The Cultural-educational Program o f the Zadar Newsletter »Iskra«

Abstract

The author presents and analyses in detail the cultural educational activity of Iskra, a newsletter that was broadly and versatilely engaged In the enlightenment of the Croatian populace, the Creation of a unified national culture founded on the authentic spirit and language (štokavian dialect using »i« and »ije« forms) of the people. Furthermore, it worked for the realization of the idea of national unity, for the repproachement of the Southern Slavs and contributed efforts to join the European literary and cultural scene. Aware that it was published amongst a small, culturally and politically jeopardized people and knowing that only strong, politically unified and culturally emancipated nations could depend on a secure future, the newsletter conceived all of its cultural-educational activities in such a manner as to mobilize a number of men of letters and their works so as to have the effect on all the social layers of its day, all in order to spiritually awaken the people, bring them Io national consciousness, culturally regenerate and politically unify them. In such a way, due to the richness and veriety of its texts Iskra had an effect, in equal measure, both on the admirers of Kačić and the intellectuals with an European education.