Latest news with #Croats
Yahoo
02-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Hikers discover nearly 600 gold coins dating back to 1808
While the small aluminum can and iron box didn't look like much at first, their contents stunned historians and two lucky hikers alike. The tourists initially stumbled across the containers during a hike in the Czech Republic's Podkrkonosí Mountains earlier this year, but soon took their valuable findings to experts for evaluation. According to a recent assessment by experts at the Museum of Eastern Bohemia, the worth of the jewelry, artifacts, and nearly 600 gold coins inside the containers is estimated to be over $340,000. Now, researchers wonder how this treasure trove of items and currencies from multiple nations and eras made it all the way to the Czech Republic—and why no one ever claimed them. 'When he opened it, my jaw dropped,' Museum of East Bohemia head archeologist Miroslav Novak said in an interview. The iron box housed 16 snuff boxes, 10 bracelets, a wire bag, a comb, a chain, and a powder compact—all gold. Meanwhile, the can's contents featured 598 gold coins divided into 11 columns separately wrapped in black cloth. According to numismatist Vojtěch Brádle, many are stamped with dates ranging from 1808 to 1915, and originated in the Austria-Hungarian empire under the reign of Franz Joseph I. 'I found out that these coins did not travel from the Vienna mint to us, but to the Balkans,' said Brádle. 'And there, after the collapse of the monarchy, in the then-Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenians, marks, so-called countermarks, were minted.' The coins were likely in Serbia during the 1920s and 1930s, and were often used in typical Balkan necklaces and headdresses. Other coins in the collection come from countries including France, Belgium, Turkey, Romania, Italy, and Russia. However, it's unclear how they all ultimately made it to eastern Bohemia. 'We have no idea,' added Brádle. There are a number of potential theories to explain the treasure's journey across Europe. One explanation is that the belongings were hidden amid Nazi Germany's annexation of the region in the 1930s. Following the Munich Agreement of 1938, hundreds of thousands of Jews and Czechs fled further into the country to escape persecution, and it is possible that the cases were buried in hopes of hiding valuables from the invading armies. Another theory dates the stashes to the end of World War II, when Nazis themselves retreated in the face of Russian forces. Conservationists at the Museum of East Bohemia are now working to catalog and preserve the rare discoveries, and hope to display them in a future public exhibit. As for the two hikers, they are likely happy they chose that particular trail—Czech law entitles them to a reward of up to 10 percent of the find's total value.
Yahoo
30-04-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Hikers discover nearly 600 gold coins dating back to 1808
While the small aluminum can and iron box didn't look like much at first, their contents stunned historians and two lucky hikers alike. The tourists initially stumbled across the containers during a hike in the Czech Republic's Podkrkonosí Mountains earlier this year, but soon took their valuable findings to experts for evaluation. According to a recent assessment by experts at the Museum of Eastern Bohemia, the worth of the jewelry, artifacts, and nearly 600 gold coins inside the containers is estimated to be over $340,000. Now, researchers wonder how this treasure trove of items and currencies from multiple nations and eras made it all the way to the Czech Republic—and why no one ever claimed them. 'When he opened it, my jaw dropped,' Museum of East Bohemia head archeologist Miroslav Novak said in an interview. The iron box housed 16 snuff boxes, 10 bracelets, a wire bag, a comb, a chain, and a powder compact—all gold. Meanwhile, the can's contents featured 598 gold coins divided into 11 columns separately wrapped in black cloth. According to numismatist Vojtěch Brádle, many are stamped with dates ranging from 1808 to 1915, and originated in the Austria-Hungarian empire under the reign of Franz Joseph I. 'I found out that these coins did not travel from the Vienna mint to us, but to the Balkans,' said Brádle. 'And there, after the collapse of the monarchy, in the then-Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenians, marks, so-called countermarks, were minted.' The coins were likely in Serbia during the 1920s and 1930s, and were often used in typical Balkan necklaces and headdresses. Other coins in the collection come from countries including France, Belgium, Turkey, Romania, Italy, and Russia. However, it's unclear how they all ultimately made it to eastern Bohemia. 'We have no idea,' added Brádle. There are a number of potential theories to explain the treasure's journey across Europe. One explanation is that the belongings were hidden amid Nazi Germany's annexation of the region in the 1930s. Following the Munich Agreement of 1938, hundreds of thousands of Jews and Czechs fled further into the country to escape persecution, and it is possible that the cases were buried in hopes of hiding valuables from the invading armies. Another theory dates the stashes to the end of World War II, when Nazis themselves retreated in the face of Russian forces. Conservationists at the Museum of East Bohemia are now working to catalog and preserve the rare discoveries, and hope to display them in a future public exhibit. As for the two hikers, they are likely happy they chose that particular trail—Czech law entitles them to a reward of up to 10 percent of the find's total value.
Euronews
30-04-2025
- Politics
- Euronews
Croatia is pushing for Bosnia's EU membership, PM Plenković tells Euronews
ADVERTISEMENT In an exclusive interview with Euronews, Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenković voiced strong support for Bosnia and Herzegovina's accession to the European Union, while also expressing concern over ongoing political instability in the region. Plenković emphasised that EU enlargement should be a strategic priority, particularly in the Western Balkans. Highlighting Bosnia's importance, he said: "We as Croatia would very much like to see that Bosnia and Herzegovina as our immediate neighbour, a country where Croats are constituent and people with equal rights with Bosniaks and Serbs should towards the dynamics that other countries of the region have and we want to help them." Bosnia has long aspired to join the European Union, but progress has been hindered by internal divisions between the three main ethnic groups — Bosniaks, Serbs and Croats — and a complex political structure created by the 1995 Dayton Agreement, which ended the Bosnian War. The country is divided into two entities or main administrative units: the Bosniak-Croat majority Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina (FBiH) and the Serb-dominated Republika Srpska (RS) with an umbrella state-level government in Sarajevo. This, and further administrative divisions, have created a system often described as the world's most complex democracy, which remains heavily reliant on consensus by all three main ethnic groups. Plenković expressed particular concern about secessionist rhetoric and actions coming from the RS, led by nationalist Bosnian Serb leader Milorad Dodik. "We would very much like that Bosnia and Herzegovina shifts from potential instability. And these tendencies of secession when it comes to the Republika Srpska to a more harmonious and functional situation in Bosnia and Herzegovina where the EU path and reforms which are beneficial to citizens both in economic and social terms are implemented," Plenković explained. He warned that delays in EU integration could allow other global powers to expand their influence in the region. "The more slower the process is, the more influence of other global actors in the region we have, whether it's Russia, whether it is China, whether is some other countries," Plenković explained. "And therefore we are advocating a structured and dynamic process." Plenković wants the issue of Bosnia's EU membership — and the broader future of the Western Balkans — to be on the agenda of the June European Council meeting.
Observer
23-04-2025
- Politics
- Observer
Bosnia's peace teeters as Dodik defies authority
The recent sentencing of Milorad Dodik, the leader of Republika Srpska (RS), to a year in prison and a six-year ban from public office has seriously shaken Bosnia's already fragile political system. A seasoned provocateur, Dodik has built his career on defying state institutions and pushing for secession. For more than two decades, he has chipped away at Bosnia's tenuous postwar consensus. Though his legal defeat might seem like a win for the rule of law, it could ultimately deepen the instability that has long haunted the country's peace. Since the verdict, Dodik has disregarded summonses, travelled to Serbia and Israel, and cheekily challenged the authorities to arrest him - and this has compelled Bosnia's state court to put out an international warrant. His defiance could spark armed fighting between loyalist militias and state police, further fuelling concerns of renewed conflict and violence. At the heart of Bosnia's dysfunction is the Dayton Peace Accord, a 1995 agreement that ended the brutal Yugoslav wars. Dayton was required to end the war but it inversely consolidated ethnic divides by establishing a zero-sum rivalry political culture for the nationalist elites. Bosnia was divided into two autonomously ruled entities: the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, which accommodated the majority of Bosniaks and Croats, and Republika Srpska (RS). This framework, intended to maintain peace, has rather promoted a political culture that prizes discord over consensus. Dodik has mastered this regime. Once viewed as a reformer in the post-Dayton era, he has transformed into a nationalist demagogue, regularly taunting Sarajevo and the West. His defiance of the Constitutional Court, his creation of parallel institutions in Republika Srpska, and his flirtation with secession have all undermined the legitimacy of Bosnia's central institutions. President of Republika Srpska (Serb Republic) Milorad Dodik waves as he attends Serb Republic national holiday. - Reuters file photo More alarmingly, Republika Srpska's National Assembly has now adopted a controversial draft constitution that directly challenges Bosnia's federal judiciary and security institutions - a brazen violation of the Dayton Agreement. Simultaneously, RS has passed laws barring state-level police and courts from operating on its territory, effectively declaring them illegitimate. Dodik's proposals to create an autonomous Republika Srpska army and border police mark a dangerous escalation. Though Bosnia's state court issued an international arrest warrant for him, Interpol remains inactive, and Dodik enjoys protection from allies like Hungary's Viktor Orbán, who has hinted at sending support to RS authorities. Geopolitical stakes have never been greater. Dodik's recent visit to Moscow amid mounting judicial pressure indicates that he remains a Kremlin tool meant to destabilise Bosnia, thwart Nato aspirations and decelerate European integration. His conviction has been loudly denounced as "political persecution" by Russia while Serbia's President Vučić walked a thin line - while avoiding outright confrontation with the West, offering Dodik rhetorical support only. The West's response to Dodik's provocations has been inconsistent. The United States has sanctioned him and had extremely strong condemnations, but the European Union's response has been much milder. But there are some signs of change: the EU has sent more EUFOR soldiers into Bosnia, and Austria and Germany have also imposed entry bans on Dodik and other RS officials. Brussels is now confronted with the choice of whether to support its rhetoric with tangible action - such as freezing assets on RS or increasing sanctions against its leadership. The cost of inaction is achingly clear. Republika Srpska street protests aren't just about loyalty to Dodik - they are manifestations of Bosnia's deep-seated vulnerabilities. Civic identity remains eclipsed by ethnic identity, leaving the Dayton system vulnerable to manipulation by nationalist elites. Beneath the political kabuki, there simmers a chronic crisis: government stalemate, economic stagnation and widespread despair. The promises of Dayton - peace, prosperity and European integration - remain largely unfulfilled, and for many Bosnians, they seem increasingly unrealistic. This crisis cannot be ignored. If the West is serious about preserving Bosnia's fragile peace, it must urgently reassess its strategy. The rule of law must be enforced without compromise. Dodik's conviction cannot be treated as a mere symbolic victory - it must be the beginning of a broader effort to isolate and sanction leaders who flout Bosnia's institutions. Ignoring this would embolden not only Dodik but also his foreign backers in Moscow and Budapest, who see Bosnia as a battleground for undermining Euro-Atlantic unity. While the Dayton framework was essential to ending the war, it has become a hindrance to good governance. Bosnia's constitutional structure needs reform. Redesigning this framework will be politically difficult, but it is necessary if the country is to break free from the deadlock that has paralysed its government for years. Simultaneously, political transformation must be paired with economic renewal.
Yahoo
10-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Croatia protests Serbia's expulsions of its citizens as part of crackdown on dissent
BELGRADE, Serbia (AP) — Croatia on Thursday protested a spate of expulsions of its citizens from Serbia, where the government of populist President Aleksandar Vucic is faced with massive anti-corruption protests that have shaken his tight grip on power. Dozens of foreign citizens, including 15 Croats, have been expelled from Serbia in the past few months or slapped an entry ban, allegedly for posing a security risk for the Balkan country. Croatia has sent a protest note to Belgrade and informed the European Union about the expulsions, Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic said in Croatia's capital Zagreb. He added that Serbia's moves are 'unacceptable.' 'We are demanding an explanation from the Serbian authorities,' Plenkovic said at a government session. 'Croatia condemns such behavior.' There was no immediate response from Belgrade while a protest rally against the expulsions of Croatian and other foreign citizens critical of the Serbian government is planned later Thursday in Belgrade. Vucic's increasingly authoritarian government has stepped up pressure on critics and independent media while struggling to quell monthslong anti-corruption protests triggered by a canopy collapse in the country's north that killed 16 people on Nov. 1. Vucic and his allies have said that unidentified Western intelligence services were behind the student-led protests with the aim to unseat him from power by staging a so-called 'color revolution.' Police have detained and questioned several university students and government critics while media watchdog groups have warned of attacks and threats against journalists covering the protests. Arien Ivkovic Stojanovic, a Croatian who has lived in Serbia for 12 years and is married to a Serbian citizen, thinks that her online posts critical of Vucic could be the reason why she has been ordered to leave the country. Ivkovic Stojanovic told The Associated Press in a phone interview that police handed her a notice saying she posed a grave security risk but didn't explain why. 'At first I started laughing," she said. "I just live a normal life, I have never even had a parking ticket." Previous cases of expulsions of foreigners from Serbia included Russians who had criticized Russian President Vladimir Putin and his invasion of Ukraine. Entry bans also have been slapped on regional artists and pro-democracy activists. In January, Serbia expelled 13 citizens of Croatia, Romania and Austria who were taking part in a civil society workshop in Belgrade. TV crews from neighboring Croatia and Slovenia have been stopped on the border from entering Serbia in March to cover a large anti-government protest. Ivkovic Stojanovic appealed her order to leave Serbia within seven days, which would split her family and separate their 3-year-old daughter from her father. The 31-year-old doctor believes she was targeted because of a post supporting the student protests. Vucic is a former extreme nationalist who now says he wants Serbia to join the EU but has faced accusations of stifling democratic freedoms while maintaining close relations with Russia and China.
