THE PEAK OF THE BURGENLAND CROATS BAROQUE PIETY

The classic of earlier Burgenland Croat literature and one of the most popular books among the Burgenland Croats, The House of Gold by the Franciscan Lovro Bogović (1723-1789), was published in Sopron in 1754, 250 years ago. Through its many editions, either following the original, or modified, it was a favorite text deeply influencing the cultural and national life of Burgenland Croats for more than a century. The book saw some fifteen editions between 1754 and 1869. As of 1829 it appeared in a modified version entitled The New House of Gold by Jožef Ficzk (1772-1843), the parson of Prisik. The modified version also went through fifteen editions. One of the reasons for popularity of Bogovic's book was its closeness to the spirit of the people. A. Karall has maintained that the book had an advantage of "breathing with the Croatian national soul." Bogović founded its work on true religious spirit which gave it its force, but he stayed close to the national roots in the best sense of the word. By its ornamented expression The House of Gold is a typical Baroque achievement, serving the cult of the Virgin, the centerpiece of Baroque religiosity. The book had an enormous impact on all later Burgenland prayer books, and it crossed both geographic and temporal boundaries. Alojz Malec, the parson of the Croatian Moravian village of Dobro Polje printed a prayer book for Moravian Croats (1895) using a number of prayers and poems from The House of Gold. Bogović was well-aware of the value of one's mother's tongue and its influence on spreading religious truths. He applied his practical experience of a preacher to composing the prayer book, using select and purified language. His work represents the peak of Burgenland Croat Baroque piety, and one of the foundations of Burgenland Croat literature and culture. For more than a century it was the Burgenland Croat favorite book. Deeply rooted in the people's spirit, it helped create its cultural identity.

 

Print