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Family roots

Discover your Croatian roots

A long, sunny Adriatic coast with more than a thousand islands, Roman palaces, walled medieval towns and turquoise lakes in the hills.

Croatia curves like a boomerang around the eastern shore of the Adriatic Sea. In the north and east it reaches into the flat farmland of the Pannonian plain along the Sava, Drava and Danube rivers; in the south it runs as a narrow strip of rocky coast backed by the Dinaric mountains. Offshore lie more than a thousand islands, islets and rocks, 48 of them inhabited.

People have lived here since prehistoric times. Greek colonists planted vineyards on the islands, the Roman emperor Diocletian built his retirement palace in Split, and Tomislav was recognised as the first Croatian king by 925. Over the centuries the land was joined with Hungary and the Habsburgs, while Venice ruled much of the coast, and in the 20th century it was part of Yugoslavia. Croatia declared independence in 1991.

Questions to ask the older generation

Memories fade faster than photos. Ask these over a meal or a phone call, and write the answers down.

  1. Which town or region of Croatia did our family come from? Was it near Split, Rijeka, Osijek?
  2. Who was the first in the family to leave Croatia, when, and why?
  3. Which dishes from Croatia were cooked at home? Did anyone make Peka (dishes cooked under the bell) or Zagorje štrukli?
  4. Does anyone in the family still speak Croatian, or use a few words of it?
  5. Were there songs, prayers, games or holidays from Croatia that the family kept?
  6. Are there old photos, letters or documents from Croatia? Who has them?
  7. If you could visit Croatia together, where would you go first?

A short history of Croatia

Croatia's story runs from Greek farmers on the islands and a Roman emperor's palace, through a medieval kingdom and the rich city republic of Dubrovnik, to centuries within larger states and independence in 1991.

  1. 384 BC

    Greeks settle on Hvar

    Greek colonists from the island of Paros founded Pharos, today's Stari Grad on Hvar. They divided the nearby plain into fields with stone walls that are still farmed today.

  2. AD 925

    Tomislav, the first king

    Tomislav, who had ruled as duke, is called king of the Croats in a letter from Pope John X in 925. He is remembered as the first king of Croatia.

  3. 1358

    Dubrovnik becomes a free republic

    Venice gave up its claims to Dalmatia, and Dubrovnik, then called Ragusa, began its long life as a self-governing republic. It grew rich from trade and skilled diplomacy.

  4. 1593

    The Battle of Sisak

    Croatian and Habsburg troops defeated an Ottoman army at Sisak, south of Zagreb. The battle started a long war, after which the Ottoman advance into Croatia was largely stopped.

  5. 1918

    Croatia joins a South Slav state

    On 29 October 1918, as Austria-Hungary collapsed, the Croatian parliament cut its ties with it and joined a new state of Slovenes, Croats and Serbs. In December this state united with Serbia in the kingdom later called Yugoslavia.

  6. 1991

    Croatia declares independence

    On 25 June 1991 the Croatian parliament declared independence from Yugoslavia. Fighting soon broke out, and the war that followed is known in Croatia as the Homeland War.

  7. 1995

    The war ends

    Most of the fighting ended in August 1995. The last area in the east was returned peacefully under a United Nations mission that ended in January 1998. Around 20,000 people died in the war, and many more lost their homes.

  8. 2023

    The euro and Schengen

    On 1 January 2023 the euro replaced the kuna, and Croatia joined the Schengen area, so checks at its land and sea borders with other Schengen countries ended.

Family recipes to cook together

Peka (dishes cooked under the bell)Peka (dishes cooked under the bell) 3 h · serves 4Zagorski štrukliZagorje štrukli 1 h 30 min · serves 4Black risottoBlack risotto 1 h · serves 4FrituleFritule 45 min · serves 6

Croatian words to teach the grandchildren

Basics

  • daDAHyes
  • neNEHno
  • hvalaHVAH-lahthank you
  • molimMOH-leemplease, or you're welcome
  • bokBOHKhi, or bye (informal)

Food and drink

  • kruhKROOHbread
  • vodaVOH-dahwater
  • vinoVEE-nohwine
  • pivoPEE-vohbeer
  • ribaREE-bahfish
  • sirSEERcheese
  • kavaKAH-vahcoffee

Towns and regions

  • Zagreb, City of Zagreb: St. Mark's Church with its tiled roof, The Museum of Broken Relationships.
  • Split, Split-Dalmatia County: Diocletian's Palace, The seafront Riva.
  • Rijeka, Primorje-Gorski Kotar County: The Rijeka Carnival before Lent, Shipbuilding and the port.
  • Osijek, Osijek-Baranja County: The baroque Tvrđa fortress, Kulen and fiš paprikaš.
  • Zadar, Zadar County: The Sea Organ, The Roman forum.
  • Pula, Istria County: The Pula Arena, Roman temples and gates.
  • Dubrovnik, Dubrovnik-Neretva County: The city walls, The Stradun, the main street of the Old City.
  • Varaždin, Varaždin County: Baroque palaces and churches, Its old fortress.
  • Šibenik, Šibenik-Knin County: The Cathedral of St. James, St. Nicholas Fortress.
  • Poreč, Istria County: The Euphrasian Basilica and its mosaics, Istrian wine and olive oil.
  • Hvar, Split-Dalmatia County: The Spanish Fortress above the town, Its Venetian-era harbour and walls.
  • Karlovac, Karlovac County: Its star-shaped old town, Four rivers and many parks.

A heritage evening with the family

Cook one of the recipes, print the large-print pack about Croatia, and finish with the big-screen quiz or the words crossword. Grandchildren can colour the flag.

More about Croatia