Bosnian Academic Society in Austria marks 835th anniversary of Kulin Ban's Charter

(Patria) - The Bosnian Academic Society in Austria held a ceremonial event to mark the 835th anniversary of the signing of Kulin Ban's Charter.

This significant event, celebrating the oldest preserved document of Bosnian statehood, was held at the Diplomatic Academy in Vienna, becoming a traditional gathering for Bosnians and friends of Bosnia.

This year, the event held special significance as it also marked the 30th anniversary of the Bosnian Academic Society in Austria.



As part of the rich cultural and artistic program, awards were presented to students, scientists, and artists who achieved outstanding results in 2024.

The recipients of awards for natural and technical sciences were: David Josipović, Saša Glamočak, Fejsal Perva, and Naida Nozić, as well as social sciences students Emina Tuzlaković and Selma Hodžić. Special awards for "Young Scientist" and "Young Artist" were presented to Fikret Bašić and Melika Buza.

At the ceremony, honorary membership in the Bosnian Academic Society of Austria was awarded to former High Representative in BiH Wolfgang Petritsch, as well as former President of the Republic of Croatia Stjepan Mesić.

Although Mesić could not attend the event, he sent a letter to thank them for the award and greet the attendees. In his letter, he stated:

"A thousand years ago, precisely on August 29, 1189, the ruler of Bosnia, Kulin Ban, issued a Charter in the Bosnian language and using the Bosnian script, bosančica. Kulin Ban's Charter is one of the oldest state documents among all South Slavic peoples.

I first learned about this world-renowned diplomatic document, written in the native language, during my studies at the Faculty of Law at the University of Zagreb. The Charter itself is proof that as early as the 12th century, Bosnia was organized as a sovereign state with state institutions and a sovereign ruler."



Petritsch stated that, in a way, Bosnia is his second homeland.

"When I see the quality of the artists and scientists, I wish that Bosnian politicians were as high-quality as Bosnian music, art, and science," added Petritsch.

The best Bosnian female basketball player of all time, Razija Mujanović, greeted the attendees via video message, congratulating Bosnia on its anniversary and expressing support for the Bosnian Academic Society.

The President of the Bosnian Academic Society, Sirađ Duhan, emphasized the importance of preserving Bosnian history and cultural heritage.

"On this occasion, we celebrate our rich history together, but we also continue to build bridges between Bosnia and Austria through academic, cultural, and social cooperation. We invite all Bosnians and friends of our country to join us in these endeavors," emphasized Duhan.

In response to the catastrophic floods in Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Bosnian Academic Society in Austria decided, out of solidarity with those affected, to donate all funds collected from ticket sales and voluntary contributions to the humanitarian organization Pomozi.ba.