Croats of Bosnia and Herzegovina

Croats of Bosnia and Herzegovina
Hrvati Bosne i Hercegovine

Hrvoje Hrvatinić S. S. Kranjčević Ivo Andrić A. B. Šimić Peter Tomich Vladimir Prelog Milan Bandić Jozo Radoš Tomo Miličević
Total population
571,317
Languages
Croatian
Religion
Predominantly Roman Catholic, atheist
Related ethnic groups
South Slavs

Croats of Bosnia and Herzegovina are ethnic Croats living in Bosnia and Herzegovina. They are the third most populous ethnic group in the country, after Bosniaks and Serbs; although they constitute a minority of the total population, as a constitutive nation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, they are not legally considered a minority group. They are also a native ethnic group of Bosnia and Herzegovina, as their presence there dates back to the 7th century. The Croats of Bosnia and Herzegovina have made significant contributions to the culture of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Their mother tongue is Croatian, and most identify as Roman Catholic, though there is a significant minority of atheist Croats in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

From the 15th to the 19th century, many Croats in modern-day Bosnia and Herzegovina were persecuted under the Ottoman Empire, causing many of them to flee the area. In the 20th century, political turmoil and poor economic conditions caused more to emigrate. There are no precise data regarding Bosnia and Herzegovina's population since the Bosnian War. Ethnic cleansing within Bosnia and Herzegovina in the 1990s saw many Croats flee to the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina and Croatia. It is estimated that there are approximately 571,317 Croats in Bosnia and Herzegovina, down from 835,170 before the war. According to data from 2000 in the CIA World Factbook, the ethnic composition of Bosnia and Herzegovina is 14.3 percent Croat.

History

Main article: History of Croatia

Kingdom of Croatia

Coronation of King Tomislav, painted by Oton Iveković

Croats settled the areas of modern Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina in the 7th century. There they assimilated with native Illyrians and Romans, during the great migration of the Slavs. Croats adopted Christianity and began to develop their own culture, art, and political institutions, culminating in their own kingdom. The kingdom of Croatia consisted of two principalities: Pannonian Croatia in the north, and Littoral Croatia in the south. Red Croatia, south of Littoral Croatia, was also populated by ethnic Croats. One of the most important events of Croats in Bosnia and Herzegovina in the early medieval age was the First Croatian Assembly held in 753 in Županjac (present-day Tomislavgrad). In the same year, Croatian Duke Branimir received Papal legates in his palace in the present-day territory of Tomislavgrad on mount Lib. A second major event is the coronation of the first King of Croatia Tomislav in cca. 925, on the fields of Županjac. By this act, Pannonian Croatia and Littoral Croatia formed a united Croatian kingdom. This new kingdom included the historical lands of Dalmatia (Dalmatia and most of Bosnia and Herzegovina), Pannonia (eastern Slavonia and northeastern Bosnia), and Savia (western Slavonia). This period in Croatian history is marked by isolation from European cultural and political ideas which resulted in few secular monuments, an exception being tens of thousands of Stećak. The territory of Bosnia and Herzegovina was divided into a few independent administrative units: Bosnia, Hum, Travunia, Soli, Usora and Završje.

High and late middle age

In 1102 Croatia entered into a personal union with the Kingdom of Hungary. After this, Bosnians within the Kingdom of Croatia, started to differentiate from Croats. At first, Bosnia become a separate principality under Kulin who managed to solidify Bosnian autonomy at the expense of more powerful neighbours, but only in 14th century did Bosnia become a formidable state. In the 14th century, King Tvrtko of Bosnia conquered part of western Serbia and later part of the Croatian Kingdom. He managed to do this by defeationg various Croatian nobles while supporting Hungary. With this act, Bosnia and Herzegovina became a Bosnian Kingdom, peopled by Bosnians and Croats, although parts of Bosnia and Herzegovina were still in the Kingdom of Croatia. Regarding religion, Bosnia was closer to Croatia rather than Orthodox lands to the east. A Bosnian Diocese is mention as Catholic in the 11th Century, falling under the jurisdiction of the Archdiocese of Split, and later in 12th Century under the jurisdiction of the Diocese of Dubrovnik. Another connection of Bosnia to Croatia is that Bosnian rulers always used a Croatian political title "ban". Specific religions in medieval Bosnia were Bogomilism and Bosnian Church. Some of the notable medieval Bosnian Croats were followers of this religion, like Croatian duke Hrvoje Hrvatinić. However, the majority of the Bosnian medieval population were Catholics who made up about 700,000 out of 900,000 people living in modern-day Bosnia and Herzegovina. Some 100,000 were Bogomils and another 100,000 were Orthodox Christians.

Ottoman Empire

The migration of the Catholic people from Bosnia and Herzegovina after the Ottoman takeover

In the middle of the 15th century, Turks started their invasion of Bosnia. In 1451 they took Vrhbosna province and finally conquered Bosnia in 1463. Herzegovina was conquered in 1481, while northern Bosnia continued under Croatia until 1527, when it was conquered by the Turks. After the Turkish conquest, many Catholic Bosnians converted to Islam, and their numbers shrank as many fled from persecution and forced conversion. The Ottoman conquest changed the demographics of Bosnia and Herzegovina, vastly reducing the number of Catholics. Present-day boundaries of Bosnia and Herzegovina emerged when the Treaty of Karlowitz was signed in 1699 establishing peace between Austria and the Ottoman Empire. Another significant event for Bosnian Croats was a boundary established by an agreement between the Republic of Ragusa and the Ottoman Empire, where Ragusans promised to give part of their territory in Neum to Ottomans to secure protection from the Venetian Republic.

The activity of the Catholic Church was curtailed, although tolerated, while, on the other hand, Ottomans preferred the Orthodox Church. The reason for this was because Catholicism was the faith of Ottoman enemies - Austria, while Orthodoxy was not well established in Bosnia, and thus it was more acceptable to the Ottomans. In the first 50 years of Ottoman rule, many Catholics fled Bosnia. A number of Catholics also converted to Orthodox Christianity. Franciscans were only Catholic priests active in Bosnia. Before the Ottomans arrived in Bosnia, there were 35 Franciscan monasteries in Bosnia and four in Herzegovina. Some monasteries were destroyed, while some were converted to mosques. In 1680s there was only 10 Franciscan monasteries left in Bosnia. The Catholic Church in Bosnia divided its administration into two dioceses, one being Croatian Bosnia (in areas not conquered by the Ottomans), and the other the Bosna Srebrena diocese.

Between 1516 and 1524, increased persecution and forced conversion to Islam of Catholics occurred in Bosnia and Herzegovina. In that year, Franciscan monasteries were destroyed in Kraljeva Sutjeska, Visoko, Fojnica, Kreševo and Konjic, and later in Mostar. It is believed that during that time, some 100,000 Croats converted to Islam. In 1528 Ottomans conquered Jajce and Banja Luka, penetrating the Croatian defence line on the Vrbas river. After that conquest, Croatia was reduced to around 37,000 km².

During the 18th century, Turkish rule in Bosnia and Herzegovina started to weaken, while after the Napoleonic Wars, their rule rapidly decreased, as Ottoman territory was conquered by the Austro-Hungarian Empire.

From 1815 to 1878 Ottoman authority in Bosnia and Herzegovina was decreasing. After the reorganization of the Ottoman army and abolition of Jannisaries, Bosnian nobility revolted, led by Husein Gradaščević who wanted to establish an autonomous Bosnia and Herzegovina and to stop any further social reforms. During 19th Century, various reforms were made in order to increase freedom of religion which actually worsened relations between Catholics and Muslims in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Soon, economic decay and increasing nationalist accross Europe resulted in the Ottoman Empire losing control over Bosnia and Herzegovin, since state administration was very disorganized and national consciousness was growing strong among the Christian population. On 19 June 1875 Catholic Croats, led by Don Ivan Musić, revolted because of high taxes in West Herzegovina. Their goal was to subordinate Bosnia to the rule of Croatia (controlled then by Austria). During the revolt, for the very first time Bosnian Croats used the flag of Croatia. Soon after, Orthodox population also revolted in East Herzegovina, in the Herzegovina Uprising. The Turks were unable to defeat the rebels, so, taking advantage of their weakness, Serbia and Montenegro joined in attacking the Ottoman Empire. In 1876 the Russian Empire does the same. The Ottomans are defeated in 1878, resulting in over 150,000 refugees migrating to Croatia. After theCongress of Berlin was held in the same year, Bosnia and Herzegovina was transferred to Austria-Hungary.

Austria-Hungary

People in Mostar after the Ottomans left the country

Even after the end of Ottoman rule, the population of Bosnia and Herzegovina was divided and antagonistic. In the Kingdom of Croatia, Croatian politicians oversaw the unification of the Kingdom of Dalmatia and Istria with Croatia. Another ambition of Croatian politicians was to incorporate the Condominium of Bosnia and Herzegovina into the Kingdom of Croatia. Bosnian Governor Béni Kállay sought the support of religious institutions to strengthen his rule. Soon, the Austrian Emperor began to name Orthodox Metropolitans and Catholic Bishops as well choosing a Muslim hierarchy. The first Catholic Archbishop was Josip Stadler. Both apostolic vicarates of Bosnian and Herzegovina were abolished, and instead three dioceses were founded, Vrhbosna diocese with its seat in Sarajevo, Banja Luka diocese centered in Banja Luka, and Mostar-Duvno diocese in Mostar.

At the time, Bosnia and Herzegovina was facing modernization. Between 180,000 and 200,000 people inhabited Bosnia and Herzegovina, a majority of which were Croats, and a smaller percent Slovenes, Czechs and others. During this period, the most significant event is Bosnia's entry into European political life and the shaping of ethnic Croats in Bosnia and Herzegovina into a modern nation. At the end of 19th century, Bosnian Croats founded various reading, cultural and singing societies, and at the beginning of 20th century, a new Bosnian Croat intelligentsia would play a major role in the political life of Croatia. The Croatian Support Society for Students of Middle Schools and High Schools in Bosnia and Herzegovina was founded in 1902, and in 1907 it merged with the Croatian Society for the Education of Children in Crafts and Trades, also founded in 1902, into Croatian Cultural Society Napredak (Progress). Napredak educated and gave scholarships to more than 20,000 students. Students of Napredak weren't only Bosnian Croats, but also Croats from other regions.

Kallay tried to unify all Bosnians into a single nation of Bosniaks, but the reality was reflected in new Bosnian political parties. In the days before the annexation of Bosnia and Herzegovina in 1908, the Croat People's Union (HNZ) become a political party who's ideology was very similar to that of the Croatian-Serbian Coalition in Croatia. In 1909, Stadler opposed that policy and founded a new political party, Croat Catholic Association (HKU), an opponent of the HNZ which was secular unlike the HKU. The HKU emphasized clerical ideals and religious exclusivity. However, Bosnian Croats mostly supported the secular nationalist policy of the HNZ. The HNZ and the Muslim National Organization formed a coalition which ruled the country from 1911 until the dissolution of the Bosnian parliament in 1914.

Kingdom of Yugoslavia

People gathered waiting for Stjepan Radić to arrive in Mostar in 1925

After the World War I, Bosnia and Herzegovina become part of the internationally unrecognized State of Slovenes, Croats and Serbs which existed between October and December 1918. In December 1918, this state joined with the Kingdom of Serbia as the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes,, renamed as the Kingdom of Yugoslavia in 1929. This new state was characterized by Serbian nationalism, resembling in fact the idea of "Greater Serbia". Serbs held control over the armed forces and politics of the new state. With a Serbian minority of around 40% of those living in Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Serbian leadership of the state wanted to implement Serbian hegemony in this region. Bosnian Croats made up around 25% of the total Bosnian population, however they didn't have a single municipality president. The regime of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia was characterized by limited parliamentarism; drastic elective manipulations and later King Alexander's 6 January Dictatorship; state-supported paramilitaries acting outside of Serbia; political killings (Milan Šufflay, Ivo Pilar), and corruption. Yugoslavia was preoccupied with political struggles, leading to the collapse of the state after a coup in March 1941 led by Dušan Simović resulted in the Nazis invading Yugoslavia.

After King Alexander was killed in 1934, ending the dictatorship, in 1939, faced with killings, corruption scandals, violence and the failure of centralized control, the Serbian leadership agreed to compromise with the Croat minority. On 24 August 1939, the president of the Croatian Peasant Party, Vladko Maček and Dragiša Cvetković made an agreement (Cvetković-Maček agreement) according to which the Banovina of Croatia was created on territory of Sava and Littoral Banovina and the districts of Dubrovnik, Šid, Brčko, Ilok, Gradačac, Derventa, Travnik and Fojnica. By this, around 30% of the present-day territory of Bosnia and Herzegovina become part of the Banovina of Croatia. Those districts held a Croatian majority. The creation of the Banovina of Croatia was one of the solutions to the "Croatian issue".

World War II

File:Bleiburg column.jpg

Croatian Armed Forces retreating towards Austria in May 1945

After the 1941 collapse of Yugoslavia, a majority of Croats supported the establishment of an Independent State of Croatia (NDH). NDH was established on 10 April 1941. However, later during the war, Croats were divided, one side supporting NDH, while the other, Yugoslav Partisans, supporting the creation of a communist Yugoslavia. Serbian Chetniks were also at war against both NDH and the Partisans. Soon after it was created, NDH faced a brutal civil war, with fierce fighting in Bosnia and Herzegovina. After NDH and Axis Forces lost the war in May 1945, Croatian soldiers and civilians retreated to British occupational zone of Austria in Bleiburg. Along the way at least 250,000 of them were brutally massacred by Yugoslav Partisans during the "Way of the Cross" (Križni put). This event is remembered as Bleiburg massacre.

Communist Yugoslavia

During the communist era, Bosnia and Herzegovina was led by a privileged elite, controlling the army, police, politics and education, most of whom were Serbs, and who got their influential positions based on their victimization during World War II supported by a centralized regime in Belgrade. Muslim Bosniaks were also privileged since they remained politically neutral to Croatian and Serbian ambitions of the annexation of Bosnia and Herzegovina to their lands. Besides, Bosniaks helped to establish a connection with third-world countries, and later to establish the Non-Aligned Movement. Croats in Bosnia and Herzegovina were persecuted, labeled as Catholic reactionaries, and shared accusations of a genocidal policy with the Independent State of Croatia. Croatian ethnic areas were economically neglected. Croats were under constant police surveillance and, moreover, many were forced to leave Bosnia and Herzegovina. Economic emigrants made up 1/5th of the population of Bosnia and Herzegovina, while 2/3rds of that population were Croats. The Croatian language was repressed in schools and media. Croats saw the end of Yugoslavia in those circumstances. During the first democratic elections, the majority of Croats chose a nationalist party, Croatian Democratic Union of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Nationalist parties also won elections representing the other two peoples of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Bosniaks woted for the Party of Democratic Action, while Bosnian Serbs voted for the Serbian Democratic Party.

Bosnian War

HVO soldier fires a 122mm Howitzer D-30J

A majority of citizens of the Socialist Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina voted for the independence of Bosnia and Herzegovina in the referendum that was held between 29 February and 1 March 1992. The referendum question was: "Are you in favor of a sovereign and independent Bosnia-Herzegovina, a state of equal citizens and nations of Muslims, Serbs, Croats and others who live in it?" Independence was strongly favoured by Bosniak and Bosnian Croat voters, but the referendum was largely boycotted by Bosnian Serbs. The total turn out of voters was 63.6% of which 99.7% voted for the independence of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

On 5 April 1992, Serb forces started the Siege of Sarajevo. On 12 May, not long after the referendum was held, the Yugoslav People's Army left Bosnia and Herzegovina and left most of the arms to the Army of Republika Srpska, headed by Ratko Mladić.

The first organized units to oppose Serb forces in Bosnia and Herzegovina were those of the Croatian Defence Forces (HOS) founded by the Croatian Party of Rights of Bosnia and Herzegovina on 18 December 1991. The Croatian Community of Herzeg-Bosnia established its own force, the Croatian Defence Council (HVO) on 8 April 1992. HVO forces constituted 20-30% Bosniaks who joined because local Muslim militias were unable to arm themselves. The Croatian Community of Herzeg-Bosnia was founded on 18 November 1991 as a community of municipalities where the majority population was ethnic Croat. In its founding acts, Herzeg-Bosnia had no separatist character. The Croatian Republic of Herzeg-Bosnia was declared by Bosnian Croat leaders to be a temporary region, which would, after the war, again become part of united Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Slobodan Milošević, Alija Izetbegović and Franjo Tuđman signing the Dayton Peace Accords on 14 December 1995

At the beginning of the Bosnian War, Bosnian Croats were first to organize themselves against Serbian forces, especially Croats in western Herzegovina who were already armed. At the end of May 1992, Croats launced a counter-offensive, liberating Mostar after a month of fighting. Also, in central Bosnia and Posavina, Croatian forces stopped the Serbian advance and, in some places, went on the offensive, repelling the enemy. On 16 June 1992, the President of Croatia, Franjo Tuđman and the President of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Alija Izetbegović signed an alliance according to which Bosnia and Herzegovina allowed the entrance of the Croatian Army and Croatian Defence Council onto its territory. Bosnian Croat political leadership and the leadership of Croatia urged Izetbegović to form a confederation between Bosnia and Herzegovina and Croatia, but Izetbegović denied this since he wished to represent Serbian interests as much as those of Bosniaks and Croats. Bosnian Croat leadership was irritated by Izetbegović's neutrality, so Mate Boban threatened to pull back the HVO forces from Bosnia. Since the UN-implemented arms embargo applied to Bosnia and Herzegovina as well as Serbia, Bosniak and Croat forces had a hard time fighting well-equipped Serbian units. However, after Croat and Bosniak forces reorganized in late May 1992, the Serbian advence was halted and their forces mostly remained in position throughout the war. The tensions between Croats and Bosniaks became apparent on 19 June 1992, leading to war in October. The Croat-Bosniak War was at its peak during 1993, easing in 1994. In March 1994 Bosniak and Croat leadership signed the Washington agreement according to which the Army of the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina (ARBiH)-controlled and HVO-controlled areas were united into the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina. After the Washington agreement was signed, the Croatian Army, HVO and ARBiH liberated southwestern Bosnia and Herzegovina in 7 miitary operations. In December 1995, the Bosnian War ended with the signing of the Dayton agreement. The Dayton Accords effectively ended the war, however the disagreements which started the war remain a problem in Bosnia and Herzegovina, limiting the effectiveness of the peace thus established. According to information published by the Research and Documentation Centre of Sarajevo, 7,762 Croats were killed or are missing. From the territory of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, 230,000 Croats were expelled, while from territory of Republika Srpska, 152,856 Croats were expelled.

Present-day

Since Croats are often outvoted by Bosniaks in the Federation, some political parties, most significantly the Croatian Democratic Union of Bosnia and Herzegovina, advocate the creation of a third entity in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Even though the idea of a third entity is popular among Bosnian Croats, large numbers of them don't accept it. The Croat minority of Bosnia and Herzegovina is further weakened by large-scale emigration, a major problem for securing their rights within Bosnia.

Demographics

Prevalence of the Croats of Bosnia and Herzegovina according to the UNHCR's 1996 census

Croats made majority in next municipalities, Mostar, Široki Brijeg, Ljubuški, Livno, Čitluk, Tomislavgrad, Čapljina, Orašje, Posušje, Žepče, Grude, Vitez, Kiseljak, Novi Travnik, Prozor-Rama, Jajce, Odžak, Stolac, Busovača, Neum, Domaljevac-Šamac, Usora, Kreševo, Kupres, Dobretići and Ravno.

Municipalities in which Croats made 1/3 of the population are Travnik, Uskoplje, Vareš, Fojnica and Glamoč. Municipalities in which Croats made around 15% of the population are Tuzla, Brčko, Bugojno, Kakanj, Drvar and Grahovo.

Municipalities with Croatian majority (14 of them) are in a continuous area from Kupres in the northwest to Ravno in the southeast of Bosnia and Herzegovina, while 12 municipalities represent enclaves with a Croatian majority. Mostar is the city with the largest population of Croats in Bosnia-Herzegovina.

According to estimates in the CIA World Factbook, there are 571,317 Croats making up 15% of a total population of 3,921,200 in Bosnia and Herzegovina. According to the Ordinary, there are 459,102 Catholics living in Bosnia and Herzegovina, of whom almost all are Croat. There are also around 40,000 Croats (10%) who aren't Catholics or aren't in contact with the Catholic Church. So, according to those estimates, there are around 500,000 Croats, or around 13% of total population of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Demographical history

Ethnic totals and percentages
Year/Population	Croats	%	Total BiH Population
15th century	cca. 750,000	85,22%	850,000-900,000
1558/59	cca. 360,000	57%	cca. 635,000
1624	cca. 150,000	22%	cca. 675,000
1879	209,391	18.08%	1,158,164
1885	265,788	19.88%	1,336,091
1895	334,142	21.31%	1,361,868
1910	434,061	22.87%	1,898,044
1921	444,308	23.50%	1,890,440
1931	547,949	23.58%	2,323,555
1948	614,123	23.93%	2,565,277
1953	654,229	22.97%	2,847,790
1961	711,666	21.71%	3,277,948
1971	772,491	20.62%	3,746,111
1981	758,140	18.39%	4,124.008
1991	760,852	17.38%	4,377,053
Official Population Census Results - note: some Croats declared themselves as Yugoslavs in some censuses

Medieval Bosnia and Ottoman Empire

Some estimates state that there were 850,000 - 900,000 inhabitants of medieval Bosnia, of which 750,000 were Catholic (85%), 80,000 Bogomil (9%) and 50,000 Orthodox Christians (6%). During Ottoman rule, the number of Catholic Croats drasticly decressed. When the Turks conquered Bosnia in 1463, according to their data, they took away 100,000 captured Croats as slaves and kept 30,000 Croat boys to serve as jannisaries. In the years 1958/59, in present-day Bosnia and Herzegovina there were360,000 Catholics (57%), 220,000 Muslims (34%) and 55,000 Orthodox Christians (9%). In 1624, there were around 450,000 Muslims (67%), 150,000 Catholics (22%) and 75,000 Orthodox Christians (11%). In 1776, according to Klaić, there was around 50,000 Catholics in Bosnia. However, the problem with Turkish censuses is they were biased, and second problem is that they only numbered the houses and later exclusively the male population.

Austria-Hungary and Kingdom of Yugoslavia

A Croat from Central Bosnia (1901)

During Austrian-Hungarian rule, the number of Croats started to increase as 180,000 to 200,000 people migrated to Bosnia and Herzegovina, of which a majority were Croats. According to Croatian author Vjekoslav Klaić in 1878, there were 1,291,393 Croats (96-97% ot total migration). He considered present-day Bosniaks and Serbs of Bosnia and Herzegovina as well as Croats to be part of Croatian nationality. According to him, there was 646,678 Orthodox Christians (48,4%), 480,596 Muslims (35,9%), and 207,199 Catholics (respectively Croats, 15,5%) and 3,000 Jews (0,2%). In 1895, Bosnia and Herzegovina had 1,336,091 inhabitants, of which 571,250 were Orthodox Christian (42,76%), 492,710 Muslim (36,88%), 265,788 Catholic (19,89%), 5,805 Jews (0,43%) and 53 others (0,04%).

A major policy of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia was an attempt to implement Serbian hegemony by Serbianizing the rest of the population. According to the 1931 census, Bosnia and Herzegovina had 2,323,787 inhabitants of which Serbs made 44,25%, Muslims 30,90%, Croats 23,58% and others made 1,02% of the total population.

Communist Yugoslavia

The 1948 Yugoslav census saw decressing numbers of Croats. From this first census to the last one in 1991, the Croat minority fell from 23% to 17%, even though their total number increased. According to the 1953 census, Croats were a majority on territories which become part of Banovina of Croatia in 1939. Their total number was 654,229, that is 23% of total Bosnian population. According to the 1961 census, Croats were 21.7% of the total population, or 711,660. After that, districts were divided into smaller municipalities. According to the 1971 census, Croats made 20,60% of total population, and their number was 772,491. According to the 1981 census, Croats made 18,60% of total population, and their number was 767,247. In the 1971 census, for the first time, the percentage of Croats fell below 20%, and after 1981, their percentage continued to decline. From 1971 to 1991, the Croat percentage fell due to emigration into Croatia and elsewhere in Europe. This fact should be taken into account for any estimation, regional or for Bosnia and Herzegovina as a whole. Nevertheless, the emigration of Croats was less severe in western Herzegovina municipalities where Croats account for more than 98% of the population. According to the 1991 census, Croats made 17,30% of total population, and their number was 755,895.

Bosnian War

The total number of Croats in Bosnia and Herzegovina continued to reduce, especially after the Bosnian War broke out in 1992. Soon an exodus of Bosnian Croats occurred, as large numbers of Croats from central Bosnia and Posavina were expelled. According to the 1996 census, made by UNHCR (officially unrecognized) there was 3,919,953 inhabitants, of which Croats made 571,317 (14,57%). On the territory of Croatian Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina, percentage of Croats slightly changed, though, their total number reduced.

Culture

See also: Culture of Bosnia and Herzegovina

Art

See also: Croatian art

Stećak tombstones in necropolis Radimlja near Stolac

Along the Neretva river, the hellenized Illyrian tribe Darosi spread Greek influence. Their capital Daorson on Oršćani near Stolac is today the most significiant center of ancient culture in the territory of Bosnia and Herzegovina. A complex of terraced shrines near Gradac Posušje were dedicated to a deified Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius, built in 183. Late Roman art in Bosnia and Herzegovina was characterized by building of vilas, Christian mausoleums, basilicas and oratories like Vila "Mogorjelo" near Čapljina (early 4th century). The influence of romanesque arrived to Bosnia and Herzegovina across Croatia, but it was never completely accepted, only it's elements were used. Such builgings are St. Luke's Tower in Jajce (15th century) or motifs of stećak tombstones. The inheritance of Goths are stećci tomstones. Valuable manuscripts of Bosnian origin occur at this time.

Hrvoje's Missal is the most significiant art of medieval Bosnian Croats, written in 15th century. During the 15th and 16th century, Bosnia and Herzegovina was under Ottoman rule, preventing the influence of Rennesaince and Baroque, whose impact was only present in Francisian monsateries in Visoko, Kreševo, Fojnica, Kraljeva Sutjeska etc. The first Bosnian Croat painters were educated in European academies in Vienna, Munich, Prague, Krakow, Budapest and Paris. Their education was funded by HKD Napredak. The most famous Bosnian Croat painters are Gabrijel Jurkić, Karlo Mijić, Branko Radulović and Petar Šain. Statuary was reduced to memorial portraits, of which the most famous is the one of Robert Frangeš Mihanović and Sputani genije a statue on the grave of Silvije Strahimir Kranjčević built by Rudolf Valdec. After World War II, the Association of Artists of Bosnia and Herzegovina was founded along with a State School of Painting, and the Sarajevo Art Gallery. Architectural Regionalism is seen in the 1970s on buildings such as department stores Razvitak in Mostar (1970) and in Jajce (1976). The best example of Functionalism is the multiple award-winning hotel Ruža in Mostar (1979).

Literature

See also: Croatian literature

File:Andric Ivo.jpg

Ivo Andrić, Nobel Prize winner in literautre in 1961

Bosnian Croat literature is literature written in the Croatian language, and forms a part of Croatian literature. It is composed of pre-Ottoman literature (first written monuments, Bogomil texts, diplomatic and law documents, manuscripts, and on tombstones), Bosna Srebrena literature (prayer books, catechisms, collections of sermons, biographies of saints, monastery yearbooks, early historical works, poems and memoirs, travel books, grammars of the Latin and Croatian languages and lexicographic works), national awakening literature (foundation of various associations, reading rooms, libraries in which writing courses were held), literature of Bosnian Muslims (various Bosniak writers made a significiant impact on Croatian literature and were influenced by other Croat authors) and modern Bosnian Croat literature.

The most known contributors to the Bosnian Croat literature are Ivo Andrić, Ivan Aralica, Toma Babić, Safvet-beg Bašagić, Enver Čolaković, Musa Ćazim Ćatić, Matija Divković, Mak Dizdar, Asaf Duraković, Fadil Hadžić, Nusret Idrizović, Lucijan Kordić, Veselko Koroman, Mirko Kovač, Ivo Kozarčanin, Silvije Strahimir Kranjčević, Jakša Kušan, Tomislav Ladan, Filip Lastarić, Vitomir Lukić, Grgo Martić, Matija Mažuranić, Ahmed Muradbegović, Alija Nametak, Zvonimir Remeta, Novak Simiž, Antun Branko Šimić, Lovro Šitović Ljubušak, Nikola Šop and Anđelko Vuletić.

Music

Gusle

Traditional music of the Croats of Bosnia and Herzegovina is related to ganga, klapa, gusle, tamburica and šargija. These traditional styles of singing and musical instruments are part of the Bosnian Croat national identity. Ganga, klapa and gusle are most widespread on the territory of western Herzegovina, though these can also be seen in eastern Herzegovina and Bosnia. Tamburica is popular in Posavina and central Bosnia. Šargija is widespread in northern Bosnia, from Posavina to Olovo and Vareš.

With a mixture of traditional and modern music, recent Bosnian music is represented by Indexi, Bijelo dugme, Ambasadori and others. The most known Croat musicians of modern Bosnia are Đorđe Novković, Željko Bebek and Jura Stublić. New artists include Mate Bulić, Ivan Mikulić, Nikša Bratoš, Mija Martina Barbarić, Ivana Marić, groups Feminem, Adastra and others. Some other well known Croat singers originate from Bosnia and Herzegovina, they are Krunoslava Kićo Slabinc, Ivo Fabijan, Boris Novković, Vesna Pisarović and others. There are two significiant music festivals, Melodije Mostara (Melodies of Mostar) and Etnofest Neum on which musicians from Croatia also participate. Alongside traditional music, some other musical genres also developed, like heavy metal, hip hop, house and techno.

Education

The Napredak Palace Board members in 1911

The first educational institutions of Bosnian Croats were monasteries, of which the most significiant are those in Kreševo, Fojnica, Kraljeva Sutjeska and Tolisa, and later monasteries in Herzegovina, of which most significiant are those in Humac and Široki Brijeg. The most significiant persons for the elementary education of Bosnian Croats in 19th century were Ivan Franjo Jukić and Grgo Martić, they founded and organized elementary schools accross the whole territory of Bosnia and Herzegovina. In 1887, many elementary schools were founded in Bosnia and Herzegovina along with the Order of the Sisters of St. Francis. Their class were led methodologically and professionally, so Bosnian Croat schools were, at the end of Ottoman era and beginning of Austrian-Hungarian occupation, largely the same as elementary schools in the rest of Europe. The educational system of Bosnia and Herzegovina during the communist era was based on a mixture of nationalities and the suppression of Croat identity. With the foundation of the Croatian Community of Herzeg-Bosnia, Bosnian Croat schools took their educational system from Croatia.

At the same time, University Džemal Bijedić of Mostar was renamed the University of Mostar. This university is the only one in Bosnia and Herzegovina to use Croatian as its official language. After signing the Dayton accords, jurisdiction over education in Republika Srpska was given to RS Government, while in the Federation, jurisdiction over education was given to the cantons. In municipalities with a Croat majority or significiant minority, Croatian language schools also exist, while on territories were there is only a small number of Croats, Catholic centres perform education. Other education institutes are HKD Napredak, the Scientific Research Institute of the University of Mostar, the Crotian Lexicographic Institute of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Institute for Education in Mostar.

Language

Main article: Croatian language

Croats of Bosnia and Herzegovina speak the Croatian language. A large majority of Croats of Bosnia and Herzegovina speaks the Croatian Ijekavian dialect, there are smaller percent of those who speak in Ikavian dialect. Ikavian was, during the 14th and 15th century widespread in parts of Bosnia.

Religion

St. James Church in Međugorje.

See also: Roman Catholicism in Bosnia and Herzegovina

Croats form the core of the Catholic Church in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The metropolitan diocese is the Archdiocese of Vrhbosna. There are also dioceses centered in Banja Luka and in Mostar, which is the largest. Vinko Puljić is the current Cardinal and Archbishop of Vrhbosna.

The parish of Međugorje is a significant Marian shrine which attracts approximately one million visitors annually. It became a popular site of religious pilgrimage due to reports of apparitions of the Virgin Mary to six local Catholics in 1981. Over a thousand hotel and hostel beds are available for religious tourism.

The Cathedral of Jesus' Heart in Sarajevo is the largest cathedral in Bosnia and Herzegovina, and is the seat of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Vrhbosna. The other three Roman Catholic cathedrals in Bosnia and Herzegovina are: the Cathedral of Saint Bonaventure in Banja Luka, the Cathedral of Mary the Mother of the Church in Mostar, and Cathedral of the Birth of Mary in Trebinje.

There are numerous monasteries throughout the region. The oldest is the 14th century Monastery of the Holy Spirit located in Fojnica in central Bosnia. It houses a large library filled with many historical documents dating back to medieval Bosnia. Two other well-known monasteries are the Guča Gora Monastery and Kraljeva Sutjeska Monastery. Both are located in central Bosnia, near Travnik and Kakanj respectively. The rest of the monasteries in the region are: the Monastery of St. Anthony in Sarajevo, the Monastery of St. Mark in Derventa, Gorica Monastery in Livno, and the Assumption of Mary Monastery in Prozor-Rama.

Sport

Stadion Pecara in Široki Brijeg, home of the football club.

Croatian-run clubs in Bosnia and Herzegovina number among the country's most successful. They are well-represented in terms of national championships in relation to the percentage of Croats in the population. In football NK Zrinjski Mostar, NK Široki Brijeg, NK Žepče, NK Posušje, and HNK Orašje are some of the most successful. Collectively, they have won three national Cup and five national Championships since national competition began in 2000. Other Croatian-run clubs are NK Brotnjo, NK SAŠK Napredak, HNK Ljubuški, HNK Sloga Uskoplje and others. The clubs themselves are often among the nation's most multi-ethnic.

Prior to 2000, the Croats ran their own First League of Herzeg-Bosnia in football. However, they have joined the UEFA-approved Football Association of Bosnia and Herzegovina's league system. Bosnia and Herzegovina has produced many successful internationals, both for the Croatian national team and the national team of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Politics

See also: Politics of Bosnia and Herzegovina

Flag of Herzeg-Bosna.

Historically, the Croats formed their own parties with the end of Ottoman rule. The Croatian National Community and the Croatian Catholic Association took part in the country's first elections in 1910.

Currently, there are several Croatian political parties in Bosnia and Herzegovina, many corresponding to parties within Croatia itself. The Croatian Democratic Union, Croatian Democratic Union 1990, and the Croatian Party of Right are the most popular parties. The Croatian Peasant Party, New Croatian Initiative, Croatian Right Bloc, People's Party Work for Betterment are relatively minor Croatian parties.

In 2005, a conference on the Constitutional-law position of Croats in Bosnia and Herzegovina was held in Neum. It addressed ways to fix the political system.

References

Notes

Bibliography

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