Exploring Croatian Heritage Through Travel
That is a number equal to almost two thirds of the entire population of Croatia! The United States alone is home to a significant percentage of the Croatian diaspora, however, there are also sizeable communities found in Argentina, Canada, Australia, Germany, and Chile.
From the late artist Ivan Meštrović to New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick, Croatians and their descendants have made headlines across the world.
Knowing all that, is it any surprise that so many travelers come to Croatia hoping to reconnect with their Croatian heritage?
Researching Family History in Croatia
One of my jobs as Tasteful Croatian Journeys’ in-country concierge is conducting research and making connections for travelers who wish to explore their Croatian roots through Heritage Travel. I help to our travelers locate and visit their ancestral villages, and at times, even connect with long lost family members.
It is one of the most important and meaningful aspects of my work.
When a traveler approaches us with a heritage request, I begin the multi-step process of collecting the information necessary to begin my research.
First of all, it is important that we gather as much information as possible about our travelers’ families and ancestors. The more information, and more detailed that information is, the better. Some of the most important details we gather are the first and last names, dates of birth, and places of birth of parents, grandparents, etc.
The exact process of my research depends partially on the information provided, and partially on the situation on the ground. Croatia had several significant waves of emigration, from the expansion of the Ottoman Empire in the 15th century, up to the Homeland War in the 1990s. Unfortunately, the wars which spurred many to move also devastated the local communities. Therefore many documents may have been lost, or destroyed. This is one of the reasons it is essential to have a local, like me, on the ground assisting in research.
There are several starting points when researching ancestry and locating family members on behalf of our travelers. I usually begin at the Croatian State Archive in Zagreb. Next, I consult the local archives throughout Croatia as well as local Registrar’s offices and Parish offices. There have even been times when I’ve found helpful information from the City Governments and local Tourist Boards.
At the Croatian State Archive, they have registries of births, deaths, and marriages from the 17th to 19th centuries for some of Croatia’s regions. Until the mid-20th century, the registries were kept by religious communities, so it is necessary to know which religious community the family belonged to. At the State Archive, hard copies of the records are kept in addition to microfilm and CD-s which can be accessed upon arrival with prior announcement.
Sometimes, records are kept at local offices throughout Croatia, as well as local Parish offices. Usually, it takes several phone calls and written correspondence to gather this information.
Often times, our travelers’ origins trace back to small villages throughout the country. In these cases, we also receive support from the local population currently living there. It is not uncommon that families live in the same region for generations and generations, so with their knowledge we can also learn about the families of our travelers. In some cases, I have been able to provide our travelers with the opportunity to return to their ancestral village and visit the site of a family home.
When arranging genealogical tours, it is important to have a professional, English-speaking driver on the ground transporting and traveling with our guests so that they can explore the region, visit the local registrars’ offices, parish offices, cemeteries, etc. Their driver can also serve as an interpreter when needed. Once the guests arrive in the region of their ancestors, we arrange meetings with the local priests, living relatives, or locals who knew their relatives so that guests can learn more about their history and story.
Making Connections With Family in Croatia: One Traveler’s Journey to Genealogical Discovery
This past season, Tasteful Croatian Journeys was fortunate to have a couple travel with us whose journey brought upon happy tears and a most beautiful experience of reconnecting with their roots.
Our travelers, Mr. Daniel and Mrs. Mary Ann Skaljac, wanted to stop in a small village where the Mrs. Skaljac’s ancestors were from and potentially learn about their family home and if there were any existing relatives.
Mr. and Mrs. Skaljac provided information about the first and last names of their parents and grandparents as well as the name of the village where they have lived.
With my first of many phone calls, I learned from the local registrar’s office the exact names of several other relatives that have lived in the region, as well as locations of their houses in the village. I also learned one very important piece of information – that the village is Orthodox and the one that would help me best is the local Paroh.
Immediately, my second call was to the Paroh himself, who was very kind in offering his assistance and support in gathering more information. Generously, he offered to meet our guests in person, and to show them around the village and take them to the local cemetery. My excitement grew more and more as I knew this would indeed be a very interesting moment for our travelers, because priests in Croatia “know everything about everything.” I knew he would be able to share details about the village in the past as well as life there today, which our travelers would surely find interesting.
The next thing I learned from the Paroh was that the village was completely destroyed in the war in the 90s and that unfortunately many of the families had moved away, with only couple of inhabitants left living at the village. The fact that so few people remained made the Paroh’s contribution even more valuable, for he would be one of the few people able to share the story of the village.
I provided the details I had collected to our travelers, including specific meeting information. Meanwhile, I would remain in touch with them, and the Paroh, to coordinate behind the scenes.
In the weeks leading up to their trip, I continued the search for any additional information, like Sherlock Holmes, making use of every resource at my disposal. As I was checking the phonebook, I discovered that there were some people registered to be living in the same village, with the same last name as our travelers’ ancestors. One of them, who I reached out to – born, raised and still living in the village – also offered to welcome and meet Mr. and Mrs. Skaljac upon arrival. He mentioned that his mother; a kind, elderly woman, remembered some of their relatives and that she as well could share her stories.
In the end, life is made of stories, right?
When I shared details of our findings with our travelers prior to their departure, they could not hide their great excitement of the adventure – their journey to reconnecting with their Croatian roots was underway!
After some time spent in Zagreb exploring Croatia’s capital and a visit to Plitvice Lakes National park, the moment had finally arrived when our guests would journey to the village of their ancestors. I had already provided details to our driver and connected him with the Paroh and locals who would welcome them. It happened to be that our driver was helping to rebuild destroyed houses with his father in the same region back in the 90s after the war. Because of this, our travelers had the opportunity to learn even more details about the history of the region thanks to his firsthand experience. They also had the opportunity to meet some of the locals he knew in the area. Upon arrival to the main city of the region, the Paroh welcomed Mr. and Mrs. Skaljac and showed them the main orthodox church and together they proceeded to the village of their ancestors. At the village, they visited the local church which the Paroh opened exclusively for them. While speaking, it happened to be that the Paroh knew one of the locals who our driver met while repairing houses after the war, and shortly after speaking with him, he kindly offered to join them. Indeed, it was a moment to remember, as through the conversation with the local Mr. and Mrs. Skaljac were exhilarated to learn that he knew everything about Mrs. Skaljac’s mother, family, and cousins. Walking around the village, learning about their family, and lastly, visiting the house of their ancestors as well the local cemetery brought tears to their eyes. It was a moment of happiness and joy that our travelers would never forget. After speaking with the driver at the end of the day, and learning about their experiences, I knew my mission was accomplished.
Helping our guests to gain deeper knowledge and understanding of their family’s past is always a very moving experience for me, and something I am very proud to be a part of.