ZAGREB, Oct 14 (Hina) - Writer and translator Josip Matusek from the north Croatian town of Daruvar on Thursday received a Jan Masaryk Gratias Agit award for life's work, by which the homeland of his ancestors is expressing gratitude
to individuals for their contribution in promoting Czech science and culture abroad. The award which is presented by the Czeczh foreign ministry for the third time since its establishment, was gven to Matusek by the Czech Ambassador to Croatia, Jiri Kudela. Saying he did not deem his work as great, but just a contribution to the interests and maintenance of the Czech minority in Croatia, Matusek expressed in a brief speech satisfaction for being appreciated in the Czech Republic, the country of his great-great grandfather who came to Croatia in search of work. According to Kudela, the Jan Masaryk Gratias Agit award belonged to individuals who, notwithstanding their
ZAGREB, Oct 14 (Hina) - Writer and translator Josip Matusek from the
north Croatian town of Daruvar on Thursday received a Jan Masaryk
Gratias Agit award for life's work, by which the homeland of his
ancestors is expressing gratitude to individuals for their
contribution in promoting Czech science and culture abroad.
The award which is presented by the Czeczh foreign ministry for the
third time since its establishment, was gven to Matusek by the Czech
Ambassador to Croatia, Jiri Kudela.
Saying he did not deem his work as great, but just a contribution to
the interests and maintenance of the Czech minority in Croatia,
Matusek expressed in a brief speech satisfaction for being
appreciated in the Czech Republic, the country of his great-great
grandfather who came to Croatia in search of work.
According to Kudela, the Jan Masaryk Gratias Agit award belonged to
individuals who, notwithstanding their nationality and
citizenship, significantly contributed to strengthening the
reputation of the Czech Republic long-term and outside the frames
of their professional duties.
Pedagogyst, literary critic historian, ethnographer, writer,
translator and professor, Josip Matusek (born in 1920), earned this
award undoubtedly through his systematic work on gathering
information about the history of Czechs in Croatia, which resulted
in the publishing of two books, "200 Years Together", published in
two languages in 1991, and "Czechs in Croatia", published in the
Czech language in 1994 and in Croatian in 1996.
Matusek was nominated as candidate for the award at the instigation
of the Československy ustav zahranični institution, an association
which connects the Czech homenald with the diaspora.
The nomination was supported, among others, by the Friendship
Association of South Slavs in the Czech Republic, and the Croatian-
Czech Society in Zagreb.
(hina) lml jn