The birthplace of the writer Antun Gustav Matoš, a central figure of Croatian modernism, which was purchased in 2002 by the Branch of Matica hrvatska from Tovarnik to build a cultural and memorial center, could soon end up at auction despite the interest of participants in a long-standing dispute, the Society of Antun Gustav Matoš and Matica hrvatska, as well as the Ministry of Culture, which also offers a solution.
This is a long-standing dispute that has resulted in court cases between Matica hrvatska and its former Branch in Tovarnik, from which the idea of arranging A.G. Matoš’s birthplace emerged back in 1998 to open a memorial room for Matoš and a Croatian reading room.
As Matoš’s birthplace was then owned by the Society of the Sisters of the Queen of the World, the headquarters of Matica hrvatska took out a loan of 26,884 euros in 2002 in favor of the Branch in Tovarnik so that it could become its owner with the obligation to repay the entire debt in installments. As the Branch in Tovarnik did not repay the debt, the headquarters of Matica hrvatska initiated a lawsuit in 2004.
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In May 2005, by decision of the Extraordinary Assembly of the Tovarnik Branch of Matica hrvatska, the Society of Antun Gustav Matoš was established in that place. By a donation agreement in July of that year, the MH Branch donated Matoš’s birthplace to the Society, which became its owner and continued the project of the memorial house.
‘How is it possible that in the spent 11 million kuna a modest amount was not found to repay Matica’s debt? How is it possible that in the planned new 11 million there is no item that would foresee the return of Matica’s money?’ ask Matica hrvatska.
The Society of Antun Gustav Matoš was established three months before the headquarters of Matica Hrvatska dissolved the Tovarnik Branch, after disciplinary proceedings initiated against the then president of the Branch, Marko Jurić, and secretary Željko Anić.
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So far, about 11 million kuna has been invested in the project of building the house of Antun Gustav Matoš, which is envisioned as a multimedia cultural center of the Croatian part of Srijem with a permanent exhibition gallery, a memorial library and documentation center, as well as a literary club and multifunctional halls, and it is estimated that an equal amount is still needed to complete the project, which was halted in 2010 due to lack of funds.
Headquarters of Matica: We have repeatedly shown readiness to repay the debt to Matica in several installments
“In discussions about how to resolve the problem, Matica’s governing bodies have repeatedly offered to agree in a way that the Society A.G. Matoš returns the amount it borrowed and pays court costs, while Matica waives part of the interest due to it. In discussions, we have repeatedly shown readiness to repay the debt to Matica in several installments,” state Matica hrvatska in a statement from the Presidency in response to the dispute with the Society of Antun Gustav Matoš from Tovarnik.
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They remind that the County Court in Vukovar confirmed in 2014 the decision of the Municipal Court in Vukovar from 2012 that the Society of Antun Gustav Matoš from Tovarnik must pay Matica hrvatska 239,277 kuna with statutory default interest on individual amounts and reimburse the plaintiff for procedural costs exceeding 81,000 kuna.
In the statement, they emphasize that Matica has helped the project of the house of Antun Gustav Matoš in many ways and does not agree to have “problems created by someone else” placed on it, and that it is ready for dialogue expecting relevant state institutions to get involved in resolving the issues.
‘How is it possible that in the spent 11 million kuna a modest amount was not found to repay Matica’s debt? How is it possible that in the planned new 11 million there is no item that would foresee the return of Matica’s money?’ ask Matica hrvatska.
Anić: Matica obstructed possible agreement with the Ministry of Culture
The president of the Society of Antun Gustav Matoš, Željko Anić, said that the house should have been completed five years ago. He stated that Matica hrvatska rejected all attempts at settlement proposed by the Society. He claims that several options for repaying the debt were offered to Matica, including the transfer of 397 copies of the book “Hrvatska riječ u Srijemu,” published in 1995 on the occasion of the 250th anniversary of the Vukovar-Srijem County, repayment of the money within two years from the income the Society plans to generate from donors in the process of financing the completion of the renovation and construction of Matoš’s birthplace, repayment of the money within four years from the income of Matoš’s birthplace, converting the debt into a co-ownership share of the property, and converting the debt into a donation as “a valuable contribution of the oldest cultural institution of the Croatian people to the renovation and construction of the birthplace of Croatian writer A.G. Matoš, that is, the renovation and construction of Tovarnik and Croatian Srijem.”
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“We were a step away from an agreement with the Ministry of Culture during the time of Minister Andreja Zlatar Violić, and if it had happened, the house would already be in operation, but the agreement was obstructed from Matica hrvatska and everything fell apart. The Ministry of Culture does not want to help us today, although by the decision of that ministry from May 3, 2016, the house of Antun Gustav Matoš – cultural center in Tovarnik has the status of a cultural good,” said Željko Anić.
Ministry of Culture: We proposed to the Vukovar-Srijem County to take over Matoš’s house
The Ministry of Culture denies Anić’s claims that they do not want to help in the realization of the project of the house of Antun Gustav Matoš and emphasizes that it undoubtedly has great value, which the ministry has always highlighted and actively supported.
“Therefore, we are not aware of what Mr. Željko Anić bases his claim on that the Ministry of Culture is not interested in the project and does not want to help. On the contrary, Minister Obuljen Koržinek has had several discussions since the beginning of her term with representatives of the Society of Antun Gustav Matoš, Matica hrvatska, the County, and the Municipality, inviting them to reach an agreement as quickly and peacefully as possible on a solution that would be acceptable to all parties, and has offered active support and operational assistance from the Ministry of Culture,” they state from the ministry and assess that it is evident that the Society has found itself in great difficulties and can no longer “complete and put into use such a demanding project.”
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Minister Nina Obuljen-Koržinek has therefore proposed to the Vukovar-Srijem County to take over Matoš’s house, urgently resolve all overdue enforceable claims, and then, in cooperation with the Society and other interested parties, clearly define the purpose of the memorial museum and memorial house and develop a management plan for it, they emphasize from the Ministry of Culture and assess that this would “create a clean foundation for finding sources of financing for the completion of the project, and remove all legal obstacles for continued support” from that ministry.
They state that the Ministry of Culture – as long as the house of Antun Gustav Matoš is the subject of an unfinished court dispute between two associations – cannot speculate on the results of a possible auction or any other fate of the project.
In September last year, a hearing was held at the Municipal Court in Vukovar where Matoš’s house was valued at just over five million kuna, and a final court decision on the date of the hearing for the public auction is expected soon, said Željko Anić. He added that he has no doubt that this will happen, but is not sure whether the house will ultimately be sold, and who might come forward and be interested in such a cultural object that, in his words, should have secured a place for Srijem and Tovarnik on the cultural map of Croatia and Europe.
