Croatia’s national independence finally has been secured. This is the real meaning of the recent ruling by the U.N. war crimes court in The Hague to overturn the conviction of Croatian Gen. Ante Gotovina. Gen. Gotovina embodies Croatia’s struggle for independence. Gen. Gotovina’s actions effectively smashed Belgrade’s campaign of mass killings and ethnic cleansing. No one – neither the European Union, the United Nations nor NATO – did more to end the savage fighting in Croatia and Bosnia than Gen. Gotovina. Rather than being a war criminal, he is a great Croatian patriot and hero.
Category: History
Documentary Celebrating 100 Years of St. Jerome Parish in Chicago to premiere December 9, 2012 on WTTW
The film about St. Jerome’s 100th Anniversary “They Never Walked Alone” will debut on Chicago’s WTTW (PBS Ch. 11) on Sunday Dec. 9th, 2012 from 6pm-7pm. Only part of the film will be featured (only 40 minutes) that evening, Chicago’s anchorman Bill Kurtis and actor Goran Visnjic have narrated the film. Please encourage your parishioners and listeners to tune in at that time and if they are inclined to purchase the DVD and support both the church and WTTW.
Brian Gallagher: a historic day – the Croatian diaspora can take pride in its support of Croatian generals
Brian Gallagher: Certainly there were those outside Croatia who also supported the generals. I will single out here the former adviser to Margaret Thatcher, Robin Harris. He helped raise the profile of the case and was forthright in support. That was quite brave; believing in the innocent of alleged war criminals is not necessarily a very popular thing to do. The Croatian diaspora can take pride in its support. Indeed, Croatian Americans took part in the defence – Luka Misetic and Tom Kuzmanovic. And from Canada was Ana Katalinic, the Gotovina case manager.
Petar Janjic – Tromblon defendor of Vukovar and Croatia in 1991 and twenty years after
Petar Janjić nicknamed Tromblon, was an active participant of the defense of Vukovar in 1991, and survived infamous concentration camps in Serbia. He is speaking about his life and about Croatian defenders in his important and unique autobiographic book about the 1991 Vukovar tragedy, entitled “Žedni krvi gladni izdaje” (Those Thirsty of Blood and Hungry of Treason). He is openly and very courageously describing some of the current problems of contemporary Croatia.
Ante Gotovina and Mladen Markach with their families in Croatia after seven years of grave injustice in the Hague
We are pleased to send our cordial greetings to Mr. Ante Gotovina, Mr. Mladen Markač, Mr. Slobodan Praljak, Mr. Dario Kordić, and their families, in the name of the readers of the CROWN. They are all defenders of European values and true Croatian ambassadors in the EU. Croatian general Mr. Ante Gotovina contributed enormously to the dignity of Europe during the operation STORM in 1995, which according to distinguished Croatian humanist Dr. Slobodan Lang, was the first ever military action that prevented genocide.
The unbelievable story of a Croatian hero: Michael Palaich
We asked Mr. Palaich about his activities during the 1991-1995 war in Croatia and Bosnia-Herzegovina, as well as about an indictment against him in the USA, that stemmed from his efforts to help Croatia and Bosnia-Hercegovina to defend themselves against Serbian aggression. Those who know Mike, are well aware of his hesitation to talk about himself. But since so many have already forgotten about what happened in a not so distant past, and for the sake of new generations, he agreed to answer to a few questions, so that we may all remember how much liberty and independence meant, not only to Croatians in the homeland but to those around the world as well.
Dr. Borislav Arapović: A Remarkable Address Given by a Croatian Minister to Those Going to War 1778
An amazing anti-war, pacifist sermon was given in 1778 by an anonymous Croatian preacher to Croatian soldiers, immediately before the battle between Austrian and Prussian troops in Bohemia. While the Croatian original is still unknown, that same year eight translations were published in German in 1778, Dutch in 1778 (in the Hague (sic!), Amsterdam, and Leeuwarden), in Swedish in 1778 and 1779, and in Latvian in 1804 and 1805. The existing documents have been published by Dr. Borislav Arapović, Croatian scholar living in Stockholm, honorary president of the Biblical Institute in the capital of Sweden, foreign member of the Russian Academy of Sciences.
Joint Injustice Against Croatia and Croatian Generals
All the participants in documentary film “Joint Injustice”, made by Vecernji List newspaper and journalist Jadranka Juresko-Kero, have followed closely the work of the ICTY Tribunal for many years and conclude that the court proceedings demonstrate failings of an ad hoc court and that the judgment against the Croatian Generals dated 15th April 2011 was delivered on the basis of inadequately confirmed and inadequately legally relevant evidence.
Josip Pecaric's activities in Pakistan and Croatia from Mathematics to Croatian history
Academician Josip Pečarić has 13 PhD students in Pakistan. Six of them already earnd PhD degrees in Mathematics. He is visiting professor at a prestigious Abdus Salam School of Mathematical Sciences in Lahore, named after distingushed Pakistani Nobel Prize winner for Phyisics. He was Chairman of the Scientific Committee of the International Conference on Mathematical Inequalities and Applications organized Lahore in 2010, where about 200 scientists from 19 cuntries participated. His public activities in Croatia are well known.
Celebrating Croatia’s D-Day: Operation Storm August 5th 1995
The profound respect, delight and the sense of ultimate justice for freedom WWII D-Day generates in the lands of WWII Allies is nothing less, nothing more than what “Operation Storm 1995” generates for Croatia and Croatians. The Operation Storm prevented genocide over Muslim Slavs in the Bihać area in Bosnia and Herzegovina. On the photo Dr. Franjo Tudjman, president of the Republic of Croatia, kissing the national flag in 1995 on the fortress of Knin, a former royal city of Croatian kings.
Jorge-Luis Subiabre Matiacha published a monograph about Croatians in Punta Arenas in Chile
Huellas y Rastros de Croatas en Punta Arenas (The Impressions and Traces of Croatians in Puntas Arenas) is a fascinating, trilingual, Spanish-English-Croatian book of photos by Jorge Subiabre Matiacha and Tatiana Alfaro Chavez, that Jorge recently published in Puntas Arenas. Matiacha has Croatian roots and works as a graphic designer, photographer and writer, while co-author Tatiana is a photographic technician. Both have already participated successfully at photo exhibits. The book features many black & white photos of Croatians, most with roots from the Croatian island of Brae, with a selection from the poetry of Pepita Turina (1907-1986) in the foreword.
Passion Heritage of Croatians in The Danube Region conference held in Sombor 2012
Mrs Marija Šeremešić initiated organizing the international conference dealing with the Passion Heritage among Croatians in the Danube Region. It was held in the lovely town of Sombor, in cooperation with the local Croatian society called Urbani Šokci directed by Mrs Šeremešić, and by the Agency for Culture of Vojvodina Croatians from Subotica, directed by Mr Tomislav Žigmanov. The conference was superbly organized and very successful.
1133 years since the first international recognition of Croatia: 879 – 2012
The Croatian Prince Branimir, 9th century, made important steps in strengthening the relations with Rome. 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, the first one dated on May 21, 879. This was the first time that the Croatian state was officially recognized (at that time the international legitimacy was given by the Pope), which, as we see, happened more than eleven centuries ago! On the photo old a detail from Croatian pre-Romanesque monument from the 9th century containing the name of Branimir.
Living Cells a new book by Julienne Eden Busic available on Amazon
“Living Cells,” now available in English in paperback and for Kindle, is a novel based on the true story, including actual tapes, of a young Croatian woman who was held hostage as a sex slave, or “comfort woman”, for over two months by Serbian soldiers during the occupation of the eastern Croatian city of Vukovar in 1991.
Life of Croatian peasants near Zagreb described in a silent film from 1920s
The film was shot probably in 1920s in the village of Mraclin south of Zagreb, the region of Turopolje, near the town of Velika Gorica. It describes the daily life of a family community in Turopolje (Turopoljska zadruga) during one ordinary day, starting from early in the morning. Especially interesting is to see making the sign of the Cross on the bread before lunch, and the sign of the Cross on small children when they go to bed. We illustrate the old customs by a nice collection of photos from Radio Velika Gorica, Croatia.
Christophe Dolbeau wrote a new important book about French – Croatian historical relations
The newest book by Christophe Dolbeau is written in French, and its title is Croatie – France, Une Belle Amitié , i.e. France – Croatia, a Nice Friendship . It reveals us many new details about various historical contacts between Croatia and France. It has 138 pp, and covers the period since the Middle Ages till the 19th century. This book will be a wonderful gift to anybody wishing to known more about Croatia in the context of European relations throughout centuries, with a special reference to France.
HRT dokumentirao Jugoslavenske tajne službe na YouTube-u. Bleiburg planiran još u Drvaru.
Jugoslavenske tajne službe 1-7 opisane su na YouTube-u. Filmove je priredila i emitirala HRT (Hrvatska Radio Televizija), a sinopsis napisao Obrad Kosovac, pod stručnom recenzijom prof.dr. Josipa Jurčevića. Scenarist je Andrej Rora, a producent i redatelj Miljenko Manjkas. Glavni urednik dokumentarnog programa HRT je Ninoslav Lovčević. Početak osvjetljavanja tamne prošlosti, tako da iz povijesnih dokumenata učimo i ne ponavljamo iste greške. Jedini pravi način izgradnje temelja prave demokratske Hrvatske je sučeljavanje s prošlošću, bila ona dobra, loša ili indiferentna. Naša je.
Sinking of the Titanic in 1912 and Croatians
April 15, 2012 marks the 100th anniversary of the sinking of the famous Titanic liner. Among 1,316 passengers, out of which 818 died in this horrific tragedy that stunned the world, there were also a number of Croatians and/or people coming from Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina. Carpathia was the only ship to come to Titanic’s passengers and crew rescue. At the time of Titanic’s sinking Carpathia was on its regular route New York – Rijeka (Croatia). There were 76 Croatians working as crew on the Carpathia – the hero ship.
Armenian and Croatian contacts described by Dr Vinicije B. Lupis
A special bond between the city of Dubrovnik and Armenia is the cult of the City’s patron saint St. Blaise from Armenian Sebaste. Croatian Jesuit Josip Marinović, 18th century, wrote the first history of Armenians in the West. The Croatian-Armenian Friendship Society was founded in 2003 in Zagreb. In March 2012 a small gathering of members of the Society has been orgnized in Zagreb, aiming among others to promote a Small Croatian-Armenian / Armenian-Croatian Dictionary .
Ljubica Stefan 1921-2002 Croatian Righteous, courageous historian and publicist
With this article we commemorate 10 years since the death of Ljubica Štefan, distinguished Croatian intellectual, exceptionally courageous historian and publicist, recipient of the medal of Righteous among the Nations from Yad Vashem. On 17 March 2012 the Holy Mass has been served in her memory by Rev. Josip Kuhtić in the Zagreb Cathedral, assisted by Mons. Dr. Juraj Batelja. She risked her life living in Belgrade until 1992, and publishing her books in Zagreb under several pseudonims during the Serbian aggression on Croatia and BiH (Bosnia and Herzegovina). In 1992 she left Belgrade leaving there literally all her property. The Prize of Ljubica Štefan has been established in her honour in Zagreb in 2009 for exceptional publicist and scientific work.