Ljerka Šram - the Most Beautiful Actress in Zagreb in one of the City's Most Tragic Love Stories

Everyone loves to hear a good sappy love story, especially those old ones, when people were still writing love letters to their dear ones and then waiting for their reply for weeks, sometimes months. Zagreb is full of long lost souls who had their hearts broken through all the years this city has existed. The love between Ljerka Šram and Milivoj Dežman is definitely that kind of story – an eternal and long-lasting love people whispered about, a love that was never destined to have a happy ending. Still, to this day, it is remembered as one of Zagreb’s most memorable tragic love stories about a couple every citizen knows about.

A lady of the Camellias

Lady Šram was considered the most beautiful woman in Zagreb during her lifetime. She was born in 1874 and lived a few houses away from Milivoj Dežman. Their parents were friends and they spent their whole childhood together. Both of them were from respectable and very well know families: Ljerka’s father was a lawyer and even the vice president of the Croatian Parliament for a while; Milivoj’s father was a poet and a doctor who, unfortunately, died quite young in his thirties. As the time passed, Ljerka’s talent for acting was more visible and people in high society began to notice her. She grew up in a beautiful young lady who had many suitors. Yet, Milivoj was head over heels in love with her, ever since he saw her perform one night and decided she is the one for him. But, life had taken him away from his beloved Ljerka and he had to move away to study medicine and become a doctor like his father.

Image Photo Credit: Pixabay

When he and Ljerka were saying goodbye to each other, they made a pact to write each other letters, stay in touch and not let the distance separate them. Milivoj was determined to marry Ljerka as soon as he returned to Zagreb with a diploma. He lived in Graz and Vienna during his university years and was writing love letters to Ljerka. Even though she promised she’d wait for him, suddenly the letters stopped arriving. Milivoj heard some gossips that Ljerka was unfaithful to him but refused to believe it. She began to act more and more, making a name for herself among Zagreb’s most prominent artists. Because of her beauty, she was noticed everywhere she went. Basically, she couldn’t walk down the street without taking men’s breaths away. People gave her a nickname A lady of the Camellias, like in Dumas’ novel. Then on that sad day, Milivoj’s heart was broken – his mother sent him a letter, letting him know Ljerka got married.

Till death do as apart

When Milivoj returned to Zagreb, he got a job as a doctor in a clinic and started working on his career, firmly believing Ljerka would notice him if he made a name for himself in medicine. Apart from having a day job, as soon as he would take off his white doctor’s coat in his office, he’d return home and start writing theatre plays, gathering around himself young artists so they could talk to Ljerka about him. People were gossiping behind his back, mocking him because he was still hoping Ljerka would return to him.

Image Photo Credit: Pixabay

He was right, though – her marriage didn't last for long. Her husband left her after an embezzlement he was accused of and suddenly, Ljerka was all alone with her little baby boy Saša, so she turned back to her old friend, Milivoj. He was more than happy to take her back, giving her roles in plays he wrote especially for her and he even embraced her son as his own. But luck wasn’t on this unfortunate couple’s side – Ljerka was diagnosed with tuberculosis and had only little time left. Milivoj couldn’t let his darling just leave him again, so he built an entire hospital just for her, where he could treat her and other patients for pulmonary diseases.

Still, illness was stronger than Milivoj’s desire to cure Ljerka and she died in his arms one night. He even laid her down to rest in a coffin and said his last goodbye to his one and only love. They were never married, but they lived together, raised her son together and, eventually, stayed together until death. They never cared what people were saying about their love. They had each other and that was all that mattered to them. Now, if that doesn’t make you believe great love stories still exist, then I don’t know what will!

Header Image Credit: Pixabay

Author: Paula Bracko