Page 261 - Weiss, Jernej, ur. 2017. Glasbene migracije: stičišče evropske glasbene raznolikosti - Musical Migrations: Crossroads of European Musical Diversity. Koper/Ljubljana: Založba Univerze na Primorskem in Festival Ljubljana. Studia musicologica Labacensia, 1
P. 261
the musical migration: czech musicians in sarajevo
Musical life in Sarajevo between the two world wars was gradually ad-
justing to more advanced musical life of Croatia and Serbia, although the
professionalization of musical institutions is only partially implemented.
Bosnia and Herzegovina entered the Kingdom of Yugoslavia as an under-
developed, and backward region, thus, the dependence on economic cir-
cumstances, in terms of culture, was far more prominent in this area than
other, more developed environments. The results of the cultural policy of
Kingdom of Yugoslavia, in case of Bosnia and Herzegovina and Sarajevo,
boil down to the establishment of National Theatre in Sarajevo, financial
support to the network of state (general) schools and subsidy to the District
School of Music. All other institutions, including Sarajevo Philharmonic
Orchestra, were acting in accordance with the tradition of amateur soci-
eties established in previous, the Austro-Hungarian period. Regardless of
the unfavorable political and economic context, the musical life of Sarajevo
between the two world wars was institutionally achieved.6
Defining the term “musical migration”
The first two decades of Austro-Hungarian rule (1878–1898) marked the
period of the largest-scale Czech immigration to Bosnia and Herzegovi-
na. The first immigrants of Czech origin were soldiers and officers of the
Austro-Hungarian army, though in the following few decades the Czech
immigration was mostly made up of experts in various fields, craftsmen
and farmers.7 Exploitation of natural resources and a need for expert staff
in the process was the main reason for foreigners’ immigration to Bosnia
and Herzegovina. Industry development was accompanied by the develop-
ment of cities, and a need soon arose for expert staff in the fields of trans-
portation, trade, medicine, education, culture and arts. A few thousands
of Czech railway and postal workers, teachers, doctors, pharmacists, mu-
new socialist Yugoslavia after the World War II. Mustafa Imamović, Historija države
i prava Bosne i Hercegovine (Sarajevo: author, 1999), 349–393.
6 Fatima Hadžić, “The institutional framework of musical activities in Sarajevo in the
period between the two world wars,” Musicological Annual, 49/1 (2013): 80–81.
7 The first Czech immigrants to Bosnia and Herzegovina came from Russia. Actual-
ly, in the 1890s, Russian governments ordered Russia-based Czechs to switch to the
Orthodox religion. Refusing the set conditions, Czechs prepared to move again after
16 years spent in Russia. The 1878 occupation was an opportunity to settle in Bosnia
and Herzegovina. Josef Folprecht, Čechoslováci v Jugoslavii (Praha: Spolek Komen-
ský, 1936), 10.
259
Musical life in Sarajevo between the two world wars was gradually ad-
justing to more advanced musical life of Croatia and Serbia, although the
professionalization of musical institutions is only partially implemented.
Bosnia and Herzegovina entered the Kingdom of Yugoslavia as an under-
developed, and backward region, thus, the dependence on economic cir-
cumstances, in terms of culture, was far more prominent in this area than
other, more developed environments. The results of the cultural policy of
Kingdom of Yugoslavia, in case of Bosnia and Herzegovina and Sarajevo,
boil down to the establishment of National Theatre in Sarajevo, financial
support to the network of state (general) schools and subsidy to the District
School of Music. All other institutions, including Sarajevo Philharmonic
Orchestra, were acting in accordance with the tradition of amateur soci-
eties established in previous, the Austro-Hungarian period. Regardless of
the unfavorable political and economic context, the musical life of Sarajevo
between the two world wars was institutionally achieved.6
Defining the term “musical migration”
The first two decades of Austro-Hungarian rule (1878–1898) marked the
period of the largest-scale Czech immigration to Bosnia and Herzegovi-
na. The first immigrants of Czech origin were soldiers and officers of the
Austro-Hungarian army, though in the following few decades the Czech
immigration was mostly made up of experts in various fields, craftsmen
and farmers.7 Exploitation of natural resources and a need for expert staff
in the process was the main reason for foreigners’ immigration to Bosnia
and Herzegovina. Industry development was accompanied by the develop-
ment of cities, and a need soon arose for expert staff in the fields of trans-
portation, trade, medicine, education, culture and arts. A few thousands
of Czech railway and postal workers, teachers, doctors, pharmacists, mu-
new socialist Yugoslavia after the World War II. Mustafa Imamović, Historija države
i prava Bosne i Hercegovine (Sarajevo: author, 1999), 349–393.
6 Fatima Hadžić, “The institutional framework of musical activities in Sarajevo in the
period between the two world wars,” Musicological Annual, 49/1 (2013): 80–81.
7 The first Czech immigrants to Bosnia and Herzegovina came from Russia. Actual-
ly, in the 1890s, Russian governments ordered Russia-based Czechs to switch to the
Orthodox religion. Refusing the set conditions, Czechs prepared to move again after
16 years spent in Russia. The 1878 occupation was an opportunity to settle in Bosnia
and Herzegovina. Josef Folprecht, Čechoslováci v Jugoslavii (Praha: Spolek Komen-
ský, 1936), 10.
259
