July 2016

SUMMER SCHOOL: DEMYTHOLOGIZING OF NATIONS AND IDENTITIES:
BOSNIA IN THE EUROPEAN MEDIAEVAL PERIOD

The school was opened by TPO Foundation programme director's addressing Zilka Spahić Šiljak and after it by the plenary session of Dubravko Lovrenović on Bosnia as ideological battlefield and campaign of showing Bosnia as heretical one by the Hungarian kingdom. The ideological war itself lasted as long as the aspirations of the abovementioned kingdom towards Bosnian crown and territory which ended in 1415 by the arrival of the Ottoman Empire. In his second lecture ''Popular Myths and Narratives of Mediaeval Creation of Nations'' Lovrenović was speaking about process of Serbisation and Croatisation as one of the most popular myths in contemporary times. In the next few lectures entitled ''Political History of Bosnia: Bosnian (Third) European Path'', ''Holy Crown of Bosnia and Holy Crown of Hungary'', ''Bosnian Diocese and Franciscan Bosnian Vicary'', ''Identity and Conversion in Mediaeval Bosnia and Double Religious Identities'', ''Epitaphs – Mediaeval Culture of Death'' and '' Tombstones – from Bogomils to Interconfessionalism'' Lovrenović was speaking about two more significant factors from the neighbourhood, powerful Hungarian kingdom, importance of Franciscan missionary action that began in 14th century, then about the relationship between people and Church of Bosnia and Franciscan mission of re-Catholicism.
''Identity Opportunities in B&H: Misuse of Mediaeval Symbols'' was the lecture held by Emir O. Filipović where he emphasized the fact that by the use of heraldic symbols the mediaeval heritage is cultivated in the majority of modern countries, while those same symbols in Bosnia were used during the war period and therefore they are politicized and cause various reactions at all three constitutive peoples. Srđan Šušnica in his lecture on ''Emancipatory Reconstructions of Confiscated Memories'' dealt with graffiti in urban areas of Republic of Srpska and their influence on further incitement of the past spirits.

Adis Zilić and Dženan Dautović discussed diplomatic relations of mediaeval Bosnia with Dubrovnik, i.e. pontificate as the only paneuropean institution of that time. Enes Dedić was speaking about Serbian Despotate established at the beginning of 15th century.
Mehmed Kardaš's lecture ''Lexical Researches of Church of Bosnia Writings'' speaks about lexical characteristics of some 30 writings of Church of Bosnia from the heritage of Bosnian Catholics. Jovana Jokanović's lecture took the cue from this theme entitled ''Nationalization of Bosnian Mediaeval Texts''. Emir O. Filipović dealt with the identities of today's B&H residents on the basis of the events from 1463 and Ottoman annihilation of Bosnian kingdom. Nenad Veličković had two lectures that delighted the present ones where by the use of the character of Kulin-ban as well as the characters and motifs from Mak Dizdar's poetry incorporated perfectly the elements of mediaeval motifs in today's chaotic mythologizing of the same. Dženan Dautović reflected on the most important historiographers as well as female researchers in Bosnian mediaeval period and their lives in general. After it Srđan Šušnica and Edisa Gazetić held lectures where women were in the very centre.
Beside the lectures, students had the field work including visits to the historical heritage of Jajce, visit to the church of St. Mary where they were addressed by the friar Drago Bojić. In the museum of the Second Assembly of AVNOJ Milivoj Bešlin held a lecture and on the last day of the school a one-day trip to Prijedor was organised where they visited the camp ''Trnopolje'' and mass grave ''Tomašica'' as well as Banja Luka.
The school itself was held within the PILAR programme implemented by TPO Foundation whose aim is coping with the past, trauma healing and interpretation oft he truth properly. Collection of the works made within this very school, after the preparation, will be available for all those interested in these themes.