In the ensuing year he took a course and graduated at the Naval Academy in Trieste.

In 1849 he took part, as cadet, in the Austrian blockade of Venice and, eventually, commanded few smaller ships.

In 1864 he travelled, assigned as the personal secretary to Archduke Ferdinand Maximillian, with the frigate Novara to Mexico, where the Archduke proclaimed himself Emperor. Karel, who married a native woman in Mexico, was sentenced to death together with the Archduke, but somehow managed to return to his homeland together with his wife and child, where he then pursued his maritime career.

In 1873–1875 he sailed, as Commander of the corvette Helgoland, to Africa. Later on he was in charge of the Regional Naval Command in Trieste, then Commander of the frigate Novara and finally, with the rank of Rear Admiral, Head of the Naval Academy in Rijeka.

At the age of 56 he retired and returned to his home town Sežana, while his wife and two children went back to Mexico. 

 

Bogdana Marinac