Among the prominent results of a decade of works and published volumes are seventeen titles in the fields of Croatian linguistics, contact linguistics, ethnology, history, literature, regional lexicology and works on the interpenetration of lexicology and lexicography that have yielded an integral lexicographic treatment of the Croatian minority community in Hungary. A Lexicon of the Croatians of Hungary has been announced, a project initiated by the Hungarian Croatian Institute of Sciences that will pool the efforts of numerous researchers from various fields of study from Hungary and around the world.
The Croatian Heritage Foundation and the Hungarian Institute in Zagreb held a presentation of the results of a decade of the work of the Hungarian Croatian Institute of Sciences on the 17th of November at the CHF headquarters in Zagreb. On hand to speak about the Institute were CHF director Marin Knezović, the director of the Hungarian Institute in Zagreb Dinko Šokčević, the director of the Hungarian Croatian Institute of Sciences Tomislav Žigmanov, and the first and current directors of the Institute; Ernest Barić and Stjepan Blažetin.
A decade of the Hungarian Croatian Institute of Sciences, the first volume of which was Iz hrvatske baštine u Mađarskoj (Concerning Croatian Heritage in Hungary), published in 2005 as part of the Nova series, is an opportunity for a public analysis of prolific publication activity that aims to identify and present the strategic factors that will determine the future of the Institute.
The Hungarian Croatian Institute of Sciences was founded eleven years ago, in 2004 to be precise, by the Croatian national self-government as a separate institution. From its inception to 1 October 2010 it was under the directorship of Ernest Barić, while the current director is Stjepan Blažetin.
In the focus of the discussion, along with a vision of the development of the Croatian academic community in Hungary, were publishing projects that have been released over the past decade in the frame of book series such as Nova and Special Editions. Also analysed were the three last volumes of the serial publications of the International Croatian Studies Symposium, a biennial edition compiled by Croatian Studies experts at the University of Pécs in collaboration with the Hungarian Croatian Institute of Sciences.
Among the prominent results of a decade of works and published volumes are seventeen titles in the fields of Croatian linguistics, contact linguistics, ethnology, history, literature, regional lexicology and works on the interpenetration of lexicology and lexicography that have yielded an integral lexicographic treatment of the Croatian minority community in Hungary. A Lexicon of the Croatians of Hungary has been announced, a project initiated by the Hungarian Croatian Institute of Sciences that will pool the efforts of numerous researchers from various fields of study and will be available in electronic form.
The Institute also pays attention to the relationship between digital technology and culture as can be seen at the Internet portal of the Hungarian Croatian Institute of Sciences.
The research team from Pécs has also collaborated since 2012 with the relatively young Institute for the Culture of Vojvodina Croatians from Subotica and has worked with the Croatian Heritage Foundation for eleven years, i.e. since its inception, especially in the popularization of publishing projects. Collaboration with the CHF will continue in producing the Lexicon, and in other projects in the minority domain. As of recently the Institute also cooperates with the Hungarian Institute in Zagreb, since its inception in 2014. The Hungarian Institute is exemplary in its promotion of Hungarian culture, arts and science in Croatia, contributing to tolerance and intercultural dialogue.
There was also talk of the literary gems in Blažetin’s well received anthology of Croatian poetry in Hungary from 1945 to 2000 Rasuto biserje (Scattered Pearls), and of his anthology of Croatian children’s poetry in Hungary from 1945 to 2000 Sjajna igra (A Marvellous Game).
At the event in Zagreb we also heard of plans for intercultural scientific and culture projects between Zagreb, Pécs and Subotica.
The seventeen titles produced by the Institute – fourteen books and three collections – covering a total of 4,500 pages, guarantee a fantastic opportunity to the team of experts at the Hungarian Croatian Institute of Sciences to continue their innovative activities, expanding it into the sphere of lexicography.
The event was moderated by Vesna Kukavica.
Text by: Vesna Kukavica; Photos by: Hrvoje Salopek
