The Cult of Saint Nicholas – Changes Through History and Role in Building the Contemporary Identity of Dubrovnik

The cult of St. Nicholas in Dubrovnik has its own special dimension, as a cult dedicated to the sea and the seamen of the Republic of Dubrovnik. The decisive historical event in the defense of Dubrovnik in the Homeland War 6. XII. In 1991, when the city suffered the greatest destruction – precisely on the holiday of St. Nicholas, instigated the change through which the religious holiday was transformed into a new city cult of defense and defenders. The city of Dubrovnik, with its transformed city cult of St. Nicholas, shapes a new reality in city rituals, as a new socio-religious reality in the contemporary memory of the city of Dubrovnik. The goal of this project is to obtain the first complete interdisciplinary scientific insight into the development, changes, and significance of the cult of St. Nicholas from the time of the Republic of Dubrovnik to the present, that is, to show an empirical example of how the concepts of (religious) symbol, identity, and community are connected.