The panel of judges included the head of the Croatian Heritage Foundation’s department for culture Srebrenka Šeravić. Also on the panel was Iva Cvetko in the capacity of an expert leader according to the criteria of the Zagreb-based Croatian Association of Folklore Leaders and Choreographers. Performing at the festival were folklore ensembles from Mainz, Wiesbaden, Mittelbaden, Hannover, Mannheim-Mosbach, Nürnberg, Augsburg, Filderstadt, Main-Taunus/Hochtaunus, Stuttgart-Bad Cannstatt and Wupperal.
The traditional 24th Croatian Folklore Festival, which includes the 3rd Children’s Croatian Folklore Festival, was staged on the 20th of June at the MIDAS – Limes Forum in the German town of Grosskrotzenburg. The event was organised by the Croatian Pastoral Office in Frankfurt am Main. Eleven children’s folklore ensembles took part in the festival from Croatian Catholic Missions and communities from across Germany. The Liturgy of the Word was celebrated ahead of the opening of the festival, led by Cardinal Vinko Puljić, the archbishop of Sarajevo. Participating in the Liturgy of the Word in song, musical accompaniment and reading were a group of young members of the Croatian Catholic Mission in Mainz.
The festival opened with the Croatian national anthem and with a warm welcome offered to all on hand on behalf of the organisers by priest Ivica Komadina, the delegate for members of the Croatian Catholic community in Germany. On hand to represent the Croatian general consulate in Frankfurt at the festival was Consul Ante Bagarić.
Many priests were on hand for the festival, accompanied by their groups and pastoral associates, nuns and laypeople, the leaders of the groups, parents and other fans of Croatian folklore heritage. The panel of judges included the head of the Croatian Heritage Foundation’s department for culture Srebrenka Šeravić. Also on the panel was Iva Cvetko in the capacity of an expert leader according to the criteria of the Zagreb-based Croatian Association of Folklore Leaders and Choreographers.
Performing at the festival were folklore ensembles from Croatian Catholic Missions and communities from across Germany: Mainz, Wiesbaden, Mittelbaden, Hannover, Mannheim-Mosbach, Nürnberg, Augsburg, Filderstadt, Main-Taunus/Hochtaunus, Stuttgart-Bad Cannstatt and Wupperal.
At the close of the event Cardinal Puljić thanked all the participants for their contribution to this successful festival. He was joined in his congratulations by delegate Komadina. Cardinal Puljić was joined by Srebrenka Šeravić and Iva Cvetko in presenting gold medals to the representatives of the folklore ensembles and in the event group photos. The event programme was expertly moderated by pastoral associate with the Croatian Catholic Mission in Mittelbaden Sanja Jakopić, with Ivan Bilandžija responsible for the musical entertainment.
Text and photos by: Adolf Polegubić