Knin: A History Lesson to Learn and Never Forget

Wednesday, the third day of Croatian mobility for the K220 Erasmus Project: "The New Values of Democracy in Today's Europe." The entire morning was a true history lesson. First, we climbed the ramps leading to the Knin Fortress, a small walled city perched on a hill that once served as the palace of the ancient Croatian king Dmitar Zvonimir during the Middle Ages.

This fortress on Mount Spas is one of the largest defensive structures from ancient Dalmatia and the best-preserved in Croatia. Today, the site houses one of the top restaurants in the area. It is also home to an art exhibition that we eagerly explored. The history teacher and guide of the excursion, Goran Mrnjavac, passionately explained the most important aspects of the site.

We also viewed a retrospective exhibition of the events that marked this place and its inhabitants in the 1990s. The fortress became a coveted location after the disintegration of Yugoslavia. Operation Storm ended Serbia’s aspiration to occupy Croatia. This is a distant war for foreign students, who are more concerned about the ongoing battle between Ukraine and Russia or the conflict between Israel and its Arab neighbors.

However, it brought back memories for the teachers, and we received a lesson in cold, harsh... Unforgettable history.

In the afternoon, we participated in a workshop on Memory and Mediation. In the course, the students shared places to bring their most positive memories to mind. We were reminded of how beautiful the countries involved in this project are. The students suggested special places in Croatia, Spain, Greece, Poland, Romania, and Portugal.

The surprise of the day came at the end of the workshop. Sasha Camacho Sousa turned 14, and teacher Marijana Zaninovic organized an impromptu birthday party with cake and songs. That was an unforgettable celebration for the students from Madeira.

Location: 22300, Knin, Croacia

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