Emigration as augmented war experience : an (auto)biographical account of Ted Kramolc

The biographical reconstruction of Canadian-Slovenian visual artist, writer, interior designer and art mentor Ted Kramolc (1922–2013) as presented in the following article focuses in particular on his life before he reached Canada. This reconstruction is based on the notion that his decision to emigrate should be viewed as an extended experience of the Second World War. The author has based this article on her own belief that in order to understand the social consequences of war, it is necessary to fortify historiographic sensibilities regarding personal experiences, interpersonal relationships and the variety of meanings ascribed to war. At the same time, the author seeks to broaden the point of observation to both the time preceding the war and the time following it. Empirically, the article is supported both by the available archive material as well as an analysis of as-yet-unpublished autobiographical sources. Insights from Kramolc's literary oeuvre, which to a large extent derive from lucid reflections on his own life experiences, also feature in the article.