WEEK OF SLOVAK CROATS OPENS IN ZAGREB

ZAGREB, Sept 19 (Hina) - An event called "The Week of Slovak Croats" opened at the Croatian Heritage Foundation (HMI) in Zagreb on Monday evening with an exhibition "Croats in Slovakia". Between 2,000 and 3,000 Croats inhabit villages surrounding the Slovak capital of Bratislava. Their ancestors arrived in Slovakia in a large immigrant wave during the Ottoman invasion of Croatia in the 16th century, settling also the area of today's eastern Austria and western Hungary (Burgenland Croats), said Hrvoje Salopek, head of HMI's department for minorities. The area from which most of the new settlers came was the mountainous part of central Croatia. Croats once inhabited about 20 villages in Slovakia and today they live in Devinsko Novo Selo, Hrvatski Grob, Hrvatski Jandrof and Cunov, the president of the Croatian Cultural Association in Slovakia, Juraj Cvecko, said. "The Week of Slovak Croats", which lasts until September 24, will include literary meetings with Viliam Pokorni, a Croatian writer from Slovakia, a panel on the history, language and customs of Slovak Croats and their future in Slovakia, an evening of Slovak Croatian cuisine, and musical and folklore events. (hina) rml