VUKOVAR CITY MUSEUM RETURNS TO OLD PREMISES

( Editorial: --> 6964 ) VUKOVAR, May 27 (Hina) - The Vukovar City Museum Wednesday returned to its old premises in the eastern Croatian town's Eltz Castle after seven years of exile. Today's opening was attended by numerous Vukovar residents and dignitaries, including Croatian National Parliament deputy speakers Jadranka Kosor and Vladimir Seks, numerous MPs and Croatian Culture Minister Bozo Biskupic. The museum's manager Ruza Maric said the biggest task was "to retrieve the many works of art, part of which are in Belgrade and Novi Sad (Yugoslavia), part is kept in museums and galleries all over Croatia, while some were looted". "When we remember Vukovar's hardest days we always remember the people and the many lives laid at the altar of the homeland," Biskupic said. "The return of the Vukovar City Museum to Vukovar is one way of giving (the victims) back the love they showed to their homeland." Biskupic emphasised the Ministry of Culture and the government would continue to help in preserving the cultural heritage in Vukovar-Srijem County. County Prefect Rudolf Koenig said it was urgent to find a sponsor for the reconstruction of Eltz Castle. Before the war the Vukovar City Museum kept some 50,000 works of art which, manager Maric pointed out, testified to the area's 5,000- year-long history. About 1,400 exhibits have been gathered to date thanks to many benefactors from Croatia, Europe and the world, she said. These will be displayed in the reconstructed premises. (hina) ha /mbr 271641 MET may 98