Original scientific paper
THE SIGNIFICANCE OF RITUAL IN POSTWAR PERIOD: THE EXAMPLE OF VUKOVAR
Mateo Žanić
; Institut društvenih znanosti Ivo Pilar, podružnica u Vukovaru
Abstract
In many analysis dealing with the 1991 aggression against Croatia, the battle for Vukovar takes a special place. This paper analyizes the ways in which Croatians and Serbs have been marking the 18th of November, when the Vukovar battle officially ended. It becomes clear how two, once confronted sides, continue to interpret the reality quite differently, even after the cease of clashes. In order to analize the process of presentation of the past and collective marking of the event significant for the group, terms of ritual and collective memory are used. These concepts enable to question the estimation of past events from present situation. It also points out the importance of the process of continuous reinterpretation of the past. The relationship between the past and present reveals the importance of remembering 18th of November for two reasons. For the establishment of coexistence of different ethnic groups in Vukovar and also for the interpretation of the events within the frames of Croatian national identity.
Keywords
Collective memory; Ritual; Vukovar; Remembrance Day; Nacional identity
Hrčak ID:
41754
URI
Publication date:
22.6.2007.
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