Besides his regular duties in his parish, Don Frok Zefi (on the photo) is very active as a historian and publicist. Till now he has published about a dozen of books and monographs, most of them in Zagreb and Osijek, and some of them printed in Albanian as well. No doubt, the greatest Albanian in history was legenedary Mother Teresa, educated as a girl by Croatian Jesuits. The greatest expert in the history of Albanians was distinguished Croatian scientist and polyglot Milan pl. Šufflay (1879-1931).
Category: History
Bijeli Put – White Path 10-26 December 1993 the greatest humanitarian action in European History
Dr. Slobodan Lang is one of initators of White Path / Bijeli Put humanitarian project. Bijeli Put 1993 is the greatest humanitarian project in European History. It is the first and only successful joint humanitarian project of Catholic Christians and Muslims. In December 2013 the 20 years since the White Path has been solmenly marked in the building of the Council of the City of Zagreb.
Vesna Drapac: Deconstructing Yugoslavia – a Transnational History, a monograph reviewed by Dr. Mladen Ibler
Deconstructing Yugoslavia would be probably a more appropriate title of this book. The country failed twice as an integrated state – first as a Kingdom and next as a Communist state. Apart from the communist party and the army, which where the repressive organs of a corrupt and self-serving ruling elite after the Second World War, all cross-republican institutions fell well of atracting lasting interest. The idea of Yugoslavia died well before the state finally disapeared at the end of 20th century. The monograph has been written by Vesna Drapac, associate professor at the University of Adelaide, Australia.
Vukovar is an indelible part of European and World History
In this article we have collected some of the songs and verses dedicated to the tragic destiny of the city of Vukovar and its citizens. The destiny of numerous victims is still not known. This Baroque city on the Danube river was savagely destroyed in 1991.
Nenad Bach's life in America is described in a film called "Everything is Forever"
Home Team Productions has nearly completed the documentary film about Nenad’s life in America called “Everything is Forever” and is directed by Victor Zimet and produced by Stephanie Silber. Congratulations to Nenad for being selected as an advisor for the State Office for Croatians Abroad! Advisors will assist in the creation and execution of activities pertaining to Croatians who live outside of the Republic of Croatia. The band will be performing at Percolator Coffeehouse next Sunday, November 10, 2013 starting at 7:00 p.m. HRT 1 will be rebroadcasting the band’s concert at Lisinski Hall on Monday November 4, 2013 at 6:20 New York time. You can watch the live stream at http://htv1.hrt.hr .
Queen of Croatians Chapel on the mount of Medvednica near Zagreb celebrates 80th birthday
In 2013 the Chapel of Mother Mary of Sljeme near Zagreb, also known as the Queen of Croatians, solemnly celebrated 80 years since it has been built. The Holy Mass was served in September 2013 by cardinal Josip Bozanić, the Zagreb Archbishop. In October 2013 an interesting mass has been served by F. Josip Rožmarić, SJ, and by Rev. Oleh Hirnyk, Greek-Catholic priest from the city of Lviv, Ukraine; see the photo.
Carmen Verlichak Croatian-Argentinean writer published a monograph El Cardenal Stepinac in Buenos Aires 2013
In 2013 Carmen Verlichak, Croatian-Argentiean writer living in Buenos Aires, wrote a monograph about Blessed Cardinal dr. Alojzije Stepinac 1898-1960, entitled El Cardenal Stepinac. It has been published by the Krivodol Press in Argentinean’s capital. This is the first monograph in Castellano about this important historical and religious figure published in South America. In 1998 Cardinal Alojzije Stepinac was beatified by Pope John Paul II in Marija Bistrica, during his second Apostolic visit to Croatia.
Croatia in EU on July 1st 2013 seen by professional designers
Croatia has 12 centuries of uninterrupted international legitimicy, much longer than great majority of other members of the EU. As such, Croatia as an international subject is much older than EU itself. Among the most important moments of Croatia’s recent past are June 25th 1991, when Croatian Deit (one of the oldest in Europe), as a result of 93,24% majority of votes of Croatian citizens, decided to become a sovereign state, as well as the decision of Badinter’s Committee from September 7th 1991 about de facto recognition of Croatia. On the photo is an amusing pair of shoes, designed by Teo Bekavac, professional Croatian designer. The red one represents Croatia, and the blue one the EU.
1134 years since the first international recognition of Croatia, more than 600 years before the discovery of America
During the solemn divine service in St. Peter’s church in Rome in 879, Pope John VIII gave his blessing to the prince and the whole Croatian people, about which he informed Branimir in his letters. In his letter dated from 881 the Pope addressed Branimir as the `glorious prince’. This was the first time that the Croatian state was officially recognized. As wee see, this happened in the 9th century, or more precisely, more than 600 years before the discover of America.
Nikola Primorac Croatian captain of City of Ragusa craft sailing from Liverpool to New York and back in 1870
There are honored people in Croatian maritime history who contributed to the various fields of maritime affairs. One of them is Captain Nikola Primorac, born in Dubrovnik on July 27, 1840, who sailed in his small boat across the Atlantic from Liverpool to New York and back to Liverpool, England. In Liverpool he made a bet with one Englishman for 100 pound sterling that he will cross the Atlantic in a small boat. It was sensational news in Britain which the London “Times” wrote: “It is an incredible brave and crazy adventure ever made that could turn into tragedy or triumph”.
Destination CROATIA Destination CROATIA Destination CROATIA Destination CROATIA
Croatia, one of the most beautiful countries in the world, is a land which its citizens often call her Lijepa Naša , that is, Our Beautiful . It is not surprising that this is the title of Croatia’s National Anthem as well. Croatia is a southern Central European country at the crossroads between the Pannonian Plain and the Mediterranean Sea. Its southern and western flanks border the Adriatic Sea. In this article we show two fantastic films about Croatia. On the left is a photo of probably the most beautiful cape in the world, called Zlatni Rat (Golden Cape), on the island of Brač in Croatia.
Call for proposals for international conference on Croatian history, language, and migration
The conference to be held from 5-7 February, 2014, honours 30 years of Croatian Studies at Macquarie University in Sydney Australia. The focus of the conference is on the development of the identity and political consciousness of Croatians in Croatia or abroad through the exploration of the construction and expression of personal and group identities of Croatians of all social classes, in all periods from the Middle Ages to the modern day. Themes include but are not limited to: identity, history, language, art, trans-national communities, literature and politics of Croatians in Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and all the other places where Croatians live as a minority group or diaspora community.
Documentary film Lovers and Madmen is now available in English
Lovers and Madmen, (based on a book of memoirs by the same title), is a documentary film about the life of Zvonko and Julienne Busic, which was broadcast on Croatian State Television on March 9, 2013. The facts are straightforward: in 1976, the Busics, along with three other Croatians, hijacked a TWA airliner with the sole goal of forcing major world media to publish a leaflet on the human rights abuses against Croatians and others in the former Yugoslav dictatorship: murders, assassinations, imprisonment of students and intellectuals.
Margaret Thatcher 1925-2013: It is a great pleasure to speak to you here in the ancient capital of your beautiful country
Margaret Thatcher passed away on 8 April 2013. One of her greatest achievements came when she was no longer Prime Minister. She came out in support of recognising and arming Croatia in 1991 when Serbia had invaded and she did the same for Bosnia-Hercegovina when Belgrade turned its aggression onto that country. In so doing she helped focus international onto who was the aggressor. She played her role in combating the return of genocide to Europe. (Brian Gallagher, London)
Croatian Coats of Arms in the 20th century
Croatian Coats of Arms are quite widespread among Croatians in the USA, in South America, Australia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and in Western Europe. Easy to recognize, it served and still serves as a sign various organizations and societies, and many Croatian families keep it as a dear decoration on carefully chosen places in their houses, in hundreds of witty variations. It is an interesting element of fashin of Croatian sportsmen and sportswomen. On the photo Croatian Coat of Arms with two angels, from 1919, on the ceiling of a hall in Ethnographic Museum in Zagreb.
Croatian Coats of Arms in the 15th and 16th centuries
Croatian Coat of Arms is among the oldest national symbols in Europe. It can be encountered already since the 15th century in numerous European countries. By Croatian Coat of Arms here we mean the well known red-silver square pattern, by which Croatia is universally recognizable. Rather amazing Croatian Coats of Arms can be seen for example in the Prague Cathedral of St Vitus, on the mount of Hradeany, in the Republic of Czechia, dating from the first half of the 16th century. On the photo is Croatian Coat of Arms from Innsbruck, Austria, painted in 1495, that is, three years after the discovery of America. The presentation is dedicated to the memory of Adam Eterovich.
Oleh Hirnyk translated Hrvoje Kacic's monograph from Croatian into Ukrainian and published in Kyiv 2013
Mr. Oleh Hirnyk translated an important monograph by Dr. Hrvoje Kačić, Serving My Country (U službi domovine), from Croatian into Ukrainian. The Ukrainian title is Hrvats’ki proriv (Croatian Break Through). The monograph has an extensive preface to the book, written by the translator, revealing many little known details from the history of relations between Croatia and Ukraine. The book has been published in 2013 in Kyiv, and we congratulate Mr. Oleh Hirnyk and the Ukrainian publisher Tempora on great job. The book was previously translated from Croatian into English, Castillian, German, and now into Ukrainian.
Prof.dr. Kresimir Cosic: Kako smo promijenili tijek rata Operacijom ZIMA 94
Hrvatski general prof.dr. Krešimir Ćosić opisuje povijesna događanja vezana uz tzv. Prvu bihaćku krizu i njenu povezanost s operacijom “Zima ’94”, koja su gotovo su potpuno nepoznata široj javnosti. Međutim, može se reći da je Hrvatska vojska upravo tom operacijom neizravno spriječila pad Bihaća i tragediju civilnog pučanstva srebreničkih razmjera još u zimi 1994., … Sjećanja, činjenice i izvorni dokumenti svjedoče o tome kako je Hrvatska vojska još krajem 1994. braneći Hrvatsku, u suradnji s 5. korpusom Armije BiH branila i obranila Bosnu i Hercegovinu. Članak opisuje i razgovore hrvatskih generala Janka Bobetka i Krešimira Ćosića u Pentagonu.
Jacob Jake Matijevic 1947-2012 NASA engineer of Croatian origin father of Curiosity rover on Mars
 Jacob (Richard) Matijevic, also known as “Jake” Matijevic, (3 November 1947 – 20 August 2012) was an American NASA engineer of Croatian origin who worked on Mars Exploration Rovers. Dr. Matijevic, PhD in Mathematics from the University of Chicago, was involved in developing the “Sojourner”, “Spirit”, “Opportunity” and “Curiosity” rovers. For his contributions to the rover projects, NASA named several landmarks (including “Matijevic Hill” and “Jake Matijevic” rock) for him on the planet Mars.
Croatie – la voici! L'alphabet glagolitique croate en France
Croatia – here it is! Croatian Glagolitic Alphabet will be exhibited in France in the Museum of Tau in Reims, France. A famous Evangel of Reims, Croatian Glagolitic book ,is kept in the City Library of Reims since 16th century as a special tresure. The book has an amazing biography: handwritten in 1395 in the Prague, tied with an even older Cyrillic Evangel from Kiev, Ukraine, from 11th century, it is a significant symbol of European cultural landscape, connecting Western and Eastern Christianity. An exhibition entitled THE CROATIAN GLAGOLITIC SCRIPT will be open 13 Dec 2012 – 24 Feb 2013 in Palais du Tau, in Reims.