ZAGREB, Dec 20 (Hina) - Speaking at a ceremony marking the 160th anniversary of Matrix Croatica, academician Josip Bratulic said on Friday that "160 years of the oldest scientific and cultural Croatian institution means 160 years of
persistent work in the fields of literature, culture and education".
ZAGREB, Dec 20 (Hina) - Speaking at a ceremony marking the 160th
anniversary of Matrix Croatica, academician Josip Bratulic said on
Friday that "160 years of the oldest scientific and cultural
Croatian institution means 160 years of persistent work in the
fields of literature, culture and education". #L#
Over the past century Matrix Croatica witnessed the same topics as
the Croatian people, from social repression, war and post-war years
to the breakdown of the Croatian Spring movement, when the
institution was banned and many of its members were imprisoned,
said Bratulic, who was the president of the institution for many
years.
Commenting on the work of the institution, the incumbent president
Igor Zidic said that the year 2002 was a year of "great
disappointments, poverty, fragile social peace, party autism, the
weakening of national energies and high unemployment".
"What our enemies failed to take from us with arms is now being sold
by 'dogs of money'," Zidic said, adding that the slogan "Buy
Croatian Products!" had turned into "Buy Croatia!".
Zidic believes that the bad situation in Croatia had not changed
since June when he gave a similar speech on the occasion of his
appointment as Matrix Croatica president.
There have been no changes in the meantime, Croatia has become a
courtroom with the Homeland Defence War put on trial, Zidic
complained.
He called on the institution's members not to allow the
marginalisation of Matrix Croatica, which he said might happen due
to insufficient funds the culture ministry had allocated to the
institution.
We shall survive despite austerity measures and intentional or
unintentional attempts to close down Croatian institutions, Zidic
said.
(hina) ms sb