In short, the seven thematic sections of Croatian Emigrant Almanac 2025 – Signs of the Times, Croatian Philological Horizons, Bridges, History, Heritage, Science and New Books – bring together a diverse range of studies with 25 separate contributions, linking the different creative oeuvres of people of our roots on four continents.
The Croatian emigrant almanac has been published. The seventieth volume of the CHF Yearbook focuses on the most dynamic Croatian migrant community in the European Union, currently living in the Federal Republic of Germany for centuries. The editors’ attention was drawn to the influx of Croats to Germany following the opening of the labour market there to Croatian nationals (2015), which has affected an average of around 50,000 people over the past decade. In other words, a city the size of Šibenik moves in every year! At the same time, more and more Croats are being born in Germany, reveals the author of the main thematic contribution, Monika Balija. Croats in Germany undoubtedly represent an enormous demographic potential, but also an overall potential for Croatia which needs to develop a more attractive immigration policy with the aim of encouraging the return of emigrants, i.e. immigration to our homeland. Optimism is therefore inspired by the introductory essay by our MEP, Davor Ivo Stier, which demonstrates that it is important for Croatia that the EU continues its cohesion policy, which will enable it to catch up with the most developed Member States. Economic growth in the Republic of Croatia could reverse the trend towards migration, as it is generally accepted that it is more worthwhile to stay in one’s own country when the economic situation is better.
A better knowledge of Croatian language and culture is a major contributor to the successful integration of our returnees from different meridians, educated in the multicultural environments of their countries of residence, into modern Croatian society. For this reason, the CHF Yearbook brings news of Croaticum’s manuals for better learning of Croatian language and culture, including teaching through video games (A. Grgić, D. Matovac, J. Mihaljević).
In short, the seven thematic sections of Croatian Emigrant Almanac 2025 – Signs of the Times, Croatian Philological Horizons, Bridges, History, Heritage, Science and New Books – bring together a diverse range of studies with 25 separate contributions, linking the different creative oeuvres of people of our roots on four continents. The CHF Yearbook is equally relevant to those who have chosen travel as a way of life, migrants of various origins on the world’s labour markets, to the generation of Croatian descendants who have established themselves in cultures from Alaska to Tierra del Fuego, South Africa, Australia and New Zealand, and to those who have found their new home across the old continent. The achievements of the scholars are described by Tanja Rudež. The abundance of cultural topics from Europe to America and Australia is covered by our distinguished contributors, such as J. Novak Milić, A. Sučec, M. Bošnjak, S. Granic, I. Hebrang Grgić, R. Mesarić Žabčić, T. Jurić, B. Periš, J. Čutura, A. Čuvalo, B. Matković, M. Lipovac, S. Radoš, Ž. Lovrenčić, M. Tomić, D. Vidović, M. Puh, M. Rajković Iveta…
It is significant that the cover is inspired by the Year of Marko Marulić, the symbolic father of Croatian literature. Cover: The new eighth curtain of the Croatian National Theatre (HNK) in Zagreb, with the central motif of Marko Marulić by Zlatko Kauzlarić Atač, was produced and inaugurated on the occasion of the Year of Marko Marulić – the writer of Judith, the first Croatian epic. The curtain was premiered (5 October 2024) as an integral part of the set design of the opera of the same name by composer Frano Parać, whose exterior depicts the struggles of the Marulić family and our own time, as well as scenes from the Vukovar exodus.
Text by Snježana Radoš Photo: Mara Bratoš