engleski

Banija/Banovina is Sadly Crying - Changing Landscape in Everyday Talks, Songs and Images

The areas of Croatia, occupied during Homeland War (1991-1995), and afflicted by war activities, destruction and migration of population, have experienced, both during war and post-war period, the changes in landscape that have an impact on lives of current and emigrated inhabitants even today. The author discusses one of such areas in Central Croatia. The region Banija/Banovina was occupied from 1991 until 1995, and even today it is the area of unrepaired material and other damages caused by warfare, of insignificant economic and commercial development, undeveloped infrastructure, areas covered with landmines and unfavorable demographic structure. In this area there are 100 000 less inhabitants than twenty years ago, mainly due to war activities, emigration and depopulation. The inhabitants link the questions and problems of everyday life on this area directly with the insufficient number of people and the changes in landscape: deserted villages, overgrown infields, reduction in arable land areas, propagation, disease and exploitation of forests, increase in number of wild animals etc. The inhabitants that emigrated from this area during or after wartime thematize the dismal state of this area, as well as the sorrow for the lost homes and villages, in songs and video clips (among other things). In this presentation the author is focused on analysis and interpretation of narrations of current and emigrated inhabitants in which the localities and markers of landscape are mentioned (river Una, mount Djed, Zrinska gora Mountain, Šamarica forest, plums and plum orchards, fertile fields, dewy grass etc.), as well as the negative changes in the landscape, the regret for passed times and wanted comeback to idealized, never forgotten home. These narrations about post-war landscape of Banija/Banovina are the result and part of much wider political, social and cultural changes and processes. Also, thanks to the interwoven elements of personal and family memories and recollections, past and present experiences of everyday life in this area, they are the reflection of different levels of identification of inhabitants with the space of their living or ancestry.

Banija/Banovina; landscape; everxday talks; songs; images

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