A ground breaking discovery of Marijan Busic which corroborates the fact on the Croatian origin of the word „cravat”
Marijan Bušić (BA), a passionate promoter of cravat as a medium and explorer of the history of its development, found new facts which corroborate the Croatian origin of this unique world symbol. On historical map of the Habsburg Monarchy dated in 1697, a part of Slavonski Brod, today the centre of the city – The Square of Ivana Brlić-Mažuranić and the surrounding area – was given name in the German language „Cravatten Statt“. This historical fact, up to now known only to a small number of expert – specialists, is presented and interpreted to the wider public upon the initiative of the non-profit institution Academia Cravatica.
The original map, made by Nikola Sparr de Bensdorf, a Dutch military topographer, is kept in the War Archive in Vienna. The map marks the lineup of the Habsburg Monarchy military troups towards the Ottoman Empire in the period between October 10th and 12th 1697 during the Anti-Ottoman War. This old German name for a Croatian city clarifies and encourages, over again, the present understanding that the name “cravat” came out of ethinc name “Croat(s)”. From the old German ethnic name „Cravatten“, for the Croats, came the old French name „Cravates“ from which „cravate“, a new word for knotted scarf – cravat, was derived. The French word for cravat was accepted by almost every European language. Cravat, universal civilisational symbol, being the subject of an important new revelation and evaluation of the meaning of the to
ponym „Cravatten Statt“ makes a member of a group of important European and world revelations and cognitions.
Historical and etymological relations of the terms “cravat” and ”Cravatten Statt” were clarified at a press conference by distinguished scientists: academicians Petar Šimunović, linguist, and Milan Kruhek (Ph.D.), historian, Head of the Institute of Croatian History . Wider cultural meaning of popularizing and evaluating the “Cravatten Statt” toponym was elaborated and explained by Marijan Bušić (BA) and Nikola Albaneže, museologist and curator of Museum of Cravat in the process of foundation. Academia Cravatica, non-profit institution, and Museum of Cravat in the process of foundation will make a suggestion to the City of Slavonski Brod to place a permanent replica of the historical map. In terms of meaning, it shall connect to cravat, symbol of modern civilization. By the new interpretation – which enables history to become more topical, instead of being the past time only, but a part of our present of which we are more aware – this historical fact gains a brand new, contemporary context, a new meaningful value and message, and makes a true example of museology outside museum.