Schools and Press - the Two Pillars of Czech National Identity in Croatia

Czechs in Croatia have maintained their national identity for more than two centuries since the arrival of the first colonists to Slavonia. They truly deserve to be considered the best organized Czech minority in the world. There are 31 Czech "Besedas" (Czech clubs) in Croatia, including the Cultural-Artistic association (dance, vocal, theatre). These organizations cooperate under the Union of Czechs in Croatia which has become the cultural, social as well as administrative centre of Czech minority life. The most significant proof of Czech identity is the Czech language. When it comes to preserving the Czech language within the Czech minority, it is essential that the Czech language remains not only a folklore feature but a means of everyday communication. National identity is a type of collective identity, that lies are collective memory or historical knowledge. Apart from the communication within families, Czech schools and the newspapers published by Jednota help preserve the language as well as the memories of the shared history. The aim of the paper is to show both of these cooperating institutions since their beginning in the 20th century, highlighting their importance for preserving Czech national identity in Croatia.