History Week “History at 13” held - a student initiative of the “Homo volans” Club

Organized by the History Students’ Club “Homo volans,” the University Department of History at the Catholic University of Croatia marked its Department Day this year, from April 15 to 22, 2026, for the first time through the event “History Week - History at 13,” designed as a multi-day program bringing together academic, research, and student activities. The event consisted of three program segments: a series of lectures, round tables, and workshops; the student symposium “In fonte veritas”; and the exhibition “File: Silenced - History Between Archives and Silence.” The program was structured both chronologically and thematically, following the development of historical periods and methodological approaches within the discipline.

The opening segment focused on contemporary history and visual culture and began with the round table “Society, Space, Time: Migrations from the Second Yugoslavia to the Present,” featuring Associate Professor Mario Bara, PhD; Associate Professor Tado Jurić, PhD; Prof. Josip Mihaljević, PhD; and Associate Professor Mario Kevo, PhD. The discussion addressed the historical causes of migration during socialist Yugoslavia, with particular emphasis on the migration policy of the Federal Republic of Germany in the 1960s, while also touching on contemporary migration processes in the Republic of Croatia and their social, demographic, and cultural implications.

Following this, Prof. Tomislav Anić, PhD, delivered a lecture titled “The Power of the Image and the Image of Power: The Iconography of Postage Stamps from 1945 to 1955,” demonstrating how postage stamps, as visual and communication media, were used to shape public discourse and convey political messages in socialist Yugoslavia, particularly in the representation of political figures. The lecture also included a comparative analysis of different stamp series and active student participation in interpreting visual elements, further highlighting the importance of visual sources in historiography.

On the second day, the program shifted chronologically backwards, covering topics from early modern and modern history with an emphasis on methodological approaches. In this context, Assistant Professor Stipe Ledić, PhD, delivered a lecture titled “Fidelitas Regnorum Croatiae et Sclavoniae in principes according to the Treatise of Toma Kovačević,” presenting key aspects of the life and work of Toma Kovačević, archdeacon of Varaždin and Čazma, and his contribution to the study of the history of the Diocese of Zagreb. Special attention was given to his work Cathalogus Praesulum Zagrabiensium, which provides an overview of the lives and activities of Zagreb bishops and canons.

This was followed by a lecture by Associate Professor Kristina Puljizević, PhD, titled “Life on the Border: The Habsburg Sanitary Cordon between Dalmatia and the Ottoman Empire from 1797 to the 1830s,” which presented the system of control points established to prevent the spread of infectious diseases. The lecture also highlighted similarities with contemporary forms of spatial and population control, as well as the role of Dubrovnik as a trading hub that, thanks to organized measures, managed to avoid epidemics.

Particular attention was drawn to the workshop on German Gothic script, organized in cooperation with the Croatian Institute of History under the guidance of Dr. Vedran Klaužer and Dr. Juraj Balić, and coordinated by Dr. Filip Hren. During the workshop, students worked with original documents to refine their skills in reading and interpreting historical sources.

The third day was dedicated to medieval topics, with a transition toward ancient and late antique history. As part of the round table “Medieval Studies and Medievalism on the Medieval State and Statehood,” featuring Prof. Ivan Majnarić, PhD; Associate Professor Zrinka Pešorda Vardić, PhD; and Associate Professor Trpimir Vedriš, PhD, the discussion addressed the ways in which the medieval state and statehood are reconstructed in historiography, with an emphasis on the relationship between sources, interpretation, and contemporary methodological approaches. Participants connected popular perceptions of the Middle Ages with recent research and, based on sources, presented how medieval authority functioned. It was concluded that approaches to the Middle Ages should be critical and free from simplified interpretations.

The program was then rounded off with lectures covering ancient and late antique history. Associate Professor Siniša Bilić-Dujmušić, PhD, in his presentation “Salona in 49 BC,” examined the political, social, and military circumstances in Roman Dalmatia in the context of the civil war between Julius Caesar and Pompey, while Prof. Ines Sabotič, PhD, in her lecture “Christian Historians of Late Antiquity,” analyzed the key features of early Christian historiography and its relationship to the classical tradition.

The central part of the celebration of the Day of the University Department of History was the formal academic ceremony held on April 21, during which departmental awards and acknowledgements were presented. This was followed in the afternoon by the opening of the exhibition “File: Silenced - History Between Archives and Silence.”

The exhibition is an original student project that examines the relationship between historical sources, interpretation, and the limits of historical knowledge, starting from the premise that history is not a closed set of facts, but an open and inherently unfinished process of reconstructing the past based on fragmentary and selectively preserved traces. In this context, the archive is not viewed as a neutral space of memory, but as a site of selection in which, alongside what is recorded, silence is also produced - that which is omitted, suppressed, or lost.

The exhibition is designed as a series of thematic files connected by the visual motif of a red thread, symbolizing the attempt to establish connections among fragmented traces of the past. It is structured into three thematic units - “Control and Knowledge,” “Fear and Persecution,” and “Cases That Escape” - through which the mechanisms of shaping, filtering, and silencing history are examined. Through selected cases from different historical periods and contexts, patterns of selection, violence, and interpretative ambiguity that shape our understanding of the past are presented.

Rather than offering definitive answers, the exhibition encourages visitors to read sources not only through what is written, but also through gaps, inconsistencies, and silences that point to the limits of historiographical knowledge. The exhibition was conceived and realized by students of the Department - Iva Mihekovec, Kristina Martinelli, Adrijana Kikić, Marija Kanižaj, Marija Đurić, Renato Kozarić, Ivan Pirić, Teo Martinelli, and Dominik Bučar - in collaboration with Assistant Veronika Novoselac, MA in History and Communication. This marked the conclusion of the central part of the event, followed by the final segment focused on student research work.

The final segment was marked by the second student symposium “In fonte veritas,” dedicated to the theme of the Papacy, continuing the continuity of last year’s scientific gathering and confirming its importance as a platform for the development of student research at the University Department of History.

The symposium was opened with a plenary lecture by Tomislav Matić, PhD, on the Diocese of Zagreb in the context of the Council of Basel, establishing a broader historical and analytical framework for understanding the relationship between ecclesiastical institutions and political structures in the late Middle Ages. This was followed by ten student presentations organized into four thematic sessions.

The first session addressed questions of papal authority and court culture in the late medieval period, including the case of Girolamo Savonarola, the representation of papal power through everyday court life, and relations between the Papacy and local ecclesiastical structures. The second session focused on the relationship between the Papacy and secular authority in the context of Byzantium and early medieval Croatian history, examining issues of political and religious legitimacy as well as historiographical interpretations of key events.

The third session covered early modern topics, particularly the role of the Papacy in global processes such as the colonization of the New World, as well as its reform and institutional interventions, including calendar reform and the education of the clergy. The final session explored the role of the Papacy in the modern era, with an emphasis on its relationship to social and political changes, including the establishment of church hierarchy in Bosnia and Herzegovina and the attitudes of the Catholic Church toward totalitarian regimes of the 20th century.

The presentations were based on the analysis of diverse primary sources - from medieval charters and papal bulls to early modern and contemporary documents - clearly highlighting the methodological orientation of the study program toward source-based research. This approach enabled a deeper understanding of historical processes, while also providing insight into the complexity of interpretation, the limitations of sources, and the need for critical distance in historiographical work.

A particular value of the symposium was reflected in the active role of students, who, through their own research, demonstrated the ability for independent analysis, argumentation, and critical reflection on historical phenomena. In this way, “In fonte veritas” confirmed its role not only as a central student scientific event, but also as an important component of History Week, contributing to the development of the academic community and the formation of a new generation of young historians.

History Week “History at 13” demonstrated how the integration of teaching, research, and student activities can result in a program that goes beyond individual events and creates a space for dialogue, critical reflection, and academic exchange. The diversity of topics, methodological openness, and active student participation confirm its significance as an important part of the identity of the University Department of History and point to its potential for further development as a lasting academic practice.