DIFFERENT RELATIONS TO ONE’S PAST AS CAUSES OF DIVISIONS WITHIN CROATIAN SOCIETY

Nakon uvodnog dijela o korisnim i štetnim podjelama autor najprije govori o odnosu prema vlastitoj prošlosti. Nju treba upoznati i ispraviti što je o njoj pogrešno rečeno te dopuniti što je propušteno. Kršćani razlikuju pamćenje od zlopamćenja. U drugom dijelu navedeno je pet državnih sustava u kojima su Hrvati živjeli u 20. stoljeću. Svaki je od njih za jedne bio povoljan, a za druge nepovoljan. U trećem dijelu navode se i analiziraju poimence neka pitanja o kojima u hrvatskom društvu postoje različiti stavovi. To su: pitanje hrvatske države, pitanje žrtava Drugog svjetskog rata i Domovinskog rata, pitanje hrvatskoga jezika, pitanje konzervativaca i naprednjaka. I na kraju se ističe nova paradigma za prevladavanje podijeljenosti u hrvatskom društvu.Abstract After the introductory section about useful and harmful divisions, the author first talks about the relation to one’s own past. The past must be known, the wrongs said about it must be corrected and what has not been said must be supplemented. Christians distinguish memory from resentment. The second part lists the five State systems in which Croats have lived in the 20th century. Each one of them was beneficial to some and unfavorable to others. In the third part, some questions about which there are different opinions in Croatian society are mentioned and analyzed. These are: the question of the Croatian State; the issue of World War II and Homeland War victims; the question of Croatian language; the question of conservatives and progressives. Finally, a new paradigm for overcoming divisions in Croatian society is emphasized. In today’s Croatian society there are very different opinions about the times and events behind us. It can be said that each of the four political overturns in the 20th century left some with nostalgia about what was gone and with the fear of what was to come. For others there was delight that the earlier political system disappeared and a better one was established. In the Homeland War Croatian society was not so divided within itself as it faced strong aggression from outside. This is why the children of those who were enemies in World War II came together. The idea of reconciling the children of enemies was promoted, but without much success. Many have managed to get used to the new, but there were also those who were disappointed in their expectations. But the fact is that unlike World War II, the fighters for the Croatian State in the Homeland War found themselves among the winners after the war. Although there is no open opposition to the Croatian State, even at the highest governmental positions dissonant voices are heard about how State independence was acquired and how the State functions. A wider consensus about important issues concerning the governance of the State is absent. The broadest and the most accepted view is that the State should not be directed towards a supranational – and even less to an ideological – conformity but towards the aspirations of an entire nation which many politicians have adequately formulated during our history: to have our own national State based on the standards of modern democratic principles. The Church in Croatia will gladly support this and Croatian historiography can also help give expression to it