From Traditional to Digital Archives: The Case of Croatia Ph. D. Hrvoje Stancic , associate professor Department of Information and Communication Sciences Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences University of Zagreb, Croatia hrvoje.stancic@zg.t-com.hr
Contents • Introduction & brief history • Succession and restitution • Archives in Croatia • ARHiNET System • National strategy for digitization • e-Government services • Conclusion 8 July 1071 – King Petar Kresimir defines and confirms Rab diocese
Introduction – Croatia • Geographic position 3
Brief history (relevant for preserved archival materials) 1358 1391 1496 1526 1594 1606-1791 1809 1848 1868-1918 1918 1939 1941 1945-1990 2014 4
Succession and restitution • archives - hold records on identity – personal, institutional, state or national - function as places where collective memory is kept safe - preserve historic facts • every country tries to maintain and protect their archival holdings • centralistic countries – transfer of archival materials to the centers of power 5
Succession and restitution … • Croatian archival materials are still in Austria, Hungary, Italy, Serbia and Slovenia • Serbia (ex-Yugoslavia) - capital (Belgrade) • Archive of the Institute for military history (today Military archive), and (today) Ministry of foreign affairs - central institutions for gathering archival materials from other parts of the country (i.e. from other republics within ex-Yugoslavia) complete documentation from the Ministry of foreign affairs of NDH » (1941-45) was removed from Zagreb to Belgrade archival materials of Croatian military units and labor movement were » moved to the Institute for military history in Belgrade film materials » 6
Succession and restitution … (Serbia) • archival materials important for Croatia - removed from Croatia - created in Belgrade as the capital • the problem significant for succession because of the principle of functional pertinence - each country should give the other the archival materials needed for normal functioning of the central institutions of government • in Belgrade, archive of the Ministry of foreign affairs was transferred to the Military archive in spite of the decision that the materials should be returned to Croatia 7
Succession and restitution … • Hungary - Croatia was part of the Austro-Hungarian empire - restitution process – from 1848 - first archival materials returned in 1949 (101 years later) - part of the materials were returned, some still in Hungary 8
Succession and restitution … • Italy - important Croatian archival materials were removed during the WW II • e.g. in 1943 a gunboat from Zadar first transferred archival materials to Italy than returned for people - part of it was returned to ex-Yugoslavia (to Belgrade) after 1950 - complete cadaster of Istria is still in Trieste – important: • for determining the borders between Italy, Croatia and Slovenia • Croatian identity – names of the land property owners are in Croatian (before they changed their names to Italian versions) 9
Succession and restitution … • Austria - archival materials: • e.g. the most important part of the Dubrovnik archive was moved to Vienna in 1833 → after the dissolution of Austro-Hungarian empire returned (but to Belgrade) → during the WW II again moved to Vienna → returned to Dubrovnik in 1949 (116 years later) • the Treaty of Saint-Germain (1919) and later special convention on restitution (1923) – Austria - pledged to return archives, registers, maps - all documents and papers that belong to civil, military, financial, judicial and other authorities from the areas in question - all of the art and antiques - all scientific and bibliographical material 10
Succession and restitution … (Austria) • However, the restitution got complicated - numerous complicated issues aroused - numerous counter-requirements - the last restitution from Vienna was in 1990 • archival materials were returned to Slovenia and than distributed among the republics within ex-Yugoslavia - still in Austria – important cartographic materials, cadaster of Military Frontier, oriental manuscripts, books 11
Succession and restitution … • Slovenia - some archival materials returning from Hungary ended in Slovenia by mistake • parish registers • documentation on the Dalmatian railways - materials were returned to Croatia 12
Archives in Croatia • until 20th century – only 3 archival institutions - early beginnings of the Croatian State Archives in Zagreb, as we know it today, date back to the 17th century - Zadar, first mentioned in 1390 - the central archives of the Republic of Dubrovnik date back to 1278 • modern archival service established between 1962 and 1978 • today, archival service is under authority of the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Croatia 13
Archives in Croatia … • Distribution of archives in Croatia - 1 Croatian State Archives - 18 regional archives - 8 archival departments Most of them are still working • with the traditional archival materials but are introducing digitization activities http://www.arhiv.hr/arhiv2/Arhivskasluzba/Arhivi-u-RH/index.htm 14
Archives in Croatia … • Research (as of May 2013) Existing equipment in regional archives (without CSA), n=18 0 2 4 6 8 10 12 15
Archives in Croatia … • Research (as of May 2013) Number of digital images in the archives in Croatia 20000000 15000000 10000000 5000000 0 16
Archives in Croatia … • Research (as of May 2013) Size of digital images (approximate, in TB) 20 10 0 17
Archives in Croatia … • Research (as of May 2013) Online availability of digitized materials (n=17) 18
ARHiNET system • Archival network information system which covers all archival functions: keeping, preserving, arranging and use of archival records • Web application which includes several modules - security and authorization - description and processing of archives - archival registers and documentation - creators and holders of archival material - preservation of archives - digital contents - education 19
ARHiNET system … • Registry of archival fonds and collections of the Republic of Croatia - 15,300 funds and collections - 100,000 other archival units (series, files and items) - 29,500 parish registers - 25,000 record creators - 7,500 records holders and owners - 5,500 finding aids - 3,000 bibliographical units on archival holdings - 120,000 digital images 20
ARHiNET system … • ARHiNET project has gained active support by the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Croatia which accepted it as a national project • ARHiNET is also a part of the operative plan concerning the implementation of the e-Croatia Government program • in 2009 was awarded with a Good Practice label in the framework of the European e-Government Awards for innovations in the area enabling administrative efficiency and effectiveness 21
http://arhinet.arhiv.hr/ ARHiNET system … 22
Textual materials, Graphics, Maps, Plans, Drawings, Photographs, Music scores, Sound recordings, Films, Electronic records, Objects Ex Libris, Seals, Coats of Arms, Autographs, Memoranda 23
National strategy for digitization • National strategy for digitization until 2020 - currently under development by the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Croatia - Workgroups (total of 28 professionals) • Archival materials • Audiovisual materials • Library materials • Museum materials • Technical coordination 24
National strategy for digitization … • From the draft version - strong support for • digitization • aggregation of digitized materials • upload of information about digitized materials to Europeana digital library - general goal • increase the utilization of cultural heritage as an important resource that encourages development, and through exploring and preserving cultural diversity in a broader European context contributes to mutual understanding, respect and social cohesion - specific goals • consolidate and strengthen infrastructure for digitization, usage and preservation of digital cultural heritage • improve the creation of new digital cultural contents 25
National strategy for digitization … • We can expect - increase in the number of digitization projects - increase in the EU-funded projects - development of a national aggregator • aggregate information from the MLA-specific, yet hardly interoperable systems - increase of the visibility of the Croatian national heritage in the Europeana 26
e-Government services • Who is using e-Government services in Croatia (HR)? Croatia eGovernment. State of Play, http://ec.europa.eu/information_society/newsroom/cf/dae/document.cfm?doc_id=2223 27
e-Government services … Maturity of e-Government • services measured in three life situations (so-called "life events") - Starting up a business - Studying - Losing & finding a job 28
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