Kazališne veze Osijeka i Pečuha / Eszék és Pécs színházi kapcsolata

Ivković, a prominent Osijek theatre worker and publicist (1944–2010), traces in his introductory study the connections from the 18th century, when travelling theatre companies and German repertoires connected both cities, through the 19th century with the emergence of the Croatian and Hungarian national revivals, to intensive cooperation in the 20th century. Of particular note is the period after World War II, when the Croatian Theatre in Pécs (founded in the 1950s) became the key centre of Croatian culture in Hungary, and cooperation with the Croatian National Theatre in Osijek acquired an institutional character – guest appearances, joint productions, exchange of actors and directors.

The book also includes contributions by other authors, documents, criticism and testimonies about guest appearances (e.g. Šenoa and Krlež in Pécs), and emphasises the role of Pécs as an important centre of Croatian theatre outside the borders of Croatia. Ivković’s analysis shows that these connections were not only artistic, but also identity-based, contributing to the preservation of the Croatian language and culture in the diaspora.

The work is bilingual (Croatian and Hungarian), and serves as a testimony to a long-standing cultural dialogue that transcends political borders. As a "history for the future" (as Branko Hećimović calls it), the book reminds us of the value of regional cooperation and shared cultural heritage.