A Multi-Religious Croatia

Religion is an important element of day to day life in Croatia. It is interwoven throughout the society. The chaotic history of Croatia has led to a vast variety of religions. The variety of religions have influenced everything including laws, art, church architecture, wars, and ad campaigns.

Religious art and architecture have been dated back to the Early Bronze Age. There are about 15 well preserved Pre-Romanesque Croatian churches in Croatia. The earliest cultural momument is a baptismal font of Duke Viseslav from Nin containing a interlace cross and a Latin inscription. Croatia also boasts the “smallest cathedral in the Christianity” located in Nin (Zubrinic, Darko, 1995, para. 9,11).

Christmas eve, Christmas day, Epiphany, and Easter are times for feasts. All Saints Day is big event with masses of people walking and riding busses to cemeteries with candles to pray for their loved ones. With the location of cemeteries at the top of hills, tourists have taken a special interest in watching this particular event.

Catholics make up most of Croatian religion. A census taken in 2001 by the Croatian State Bureau of Statistics shows that, of a population of 4,437,460, 87.83% are Catholic, .14% Greek Catholic, .01 Old Catholic, 4.42% Orthodox (CARNet & Department of Telecommunications, Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Computing, University of Zagreb, 2001, para. 1, 2). Religious national holidays include, Epiphany, Easter and Easter Monday, Corpus Christi Day, Assumption Day, All Saints Day, Christmas Day, and Saint Stephen’s Day. Orthodox Catholics have the right under the law to take Orthodox Christmas off from work and school.

The Muslim people have had a rough history in Croatia. The have not recovered from the Croat-Muslim War. The Muslim fight for Bosnia and Herzegovina have spilled over into Croatia creating a civil war that lasted from 1992-1994. Hundreds of Croatians died in the war, many massacred in their own towns. Muslims were deported after the war and have only recently been allowed to return. The 2001 census reported 1.28% to be Islamic (Muslim) (CARNet & Department of Telecommunications, Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Computing, University of Zagreb, 2001, para. 2). The new law created gives Islamic followers the right to take the days of Ramadan Bairam and Kurbam Dairam off from work and school which has done little to help Croatian/Muslim relations.

Jewish relations have not been good since WWII. Before the war, there about 25,000 Jews living in Croatia. Germans occupied Croatia and sent those who did not evacuate to Auschwitz in 1943. Only 5,000 of the 25,000 survived the Holocaust. The oldest synagogue in the world still stand in Dubrovnik (Stephanie Persin, 2009, para. 6,8,10). The 2001 census reported .01% Jewish (CARNet & Department of Telecommunications, Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Computing, University of Zagreb, 2001, para. 2). Jews are legally aloud to take off religious holidays such as Rush Hashanah and Yom Kipper from work and school.

Atheist make up 2.22% of people in Croatia according to the 2001 Census (Stephanie Persin, 2009, para. 6,8,10). The 2001 census reported .01% Jewish (CARNet & Department of Telecommunications, Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Computing, University of Zagreb, 2001, para. 2). The Atheist group in Croatia are not quiet about their beliefs. Ad campaigns, web sites, and blogs have been created displaying their belief that there is not a God. They have pushed for freedom of speech, and women’s rights in Croatia. The public ads have been cut short on occasions for violating laws that could cause a public dispute or riot.

The turbulent history has created diverse religions in Croatia. Laws in Croatia have been made to try to give equal rights to all religions. Art and churches are visible in every city and village, and many ancient churches stand still today.

References

CARNet & Department of Telecommunications, Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Computing, University of Zagreb. 2009. Religions. Retrieved on October 5, 2009 from http://www.hr/croatia/people/religion
Persin, Stephanie. 2009. The Virtual Jewish History Tour Croatia. Retrieved on October 10, 2009 from http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/vjw/Croatia.html
Zubrinic, Darko. 2005. Croatian Art. Retrieved on October 9, 2009 from http://www.croatianhistory.net/etf/art.html