The meeting pooled Croatian minority representatives from Pinkovac (Austria), Martinci, Petrovo Selo, Sumarton and Kukinj (Hungary), Karaševo (Romania) and Tavankut (Serbia). The CHF culture award has been received by three Austrian, four Hungarian, two Romanian and three villages in Serbia inhabited by Croatians.
The 3rd meeting of Best Villages, pooling Croatian minority representatives from Pinkovac (Austria), Martinci, Petrovo Selo, Sumarton and Kukinj (Hungary), Karaševo (Romania) and Tavankut (Serbia) was organised in Zagreb on the 30th of October by the Croatian Heritage Foundation.
Present at the meeting from the award-winning villages were Pinkovac mayor Leo Radaković, Martinci mayor Varnai Levente, member of the Croatian Community in Romania from Karaševo Georghe Facraci, the mayor of Petrovo Selo Skrapitsne Jurasits Agnes, the vice president of the Croatian national self-government body in Hungary Rojmund Filipović, the president of the Matija Gubec Croatian Culture & Education Society Ladislav Suknović and the society’s honorary president Branko Horvat from Tavankut, deputy mayor of Sumaton Štef Radnai, the president of the Horvata kre Mure society of Sumarton Ladislav Gujaš, mayor Farkaš Robert, and deputy Milica Klaić Tarađija and Julijana Mli from Kukinj. Present on behalf of the organisers were CHF director Marin Knezović, deputy director Željko Rupić, the head of the department for Croatian minorities Marija Hećimović and the head of the emigrant communities information department Mirjana Piskulić.
The participants, this year coming from seven villages in four countries, come from places with a majority Croatian minority community that have been recipients of the CHF award from the Best Culture Village in the period from 1996 to 2007 for their success in promoting Croatian culture and identity. With this gathering the CHF wishes to contribute to cooperation among the award-winning villages and encourage them to participate in joint projects within EU programmes.
During the meeting the gathered were acquainted with the 2014 – 2020 Europe for Citizens’ programme (europski-fondovi.eu), the work of the Agency for Mobility and EU Programmes (www.mobilnost.hr) and the Minority Directory – a complete address book of representative bodies, institutions, culture and other associations, the media and the Croatian minority communities in European countries produced by the CHF Croatian national minorities department through the many years of effort of the head of department Marija Hećimović.
The Croatian Heritage Foundation’s culture award has thus far been received by the villages of Pinkovac in Austria (1996), Martinci in Hungary (1997), Karaševo in Romania (1998), Petrovo Selo in Hungary (1999), Mjenovo in Austria (2000), Klokotić in Romania (2001), Tavankut in Serbia (2002), Sumarton in Hungary (2003), Bački Monoštor in Serbia (2004), Novo Selo in Austria (2005), Kukinj in Hungary (2006) and Novi Slankamen in Serbia (2007).
For twelve years the award was presented in the form of a sculpture representing a stylised Glagolitic letter H symbolising the survival of the Croatian communities in the receiving village throughout history. The CHF culture award has been received by three Austrian, four Hungarian, two Romanian and three villages in Serbia inhabited by Croatians.
Text by: Diana Šimurina Šoufek; Photos by: Snježana Radoš
