The First World War in the Culture of Memory. Forgotten Heritage

The aim of this research is to initiate scholarly debate on the 1st WW ‘cultural memory’ in Croatia based on newly acquired knowledge about its researched cultural heritage in order to determine causes and why it contributed to the contemporary social phenomenon of ‘forgetness’ related to the 1st WW in Croatia. The research objective is to examine the 1st WW ‘cultural memory’ in Croatia at the time of the Kingdom of Slovenes, Croats and Serbs/Yugoslavia (and in relation to the wider region and Europe) through systematic investigation of ‘memory politics’ (legal framework), ‘sites of memory’ marking practices and ‘commemorative practices’ during the war and in the interwar period. The first specific research goal is to investigate and record ‘sites of memory’, and to determine circumstances of its creation, establishment and/or disappearance analysing and studying actions and/or attitudes of the Croatian institutions, military and civilian associations next to the central Belgrade institutions, military and civilian organizations towards ‘sites of memory’ related to the 1st WW in Croatia. The second specific research goal is to situate the 1st WW ‘sites of memory ’in Croatia in a wider socio-political context investigating how, at the time, Yugoslav legal framework of ‘memory politics’ is developed towards its formation through ‘commemorative practices’ on its territory, as well as, attitudes of the Yugoslav state and central institutions in Belgrade towards Croatian citizens as members of the Austro-Hungarian Army who died fighting for the Austro-Hungarian Monarchy. The overall result of this predominantly historical research project multidisciplinary in character thus is not only expanded knowledge about neglected and insufficiently researched Croatian cultural and historical heritage; but more importantly; the acquired knowledge enables scientific and cultural integration of the 1st WW Croatian ‘cultural memory’ and its valorised historical heritage into the wider socio-historical European context.