CUC Sociologists at the Round Table “Croatian Identity: From Tradition to Modernity” in Mostar

On Friday, 14 November 2025, the round table “Croatian Identity: From Tradition to Modernity” was held in Mostar as part of the celebration of the 35th anniversary of the renewal of Napredak in Mostar. The event was organized by the Catholic University of Croatia (CUC), the Croatian Cultural Society Napredak – Main Branch Mostar, with the co-organization of the Croatian Home of Herceg Stjepan Kosača.

The round table featured Prof. Gordan Črpić, Ph.D., and Assoc. Prof. Ivana Brstilo Lovrić, Ph.D., from the CUC Department of Sociology, as well as Dr. Vesna Haluga and Dr. Anto Ivić, members of HKD Napredak Mostar. The discussion was moderated by Matea Topić Crnoja, M.Econ., assistant at the CUC Department of Sociology.

President of HKD Napredak Mostar, Miroslav Landeka, recalled the 35 years since the Renewing Assembly of Napredak in Mostar. After the forced ban in 1949, the branch re-emerged in 1990 and has since grown into one of the city’s cultural centres. Over the past decades, Napredak has awarded scholarships, published books, organized singing, piano and English courses, drawing workshops, copywriting training, as well as concerts, theatre performances, lectures and round tables. He thanked all members, artists, scholarship recipients and collaborators whose work shaped the organisation, as well as the Catholic University of Croatia, whose presence symbolically connects Mostar and Zagreb through knowledge and cooperation.

Participants discussed the historical roots of Croatian identity, its contemporary transformations, and the role of cultural heritage, with particular emphasis on the traditional tattoos of Catholic Croatian women in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Dr. Anto Ivić highlighted the continuity of Croatian and Catholic identity in BiH, preserved during the Ottoman period largely thanks to the Franciscans of the Province of Bosnia Srebrena and the strong communal life of rural Catholic communities. He pointed to the mid-19th century as a crucial moment in shaping modern Croatian identity, when—despite being divided across four states and twelve administrative units—Croats became conscious of belonging to one culture, one language and one nation. “History and cultural heritage need not divide us; they can become bridges of dialogue,” he concluded.

Dr. Vesna Haluga spoke about the renewed interest in the traditional Croatian tattoos known as sicanje, bocanje and križićanje, which are unique worldwide and originally served as protective symbols. She expressed hope that this tradition might one day be inscribed on the UNESCO List of Intangible Cultural Heritage, stressing that this requires joint efforts from institutions in both Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina. Although the practice nearly disappeared by the 1960s, several practitioners still preserve the knowledge, providing grounds for future revival and recognition.

Prof. Gordan Črpić, Ph.D., presented research findings on value systems across thirty European countries, highlighting Croatia’s high and stable levels of religiosity but also a concerning decline in institutional trust and interpersonal trust. “Low levels of trust hinder democratic functioning and increase susceptibility to authoritarian tendencies,” he warned. Religion, however, remains an important factor of social cohesion in a time marked by individualisation and the fragmentation of social relations.

As a positive example of Croatian recognisability and unity, he emphasised the Croatian national football team, noting that shared purpose and good practices are essential for societal development.

The round table concluded that Croatian identity remains a dynamic link between history, culture and community, and that its preservation requires the cooperation of institutions, academia and civil society.

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CUC Sociologists at the Round Table “Croatian Identity: From Tradition to Modernity” in Mostar

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