The Novo Selo (Neudorf bei Parndorf) municipality in Austria is celebrating a special anniversary this year. 450 years ago, in 1570, the first Croatian settlers arrived here. The local Novo Selo Museum and Culture Association will celebrate the anniversary with a series of events.
The Novo Selo (Neudorf bei Parndorf) municipality in nearby Austria is celebrating a special anniversary this year. 450 years ago, in 1570, the first Croatian settlers arrived here. The local Novo Selo Museum and Culture Association will celebrate the anniversary with a series of events.
Petar Tyran’s vision of the jubilee celebration aims at highlighting the four-and-one-half-century ethnic Croatian presence in Novo Selo in the north of the modern Austrian state of Burgenland. Featured as part of the celebration will be the ethnic Croatian elements in the village, famous historical figures, achievements in culture, and the wealth of Croatian traditions in conventions, customs, songs and stories.
The celebration will also focus on the current state of affairs with regard to the use of the Croatian language in its local dialect and the level of awareness of the need to nurture our culture and language in schools and among instructors.
The celebration of the arrival of Croats in Novo Selo will also see a Croatian Easter celebration and conclude with a Christmas concert featuring the Hatsko Kolo folklore ensemble.
The main village celebration of the 450th anniversary in Novo Selo will be held on 12 September.
Last year Novo Selo saw the installation of bilingual street name signs and its squares named after prominent people from the village.
The celebrations will include lectures and symposia on a variety of topics presented by specialists from Novo Selo and visiting experts like Nikola Benčić and Alojz Jembrih. Benčić is the author of a textbook for Gradišće (Burgenland) region ethnic Croatians and will engage schoolgoing children in the celebration of this anniversary. Also part of the celebration will be a new stamp issued by the postal service and a 59 second video promoting the village and the municipality.