The new book by Irvin Lukežić a professor at the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences in Rijeka was presented on 10th June in the City Museum. The book is devoted to the eternally intriguing question of “Fiumanism.” The book Fijumani (subtitle: Kolektiv u urbanom krajoliku – A Collective in the Urban Landscape), addresses how the phenomenon of “Fiumanism” emerged thanks to Rijeka being a great collective legacy of various peoples and cultures. This fact offers an opportunity for the application of a new optic in the search for the meaning of historical events. From Lukežić’s perspective, Rijeka has long been a community that Europe could have once become if it had developed in the spirit of diversity and openness. Rijeka is a unique historical experience, a practical realisation of the utopian possibility of multiculturalism and multilingualism. The unique Rijeka spirit of tolerance throughout history was not easy to create or develop. Tolerance was a “conditio sine qua non” of Rijeka’s civil society, a worldview and cultural consciousness, which it built into the local tradition. Without knowing ourselves, Lukežić believes, it would be difficult for us to understand our own place in the contemporary constellations of relationships, and even to build ourselves on the foundations of such a valuable common spiritual property.
The presentation of the book brought together a large number of fellow citizens in the Museum and more chairs were needed. Petra Žagar Šoštarić a professor of the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences in Rijeka, the director of the City Museum Ervin Dubrović and the author of the book spoke about the book. The Deputy Mayor of Rijeka, Sandra Krpan, also addressed everyone with a welcoming speech.
