Review article
ONE HUNDRED YEARS OF STAROHRVATSKA PROSVJETA
Hrvoje Gjurašin
; Muzej hrvatskih arheoloških spomenika HR -Split 21 000
Abstract
Reports of the Knin parish priest, Franciscan Gašpar Vinjalić from 1746 holdfirst records ofEarly Croatian monuments. They contain descriptions ofarchaeological sites with remains ofEarly Croatian architecture in the surroundings ofKnin, KapituI and Biskupija.
One hundred twenty five years later, in 1871 in Mućgornji, a fragment of an altar screen was found beside St Peteris Church mentioning the name ofCroatian prince Branimir and the year of888. The second half of the 19th century saw an ever increasing national movement against the autonomists who wished to see Dalmatia united with other parts of Croatia. The patriotic public was very excited about this accidentalfind. lt was a time ofincreased interest for national heritage; excavations were carried out and the results ofthe first finds ofCroatian monuments were published in newspapers and afterwards in archaeological journals such as the Bulletino in Split and the Viestnik hroatskog arkeologičkoga društva and in its special section Journal of the Archaeological Society ofKnin.
ln 1888father Frane Bulić wrote t'Croatian monuments in the surroundings ofKnin and other monuments in Dalmatia from the period ofthe national dynastyf. lt was the first scholarly work in the field of national archaeology.
ln 1893 the Archaeological Society ofKnin changed its name into Croatian Archaeological Society while the numerous archaeological collection became the First Museum of Croatian Monuments. Such enthusiastic approach to national archaeology urged the Museum to publish its own journal. ln 1895 the first issue entitled Starohroatska prosvjeta -Journal of the Archaeological SOCiety ofKnin was published. It was the first archaeological journal to deal with national archaeology in Croatia and in the southern Slavic countries.
The initiator ofStarohroatska prosvjeta was father Lujo Marun (1857-1939J, also founder and president ofthe Croatian Archaeological Society and founder of the Museum of Croatian Archaeological Monuments. He devoted all his life to research and excavations ofEarly Croatian archaeological sites in Dalmatia, marking thus the beginning ofEarly Croatian archaeology.
The first editor was Frano Radić (1857-1933J, teacher ofshipbUilding and stone cutting at the First Theoretical and Practical School of Crafts in Dalmatia, who never graduated architecture.
With exceptional diligence he tried to make up for his amateurism in archaeology and before becoming editor ofProsvjeta, he started studying Early Croatian churches. Up to 1904, 22 issues were printed, of which 6 were double issues. The first series was extremely important because it systematically dealt with archaeological, historical and topographic issues from national archaeology.
The first issue of the second series was released in 1927, i.e. after an interruption of23 years. Only three double issues were published in two years. The editor-in-cheif of this series was Ferdo ŠišiĆ (18691940J, an extremely fruitful scholar studying the history of Croats. According to its programme, Prosvjeta was strictly to deal with Croatain archaeology and history (political and cultural) on the territory bordered by the Raša and Neretva Rivers, Adriatic Sea and the Vrbas River. Father Lujo Marun was the only one ofprevious associates to continue working on the second series, while others were eminent historians of the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes. With their works they gave the journal a scholarly dimension, althoup,h there were more historical papaers than archaeological anes.
After World War II, Prosvjeta was resumed and in 1949 in Zagreb, the Academy ofArts and Sciences published the first issue ofthe third series. The Museum was thus again given the opportunity to publish papers on its numerous archaeological and historical monuments -those that were not systematically studied, as well as the newly discovered archaeological sites. The journal was to publish papers written by scholars from similar institutions studying Croatitln history, especially its earlier Period. Editor ofthe first ten issues of the third series until 1968 was academician Stjepan Gunjača (J909-1981), meri/orius curator of archaeological finds kept in the Museum nowadays. Owinp, to his tremendaus efforts, the collection was moved into the new Museum building. Thanks to him, Prosvjeta gained a higher quality ofpapers and its associates were chosen among eminent archaeologists.
After an intel/uption ofthirteen years, in 1981 the third series of StarohIVatska prosvjeta continued to be published by the 1VIuseum of Croatian Archaeological .'v/onuments. Its editor-in-chief was Dušan jelovina. His speciality was national archaeology and reserach of medieval necropolises As editor-In-chief of Starohrvatska prosvjeta he gathered a number of reputable Croatian medievalists and the time he stood as editor-in-chief may rightly be considered the most successful.
ln the course of these hundred years, fortyjour issues of Starohrvatska prosvjeta were publshed. ln fact, that enabled the Museum of Croatian Archaeological Monuments to print papers on its rich exhibits. Prosvjeta linked the earliest history ofthe Croats on this territo'Y with the publiC in our country and abroad. lt paved the way to national archaeology and numerous material remains from medieval Croatian history were brought to light.
ln 1898 Prosvjeta had 67subscribers and was sent in exchange for 18 journals to 14 countries. Today, Starohrvatska prosvjeta is sent to 103 addresses in Croatia, and to 158 addresses to 26 countries.
Starohrvatska prosvjeta 1I//22 (995)
Keywords
Hrčak ID:
93602
URI
Publication date:
27.12.1995.
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