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Croats of Bosnia and Herzegovina

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Croats of Bosnia and Herzegovina
Hrvati Bosne i Hercegovine
Flag of the defunctCroatian Republic of Herzeg-Bosnia,today the flag ofCanton 10and theWest Herzegovina Canton[a]
Total population
544,780(2013)
Regions with significant populations
Federation of BiH497,883 (22.44%)
Republika Srpska29,645 (2.41%)
Brčko District17,252 (20.66%)
Languages
Croatian
Religion
Christianity(Catholic Church)
Related ethnic groups
Croats
Part ofa serieson
Croats
Recognized
Diaspora
Europe

North America

South America

Oceania

Subgroups
Culture
History
Language
Related nations

TheCroats of Bosnia and Herzegovina(Croatian:Hrvati Bosne i Hercegovine), often referred to asBosnian Croats(Croatian:bosanski Hrvati) orHerzegovinian Croats(Croatian:hercegovački Hrvati), are native and the third most populousethnic groupinBosnia and Herzegovina,afterBosniaksandSerbs,and are one of theconstitutive nations of Bosnia and Herzegovina.[1]Croats of Bosnia and Herzegovina have made significant contributions to theculture of Bosnia and Herzegovina.Most Croats declare themselvesCatholicsand speakers of theCroatian language.

From the 15th to the 19th century,CatholicsinOttoman Bosnia and Herzegovinawere often persecuted by theOttoman Empire,causing many of them to flee the area. In the 20th century, political turmoil and poor economic conditions caused more toemigrate.Ethnic cleansingwithin Bosnia and Herzegovina in the 1990s saw Croats forced to go to different parts of Bosnia and Herzegovina, despite having lived in numerousregionsprior to theBosnian War.The2013 population census in Bosnia and Herzegovinarecorded 544,780 residents registering as of Croatian ethnicity.[2]

History[edit]

See also:History of Bosnia and HerzegovinaandBosnia and Herzegovina in the Middle Ages

Kingdom of Croatia[edit]

See also:Bosnia (early medieval)
Coronation of KingTomislav,painted byOton Iveković

Croats settled the areas of modern Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina in the 7th century.[3][4][5]Constantine VIIinDe Administrando Imperiowrites that Croats settledDalmatiaand from there they settledIllyricumandPannonia[6] There, they assimilated with nativeIllyriansandRomansduring thegreat migration of the Slavs.[4][7]The Croats adoptedChristianityand began to develop their own culture, art, and political institutions, culminating in their ownkingdom,which consisted of twoprincipalities:Lower Pannonia( "Pannonian Croatia" ) in the north, andDalmatian Croatiain the south.Red Croatia,to the south, was land of a few minor states. One of the most important events of the Croats in Bosnia and Herzegovina in the early Middle Ages is the First Croatian Assembly held in 753 inŽupanjac(present-day Tomislavgrad).[citation needed]The second major event was the coronation ofTomislav,the first King of Croatia, in ca. 925, in the fields of Županjac.[8]By this act, Pannonian Croatia and Dalmatian Croatia formed a united Croatian kingdom, which includedDalmatia, Bosnia[9][10][11]and Pannonia (eastern Slavonia and eastern Bosnia), and Savia (western Slavonia).[4]

According toThe New Cambridge Medieval History,"at the beginning of the eleventh century the Croats lived in two more or less clearly defined regions" of the "Croatian lands" which "were now divided into three districs" including Slavonia/Pannonian Croatia (between rivers Sava and Drava) on one side and Croatia/Dalmatian littoral (betweenGulf of Kvarnerand rivers Vrbas and Neretva) and Bosnia (aroundriver Bosna) on other side.[12]

High and late middle age[edit]

See also:Banate of BosniaandKingdom of Bosnia

In 1102 Croatia entered into a union with theKingdom of Hungary.After this, Bosnia, which was earlier part of the Kingdom of Croatia,[13]started to disassociate with Croatia. At first, Bosnia became a separate principality underBan Kulinwho managed to solidify Bosnian autonomy at the expense of more powerful neighbours, but only in the 14th century did Bosnia become a formidable state. In the 14th century, KingTvrtko Iconquered part of western Serbia and later parts of the Kingdom of Croatia,[14]which he accomplished by defeating various Croatian nobles and supporting Hungary.[15]Thus, theKingdom of Bosniaemerged, but part of the present territory of Bosnia and Herzegovina remained in theKingdom of Croatia.

Regarding culture and religion, Bosnia was closer to Croatia than the Orthodox lands to the east, and the Diocese of Bosnia is mentioned as Catholic in the 11th century, and later fell under the jurisdiction of the Croatian Archdiocese of Split and in the 12th century under the jurisdiction of the Diocese of Dubrovnik. Another connection of Bosnia with Croatia is that Bosnian rulers always used the political title "Ban Kulin"in similarity to their Croatian counterparts.[16]Due to the scarcity of historical records, there are no definite figures dealing with the religious composition of medieval Bosnia. However, some Croat scholars suggest that a majority of Bosnia's medieval population were Catholics who, according to Zlopaša, accounted for 700,000 of 900,000 of the total Bosnian population.[dubious–discuss]Some 100,000 were members of theBosnian Churchand other 100,000 were Orthodox Christians.[17]

Ottoman Empire[edit]

See also:Ottoman Bosnia and Herzegovina
The migration of the Catholic people from Bosnia and Herzegovina after the Ottoman takeover.

In the middle of the 15th century, the Ottoman Empire started to conquer Bosnia. In 1451 they tookVrhbosnaprovince and conquered Bosnia in 1463. Herzegovina was conquered in 1481, while northern Bosnia was still under Hungary and Croatia until 1527 when it was conquered by the Ottomans.[18]After the Turkish conquest, many Catholic Bosnians converted to Islam,[19]and their numbers in some areas shrank as many fled from fear of conversion and persecution. The Ottoman conquest changed the demographics of Bosnia and Herzegovina, reducing the number of Catholics, and eliminating the Bosnian Church, whose members apparently converted to Islamen masse.[17]The present-day boundaries of Bosnia and Herzegovina were made in 1699 when theTreaty of Karlowitzwas signed in order to establish peace between theAustrian Empireand the Ottoman Empire. Another significant event for Bosnian Croats is the boundary established by an agreement between theRepublic of Ragusaand the Ottoman Empire, where Ragusans promised to give in a part of their territory inNeumto the Ottomans in order to protect themselves from theRepublic of Venice.[20]

The activity of the Catholic Church was limited, while the Ottomans preferred the Orthodox Church because Catholicism was the faith of Austria, the Ottoman enemies, while Orthodoxy was common in Bosnia, and thus it was more acceptable to the Ottomans. In the first 50 years of Ottoman rule, many Catholics fled from Bosnia.[21]A number of Catholics also converted to Orthodox Christianity.[22]Franciscans were the only Catholic priests to be active in Bosnia. Before the Ottomans arrived in Bosnia, there were 35 Franciscan monasteries in Bosnia and four in Herzegovina. Some monasteries were destroyed and some were converted to mosques.[citation needed]In the 1680s there were only 10 Franciscan monasteries left in Bosnia. The Catholic Church in Bosnia divided its administration into two dioceses, one was the Croatian Bosnia diocese, the part which was not conquered by the Ottomans, and the other wasBosna Srebrenadiocese.[23]

Between 1516 and 1524, planned persecution and forced Islamization of Catholics occurred in Bosnia and Herzegovina.[24]In that year, Franciscan monasteries inKraljeva Sutjeska,Visoko,Fojnica,KreševoandKonjic,and later inMostar.It is believed that during that time, some 100,000 Croats converted to Islam. In 1528 the Ottomans conqueredJajceandBanja Luka,thus destroying the Croatian defence line onVrbasriver. After that conquest, Croatia reduced to around 37,000 km2.During the 18th century, Turkish rule in Bosnia and Herzegovina started to weaken, and after theNapoleonic Warstheir rule rapidly decreased; the Ottoman Empire lost its demographic, civilization, and other reserves for military and territorial expansion, while the Austrian Empire, as the rest of the European countries, gained them.

From 1815 to 1878 the Ottoman authority in Bosnia and Herzegovina was decreasing. After the reorganization of the Ottoman army and abolition of theJanissaries,Bosnian nobility revolted, led byHusein Gradaščević,who wanted to establish autonomy in Bosnia and Herzegovina and stop any further social reforms. During the 19th century, various reforms were made in order to increase freedom of religion which sharpened relations between Catholics and Muslims in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Soon, economic decay would happen andnationalistinfluence from Europe came to Bosnia and Herzegovina. Since the state administration was very disorganized and the national conscience was very strong among the Christian population, the Ottoman Empire lost control over Bosnia and Herzegovina. On 19 June 1875 Catholic Croats, led by DonIvan Musić,[25]revolted because of high taxes in West Herzegovina. Their goal was to subordinate Bosnia to the rule of the Emperor of Austria, respectively King of Croatia. During the revolt, for the first time, Bosnian Croats used the flag of Croatia.[26]Soon after, the Orthodox population in East Herzegovina also revolted, which led to theHerzegovina Uprising.The Ottoman authorities were unable to defeat the rebels, so Serbia and Montenegro took advantage of this weakness and attacked the Ottoman Empire in 1876, soon after theRussian Empiredid the same. The Turks lost the war in 1878, and this resulted in over 150,000 refugees who went to Croatia.[27]After theCongress of Berlinwas held in the same year, Bosnia and Herzegovina was transferred to theAustro-HungarianEmpire.[28]

Austria-Hungary[edit]

Croats of Sarajevo with their priest, ca. 1900

Even after the fall of Ottoman rule, the population of Bosnia and Herzegovina was divided.[29]In theHabsburg Kingdom of Croatia,Croatian politicians strived for the unification of theKingdom of Dalmatiawith Croatia. Another ambition of Croatian politicians was to incorporate theCondominium of Bosnia and Herzegovinainto the Kingdom of Croatia. The Habsburg GovernorBéni Kállayresorted to co-opting religious institutions. Soon, the Austrian Emperor gained support to name Orthodox metropolitans and Catholic bishops and to choose the Muslim hierarchy.[30]The first Catholic archbishop wasJosip Stadler.[31]Both apostolic vicariates, Bosnian and Herzegovinian, were abolished, and instead, three dioceses were founded; Vrhbosna diocese with a seat in Sarajevo, Banja Luka diocese with a seat in Banja Luka and Mostar-Duvno diocese with a seat in Mostar.

At the time, Bosnia and Herzegovina were facing a Habsburg attempt at modernization. Between 180,000 and 200,000 people inhabited Bosnia and Herzegovina, the majority were Croats, Serbs, Muslims, and in smaller percentagesSlovenes,Czechsand others.[30]During this period, the most significant event is Bosnian entry into European political life and the shaping of ethnic Croats in Bosnia and Herzegovina into a modern nation. At the end of the 19th century, Bosnian Croats founded various reading, cultural and singing societies, and at the beginning of the 20th century, a new Bosnian Croat intelligentsia played a major role in the political life of Croats. The Croatian Support Society for Needs of Students of Middle Schools and High Schools in Bosnia and Herzegovina was founded in 1902, and in 1907 it was merged with the Croatian Society for Education of Children in Craft and Trade, also founded in 1902, intoCroatian Cultural Society Napredak(Progress). Napredak educated and gave scholarships to more than 20,000 students. Students of Napredak were not only Bosnian Croats but also Croats from other regions.[32]

Kallay tried to unify all Bosnians into a single nation of Bosniaks, but he failed to do so after Bosnians created their national political parties.[30]Before the annexation of Bosnia and Herzegovina in 1908, theCroat People's Union(HNZ) become a political party; its ideology was very similar to that of theCroatian-Serbian Coalitionin Croatia. In 1909, Stadler opposed such a policy and founded a new political party, theCroat Catholic Association(HKU), an opponent of the secular HNZ. HKU emphasized clerical ideals and religious exclusivity.[33]However, Bosnian Croats mostly supported the secular nationalist policy of the HNZ.[34]HNZ and Muslim Nation Organization formed a coalition that ruled the country from 1911 until the dissolution of the Bosnian parliament in 1914.[35]

Kingdom of Yugoslavia[edit]

See also:Banovina of Croatia
People gathered waiting forStjepan Radićto arrive in Mostar in 1925

After World War I, Bosnia and Herzegovina became part of the internationally unrecognizedState of Slovenes, Croats and Serbswhich existed between October and December 1918. In December 1918, this state united with the Kingdom of Serbia asKingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes,[36]which was renamed the Kingdom of Yugoslavia in 1929.[37]This new state was characterized bySerbian nationalism,and was a form of "Greater Serbia".Serbs held control over the armed forces and the politics of the state.[38]With around 40% of Serbs living in Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Serbian leadership of the state wanted to implement a Serbian hegemony in this region. Bosnian Croats constituted around a quarter of the total Bosnian population, but they did not have a single municipality president.[39]The regime of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia was characterized by limited parliamentarism, drastic elective manipulations and laterKing Alexander's6 January Dictatorship,state robbery present outside Serbia and political killings (Milan Šufflay,Ivo Pilar) and corruption. Yugoslavia was preoccupied with political struggles, which led to the collapse of the state afterDušan Simovićorganized a coup in March 1941 and after which Nazi Germany invaded Yugoslavia.

King Alexander was killed in 1934, which led to the end of the dictatorship. In 1939, faced with killings, corruption scandals, violence, and the failure of centralized policy, the Serbian leadership agreed on a compromise with the Croats. On 24 August 1939, the president of theCroatian Peasant Party,Vladko MačekandDragiša Cvetkovićmade an agreement (Cvetković-Maček agreement) according to whichBanovina of Croatiawas created on territory ofSavaandLittoral Banovinaand on districts ofDubrovnik,Šid,Brčko,Ilok,Gradačac,Derventa,Travnikand Fojnica. Around 30% of the present-day territory of Bosnia and Herzegovina becomes part of Banovina of Croatia. Those parts had a Croatian majority. The creation of Banovina of Croatia was one of the solutions to the "Croatian issue".[40]

World War II[edit]

Further information:World War II in YugoslaviaandIndependent State of Croatia
Territory under the control of Yugoslav Partisans in November 1943

After the collapse of Yugoslavia amidstGerman and Italian invasionin April 1941, the Axis puppet state which encompassed the entire Bosnia and Herzegovina,Independent State of Croatia(NDH) under the radical Croatian nationalistUstašeregime was established. Bosnian Croats were divided, as some supported the NDH, some actively opposed it by joining or supporting theYugoslav Partisans,while others chose to wait, not attracted either by fascist Ustaše or communist-led resistance. After the Ustaše campaign ofgenocideand terror,targeting Serbs,Jews,andRoma,a brutal civil war ensued. At the same time, a parallel genocide against Croats and Bosniaks was carried out by the Yugoslav Royalist and Serbian nationalistChetniks.[41]The Ustaše regime also persecuted any opponents or dissidents among Bosnian Croats, especiallycommunists,pre-war members of the now-bannedCroatian Peasant Party,and those connected with the partisan resistance. The Ustaše executed many Bosnian Croats, for instance, resistance fighters and supporters Jakov Dugandžić, Mostar's Ljubo Brešan[42]and 19-year oldMostar gymnasiumstudent Ante Zuanić,[43]as well as a prominent Mostar CPP member Blaž Slišković (inJasenovac concentration camp).[44]Prominent Croat communist intellectual from Bosnia,Ognjen Prica,was shot by Ustaše inKerestinec prison.Families of Bosnian Croats who left to join the partisan resistance were usually interned or sent toconcentration campsby Ustaše authorities.[45]

Numerous Bosnian Croats joined the partisan movement, fighting against the Axis forces and the Ustaše regime. Some of them includedpeople's heroessuch asFranjo Kluz,Ivan Marković Irac, Stipe Đerek, Karlo Batko, Ante Šarić "Rade Španac" and others. From the very beginning of the uprising against the Axis, many Bosnian Croats became commanders of partisan units (e.g., Josip Mažar-Šoša, Ivica Marušić-Ratko etc.), even though the units themselves were predominantly composed of Serbs.[46]The territory that partisans liberated and managed to keep under their control from November 1942 to January 1943 (dubbed theRepublic of Bihać) included all of ruralWestern Herzegovinawest of Neretva and Široki Brijeg, including Livno.Livnoand its area, under partisan control from August to October 1942, was very important for Bosnian Croat resistance, as keyCPPmembers Florijan Sučić and Ivan Pelivan joined the resistance and mobilized many other Croats.[47]Bosnian Croats' representatives, among which Mostar lawyerCvitan Spužević,also actively participated in the provisional assembly of the country,ZAVNOBiH(State Anti-fascist Council for the National Liberation of Bosnia and Herzegovina). ZAVNOBiH proclaimed the statehood of Bosnia-Herzegovina and the equality of Muslims, Croats, and Serbs in the country in its historic session in 1943. The firstgovernmentofPeople's Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovinain 1945 included several prominent Croats - Jakov Grgurić (deputy prime minister),Cvitan Spužević(minister of construction), Ante Babić (education), and Ante Martinović (forestry).[48][49]

After the partisans liberated most of Yugoslavia and NDH collapsed in May 1945, some NDH soldiers and civilians retreated to the British-occupied zone in Austria. Many of them were killed in theBleiburg repatriations.[50]In the closing stages of the war and the immediate aftermath, some Bosnian Croats who previously supported the Ustaše regime or were merely perceived as potential opponents of the new communist Yugoslavia were persecuted or executed (notably,Herzegovina friars).

Total casualties and losses of Bosnian Croats in World War II and the aftermath are estimated at 64–79,000.[51]According to the statisticianBogoljub Kočović,the relative war losses of Bosnian Croats, compared to their expected population in 1948, was 11.4%.[52]According to the demographerVladimir Žerjavić,17,000 Bosnian Croats died in partisan ranks, 22,000 in NDH forces, while 25,000 lost their lives as civilians; of civilians, almost ¾ or 19,000 died as a result of Axis terror or inUstaše concentration camps.[53]

At the end of 1977, 8.8% of Bosnian recipients of veteran's pensions were Croats,[54]while during the WWII Croats composed around 23% of the country's population.[citation needed]

Socialist Yugoslavia[edit]

Main article:Socialist Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina

After the war,Bosnia and Herzegovinabecame one of the 6 constitutive republics of Socialist Yugoslavia. Intensive state campaigns of nationalization of property, followed by industrialization and urbanization variously affected Bosnian Croats. While some centers and areas prospered, other rural areas underwent depopulation and urban flight, as well as (most notably in western Herzegovina) high rates of emigration to the Western world.

Officeholders usually rotated among the three ethnic communities in Bosnia and Herzegovina. In the 1980s, many Bosnian Croat politicians were in high positions - for instance,Ante Marković,Branko Mikulić,andMato Andrić.

Bosnian War[edit]

HVO soldier fires a 122mm Howitzer D-30J

Citizens of theSocialist Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovinavoted for the independence of Bosnia and Herzegovina in thereferendumthat was held between 29 February and 1 March 1992.[55]The referendum question was: "Are you in favor of a sovereign and independent Bosnia-Herzegovina, a state of equal citizens and nations of Muslims, Serbs, Croats, and others who live in it?"[56]Independence was strongly favoured by Bosniak and Bosnian Croat voters, but the referendum was largely boycotted byBosnian Serbs.The total turnout of voters was 63.6% of which 99.7% voted for the independence of Bosnia and Herzegovina.[57]

On 5 April 1992, Serb forces started theSiege of Sarajevo.On 12 May,Yugoslav People's Armyleft Bosnia and Herzegovina and left most of the arms to theArmy of Republika Srpska,headed byRatko Mladić.The first unit to oppose Serb forces in Bosnia and Herzegovina was theCroatian Defence Forces(HOS) founded byCroatian Party of Rights of Bosnia and Herzegovinaon 18 December 1991.[58]TheCroatian Community of Herzeg-Bosniaestablished its own force, theCroatian Defence Council(HVO) on 8 April 1992. HVO consisted of 20 to 30% of Bosniaks who joined HVO because local Muslim militias were unable to arm themselves.[59]Croatian Community of Herzeg-Bosnia was founded on 18 November 1991 as a community of municipalities where the majority of the population were Croats. In its founding acts, Herzeg-Bosnia had no separatist character. TheCroatian Republic of Herzeg-Bosniawas declared by the Bosnian Croat leadership as a temporary region, which after the war ended, would again become part of a united Bosnia and Herzegovina.[60]

Slobodan Milošević,Alija IzetbegovićandFranjo Tuđmansigning theDayton Peace Accordson 14 December 1995

At the beginning of theBosnian War,Bosnian Croats were first to organize themselves, especially Croats in western Herzegovina who were already armed. At the end of May 1992, Croats launched a counter-offensive, liberating Mostar after a month of fighting.[61]Also, in central Bosnia and Posavina, Croatian forces stopped the Serbian advance, and in some places, they repelled the enemy. On 16 June 1992, the president of Croatia,Franjo Tuđman,and the president of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina,Alija Izetbegović,signed an alliance according to which, Bosnia and Herzegovina legalized the activity of Croatian Army and Croatian Defence Council on its territory. Bosnian Croat political leadership and the leadership of Croatia urged Izetbegović to form aconfederationbetween Bosnia and Herzegovina and Croatia, but Izetbegović denied this since he tried to represent Serbian interests as well as those of Bosniaks and Croats. The Bosnian Croat leadership was irritated by Izetbegović's neutrality, soMate Bobanthreatened to pull back the HVO from actions in Bosnia.[60]Since the UN implemented an embargo on Bosnia and Herzegovina on the import of arms, Bosniak and Croat forces had difficulties fighting Serbian units, which were supplied with arms from the Middle East, just before the outbreak of war. However, after Croat and Bosniak forces reorganized in late May 1992, the Serbian advance was halted and their forces mostly remained in their positions during the war.[62]The tensions between Croats and Bosniaks started on 19 June 1992, but the real war began in October.

TheCroat-Bosniak Warwas at its peak in 1993. In March 1994, the Bosniak and Croat leadership signed theWashington agreement,according to which, theArmy of the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina(ARBiH)-controlled and HVO-controlled areas were united into theFederation of Bosnia and Herzegovina.After the Washington agreement was signed, theCroatian Army,HVO and ARBiH liberated southwestern Bosnia and Herzegovina in seven military operations. In December 1995, the Bosnian War ended with the signing of theDayton agreement.However, the same agreement caused problems in Bosnia and Herzegovina and was largely ineffective. According to the information published by the Research and Documentation Centre in Sarajevo, 7,762 Croats were killed or missing. From the territory of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, 230,000 Croats were expelled, while from the territory ofRepublika Srpska,152,856 Croats were expelled.[63]

Demographics[edit]

class=notpageimage|
Demographic distribution of Croats of BiH. 91% of country's Croats live in theFederation
2013 census
Geographical distribution of Croats (2013): share of Croats living in a municipality in the total number of Croats
Share of Croats in settlements of Bosnia and Herzegovina, 1991 census

Comprising 15.43% of the country's population. Currently, according to the2013 census,91% of them live in theFederation of Bosnia and Herzegovina,while just 5.4% and 3.2% live inRepublika SrpskaandBrčko District,respectively. In Republika Srpska, Croat share in the entity population is just 2% (29,645), while in Brčko it stands at 20.7% (17,252). On the other hand, in the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croats form 22.4% of the entity's population. Four out of ten Federal cantons have a Croat majority. All Croat-majority municipalities are located in this entity as well.

According to the Croatian Ministry of Interior, 384,631 Croatian citizens had registered residence in Bosnia and Herzegovina in July 2019.[citation needed]

Municipalities[edit]

Most of the municipalities with a clear Croat majority form two compact regions. One is in the southwest of the country, along the border with Croatia, from Kupres and Livno in the northwest alongWest Herzegovinato Ravno in the southeast (Široki Brijeg,Ljubuški,Livno,Čitluk,Tomislavgrad,Čapljina,Posušje,Grude,Prozor-Rama,Stolac,Neum,Kupres,Ravno). Around 40% of the country's and 45% of the Federation's Croats live here. The second isPosavina Cantonin the north (Orašje,Odžak,Domaljevac-Šamac). This canton's share of the Croat population is 6%. Other Croat-majority or -plurality municipalities are enclaves inCentral Bosniaand around Zenica (Dobretići,Vitez,Busovača,Kiseljak,Usora,Kreševo,Žepče). In ethnically mixedJajceandNovi Travnikin Central Bosnia, Croats form 46% of the population.

InMostararea, Croats comprise the plurality of the population both in the municipality (48.4%) and the city itself (49%).[64]Mostar is the largest city inHerzegovinaand the city with the largest Croat population in the country (51,216 in the area and 29,475 in the urban district). Croats comprise an overwhelming majority in the western part of both the city and the entire municipality.[64]

Croats comprise 41% of the population inUskoplje,a third inVarešandPelagićevo,and a quarter inGlamočandDonji Žabar.InGrahovo,Croats make up around 15% of the population.

In addition to that, 762 Croats form the plurality (40.4%) in the ethnically diverse small town of Glamoč.[65]

Cantons[edit]

There are 4 Croat-majority cantons and in total 6 cantons in which Croats form more than 10% of the population.

Canton Croats % Share in
total Croat population
West Herzegovina 93,783 96.82% 17.21%
Canton 10 64,604 76.79% 11.86%
Posavina Canton 33,600 77.32% 6.17%
Central Bosnia Canton 97,629 38.33% 17.92%
Herzegovina-Neretva Canton 118,297 53.29% 21.71%
Zenica-Doboj Canton 43,819 12.02% 8.04%

Demographic history[edit]

A Croat from Central Bosnia (1901)
Ethnic totals and percentages
Year/Population Croats % Total BiH Population
1921 444,308 23.50% 1,890,440
1931 547,949 23.58% 2,323,555
1948 614,123 23.93% 2,565,277
1953 654,229 22.97% 2,847,790
1961 711,666 21.71% 3,277,948
1971 772,491 20.62% 3,746,111
1981 758,140 18.39% 4,124.008
1991 760,852 17.38% 4,377,053
2013 544,780 15.43% 3,531,159
Official Population Census Results

Ottoman Empire[edit]

Ethnic composition of Bosnia-Herzegovina, 1910. Croats in blue

In 1624, there were around 450,000 Muslims (67%), 150,000 Catholics (22%) and 75,000 Orthodox Christians (11%).[66]In 1776, according to Klaić, there were around 50,000 Catholics in Bosnia. However, the Turkish censuses were biased, and they only numbered the houses and later exclusively included the male population.[67]Throughout this period, the Catholic majority persisted in the southwest of the country (western Herzegovina), parts of central Bosnia, and Posavina, mostly in rural areas.

Austria-Hungary and Kingdom of Yugoslavia[edit]

Ethnic composition of Yugoslavia in 1940, detail. Croats in blue
Ethnic composition of Yugoslavia in 1940, detail. Croats in blue

DuringAustro-Hungarian rule(1878–1918), the number and share of Croats started to slowly increase. Croats from Croatia moved to the country to work in the Austro-Hungarian administration or as teachers, doctors and officers. According to the Croatian authorVjekoslav Klaić,at the beginning of the period, in 1878, there were 646,678 Orthodox Christians (respectively Serbs, 48.4%), 480,596 Muslims (35.9%), 207,199 Catholics (respectively Croats, 15.5%) and 3,000 Jews (0.2%).[29]In 1895, Bosnia and Herzegovina had 1,336,091 inhabitants, of which there were 571,250 Orthodox Christians (42.76%), 492,710 Muslims (36,88%), 265,788 Catholics (19.89%), 5,805 Jews (0.43%) and 53 others (0.04%).[citation needed]The slow process of nation-building on one hand and the Austrian-Hungarian administration's downplaying of ethnic differences and nationalism while trying to keepCroatianandSerbianinfluence on the country at bay, on the other hand, make it difficult to assess the actual ethnic allegiance at this period.

According to the 1931 census, Bosnia and Herzegovina had 2,323,787 inhabitants of which Serbs made 44.25%, Muslims 30.90%, Croats 23.58% and others made 1.02% of the total population.[citation needed]

Socialist Yugoslavia[edit]

The first Yugoslav census recorded a decreasing number of Croats; from the first census in 1948 to the last one in 1991, the percentage of Croatians decreased from 23% to 17.3%, even though the total number increased. According to the 1953 census, Croats were in the majority in territories which became part of Banovina of Croatia in 1939. Their total number was 654,229, which is 23,00% of the total population of Bosnia and Herzegovina. According to the 1961 census, Croats made up 21.7% of the total population, and their number was 711,660. After that, districts were divided into smaller municipalities.

According to the 1971 census, Croats were 20.6% of the total population, and their number was 772,491. According to the 1981 census, Croats made up 18.60% of the total population, and their number was 767,247. In comparison to the 1971 census, for the first time, the percentage of Croats was below 20%, and after 1981, their percentage continued to fall. From 1971 to 1991, the percentage of Croats fell due to emigration into Croatia and Western Europe.[68][69]Nevertheless, the fall in population percentage is only absent in western Herzegovina municipalities where Croats account for more than 98% of the population. According to the 1991 census, Croats were 17.3% of the total population, and their number was 755,895.

Bosnian War[edit]

The total number of Croats in Bosnia and Herzegovina continued to fall, especially after the Bosnian War broke out in 1992. Soon, an exodus of Bosnian Croats occurred when a large number of Croats were expelled from central Bosnia and Posavina. According to the 1996 census, made by UNHCR and officially unrecognized, there were 571,317 Croats in the country (14.57%). In the territory of theHerzeg-Bosnia,the percentage of Croats slightly changed, although, their total number was reduced.

Education[edit]

The Napredak Palace Board members in 1911

The first educational institutions of Bosnian Croats were monasteries, of which the most significant were those inKreševo,Fojnica,Kraljeva SutjeskaandTolisa,and later monasteries in Herzegovina, of which most significant are those inHumacandŠiroki Brijeg.The most significant people working for the elementary education of Bosnian Croats in the 19th century wereIvan Franjo JukićandGrgo Martić,who founded and organized elementary schools throughout Bosnia and Herzegovina. In 1887, many elementary schools were founded in Bosnia and Herzegovina along with theOrder of Sisters of St. Francis,whose classes were led methodologically and professionally, so Bosnian Croat schools were, at the end of the Ottoman era and beginning of Austrian-Hungarian occupation, the same as elementary schools in rest of Europe. The educational system of Bosnia and Herzegovina during communism was based on a mixture of nationalities and the suppression of Croat identity. With the foundation of the Croatian Community of Herzeg-Bosnia, Bosnian Croat schools took the educational system from Croatia.

At the same time, University Džemal Bijedić of Mostar was renamed toUniversity of Mostarwith Croatian as the official language. This university is the only one in Bosnia and Herzegovina to use Croatian as the official language. After signing the Dayton accords, jurisdiction over education in Republika Srpska was given to the RS Government, while in the Federation, jurisdiction over education was given to the cantons. In municipalities with a Croat majority or significant minority, schools with Croatian as an official language also exist, while in the territories where there is only a small number of Croats, Catholic centres perform education. Other education institutes areHKD Napredak,the Scientific Research Institute of the University of Mostar, the Croatian Lexicographic Institute of Bosnia and Herzegovina, and the Institute for Education in Mostar.

Language[edit]

Main article:Croatian language

Croats of Bosnia and Herzegovina speakCroatian,a standardized variety ofSerbo-Croatian.

Politics[edit]

See also:Politics of Bosnia and HerzegovinaandProposed Croat federal unit in Bosnia and Herzegovina

State level[edit]

Building of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina in 2004

Croats of Bosnia and Herzegovina, as well as other two constitutive nations, have their representative in thePresidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina.The Presidency has three members, one Bosniak, one Croat, and one Serb. Bosniak and Croat are elected in theFederation of Bosnia and Herzegovina,while Serb is elected in theRepublika Srpska.[70]

The current Croat member of the Presidency isŽeljko Komšićof theDF.

TheParliamentary Assembly of Bosnia and Herzegovinahas two chambers,House of RepresentativesandHouse of Peoples.House of Peoples has 15 members, five Bosniaks, five Croats, and five Serbs. Bosniak and Croat members of the House of Peoples are elected in theParliament of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina,while five Serb members are elected in theNational Assembly of Republika Srpska.The 42 members of the House of Representatives are elected directly by voters, two-thirds are from the Federation while one-third is from the Republika Srpska.[70]

Federal level[edit]

Flag of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina between 1996 and 2007 showing a controversial Bosniak and a Croatian symbol

TheParliament of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovinaconsists also of two chambers,House of Representatives,which consists of 98 members, andHouse of Peoplesthat consists of 58 members.[71]

Members of the House of Representatives are elected directly by the citizens of Bosnia and Herzegovina, while members of the House of Peoples are selected by thecantonalassemblies. There are 17 representatives in the House of Peoples of each constitutive nation, Bosniaks, Croats, and Serbs.[71]Other 7 representatives are those of national minorities.

In electing thepresidentand two vice-presidents of the Federation, at least one-third of the delegates of the respective Bosniak, Croat or Serb caucuses in the House of Peoples may nominate the president and two vice presidents of the Federation. The election for the president and two vice presidents of the Federation shall require the joint approval of the list of three nominees, by a majority vote in the House of Representatives, and then by a majority vote in the House of Peoples, including the majority of each constituent people's caucus.[71]The current president of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina isMarinko Čavaraof the Croatian Democratic Union.

The Government of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina needs to be composed of 16 ministers, 8 Bosniaks, 5 Croats and 3 Serbs.[71]

In January 2017,Croatian National Assemblystated that "if Bosnia and Herzegovina wants to become self-sustainable, then it is necessary to have an administrative-territorial reorganization, which would include afederal unit with a Croatian majority.It remains the permanent aspiration of the Croatian people of Bosnia and Herzegovina. "[72]

Political parties[edit]

Currently, there are several Croatian political parties in Bosnia and Herzegovina, many corresponding to parties within Croatia itself. TheCroatian Democratic Union of Bosnia and Herzegovina(HDZ BiH),Croatian Democratic Union 1990(HDZ 1990) are the most popular parties.

HDZ was founded in 1990 and is a major political party among the Croats of Bosnia and Herzegovina, being the most powerful during the Bosnian War (1992–1995) and the existence of the Croatian Republic of Herzeg-Bosnia (1991–1994). HDZ isChristian democratic,conservative andpro-Europeanistpolitical party.[73]

HDZ 1990 is a split party of the Croatian Democratic Union, founded in 2006, however, their ideology is very similar to one of the HDZ. HDZ 1990 is also Christian democratic and pro-Europeanist.[74]

Open issues[edit]

A conference was held inNeum,Bosnia and Herzegovinaon October 27 and 28, 2005, under the title "Constitutional position of Croats in Bosnia and Herzegovina - language, education, culture, and media" (Croatian:Ustavno-pravni položaj Hrvata u BiH - jezik, obrazovanje, kultura i mediji).

It was organized by theUniversity of Mostarand theCroatian Society of Arts and Science.It produced theDeclaration of the constitutional-law position of Croats in Bosnia and Herzegovina.(The words "constitutional-law position" refer to the position ofCroatsas one of theconstitutive nations of Bosnia and Herzegovina).PresidentIvo Miro Jovićsponsored the conference and it also received support from many other organizations.

The Declaration produced several demands about the equal treatment of the Croatian population in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Most significant of these was the creation of three republics within the nation:

  • "Starting from the scientific cognition and practical experiences, we think, that in consultation with the representatives of Serbian and Bosniak people and the International Community, we should organize Bosnia and Herzegovina as a compound federal state, composed of three federal units and three levels of government. Since only the republic, as a democratic form of the rule of nations, includes and guarantees the highest level of democracy, political, cultural, and every other autonomy, we pledge for the establishment of three republics for three sovereign nations, which is in full accordance with the provisions of the United Nations Pact on the civil, social and cultural rights to the equality of all nations regardless of their numerousness."

The Declaration upheld the right to learn Croatian in school as well as the need for the preservation of their people's culture. Another important issue was the need for a Croattelevision stationwithin the country.

Culture[edit]

See also:Culture of Bosnia and Herzegovina

Art[edit]

See also:Croatian art

In the area near theNeretvariver, a Hellenised Illyrian tribe, the Daorsi, spread cultural influences from Greece. Their capitalDaorsononOršćaninearStolacis today the most significant center of antic culture in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The complex of the terraced shrine near Gradac nearPosušje,built in 183, was dedicated to a dead Roman Emperor,Marcus Aurelius.Late Roman art in Bosnia and Herzegovina was characterized by the building of villas, Christian mausoleums, basilicas, and oratories like Vila "Mogorjelo" nearČapljina(early 4th century). The influence ofromanesque architecturearrived in Bosnia and Herzegovina across Croatia, but it was never completely accepted, only its elements were used. Such buildings are St. Luke's Tower inJajce(15th century) or motives ofstećaktombstones. Valuable manuscripts of Bosnian origin occur at this time.

Hrvoje's Missalis the most significant artwork of the medieval Bosnian Croats, written in the 15th century. During the 15th and 16th centuries, Bosnia and Herzegovina was under Ottoman rule, which destroyed the influence of theRenaissanceandBaroque,the impact of which was only present inFranciscanmonasteries inVisoko,Kreševo,Fojnica,andKraljeva Sutjeska.The first Bosnian Croat painters were educated in European academies inVienna,Munich,Prague,Kraków,BudapestandParis.Their education was funded byHKD Napredak.The most famous Bosnian Croat painters areGabrijel Jurkić,Karlo Mijić,Branko Radulović,andPetar Šain.Statuary was reduced to the memorial portraits, of which the most famous is that ofRobert Frangeš-MihanovićandSputani genije,a statue on the grave ofSilvije Strahimir Kranjčevićbuilt byRudolf Valdec.After World War II, the Association of Artists of Bosnia and Herzegovina was founded along with the Painting State School and Sarajevo Art Gallery. Architectural Regionalism is seen in the 1970s in buildings such as the department storesRazvitakin Mostar (1970) and in Jajce (1976). The best example of Functionalism is the multiple award-winning hotelRužain Mostar (1979).

Literature[edit]

See also:Croatian literature

Bosnian Croat literature consists of works written in Croatian by authors who originated from Bosnia and Herzegovina and are considered part ofCroatian literature.It consists of pre-Ottoman literature (first written monuments, texts of the Bosnian Church, diplomatic and law documents, manuscripts on tombstones),Bosna Srebrenaliterature (prayer books, catechisms, collections of sermons, biographies of saints, monastery yearbooks, first historical works, poems and memoirs, travel books, grammars of Latin and Croatian, and lexicographic works), national awakening literature (the foundation of various associations, reading rooms, libraries in which writing courses were held), the literature of Bosnian Muslims (various Bosniak writers made a significant impact on Croatian literature and were influenced by other Croat authors) and modern Bosnian Croat literature.

The best known contributors to the Bosnian Croat literature areIvan Aralica,Mirko Kovač,Ivo Kozarčanin,Silvije Strahimir Kranjčević,Tomislav Ladan,Vitomir Lukić,Grgo Martić,Matija Mažuranić,andAntun Branko Šimić.

Music[edit]

Gusle

The traditional music of Croats of Bosnia and Herzegovina is related toganga,klapa,gusle,tamburicaandšargija.Those ways of singing and musical instruments are part of the Bosnian Croat national identity. Ganga, klapa, and gusle are most widespread on the territory of western Herzegovina, even though they can be seen in eastern Herzegovina and Bosnia. Tamburica is popular inPosavinaand central Bosnia. Šargija is widespread in northern Bosnia, fromPosavinatoOlovoandVareš.

The most known singers of modern Bosnian Croat music areŽeljko BebekandJura Stublić.Some new known singers includeMate Bulić,Ivan Mikulić,Nikša Bratoš,Ivana Marić,theFeminnemgirl band, and others. Some other well-known Croatian singers originate from Bosnia and Herzegovina, includingIvo Fabijan,Boris Novković,Vesna Pisarovićand others. There are two significant music festivals,Melodije Mostara(Melodies of Mostar) andEtnofest Neumon which musicians from Croatia also participate. Alongside traditional music, some other musical genres also developed, likeheavy metal,hip hop,house andtechno.

Religion[edit]

Pope John Paul II and Cardinal Vinko Puljić in front of the Sarajevo cathedral
Main article:Catholic Church in Bosnia and Herzegovina

Croats are the core of theCatholic Church in Bosnia and Herzegovina.The metropolitan diocese is theArchdiocese of Vrhbosna.There are also dioceses centered inBanja LukaandMostar,of which Mostar is the largest.Vinko Puljićis the currentCardinalandArchbishop of Vrhbosna.TheSacred Heart Cathedralin Sarajevo is the largest cathedral in Bosnia and Herzegovina,[75]and is the seat of theRoman Catholic Archdiocese of Vrhbosna.The other three Roman Catholic cathedrals in Bosnia and Herzegovina are theCathedral of Saint BonaventureinBanja Luka,theCathedral of Mary, Mother of the ChurchinMostar,and theCathedral of the Birth of MaryinTrebinje.

There are numerous monasteries throughout the region. The oldest is the 14th-centuryMonastery of the Holy Spiritlocated in Fojnica in central Bosnia, which houses a large library filled with many historical documents dating back to medieval Bosnia. Two other well-known monasteries are theGuča Gora MonasterynearTravnikandKraljeva Sutjeska MonasterynearKakanj,both located in central Bosnia. The rest of the monasteries in the region are theMonastery of St. Anthonyin Sarajevo, theMonastery of St. MarkinDerventa,Gorica MonasteryinLivno,and theAssumption of Mary MonasteryinProzor-Rama.Oldest saved church in Bosnia is Old Church of St. Michael inVareš.It has been built before the 16th century. The parish ofMeđugorjeis a significantMarian shrinewhich attracts approximately one million visitors annually. It became a popular site of religious pilgrimage due to reports of apparitions of theVirgin Maryto six local Catholics in 1981.[76]Over a thousand hotel and hostel beds are available for religious tourism.

Sports[edit]

Croatian-run clubs are well represented in terms of national championships in relation to the percentage of Croats in the population. Infootball,HŠK Zrinjski Mostar,NK Široki Brijeg,NK Žepče,HŠK Posušje,andHNK Orašjeare some of the most successful. Collectively, they have won threenational Cupand fivenational Championshipssince the national competition began in 2000. Other Croatian-run clubs areNK Brotnjo,NK SAŠK Napredak,NK Ljubuški,HNK Sloga Uskoplje.The clubs are often among the nation's most multi-ethnic.

Prior to 2000, the Croats ran their own unapprovedfootball league.However, they have joined theUEFA-approvedFootball Association of Bosnia and Herzegovina's league system. Bosnia and Herzegovina has produced many successful internationals, both for theCroatia national teamand thenational team of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Notes[edit]

a.^The flag was declared unconstitutional by the Constitutional Court of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is, however still used by the governments of the two cantons. It is also used by theCroatian National Assemblyas anethnic flagof Croats in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

See also[edit]

Wikimedia Commons has media related toCroats of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

References[edit]

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