Original scientific paper
https://doi.org/10.21857/ydkx2cvq59
RETHINKING SLOVENIAN AND CROATIAN IDENTITY IN BACH'S HUSSARS AND ILLYRIANS BY JANEZ TRDINA
Kristina Riman
Abstract
Slovenian writer Janez Trdina spent part of his life on Croatian territory. He
published his memories of that period in the book Bach's Hussars and Illyrians:
memories from my years as a professor in Croatia.
The article examines Croatian-Slavic relations in Croatian territories during the
period of Bach's absolutism on the basis of Trdina's memories, which he described
primarily in the aforementioned book. In the observed period, Trdina writes about
the current state of education and state services in general, about the state of
society, but also about the identities of prominent Slovenes and Croats and their
mutual relations. Analysis of the relationships described suggests that one of Trdina's
main concerns is the focus on language issues, which manifests itself in the
emphasized Germanization and in the way the Slovenian and Croatian populations
respond to it. Depending on how the individual, Slovene or Croat, deals with the
aforementioned issue, conclusions are drawn about the identity of the individual,
which point to the identity of the entire nation. Based on the fact that every
literary work presupposes an implicit audience with which the author communicates,
the conclusions of the paper, based on the theory of reception, show that
the national issue was extremely important for the Slavic population living in the
Croatian territories during the observed period of Bach's absolutism, but still show
differences in the perception of issues of language and public service, considering
the prevailing attitudes of Slovenes and Croats.
Although Janez Trdina's observed work is a subjective experience of a particular
historical period, the specifics of Trdina's identity as a Slovene who lived and worked
in Croatian territories at the time of Germanization and the influx of Illyrian
ideas can be reconstructed from his statements. As a writer who is aware of the
influence of literature on the literary public, he has tried with his works to make as many people as possible think about the current situation in the Croatian territories,
and he has left behind a literary document that, in addition to his life, can
also shed light on a part of the history that Trdina witnessed.
Keywords
Janez Trdina; Bach's hussars; Illyrianism; Croats; Slovenes.
Hrčak ID:
312845
URI
Publication date:
15.12.2023.
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