Review article

Religious writers and the controversy of „Hrvatski biografski leksikon“ (Croatian Bibliografical Lexicon)

Marinko Šišak

Abstract

The paper investigates ideological attacks that followed the publication of the first volume of the Croatian Biographical Lexicon, in 1983. (letters A-Bi). Despite the intricate preparations, this edition by “Jugoslavenski leksikografski zavod” (Yugoslav Lexicographic Institute) was not approved by the ruling party’s nomenclature. The issue was subjected to “Marxist Criticism”, and its writers and editors were held responsible and were harassed because of it. One of the greatest Lexicon’s ‘crimes’ was featuring a number of senior religious writers and priests, listed in Lexicon, but not, according to critics, adequately appraised from Marxist point of view. Writer Goran Babić was the leader of public judgments and attacks and many contemporary party’s intellectuals of that period also got involved. They managed to slow the project down but failed to entirely stop the project that was continued several years later. The paper deals with the chronology of Lexicon’s creation, disputes and attacks, and attempts of the Editorial Board to defend the concept and the Lexicon project.

Keywords

Croatian Biographical Lexicon; lexicography; Yugoslav Lexicographic Institute; priests; religious writers

Hrčak ID:

204355

URI

https://hrcak.srce.hr/204355

Publication date:

30.7.2018.

Article data in other languages: croatian

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