Vienac published many biographies and necrologies, primarily of European scientists and scholars, among whom there were more philologists than scientists. Thus Vienac elevated science to the national principle of progress. In the biographies of Croatian historical great people of science and art, regret is expressed that they did not remain and work in Croatia. But they were on a par with many great westerners. Among the most important philologists are Czechs, who were the models to emulate and older brothers to Croatian philologists. They are followed by Russians, but in their biographies their slavophilia was never mentioned. These biographies were published in order to develop relationships between the Slavs, which either failed or were partially successful like in the case of the relationship between Croats and Czechs, which however did not continue in the 20th century. There were then some important Croats who led the national art, science and literature but only e few scientists, politicians and statesmen. The biography of Ivan Mažuranić was not published nor that of Jelačić or any other governor (ban), including that of Nikola Zrinski of Siget. A number of biographies was dedicated to enthusiasts (pregaoci) who were like a standing army of intellectuals and gathered in Zagreb. They were the agents for spreading Registrar Books and various magazines. They were virtuous, selfsacrificing and poor, but like prominent writers they also came from poor urban families as well as rural ones. Honesty then had social reputation; they learned foreign languages: German, French, Italian; they translated and also wrote poems with little or more success. They had poor education, most often a three-year administrative course. Generally, there were few intellectuals like Franjo Marković, Ljudevit Gaj or Ivan Dežman who completed university studies. And yet, with what enthusiasm these people succeeded in bringing their countrymen progress and giving them character and dignity! Among them there was quite a number of Germans, immediate or distant descendants of immigrants, which sounds strange since there was a constant grudge against "Germanization". There were many priests, hard-working, folk priests who in the zeal of their faith unselfishly helped illiterate and poor peasants, often educating them. In Vienac, their work was described roughly as social work or raising national consciousness would be described nowadays. But these priests followed Jesus and felt themselves as pastor fido ποιμεν καλος and followed the principle of the Gospel that one has to love Lord with all his heart and his neighbour as himself. Vienac did publish biographies of bishops but not Juraj Haulik’s and J. J. Strossmayer’s. There were seldom biographies of aristocrats such as Baron Karl Prandau’s. The world of Vienac was of middle class and secular mentality.

Vienac je objavio velik broj životopisa i nekrologa. Najprije europskih učenjaka, među kojima je više filologa nego prirodoznanstvenika. Time je Vienac uzdigao znanost do nacionalnog načela napretka. U životopisima hrvatskih povijesnih veličina u znanosti i umjetnosti ističe se žaljenje što nisu ostali u Hrvatskoj i tamo djelovali. Ali oni se stavljaju uz bok europskim veličinama. Među filolozima najvažniji su Česi, oni, starija braća, uzor su hrvatskim filolozima. Slijede Rusi, ali se u njihovim životopisima prešućuje slavjanofilstvo. Ovi životopisi objavljuju se da bi se stvorila slavenska uzajamnost, što nije uspjelo ili je samo djelomično uspjelo u slučaju zbližavanja Hrvata i Čeha, ali to se nije nastavilo u XX. st. Slijede znatni Hrvati koji su vodili nacionalnu znanost, umjetnost i književnost. Prirodoznanstvenika je malo, malo je političara i državnika. Nije objavljen životopis Ivana Mažuranića, Jelačića, uopće nijednog bana poslije Tome Bakača iz XVII. st., čak ni životopis Nikole Zrinskog Sigetskog. Velik je broj životopisa posvećen pregaocima. Pregaoci su bili otprilike stajaća vojska intelektualaca okupljenih većinom u Zagrebu. Oni su bili agenti za širenje Matičinih knjiga i časopisa. Bili su čestiti, skromni, požrtvovni, siromašni, a kao i ugledni pisci potjecali su iz skromnih građanskih obitelji, pa i seljačkih. Poštenje je onda imalo društveni ugled. Učili su strane jezike, njemački, francuski, talijanski, prevodili, pisali pjesme s više ili manje uspjeha. Nisu imali osobitu naobrazbu, ponajčešće trogodišnji tečaj za rad u upravi. Uopće, malo je bilo intelektualaca koji su kao Franjo Marković, Ljudevit Gaj ili Ivan Dežman završili sveučilišni studij. Pa ipak, kakav polet je bio u tim ljudima da svoj hrvatski narod privedu napretku, da mu dadu karakter i dostojanstvo! Među njima bio je ne mali broj Nijemaca, bližih ili daljih potomaka doseljenika. To je čudno ako se zna da se neprestano psovalo protiv "germanizacije". Bilo je i mnogo svećenika, skromnih, marljivih narodnih svećenika koji su u žaru svoje vjere nesebično pomagali neukim i siromašnim seljacima, često im pomagali da se školuju. U Viencu se njihov rad opisuje otprilike onako kako bi se danas opisao socijalni rad ili nacionalno osvješćivanje. Ali većina tih svećenika je svojim dobrim djelima nasljedovala Isusa, oni su nastojali biti dobri pastiri – pastor fido, ποιμεν καλος. Oni su slijedili novozavjetno načelo da valja ljubiti Boga više od svega, a bližnjega kao samoga sebe. U Viencu ima životopisa biskupa, ali ne Jurja Haulika ni J. J. Strossmayera. Jedva da ima životopisa velikaša kao što je barun Karlo Prandau, skladatelj. Svijet Vienca laički je i građanski.