Review article

The Croatian State Archives 1941-1945: The Structure and the Activities

Mario Bursik ; Sisak, Croatia

Abstract

The paper studies the history of the Croatian State Archives (CSA) during the Second World War, from the establishment of the Independent State of Croatia on 10 April 1941 to its collapse in May 1945. The main goal of the paper is to outline the activities of the CSA in the mentioned period, with emphasis on the professional and conservational activity of the CSA. The political and ideological features that were part of the public life in this period are only taken into account if they had a direct influence on the CSA’s activity or its employees. One chapter is dedicated to Josip Matasović, the director, who headed the CSA and whose dedication and professionalism at the same time successfully bypassed the ideological and political challenges present in those days. Matasović is particularly responsible for the modernisation of the CSA in organisational terms, and his orientation towards protecting the archives remains the heritage of the archival profession until today. His impartialness and professionalism made it
possible that might had continued working after the war and establishment of the communist Yugoslavia, which was rare for the high-positioned state officials. The central part of the paper concerns the work of the CSA, which covers wider panoply of activities of the institution during the entire period. The inherited organisational structure is outlined and its further development is also shown in the context the new state- and legal framework. The problems which faced the CSA’ employees are particularly emphasized, many of which were the result of the wartime- and political situation the entire state was facing. The CSA tried to meet these challenges in order to protect the archives, as well as to develop the institution itself. By outlining the turn of events it is shown how the course of the war negatively affected the activity of the CSA and the destruction of the archives. The chapter on the CSA’s employees may serve as a supplement of the previous chapter, since their professionalism and dedication contributed to the
more successful running of the institutional activities. The most important employees of the period are mentioned individually, with special emphasis on their involvement in important projects and daily activities, and their personal thoughts on the archival profession and organization of the CSA. The next chapter is dedicated to archives and it shows the most important acquisitions of the CSA. It also puts emphasis on the general circumstances of the archives and particularly their destruction during wartime. During the war the activities of the CSA mostly pertained to the protection of endangered materials and acquiring the archives, as the most challenging task of the CSA. The problems the CSA faced in the period were mostly a result of its
augmented jurisdiction, as well as wartime events that made its professional engagement even more difficult. The activities and the dedication of the CSA’s employees who tried to meet those challenges is the best indicator of the circumstances of the archival profession in Croatia of the period, but it also paves the way of its development in the post-war era.

Keywords

Croatian State Archives (Hrvatski državni arhiv); Josip Matasović; archives; weeding; Independent State of Croatia (Nezavisna Država Hrvatska)

Hrčak ID:

216963

URI

https://hrcak.srce.hr/216963

Publication date:

14.9.2018.

Article data in other languages: croatian

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