Bosnia: A Cultural History

by Ivan Lovrenovic

Overview

While the contemporary political history of Bosnia has been played out on television for international audiences, the complicated cultural basis for recent historical events remains largely unknown. Why did Bosnians who spoke the same language fracture along religious and ethnic lines? Is there a distinct Bosnian nation and Bosnian culture? What does it mean to be Bosnian if one is Serbian or Croatian? And what does the future hold for artistic and intellectual life in Bosnia?
In Bosnia: A Cultural History, Ivan Lovrenovic provides a complex and detailed account of Bosnian history from a unique and often overlooked perspective. Focusing on the changes in religious, cultural, and ethnic influences from Paleolithic times to the present, Lovrenovic's analysis probes deep into the Bosnian past and helps to enlighten the reader as to the present and potential future of this troubled land.
The evolution of the Bosnian Church distinct from the Greek Orthodox and Roman Catholic Churches, the role of Islam and Judaism, religious and secular architecture, ancient and modern prose and poetry, music, radio, film and television are all discussed to offer a comprehensive portrait of Bosnian culture.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780814751794
Publisher:	New York University Press
Publication date:	09/01/2001
Pages:	374
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x 0.90(d)

About the Author

Ivan Lovrenovic is one of Bosnia's most prominent intellectuals and writers. He is the former editor of the literary magazine Odjek and is currently chief editor of Svjetlost, one of the leading publishers in the Balkans.

Table of Contents

	List of Illustrations	6
	List of Maps	8
	Foreword	9
1.	From Palaeolithic Times to Illyrian Tribal Leagues	13
2.	The Illyrian World	19
3.	Ancient Illyricum	33
4.	The Early Slav Centuries	39
5.	The Middle Ages	45
6.	A Century and a Half of Turkish Conquest	81
7.	Four Centuries of Turkish Rule	89
8.	The Austro-Hungarian Framework	147
9.	In the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes/Yugoslavia	159
10.	Temporary Disappearance of Bosnia: The 'Independent State of Croatia', 1941-5	169
11.	In Socialist Yugoslavia, 1945-92	179
12.	The 1992-5 War and its Aftermath: Is There a Future?	192
	Culture? Identity?--in Place of an Afterword	214
	Glossary	229
	Chronology	233
	Bibliography	239
	Index	243

What People are Saying About This

From the Publisher

"Lovrenovic's talents lie not in the enumeration of historical facts, but in constructing (or discovering) a narrative to the evolving idea of Bosnia."

-Slavic and European Journal

Editorial Reviews

"Lovrenovic's talents lie not in the enumeration of historical facts, but in constructing (or discovering) a narrative to the evolving idea of Bosnia."

Slavic and European Journal

"Lovrenovic's talents lie not in the enumeration of historical facts, but in constructing (or discovering) a narrative to the evolving idea of Bosnia."

-Slavic and European Journal

From the Publisher