[Diplomatic Circuit] Croatia Exhibition showcased at National Library of Korea

The Croatian Embassy in Seoul and National Library of Korea jointly organized the exhibition “Croatian literature and cultural heritage from the Middle Ages to Modern Times.”

The exhibition was held June 28 through Sunday, and presented thousands of years of printed literature in the Croatian language introducing portraits of the main Croatian writers and mutually translated books between the Croatian and Korean languages.

According to the Embassy of Croatia in Seoul, Croatia used Latin and Glagolitic script, and the first documents, manuscripts and monuments in the old Croatian Glagolitic script date back to the early 12th century, like the Baska Tablet dating to around 1100.

The embassy said the law codex of Vinodol, western Croatia, is one of the oldest Slavic law texts written in the Croatian language. It was published in 1288.

The embassy said Croatia is among the few Slavic states that has managed to preserve a significant number of old printed incunabula, from the mid-15th century, just after Gutenberg’s invention of the printing press.

This year’s exhibition showcased old reprints of these books that are also displayed at the exhibition, like the Roman Missal, a liturgical book for the celebration of Mass that was printed in the Croatian language in 1483, only nine years after the original Missale Romanum in Latin was printed in Rome.

The exhibition showcased posters and artifacts of the rich cultural heritage listed by the UNESCO.

The Croatian National University Library and the National Library of Korea have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to promote cooperation.

By Sanjay Kumar (sanjaykumar@heraldcorp.com)