Features of the concept of biographical articles in the Lexicon of the Danube Croats – Bunjevci and Šokci

Abstract

A significant portion of the Lexicon of Danubian Croats – Bunjevci and Šokci, the first lexicographic project of a Croatian minority outside their mother country, regularly published in Subotica since 2004, consists of biographical articles. The specific form of this regional lexicon has led to a novel approach to the research and presentation of biographies, distinct from the biographical norms of national lexicography. The author summarises the essential conceptual features of the biographical articles presented in this lexicon. The entries include the individuals’ parents’ names, followed by an overview of how the link with their homeland place is reflected in their life, work, or scientific interest, to which their burial location may also testify. The author particularly emphasises why the inclusion criterion of Danubian Croats involves the principle of ethnic origin, rather than national sentiment, and compares conceptual differences between the biographies of Croats from Croatia and those of Danubian Croats, as geographically defined by the Lexicon (the area between rivers Danube and Tisa). The author also points out the importance of including the biographies of people belonging to other nations (Hungarians, Serbs) and describes the methodological conception of these articles. He also explains the absence of a lower age limit for inclusion in the Lexicon, conceptual differences between the treatment of historical figures and contemporaries, and other notable characteristics.