Family Name Zatezalo
My family originates from Gornja Dubrava, which is in the Republic of Croatia. This town is located close to Ogulin and Karlovac. It is here that my ancestors immigrated fleeing from Turks, like other Serbian clans.
My ancestors belonged to the Škerić clan. According to the name itself, as well as according to ancient scripts, they were given their last name Zatezalo (meaning the one that stretches or tightens) because they, being good borderline defenders, “stretched” the borders to the Turkish empire and its neverending hunger for more. According to old texts this clan was the last to leave the field of battle and, if necessary, cover the retreat for others before the Turkish armies. By doing this, they were actually, once again, “stretching” the Turkish advance for as long as possible. Their nickname, given to them out of respect, slowly changed into their last name – Zatezalo.
In the area of Gornja Dubrava township, by the Zagreb-Ogulin-Rijeka railway, there is a town, Škerić, which consists of about fifty houses. Every resident’s last name is Zatezalo. There is no one with the surname Škerić, although the name of the town usually comes from the most numerous lastname in it. While this fact proves that the people living there are descedants of the first “stretchers”, there is another that proves that they founded the town – the name of the town originates from the name of the clan of Škerić.
Like other residents of the Kordun region, the clan was mostly occupied by breeding cattle while a large number of them became borderline guardians and secured the Europe’s christian borders against Turkish and Islamic breaches. As such, they were extremely reliable and respected as good fighters by the authorities of that time.
author Nikola Zatezalo