Paper Short Abstract:

The paper analyses ethnomusicologist Vinko Žganec's work on collecting folksongs in Međimurje, an intangible asset inscribed on UNESCO's Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. The focus will be on Žganec's relationship with informants and the way in which his work became the foundation of modern Međimurje identity.

Paper Abstract:

The folksongs from Međimurje are a protected intangible cultural heritage inscribed on UNESCO's Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. They are an example of oral heritage that preserves the multiple layers of Međimurje heritage through sung verses to this day. Their motifs vary from elements of Slavic mythology to historical events from the 20th century, and in musical terms, from elements of the pentatonic scale to techno music remixes. The person who is most responsible for their transformation from oral to written medium is world-renowned ethnomusicologist Vinko Žganec. During his life, Žganec collected several thousand folksongs and transferred Međimurje folksongs from the real to the meta-context (i.e., scientific discourse), giving them his own stamp and (non-subjective) interpretation. Based on the folksongs as a previously little-appreciated layer of heritage, he created what we now call original folklore. The paper will discuss his influence on informants. The analysis will be based on Žganec's works and notes on informants, on newspaper articles, and on archival materials. We will focus on the personal relationships that Žganec developed with his informants—in which he acted as their equal—and on the way in which his work became generally accepted as the foundation of Međimurje identity. Our intention is to use these examples to reflect on the relationship between established institutions (churches, universities, institutes, museums) and knowledge/skill holders in the field, with the aim of better understanding the process of the creation of regional or national identities.