Dear friends from the United States of America!
Thank you for coming to Split and giving the students gathered here an opportunity to get a first-hand picture of American life and culture. You have come from a far away country to help us, especially now in wartime, when we need any kind of help and support.
We can proudly say that you have come to the City of Split at the time when we are celebrating 1700 anniversary of the existence of the City.
1995 marks an important anniversary year in Dalmatian cultural history. 1700 years ago, the Roman Emperor Diocletian began building his spectacular Palace, where he spent his final years of his life.
In the eyes of the many Diocletian`s Palace is one of the most magnificent and unique architectural and cultural construct in Europe. If you take a look at the stunningly beautiful Peristyle, the hang out spot for the City`s youth, you will notice that it perfectly mirrors the spirit and the character of the City: it is a mixture of living history as well as modern culture.
Through the kindness of our hostess, Mrs. Dijana Desa, Head of the Museum of the City of Split, we have gathered together in this beautiful historical hall to express our thanks for the fine work you are doing at Croatian colleges and schools. We have deliberately chosen this hall for your cultural presentation to show you the very roots of our own culture.
This hall in which we are in and this building is also one of the finest monuments of our cultural heritage. It is the meeting place as far back as the 16th Century for the artists, scientists and renowned people of this ancient town. This hall was also visited by well-known people from European cities such as educators, clerk, diplomats and travellers visiting Split.
In this hall, Split`s humanist group was founded in the 16th Century by the poets, scientists and intellectuals. These people were greatly influenced by the humanist spirit of the Renaissance and they laid the foundation for Croatian culture and science. The father of Croatian literature, Marko Marulic, is the most celebrated member of this group. He glorified Split and Croatia in all Europe and the whole cultured world through his theological, poetic and scientific works. In this hall, through scientific and poetic conversations, war was the subject which filled his thoughts and his goal was to help Croatia with the pen and the sword. Here, among his friends, he read his famed epistle written to Pope Hadrian VI begging for help for Croatians in their fight against the Turks, who were with great strength, advancing rapidly toward the West. Marulic was advising Europe that with their help, Croatia could be the wall defending the Christian West .
After almost five centuries, we are facing the same problems today as Marulic and our ancestors. We are asking for your help, so that we may survive in our homeland; to preserve our cities, churches, monuments; our youth, many of which have lost their lives in the war.
Your presence here today confirms that we are friends and allies in our misfortune; our heritage which is preserved and protected in this Palace is the best proof of the similarity between our culture and that of Western civilization, which we have protected though the centuries an which we are prepared to protect today. All of this is possible because of our Christian humanistic spirit which is inbred in this Palace and our thoughts and our deeds.
In the name of this Christian humanistic spirit, we acknowledge that, in the modern world on the doorstep of a new century, we cannot exits without one another as firm friends. May all the hardships and painful experiences of today be the foundation of our future peaceful and rich, mutual cooperation and mutual respect.
In the name of peace and Christ` love, which is fulfilled during this Anniversary Year, we are offering you sincere congratulations and we wish for you to feel comfortable among us. We hope that the friendship and associations you make here will pass on long beyond your visits and will be further enriched by new contacts in the day and years to come.
I hope you will find your stay in Split fruitful and stimulating.
Mr. Dale Baker, dear professors, thank you for your wish to give us an intellectual, cultural and scientific profile of your country. Moreover, I take this opportunity to thank the Split City Hall for sponsoring this event and for taking care of other American professor who are coming to Split.
Your host,
Boris Vidovic