Foundation of ICARUS HRVATSKA

ICARUS HRVATSKA – surfing the bow wave!

Finally, a vision in the making has now become reality and it is with great honour that we can now publicly announce the official founding of the association ICARUS HRVATSKA – the Croatian ICARUS network.

icarus-hr-logoThe idea for creating such a network of archives and related institutions in Croatia has been buzzing vividly for a long time already – up until now, merely in the head of the founder Vlatka Lemić (also vice president of ICARUS). Now, one of the professional ambitions closest to her heart, the embedding of communication channels and skills between archival trends, initiatives and “good practice” examples on international levels in national structures, encompassing professionals and users alike, can be progressed through the founding of ICARUS HRVATSKA.

© Novak Vlatka Lemić and Thomas Aigner at the ICARUS-Meeting in St. Pölten (AT), autumn 2015.

© Novak
Vlatka Lemić and Thomas Aigner at the ICARUS-Meeting in St. Pölten (AT), autumn 2015.

“Practical every day work, obstacles in promoting new ideas and projects as well as other social circumstances in the Croatian society have eventually given me no other choice than to found this new association which will promote and foster the work ethic of the ICARUS network: professional cooperation, sharing of knowledge and networking people and institutions in general. My personal experiences with ICARUS – effective archival and institutional cooperation, continuous implementation and the furthering of digital infrastructures in archives and participation in international projects – inspired the wish to have Croatian and other South-Eastern heritage preserving institutions participate stronger in this international discourse”, Lemić sums up her motivation.

The perspective envisioned for the work of ICARUS HRVATSKA is clear and poignantly expressed by Lemić: “We want to gather positive ideas and proactive people as a base for this professional network. We want to promote and implement hands-on activities where existing institutional frameworks are not in place yet. I know that the real driving forces behind innovative impacts are people – individuals who share common visions, have the drive to accomplish changes and bring like-minded communities, associations and institutions together.”

Without exaggeration, Vlatka Lemić has the stamina to surf the bow wave! We proudly support her cause and are honoured to have ICARUS HRVATSKA extend our archival network!

The ICARUS@work programme “Cooperation and networking of heritage institutions in digital age“ in Osijek (HR) on 22 September 2016 celebrates the founding of ICARUS HRVATSKA and kicks off its activities. This event is supported by the EU-funded project “co:op“.

Lemić will present ICARUS HRVATSKA also at our upcoming ICARUS-Meeting #18  in Budapest and you can learn more about the founding story in our next issue of “insights” (2/2016 – October 2016).