Mitrinović, Dimitriǰe, 1887-1953

Dimitrije Mitrinovic (1887-1953) was born in Bosnia-Hercegovina. As a young student he took a leading part in the movement to create a united Yugoslavia. Having studied art history in Munich, he came to England in 1914 and moved among influential cultural circles in the U.K. Between the wars he was concerned with organic world order, and was a major contributor to the radical journal New Age, writing a column on world affairs. Mitrinovic held that there was a need for a new stage in human development, "From individual initiative, through personal alliance to the absolute collective". This required the recognition of the essential complementary functions in the world of different ethnic, religious and other groups, the need for guidance through intermediation to solve conflicts in society, and the need for personal change to develop individuals as the mediators of society. Re-evaluation of the wisdom of the past meant the investigation of works from all periods of history on religion, philosophy, sociology, psychology, and the arts. In 1927, Mitrinovic founded the English Branch of the International Society for Individual Psychology (the Adler Society), lecturing on psychology and related subjects. The desire of the group to derive practical results from their psychological studies, and association with like-minded radical groups, led to the formation of The New Europe Group, aiming at European federation and a re-evaluation of European culture. From this proceeded the New Britain Movement in 1932, with proposals for national changes in society, federation and devolution, reform of the financial system, workers' control in industry through National Guilds, and a House of Industry and House of Culture to supplement the House of Commons. The movement was supported by the journal New Britain and its successor The Eleventh Hour . The New Britain Movement dissolved in 1935-36 but the New Europe Group continued to be active for many years and its cultural programme, the Renaissance Club, held lectures and concerts. Active members of the group included H.C. Rutherford, Violet MacDermot, Valerie Cooper, Ellen Mayne, Philip Mairet, David Shillan, and the Nobel prize-winner Frederick Soddy. The New Atlantis Foundation was started after the death of Mitrinovic to continue his work and to spread his ideas. Annual lectures have covered various aspects of religion and philosophy, giving particular attention to thinkers whose work may have been neglected or misinterpreted. The Foundation continues to publicise the work of Mitrinovic and other members of the Group.