Istro-romanians: the legacy of a culture

Abstract

The Istro-Romanians are one of Europe’s smallest ethnic groups. They inhabit villages like Šušnjevica (i.e. Suşnieviţa), Zejane (i.e. Jeiani), Brdo (i.e. Bârdo), and Nova Vas (i.e. Noselo), in the central and northeastern corner of the Istria Peninsula, Croatia. Their dialect is currently included in the UNESCO Red Book of Endangered Languages as Seriously Endangered. Istro-Romanians are not accepted by the Croatian Constitution as a national minority. In the lack of any institutions to preserve their language and cultural heritage, the very existence of this ethnic group is threatened. In this paper, I am presenting potential solutions for preserving the culture of Istro-Romanians.