Original scientific paper

The ideal Nordic – Dinaric racial type: Racial anthropology in the Independent State of Croatia

Nevenko Bartulin

Abstract

This article has highlighted that a clear picture emerged of the ideal Croatian physical type in the NDH’s cultural media: the ideal Croat was of Dinaric type with a Nordic strain or ‘Nordic-Dinaric’ (i.e. tall, broad-headed with a long face and light pigmentation), descended from both the Nordic ‘Slavic-Gothic-Iranians’ of White Croatia and the predominantly Dinaric ‘Celtic-Illyrians’ of Dalmatia. The intellectual origins of the Ustasha idea of an ideal racial type can be traced to the pre-war studies of Croatian academics and writers interested in racial science. One should be cautious, however, in trying to establish a direct link between pre-war Croatian racial anthropology and the actual policies of the Ustasha regime toward non-Aryans in the NDH. On the other hand, the Ustasha regime certainly used race theory to justify racial policies. The Ustasha state was, in law and in practice, based on a racial Weltanschauung.

Keywords

Nordic - Dinaric racial type; racial anthropology; The Independent State of Croatia

Hrčak ID:

50561

URI

https://hrcak.srce.hr/50561

Publication date:

21.12.2009.

Visits: 6.112 *