In addition to the topics of mother tongue and culture, this year’s Croatian Emigrant Almanac exclusively brings the topics of the birth of our public diplomacy in the diaspora, which is associated with the celebration of the 30th anniversary of the international recognition of the Republic of Croatia. The digital repository of the CHF’s yearbook can be found on the portal of the publisher – Croatian Heritage Foundation at the link https://matis.hr/hrvatski-iseljenicki-zbornik/
This year’s Croatian Emigrant Almanac, with abstracts in English and Spanish, presents thirty-one independent contributions to its readers. Recent and very diverse creative work of emigrants, presented on 436 pages and illustrated with 120 photographs, was described mainly by scholars from eminent Croatian and foreign universities and prominent publicists. The articles connect about twenty countries of the world from various meridians and the European neighborhood. The authors of the CHF’s yearbook break down stereotypes about our diaspora by offering a credible mosaic of out-of-home millennial migrant generations in the world’s multicultural metropolises. It is a picture of an innovative diaspora, whose actors have turned the exodus of their grandfathers into the boon of this global mobility. Cross-border collaborations in this volume of the Almanac are described by philologists Ana Grgić, Darko Matovac and Marinela Aleksovski, whose contribution focuses on the rich activities of the Center for Croatian as a Second and Foreign Language – Croaticum on various platforms. A short video dedicated to Croaticum was an introduction to today’s promotion.
CHF’s serial publication Emigrant Calendar (now the Croatian Emigrant Almanac) was launched in 1955. The Almanac usually offers about thirty articles from five continents a year, and this time the authors of interesting articles are: Božo Skoko, Monika Bulaja, Stan Granic, Žana Ćorić, Vanda Babić Galić; Ana Grgic, Darko Matovac, Marinela Aleksovski; Ivana Žužul, Željka Lovrenčić, Milan Puh, Robert Bebek; Filip Kanižaj, Marijeta Rajković Iveta, Dragan Bagić; Walter Vori F. Lalich; Davorin Rudolf; Marija Margetic, Antea Marinovic; Tihomir Nuić, Gojko Borić, Wollfy Krašić, Inoslav Bešker, Maja Mozara, Željko Holjevac, Marijan Lipovac, Tanja Rudež, Ivan Hrstić, Ljerka Šimunković; Đuro Vidmarović, Vesna Kukavica and Vinko Živić.
The presentation of eight thematic anthologies – Signs of the Times, Croatian Philological Horizons, Heritage, Bridges, A History, Spirituality, Science and New Book of the new volume was held on the eve of Book Night, April 22 in the Matis Hall. The Almanac was presented by the director of Matica, prof. Mijo Marić; Darko Matovac, Ph.D. and Marijeta Rajković Iveta, PhD, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, University of Zagreb; Marina Perić Kaselj, PhD, director of the Institute for Migration and Ethnic Studies and editor Vesna Kukavica. The leader of the promotion was Lejdi Oreb.
Darko Matovac spoke about the chapter Croatian Philological Horizons, of course with an emphasis on the great Jubilee of Croaticum. Marjeta Rajković Iveta gave full attention to the Bridges, Signs of the Times and Science anthologies, and Marina Perić Kaselj elaborated on A History, Heritage, Spirituality and New Books. Editor Vesna Kukavica, who has been taking care for the topicality of this publication for two decades and recent authors of all generations from the homeland and the world, was modest in acknowledging her own merits and generous to the selfless work of her colleagues and associates.
The present authors and friends of CHF were addressed by the director Mijo Marić, and then by Zdravka Bušić, the Member of Parliament, delegate of the President of the Croatian Parliament and President of the Committee for Croats Abroad. The participants were also greeted by Žana Ćorić, the delegate of the Prime Minister of the Republic of Croatia and advisor at the Central State Office for Croats Abroad.
It is a great honor for me to greet you all as the director of the Croatian Heritage Foundation on the occasion of the solemn promotion of the Croatian Emigrant Almanac, as part of this year’s Croatian Book Day and Night. As you know, the commemoration of the Croatian writing is marked as a living memory on April 22, 1501, when the famous Marko Marulić from Split finished “Judith”, the first book in the Croatian language. The central themes of this event are human freedom and freedom of movement, the latter which Croats are very experienced in since they have been practicing it for centuries, said the director of CHF to the applause of the audience. Representative Bušić then shared her experiences of learning the Croatian language of the youngest generation of descendants of Croatian emigrants in South America.
The presentation of the CHF’s yearbook was also attended by Domagoj Knežević, Minister Gordan Grlić Radman’s special adviser and delegate of the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs; Mirjana Ana Maria Piskulić, Head of the Sector for International Cultural Cooperation and European Affairs of the Ministry of Culture and Media and delegate of the Minister of Culture Nina Obuljen Koržinek; Croatiana Gregurić, State Office for Croats Abroad adviser and delegate of State Secretary Zvonko Milas; Tomislav Markić, PhD, Director of the Pastoral Care for Croats Abroad; prof. Željko Tanjić, PhD, delegate of the rector of the Croatian Catholic University, Associate Professor Roko Mišetić, PhD; Milan Kovač, President of the Management Board of the Croatian Heritage Foundation and Đuro Vidmarović, member of the Management Board, and other dignitaries.
In addition to the topics of mother tongue and culture, this year’s Croatian Emigrant Almanac exclusively brings the topics of the birth of our public diplomacy in the diaspora, which is associated with the celebration of the 30th anniversary of the international recognition of the Republic of Croatia. The digital repository of the CHF’s yearbook can be found on the portal of the publisher – Croatian Heritage Foundation at the link: (https://matis.hr/hrvatski-iseljenicki-zbornik/).
Text: Diana Šimurina-Šoufek
Photos: Željko Rupić
