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11 August 2000 |
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Istria Could Set the Example for Other European Regions on what is Multiculturalism Department of European Ethnology at Lund University Includes Istria in European Regional Ethnicities Research PAZIN - The Department of European Ethnology at Lund University in Sweden, is preparing a complex research of regional identities in seven European countries. One of the regions to be researched is Istria. Prof. Jonas Frykman, the leader of the project, and his associate dr. Maja Povrzanovic Frykman recently came to Istria to do preliminary research and to arrange cooperation with Ethnographic Museum of Istria in Pazin. The official name of the project is "Articulating Europe: The Mobilisation of Cultural Heritage". Research conducted by an international team of ethnologists, anthropologists, and historians will be conducted in Croatia, Poland, Norway, Germany, Austria, Sweden, and Spain. Besides Istria, the research will cover Skania and Jaemetland regions in Sweden, Vestland in Norway, Burgenland in Austria, Berlin in Germany, Zakopane in Poland, but the list is not completed yet. The research seeks to determine how contemporary European regions utilize cultural and historic heritage in preserving their identity. Within this rather wide goal there is a desire to determine more precisely what is considered to be a heritage and how it is used, how on this basis regional identities develop and express themselves, and how do various regions compare in that respect. Five topics will be studied in each region: food and the importance of regional cuisine as a tradition, presentations of heritage through amusement and theme parks, fairs and celebrations of local saints (patrons), the reviving of historic events through presentations, and associations of the environment to local myths and mysteries. The project is now being formulated and prepared for field work, and will seek support of the European Union (EU). Beside its scientific significance, it is hoped to achieve advisory potential for future articulation of cultural contents of specific regions. Upon its expected acceptance , the first concrete step in the project will be a symposium in Motovun which will assemble participants from all countries involved in the research. This important project is not the first time that the Lund Institute shows interest in Istria. Two years ago, prof. Frykman's students spent time in Istria comparing the Istrian heritage with that of other European countries. "Istria shares with other regions under study a self consciousness about being older and more authentic than the national state to which it belongs. But, it differs from them by its open patronage of multiculturalism, and this is something that Istria can teach other European regions" said Jonas Frykman, asking all who wish to help the researchers engaged in this project in learning about Istria to contact him at jonas.frykman@etn.lu.se.Translated by Franko Pavicevac (from original text by Davor ©i¹ovię) |
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