Original scientific paper

Old and New Paradigms of Croatian Historiography

Jure KRIŠTO

Abstract

Croatian historiography is faced with a very peculiar
difficulty. On the one hand, Western historians acknowledge
a great influence of the idea of Communism in Western
education, notably historiography. On the other hand, some
recognised Croatian historians reject the idea that Marxism
and the Communist party influenced historiography to any
substantial degree. They, therefore, reject the idea that (their)
historiography should be revised or corrected. Moreover, any
attempt in that direction, even any historical interpretation
that differs from theirs, they qualify as unscholarly and
"unscientific". Using theoretical reflections on the nature of
"historical thinking", the author disagrees with those Croatian
historians and argues that Croatian historiography is faced
with a new paradigmatic determination since Croatia gained
independence. Former historiography was marked by the
paradigm of Yugoslavism as the ultimate realisation of
Croatian nationhood and its highest political attainment.
Now when historical development demonstrated the
unfoundedness of that presupposition, historiography is
faced with a different paradigm, which will ultimately
challenge former historiographical "truths" and require a
fresh look into the (recent) past. This will represent a high
moment of Croatian historiography, because it will be, after
a long period, freed from political and ideological imposition.

Keywords

Hrčak ID:

20164

URI

https://hrcak.srce.hr/20164

Publication date:

30.4.2001.

Article data in other languages: croatian german

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