The conference, which is an introduction to the anniversary year dedicated to Marko Marulić, was organised by the Institute of Croatian Language and Linguistics, the Matica Hrvatska cultural association and the National and University Library (NSK).
Ivica Poljičak, an envoy of the minister of culture, underscored the importance of Marulić's work and the power it carries for identity and all of us even today.
The director of the Institute of Croatian Language and Linguistics, Željko Jozić, said that next year, Marulić's legacy will come to the fore, and already on 5 January, the day of his death, a series of content related to his work will be published on the website. "He is such an inexhaustible source that he requires an encyclopedia of everything related to him," he added.
NSK director Ivanka Stričević said that Marulić was known and respected throughout Europe, he had been read by many esteemed people, and the diversity of his oeuvre was one of the reasons that we always returned to him as scientists, artists and institutions in promoting his legacy.
Communication expert Božo Skoko said that Marko Marulić was behind other European writers, such as Shakespeare, in terms of branding. "Countries, like corporations that brand their products, promote their greats and cultures, invest serious money in turning them into global icons not only through works, but also through souvenirs, tourist tours of their birthplaces, museums, and big anniversaries in particular served as a start for that," he noted.