The Spirit of Intellectual Responsibility

Introduction

Presenting all the significant results, contributions and new values achieved by academic Šimun Musa, Emeritus Professor, on his long and highly successful scientific journey in one place is a complex research task. This is especially challenging due to the fact that this scientific journey has been intertwined with teaching, publishing, cultural and sociopolitical work. With exceptional abilities, remarkable commitment and inspiring diligence, which seem to flow from an endless source even today, he has achieved excellent results in all areas of his work. His contributions now serve as the foundation and indispensable guidelines.

Academic Šimun Musa, son of Ilija Musa and Vida Musa, née Dragičević, was born on 4 April 1951 in Donji Veliki Ograđenik, Municipality of Čitluk. His parents, his mother with unconditional love and his father with undisguised pride and trust, instilled in him a sense of his own worth and shaped his identity and integrity. Regardless of material circumstances, Musa grew up enjoying the attention and care of his mother, his father's concern for the family and his dedication to friends, villagers, the broader community and the existential interests of the Croatian people. His father Ilija Musa was deeply in love with the Croatian home and Šimun Musa inherited that love and nurtured it throughout decades of his life as his greatest value. It is an insight into the secret of the dedication of his father to others, which he actively affirms through his work, marked by high ethical, aesthetic, emotional and intellectual values.

He completed primary education in Čerin and the general education secondary school in Ljubuški. In both schools, he distinguished himself as a diligent, exemplary and outstanding pupil. Even then he was a great book enthusiast and was interested in the content of natural, social sciences and humanities. He graduated in Zadar in 1975. Apart from the diploma and lifelong friendships, he met the cornerstone of his family, his wife Marija Musa, née Lukin. He earned his master's degree in 1984 in Zagreb with a thesis on Novellas of Mirko Božić. He had the opportunity to live and work in Zagreb on multiple occasions, but he remained loyal to his Ograđenik, Mostar and Zadar. He earned his Ph.D. in 1994 in Zadar, defending his doctoral thesis with the title Life and Literary Work of Ilija Jakovljević. He was appointed to all teaching and scientific positions at the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences of the University of Mostar, where, in 2016, he also became an Emeritus Professor. He also worked at the University of Zadar. Since 2014, he has been a permanent member of the Croatian Academy of Sciences and Arts in Bosnia and Herzegovina, where he is a member of the presidency and the secretary of the Department of Literature and Philology.

He is a member of the Croatian Writers Association in Zagreb, the Croatian Writers Association Herzeg-Bosnia in Mostar, the Croatian Society for Science and Art in Sarajevo and the Croatian Philological Society in Zagreb.

He has received numerous awards and recognitions for his scientific and societal achievements and contributions. In 2005, he received a Certificate of Appreciation with a charter from the Faculty of Education of the University of Mostar for his exemplary scientific and teaching work. In 2005, he was awarded a Charter with a Gold Medal by the University of Mostar for his outstanding contribution to the development of the University. In 2012, he received a Certificate of Appreciation from the Faculty of Natural Sciences, Mathematics and Educational Sciences for his exceptional contribution to versatile development. In 2016, he was awarded a Certificate of Appreciation from the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences of the University of Mostar for his teaching and professional work and his exceptional contribution to the promotion of the Faculty. He has also received the 2010 Antun Branko Šimić literary award from the Croatian Writers Association Herzeg-Bosnia and the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Municipality of Čitluk. (comp. Musa, 2017, 158-160).

Teaching Contribution

As a high school teacher in Ljubuški, Čitluk and Čapljina, as well as an educational advisor and the director of the Institute for Education in Mostar, Šimun Musa began his scientific and professional affirmation. After that, he worked at the Faculty of Education in Mostar (now the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences of the University of Mostar), marking the start of his decades-long career in higher education.

At the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences of the University of Mostar, within former undergraduate and later bachelor and graduate teaching, he was a course director and taught numerous courses in the field of history and theory of literature and methodology of literature. These courses included: Modern Croatian Literature (19th and 20th Century Literature), Second Modernity, Emigrant Literature, Croatian National Revival in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Children's Literature and the Methodology of Literature Teaching.

As a Full Professor with Tenure, he has been collaborating with the University of Zadar since 2003, where he has also been teaching courses in the field of history and theory of literature and methodology of literature. He was the Head of the Department of Croatian Studies and Slavic Studies at the University of Zadar and a member of the University Council at the University of Zadar.

By systematically and persistently contributing to educational and scientific progress, as well as to intellectual and cultural work in general, he significantly strengthened the overall academic atmosphere, particularly the work of the University of Mostar and Zadar with regard to promoting their specific program objectives, as well as universal human values and humanistic principles.

Through his scientific, teaching, cultural and overall social activities, he has established himself as an exemplary university professor and gained a notable reputation at both the national and international levels.

By following contemporary knowledge and methodological standards, he was involved in the development of several study programs and was the initiator of numerous initiatives to improve the teaching process. He has made a significant contribution in this field while working as the Head of the mentioned institutions.¹

He was a mentor to numerous students in writing their theses at the bachelor and graduate levels as well as to Ph.D. students in the development of their Ph.D. dissertations. Seven of his Ph.D. students have successfully defended their Ph.D. theses², while several others are in the process of completing their work.

His work as a mentor is based on both paternal support and constructive criticism. The aim of this is to inspire applicants to work on improving themselves and their theses through the process of learning, realization and enhancement. This approach is best reflected in Žmegač's thoughts on enlightenment, where he states:

Enlightenment is not possible without freedom, both individual and collective; this is Kant's historical imperative, deeply connected to his well-known ethical imperative, which appeals to the critical awareness of human beings. Kant's understanding of freedom is primarily based on the category of publicity. It is not enough to be critical, protected by the silence of one's home; one should find forums for their convictions, such as public institutions, university lectures, both within and outside of it, libraries and clubs (2014, 29).

In the teaching context, it is important to note that the academic Musa, apart from his extensive scientific work, is also the author and co-author of several handbooks and textbooks that have significantly contributed to the development and the content of Croatian language classes in Bosnia and Herzegovina. He is the editor-in-chief of the Croatian language and literature textbook published by Školska naklada Mostar – Školska knjiga Zagreb and the co-author of textbooks for the first, second, third and fourth grade of general education secondary school (Školska naklada, Mostar/Školska knjiga, Zagreb) that have been published in several editions³.

The erudition of this literary historian and literary theorist creates new value in his scientific contribution to the methodology of literature, especially in higher education methodology of literature, through two books: Metodičke osnove interpretacije [Methodological Foundations of Interpretation]⁴ from 2014 and Uvod u metodiku, interpretaciju i recepciju književnosti [Introduction to Methodology, Interpretation and Reception of Literature]⁵ from 2015, which have become mandatory university literature for methodological courses. The book Uvod u metodiku, interpretaciju i recepciju književnosti [Introduction to Methodology, Interpretation and Reception of Literature] gained the attention of experts and the scientific community:

This book is dedicated to crucial aspects of studying and teaching literature, both at the universities and schools. The value of this university textbook lies in the complexity of its content, emphasizing the importance of methodology in the teaching and learning process, especially in regard to the methodology of literature and contemporary approach to literature through interpretation and reception, enabling the readers and all future teachers to see literary works through a new perspective and enabling teachers to carry out their role using new methods (Vykhodtsev, 2017, 402).

The importance of this book is seen through the words of the renowned Croatian methodologist, prof. dr. sc. Vlado Pandžić:

Before us is truly a propaedeutic, programmatically comprehensive, compositionally well-structured and linguistically and stylistically refined university textbook, evident from the title itself, presenting and interpreting the relevant material and terminology of literary methodology, interpretation and literary theory in a systematic and functional manner. It encompasses elements “grounded in scientific, professional and educational principles,” as the authors themselves say, “while affirming psychological, pedagogical, methodological, didactic, technical and particularly aesthetic requirements. It is formed in an authorial approach in accordance with the set goal, conceptually designed and structured with relevant knowledge, creative inspiration, personal judgments, conclusions and syntheses, as well as selected examples of literary texts, which will hopefully be inspiring for further learning and research in the field of literature (2016, 265).

Throughout his entire work in the field of Croatian studies, there is an inseparable bond between the methodological and methodical, which is the dominant motif for this scientist, constantly guiding him in the direction of stimulating knowledge in his students and younger colleagues. That innate sense of knowledge transfer, based on classical education up to the highest levels of education and vertically expanded to remarkable dimensions, is achieved in a way that awakens understanding in listeners. As he himself would say: “it opens the cabinets of his own mind”, which is a prime example of higher education teaching that one should learn from. This is especially true when it comes to the method of evaluation, where Professor Musa recognizes only work–concrete actions. With his thorough erudition, continuous intellectual engagement and a humane approach to students, both throughout their studies and beyond, he has become one of those individuals who makes an impression just by being present. Namely, “Situated ethos,” for which Dubravka Oraić Tolić states that it is “the strength of a speaker's social, moral and professional reputation. According to “Quintilian, no man can speak well who is not good himself” (2011, 124), is at the focus of the work of Professor Musa. Situated ethos is equally important in science, perhaps more so today than ever, and “From the Hippocratic Oath to today's ethical committees, scientists put much focus on their situated ethos because they know that not only the persuasiveness of their arguments but often their survival in science and society depends on it” (Oraić Tolić, 2011, 124).

The ability of Professor Musa to be at the same time the authority and friend to his students, without one diminishing the other, is a rare quality. His ultimate aim to educate and nurture “nobles of the mind” through the possibilities and achievements of literary interpretation, introducing them to unknown areas of aesthetics, as well as the success of his methodological expression, have manifested in numerous ways. This includes the affirmation of his students who are now doctors of science, university professors and renowned methodologists.

The systematic approach and broad perspective of this versatile philologist have left a lasting mark of his intellectual engagement in the fields of teaching and studying literary theory, literary history and methodology of literature.

Scientific Contribution

The scientific contribution of academic Musa to studying theory, especially the history of Croatian literature and methodology of literature, is original and marked by a critical approach toward everything he studies. Eighteen scientific and professional books⁶, along with numerous scientific and professional papers, establish Šimun Musa as a persistent researcher, an expert and a responsible scientist with a broad range of interests in the field of literary science, literary methodology and philology in general.

A larger number of his original scientific papers, as well as review articles, have been published in international journals and proceedings with international reviews by renowned experts and the publishers of his books are also scientifically relevant.

According to Milivoj Solar:

today, a literary historian must take into account the whole and the unity, as well as the differences and the details. The diverse nature of literature requires that its individual currents are carefully monitored, as well as discerning where they intersect and diverge, and where they lead in various directions (2003, 338).

In his reviews and studies of the history of Croatian literature Šimun Musa, during the covered periods and with selected authors and their works, precisely takes into account the diversity, details, unity and the whole. He considers the diachronic dimension of literary development and the synchronic dimension of the literary entirety, i.e. the synchrony which comprehends the entire diachronic complex.

Examining his achievements in literary science and philology in the process of scientific advancement, his evaluators⁷ will highlight his analytical and logical approach to applying methodological procedures, excellent theoretical development and intellectual engagement in the study of the relationship between scientific relevance and relativity regarding the final sustainability of results. They will also emphasize how, through a series of his articles, studies and books that explore the Croatian literature of Bosnia and Herzegovina, he has covered the writers and their creativity, as well as certain literary phenomena, starting from the 18th century to the national revival period. He has also exhaustively and systematically examined the works of secular luminaries and prominent Franciscan revivalists, especially in Bosnia and Herzegovina, followed by numerous writers and literary works, processes and phenomena from almost all periods of the 19th and 20th centuries. What follows are his works relating to the 20th century and works exploring the writers and works in the period between wars, followed by those about creativity after World War II, starting from Second Modernity to Postmodernism.

By studying the literature of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Musa also examines the shifts in the time and society in which it exists. In one of his works titled “Hrvatske političke novine u Mostaru na smjeni XIX. i XX. stoljeća [Croatian Political Newspapers in Mostar at the Turn of the 19th and 20th Centuries]”⁸, he explores the relevant sociocultural events from the end of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century, when the Croats in Bosnia and Herzegovina, carried by the revival enthusiasm, “developed from people to a nation”. By studying the emergence of printing in Bosnia and Herzegovina in 1866, especially the establishment of a printing house in Mostar in 1872, he sheds light on the importance of publishing textbooks, manuals, various books and publications, especially newspapers. By engaging in the work of the first Croatian newspapers in Bosnia and Herzegovina, which were published in Mostar (Glas Hercegovine i Osvit - The Voice of Herzegovina and the Dawn) from 1885 to 1906, Musa explores incentives and sources that strengthened the educational, cultural, social and economic life, serving as a true political guide for the Croatian people, but also influencing literary production and reception.

Strong scientific interest in Croatian cultural and revival events in Bosnia and Herzegovina, exploring education, publishing, journalism and cultural work in general, economic aspects of life, scientific syntheses about the cultural achievements in Herzegovina of that time, realized through his multiple scientific works, with a special focus on his book Hrvatski kulturni preporod u Hercegovini i Franjo Milićević [The Croatian Cultural Revival in Herzegovina and Franjo Milićević], are clear indicators that Šimun Musa is the most prominent living researcher of Croatian cultural revival in Bosnia and Herzegovina⁹ (at the end of the Ottoman era and during the Austro-Hungarian rule). The book presents original literary-historical research and original contributions of a cultural and historiographical-literary nature, which are crucial for literary-historical studies.

In his scientific works, each presenting a dynamic language structure, a conceptually and methodologically rounded and systematized whole, Musa thoroughly and systematically, in the covered periods, explores certain literary phenomena as well as the work of prominent Franciscans. In one of his works “Jezikoslovni prinosi Marijana Šunjića i osobitosti njegova jezika [Language Contributions of Marijan Šunjić and the Characteristics of His Language]”¹⁰ he studies the prominent Franciscan of Bosna Srebrena in the 19th century, Marijan Šunjić. Musa points to Šunjić's outstanding contribution to the Croatian national revival movement in Bosnia and Herzegovina, highlighting the specificities of Šunjić's linguistic solutions (script, spelling, vowels, consonants, accents), with the support of Gaj. In the end, it also discusses the features of the language that he himself used.

In the focus of his scientific interest is a large number of writers and literary works, processes and phenomena from almost all periods of the 19th and 20th centuries. Only some of them will be pointed out in this paper. By studying Antun Branko Šimić, one of the best and “constantly relevant and contemporary Croatian poets” (Pranjković, 2002, 121), through multiple scientific research, in one of them, Musa focuses on the religious duality in the poetry of Antun Branko Šimić.¹¹ Interpreting the poetic achievements of this true poet, he explores the growth of his creativity, which becomes a distinct phenomenon, aesthetically harmonious, humanistically grounded, ethically exemplary and interesting in its pulsation from various perspectives, particularly the religious one. He points to the literary and artistic value of his words, poetically powerful and tension-evoking. Therefore, the academic Musa, within the scope of his extensive scientific-literary work, focuses on the study of the artistic function of language in Croatian literature. Therefore, due to language among other things, Mirko Božić served as the subject of several works of research, which is not surprising as Ivo Frangeš cleverly states:

(...) Medovac and Kurlanija permanently mention Božić, but the boundary, in spite of all that, remains sharply drawn and raised high: the entire problem for the artist Božić is precisely in breaking down that boundary, in merging, purifying and elevating the human from one world to higher horizons. A special role in depicting these worlds belongs to the language of Božić. (...) Kurlani is left with an emphasized, experience and pain-laden local expression; on one hand, plain, knotty and lumpy, on the other, elaborated, “specialized” to grotesque baroque levels. Many judgments have been expressed about the style of Božić, ranging from uncritical admiration to uncritical doubt, such as: it is excellent (or unacceptable) that the writer sticks so much to the local! But the truth is felt by the author himself: we all live in language¹², especially the Kuralni for whom language represents the only freedom, the only wealth they possess. (...) Božić's language gushes from a source where, for centuries, the assumption of today's Croatian Štokavian standard was built (1987, 372).

In his research, Musa primarily focuses on such specific, artistically exceptionally valuable achievements, which through the artistic function of language, achieve their ultimate purpose and realize their essence. The language of characters in the prose of Božić, the work that Musa explored for his master's thesis, in its literary paradigm, and as Peleš would say: serves the purpose of expressing ontological features, as literary reality is usually based on some of the basic states of human existence. The individual unit, even though regionally marked (...), is not oriented towards marking a closed local environment; its meaningful values are woven into the literary space, which, by its basic characteristics, acquires some of the universal meanings. Ambient determination is therefore in the function of a more direct connection between the psychological and ontological components of the text (1982, 113).

Apart from his interests in the development of modern stylistics and contemporary linguistics, Musa was also intrigued by the phenomenon of Croatian literary expressionism, particularly the scientific contribution of Professor Ivanišin, especially in the relationship between tradition, experiment and avant-garde, as well as the ingenious establishment and resolution of the code K poet. The interest in expressionism is not surprising considering that expressionist critical-theoretical thought has:

by the idea of history, the philosophy of life and the evolution of artistic practices undoubtedly offered to further modernization of literature and art in the 20th century the doubt on the myth of constant (technical) progress and advancement, initiated the idea of re-ecologizing the world (nature and society), and ultimately, what cannot be taken away from expressionist practice – it revolutionized “styles” in a broad sense (Milanja, 2001, 52).

In the scientific work of Šimun Musa relating to the 20th century, a unique monograph about the life and work of Ilija Jakovljević stands out. This monograph, being his expanded and to a certain extent modified Ph.D. thesis, in a scientifically grounded and comprehensive way for the first time presents the life and literary work of Ilija Jakovljević, Croatian writer, publicist, lawyer and politician. This is about a man with an “upright spine”, who marked the period between the two World Wars and the following post-war period. The book clearly and in a stylistically impressive way reveals truths about the life of a man who is “worthy of a martyr's fate” and all aspects of his creativity (literary-critical, journalistic-feature, poetic, novella, and novelistic work). The novel of Jakovljević titled U mraku [In the Dark] and the poetry collection Lirika nevremena [Poetry of Dark Times] hold a special place in this monograph as his most valuable works.

In the selection of works of academic Musa, a special place is occupied by his book Studije i ogledi [Studies and Essays] in which he included a part of his works presenting selected works and writers as representatives of specific periods and styles, starting from the Enlightenment and extending to the end of the 20th century. In this way, he provides a diachronic perspective on literary development and a synchronic perspective of literary entirety. This is a book of selected studies on Croatian writers from Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and the diaspora. Through the literary complex covered, the author scientifically affirms and emphasizes that there is only one Croatian literature, as all those who create in the Croatian language, regardless of the region of the Homeland or the part of the world they come from, belong to a single unified Croatian literature.

In the book¹³, through seventeen studies and essays organized into four sections that are not chronologically arranged, the erudition of this literary historian is shown, particularly when it comes to linguistic-stylistic, literary-theoretical and methodological questions. The author mostly studies those writers and literary works that were suppressed, overlooked or banned in the literary public, and thus mostly unknown. In doing so, he explores periods, trends, styles and phenomena in Croatian literature from the Enlightenment to Postmodernism. The book explores clever analyses of literary works. In other words:

“(...) due to the author's identification of new perspectives regarding thematic and motif preoccupations, ideas and structure, literary-aesthetic nature, the literary value of their works, Musa's new literary-theoretical and linguistic-stylistic approaches, offering a creatively intertwined, innovative and aesthetically relevant interpretation, methodologically and didactically thoughtful and impressive, this work is truly a novelty, a refreshing contribution and an outstanding addition to the reception horizon for both the professional and general reading audience.”

There are also are studies and essays on Filip Lastrić and Andrija Kačić Miošić, as representatives of the Enlightenment, Marijan Šunjić, Ante Knežević and Mihovil Pavlinović, promoters of the Croatian national revival idea realized in the Romantic enthusiasm, Antun Branko Šimić as a representative of Expressionism, Ivo Andrić, who, as portrayed by the author of the book, represents an epoch in himself, Mirko Božić as one of the post-war creators, a contemporary of the Second Modernity, Ivo Lendić, a representative of Catholic literature who emerges in the 1930s as a highly notable poet, Vinko Grubišić, whose work is an outstanding poetic contribution to Croatian literature of the exile, Vladimir Pavlović and Gojko Sušac, who bring the spirit of the Razlogovci through their unique, fascinating, artistically powerful poems with a distinctive voice and delicate sensibility, and Krešimir Šego as a postmodernist writer creating poems rooted in the local tradition and modern sensibility.

With diachronic and synchronic perspectives, the author cleverly observes and reflects on literary achievements from Enlightenment to Postmodernism, dealing with individual authors and their works through insightful, methodologically systematic, scientifically grounded, aesthetically refined, methodically appealing and reliable interpretations. In addition to the elaboration of writers and literary works, Šimun Musa also presents linguistic, linguistically-stylistic and literary-methodical works in this book.

This book examines the works of Croatian writers with different thematic and motivational aspects, different periods and styles, different formal and content properties. It can be observed through four major structural sections” (Šušić, 2010, 274-275).

The last, fourth part of the book, in addition to presenting the academic Musa as an excellent methodologist, brings studies that establish the author as a proficient connoisseur of language, particularly as a connoisseur of the history and socialpolitical reality in Bosnia and Herzegovina. In these studies, he scientifically explores linguistic and textbook issues. These studies are titled “Udžbenici za hrvatski jezik i književnost u Bosni i Hercegovini [Textbooks for Croatian Language and Literature in Bosnia and Herzegovina]” and “Hrvatski jezik u Bosni i Hercegovini s obzirom na njegov zakonski i stvarni položaj u društvu [The Croatian Language in Bosnia and Herzegovina with Respect to its Legal and Actual Position in Society]”, focusing on the position of the Croatian language and the use of textbooks in the education system of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

In his review, dr. sc. Nikola Ivanišin, Emeritus Professor, states how the book contains:

Thoroughly studied and deeply experienced literary works, coupled with a responsible approach to other topics that Musa engages with, in addition to his sensitivity and appropriate methodological procedures (...) While, for him, the literary-aesthetic act is largely based on linguistic-stylistic foundations, he does not overly emphasize any method but uses the most suitable methodological procedures when studying literary phenomena.¹⁴

Prof. dr. sc. Josip Lisac, a reviewer of this book, points out that:

In his book Studije i ogledi [Studies and Essays] Šimun Musa dissects and studies the works of Croatian writers, with special attention to those significant individuals from Bosnia and Herzegovina and Dalmatian regions. These individuals are important not only for their literary achievements but also for their enlightenment and subsequently national revival efforts in the 18th and 19th centuries, as well as the works and writers from the 20th century. Here he particularly values the artistic and literary-aesthetic aspect, among other qualities, as he considers art as a “new reality” held at the level of permanence. It is also the conditions and processes that make such social and literary phenomena possible, and the Croatian language as a means of communication, the basic substance and stylistic determinant of the work. He puts a special focus on the lives and works of Franciscan revivalists, but also on other writers and their works, whether he approaches them as a literary historian, a methodologist or a connoisseur of linguistic issues.

Undoubtedly, among other benefits of this book, the systematic and knowledgeable perspective on the often neglected aspect of Croatian literature in Bosnia and Herzegovina is welcomed; those who get to know Musa's symphony of literary research thoroughness, inventiveness and Croatian dedication will not be mistaken.¹⁵

Even though the most common field of research in his scientific work is literary science, as an excellent connoisseur of language, apart from careful examination of certain literary facts, he also provides expert linguistic opinions and analysis. National consciousness and patriotic drive are among the life, but also scientific motivations of academic Musa, who has dedicated some of his most prominent works to the research of the Croatian language. The academic Musa includes the Croatian language in Bosnia and Herzegovina, especially when it comes to its legal and actual position in society, in a significant number of works, among which his highly notable sociolinguistic work published in 2007 in “Filologija [Philology,]” the journal of the Department of Philological Sciences of the Croatian Academy of Sciences and Arts, stands out. Croats in Bosnia and Herzegovina are a constituent nation, a sovereign factor, whose language, in spite of all open and hidden oppressions, has survived as an independent, standardized language in its standard form. It is, as Musa states: “today constitutionally and legally equal to other languages in Bosnia and Herzegovina, despite the fact that its constitutional provisions and practical position in public communication are in disharmony.”¹⁶ The academic Musa focuses precisely on this issue by thoroughly analyzing the constitution and laws as well as the practical status of the Croatian language in comparison to other languages, starting from the state, county to municipality level. He provides facts about the inequality of the Croatian language, concluding that its vitality will, despite everything, overcome contemporary injustices.

When it comes to the contributions to the research of language, he has authored and co-authored a large number of works that are published in scientifically relevant journals and proceedings from scientific meetings.¹⁷ A special contribution to the research of the Croatian language is his scientific paper on prominent Franciscan revivalists, especially in Bosnia and Herzegovina, considering that the standard language is continued on their achievements, which represent the pre-standardization period of the Croatian language.

The academic Musa made a great contribution to the history of Croatian Literature with his four books in the Edition of 100 Books of Croatian Literature in Bosnia and Herzegovina (MH Sarajevo) where he studied over eighty writers from the second half of the 19th century to the present day. The books are as follows: Hrvatska književnost u BiH u drugoj polovici 19. st. i početkom 20. st. [Croatian Literature in Bosnia and Herzegovina in the Second Half of the 19th Century and the Beginning of the 20th Century] (book 8) in which Musa presented 24 writers, Hrvatska književnost u BiH u prvoj polovici 20. st. [Croatian Literature in Bosnia and Herzegovina in the First Half of the 20th Century](book 10) presents 30 authors born between 1882 and 1897, Hrvatska književnost u BiH u 20. st. [Croatian Literature in Bosnia and Herzegovina in the 20th Century](book 12) gathers 27 writers born between 1915 and 1933 and Ilija Jakovljević: Proza i poezija (izbor) [Prose and Poetry (selection)], (book 25). By studying these four books¹⁸ which Musa prepared, wrote the preface, bibliography and dictionary, and created a selection from the works of the authors and individually analyzed them, and by specifically studying additions published for the first time in these books¹⁹, it can be concluded that immense effort and great research perseverance were needed to find and collect all these additions, as well as an enormous amount of biographical and bibliographical data. Each of these four books is comprehensive and harmonized in all segments, consistent and methodologically appropriate. Special attention was given to the choice of texts, analyses of authors and their works, their structuring and above all, providing value judgment of each of them, as well as their significance in the mosaic of Croatian culture from the second half of the 19th century to today. The sensitivity to the historical dimension and social conditioning of literary phenomena becomes evident in these books. As Pavletić would say: “A poet, finally, does not write with words, he uses words only to call upon things, apparitions, atmospheres, time phenomena and names of idolized personalities so as to illustrate what is definite or indefinite, something that he wants to transfer to us” (2007, 31), Musa indicates that the cultural achievements of every author covered has made an impact on national and cultural progress. A special scientific contribution can be seen in his literary-historical reviews and value judgments of the covered authors and their works, which, as he notes, are often neglected or completely ignored by the history of Croatian literature, while only some are briefly touched upon.

Musa, as a researcher of artistic works, with his scope and the depth of his interpretative approach, reconciles Pavletić's distinction between a work and its effectiveness. Pavletić warns about the following:

Every integral analysis necessitates the distinction of a work, as a verbal structure, from its effectiveness. Some researchers of artistic phenomena focus on the work, not taking into account its effectiveness, while others focus more on impressions and suggestiveness than on examining the exact structure of the work, without which there would be no suggestions or impressions (Pavletić, 2007, 25).

Musa balances the literary work and its effectiveness by placing it in the context of the body of work of the author, the literary science and the social prism, while at the same time examining its exact structure.

Šimun Musa has also compiled a few anthologies. Although “it is said that this status may belong to every collection of papers chosen according to some principles” (Brešić, 2000, 333), the anthologies of Šimun Musa reflect the aesthetic tendencies and the opinions of the generation and editors, and as such evoke interest, as well as affirmative evaluations.

As a person driven by an incorruptible sense of goodness and human relevance and tied to the teaching profession for children and youth, inspired by the life fact of wartime chaos, he strove, through his anthology Sunce je otputovalo iz moje sobe – Riječju i slikom djece u ratu [The Sun Has Left My Room – In Word and Image of Children in War)] to dispel the darkness of war, stimulate the activity of children and brighten their worlds. The anthology is thus appropriately illustrated and it contains shorter poetic and prose texts dedicated to children affected by war. The anthology is useful from a pedagogical and didactic perspective and highly inspiring and intriguing from an aesthetic perspective.

His anthology of Croatian war lyrics in Bosnia and Herzegovina – Nisam mrtav samo sam zemlju zagrlio [I'm Not Dead, I Just Hugged the Land] (co-authored with Gojko Sušac) is a kind of discourse on existential questions, but, aesthetically structured through its selected poems, it serves as an invitation to an encounter rather than conflict. These lines inspire tolerance, truth and nobility. The poems are artistically valuable, affirming the anti-war spirit and are especially intriguing from a nationalpoetic perspective as well as from a general humanistic perspective.

Musa, nationally sensitive and loyal to his land, compiles (in collaboration with Krešimir Šego) an anthology of the poetry of poets from his region titled Zri znak, encompassing about twenty poets from Brotnjo. Twenty exquisite poets in a small area, whose shared characteristic is a true regional inspiration transferred into verses of evident literary value, is an intriguing phenomenon.

Musa significantly contributes to Croatian cultural heritage through a highly valuable ethnological contribution presented in the book Ženidba [Wedding]. This is a unique work by Franjo Miličević, written in 1870 and published in the Works of Yugoslav Academy of Sciences and Arts in 1915 which gives a comprehensive overview of wedding customs in Herzegovina. Musa discovered and critically edited this text in a special book, writing the preface, notes and dictionary.

Considering the differences in national, political, traditional and particularly linguistic interests of people in Bosnia and Herzegovina, the issue of the education system is very complex. By researching essential facts and analyzing the situation in the education system as a crucial social activity, Musa contributes with exact solutions by editing and writing textbooks. He considers it unquestionable that Croats, as a constituent nation in Bosnia and Herzegovina, should publish textbooks and other forms of literature in their language as the foundation of the educational process. In his work (co-author Marija Musa) Udžbenici za hrvatski jezik i književnost u Bosni i Hercegovini [Textbooks for Croatian Language and Literature in Bosnia and Herzegovina]²⁰, he explores the common, complex system of textbooks in Bosnia and Herzegovina, studying, among other things, local and foreign laws about this profession. He also explores the textbook model of Bosnia and Herzegovina, contributing not only to pedagogical science but also to methodological theory and practice of designing and using textbooks.

Musa works not only as the initiator of the educational program and a textbook project but also as the editor-in-chief of textbooks according to the Croatian educational program in Bosnia and Herzegovina²¹. During these years in the Republic of Croatia, significant changes were made to the educational program, which also reflected in the textbooks and “The first sample of the theoretical and methodological curriculum template for creating textbooks in the Croatian educational system is disclosed in a proceeding from the scientific-expert meeting Udžbenik i virtualno okuženje [Textbook and Virtual Environment], Školska knjiga, Zagreb 2004” (Rosandić, 2013,111).

As an excellent theoretical expert and literary historian with a long-standing experience in teaching, Musa in a creative way and demonstrating methodological appropriateness selects textbook content that is receptively suitable for pupils. He has co-authored the textbooks stated in the footnotes²², written chapters on Croatian and other literature in Bosnia and Herzegovina, focusing on the quality of literary achievements. The textbooks present writers and works of Croatian literature in a balanced proportion, incorporating Croatian literature from Bosnia and Herzegovina and the exile, not just from the Republic of Croatia. These textbooks are published in collaboration between Školska knjiga, Zagreb and Školska naklada, Mostar.

In this field of his work, Musa proved to be an excellent and persistent organizer and extremely creative and knowledgeable methodologist, whose shaping of the language-communication field is based on an interdisciplinary methodology that encompasses educational sciences in a broader sense and the core methodology. According to the methodological theory, the language-communication field is based on the theory of correlations, integration and the theory of interdisciplinary connections. The educational position of the Croatian language as a mother tongue in the language-communication field requires a more complete explanation, i.e. “requires a more complex psycholinguistic, sociological, methodological and pedagogical interpretation” (Rosandić, 2013, 126) since “the Croatian language as a subject is different in terms of content from other languages²³ that are included in the language-communication field” (Rosandić, 2013, 126).

From a methodological point of view, Musa edits these textbooks according to the knowledge of text linguistics, aesthetic reception theory and literary-aesthetic communication, of which he is an excellent expert, primarily focusing on the position of pupils in the communication process, which is founded on the principles of the aesthetic reception theory. The textbooks are edited and written in such a way that they allow pupils, as receptors of an aesthetic message, to express their individual aesthetic sensibility which is designed and elevated to a higher level through methodical intervention. (comp. Rosandić, 2013, 165)

Therefore, through this complex textbook project, Musa made a great contribution to the methodical, sociocultural and political field considering the fact that the educational programs and textbooks are institutionally regulated and the structure of institutions is politically determined.

In addition, Musa also scientifically contributes to the field of methodology through numerous scientific papers in which he explores the methodology of literature and methodological procedures. Some of them, namely, his two (in co-authorship) textbooks for higher education teaching, Osnove interpretacije književnosti [Bases of Interpretation of Literature], ŠN, Mostar – ŠK, Zagreb, 2014²⁴ and Uvod u metodiku, interpretaciju i recepciju književnosti [Introduction to Methodology, Interpretation and Reception of Literature], University of Zadar, Zadar, 2015²⁵ are the mandatory reading at the university study programs of Croatian language and literature in the Republic of Croatia.

In the scientific context, it is important to note that Musa built a good reputation by having notable presentations at numerous local and international scientific meetings. He was the initiator, organizer and moderator of some of these meetings.

The relationship between sociocultural events and the essence of logos, recognized in literary-artistic value, is the backbone of his scientific research. It was possible to point out only some of them due to the scope, diversity, depth and comprehensiveness of the addressed areas.

His scientific oeuvre is abundant in subtle and sharp observations that stem from his original scientific approach to philological issues, where a preoccupation with the beauty of language, literary interpretation and reception and a refined sense for linguistic and metric peculiarities of the Croatian language are clearly visible.

Apart from his scientific achievements which are imperative for future research, Musa is committed and engaged in professional, cultural and social fields in general.

Sociocultural Contribution

Apart from his lifelong devotion to the scientific and education fields, Musa made a significant contribution to the socio-political field by being appointed to the positions in the authorities of Bosnia and Herzegovina in the field of education and culture. He was a member of the Government of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina – Ministry of Education, Culture, Science and Sports twice (1995–1996 and 1998– 2000). After that, he was a representative in the Parliament of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

The exposure as a result of being appointed to political functions, which is seen from the publications in the newspapers of that time²⁶, presents Šimun Musa as a socially sensitive and nationally conscious politician. He engages in politics with thorough erudition and an established intellectual engagement, as a well-formed expert in all areas of his work, i.e. as a person who can be trusted. His political efforts are aimed at improving the position of Croats in Bosnia and Herzegovina as well as improving the position of the Croatian language in society in general, especially in institutions of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Musa himself wrote numerous newspaper articles dealing with political issues as well as cultural newspaper articles on various literary events, anniversaries, award ceremonies, scientific symposiums and publications of various works. On the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the Nobel Prize Award Ceremony, he wrote an extensive text for “Večernji list” titled “Ivo Andrić. Princ bez dvorca, paževa i princeza [Ivo Andrić. A Prince without Castles, Pages and Princesses]”, published on 10 October 2011, reflecting Musa's profound knowledge of this great writer and his works. Through his scientific works, Musa explored the poetic voice of Ivo Andrić and the features of such poetry. With this newspaper text, Musa announced the “Ivo Andrić” International Scientific Symposium, which was organized by the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences and the Institute of Croatian Language, Literature and History of the University of Mostar on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the Nobel Prize Award Ceremony.

Regarding the sociocultural contribution, it is important to point out his involvement in the program “Civitas – Obrazovanje u demokraciji [Civitas – Education in Democracy]” in 1996 where he actively participated as a guest of the U.S. Government as a lecturer and a participant of the seminar organized from primary school to university in several states in the USA (New York, Washington, Virginia, Maryland). In that project, he participated on behalf of the Government of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina (Ministry of Science, Education and Sports), continuing collaboration over a ten-year period on similar scientific and educational programs (“Education in Democracy”). He implemented the acquired experience in further societal engagement, focusing on the development of education.

As a Dean of the Faculty of Education, he initiated the work of several study programs and dedicated himself to developing programs and ensuring personnel. He intensified and extended the cooperation of the Faculty of Education of the University of Mostar with the universities in Zadar, Zagreb, Osijek, Sarajevo and beyond. In 2003, as a Dean of the Faculty of Education, he hosted the President of the Trentino-Alto Adige regional assembly, dr. Franz Pahl, a renowned humanist, publicist, scientist, historian and politician and an Emeritus Professor at the University of Mostar. He also arranged long-term cooperation in the form of concrete assistance for the German language department and collaboration in the field of student and staff exchange throughout the German-speaking area in Europe, especially in South Tyrol, Austria and Germany. Dr. Pahl has provided material help to the University of Mostar on several occasions, especially in regard to the reconstruction and development of the Faculty of Education and the reconstruction of the amphitheater of the University of Mostar (Juka, 2003).

In cooperation with the Croatian Academy of Sciences and Arts from Zagreb and the Province of the Most Holy Redeemer Split, as a Dean of the Faculty of Education, he organized a scientific meeting on Fra Andrija Kačić Miošoć on the occasion of the 300th anniversary of his birth. He also wrote about his work and the role for Bosnia and Herzegovina and beyond. This scientific meeting enjoyed extensive media coverage because Andrija Kačić Miošić is a renowned Croatian author, as Musa stated in his interview for “Večernji list”:

Andrija Kačić Miošić is without a doubt one of the greatest cultural, spiritual and historical phenomena. A phenomenon that has actually had an impact and in a certain way fulfilled the spiritual shelves of Croatian cultural being in Bosnia and Herzegovina. He is a phenomenon significant not only for the history and culture of Croatia but also for Bosnia and Herzegovina due to his literary, philosophical and historical work. He has done a lot, especially with regard to the enlightenment of the Croatian people (Rupčić, 2004).

While developing the scope and program of the Faculty of Education, he realized the necessity of its reorganization into two new organizational units of the University of Mostar – two faculties (Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences and the Faculty of Natural Sciences, Mathematics and Educational Sciences, accepted by both the Faculty Council and the Senate of the University).

As a Deputy Rector and Vice Chancellor of the University of Mostar in charge of development, he was one of the initiators and executors of the project aimed at expanding and reconstructing the university campus. The project was successfully implemented with the support of the Government of the Republic of Croatia.

When it comes to social and national contribution, and especially educational, it is crucial to point out that Musa was the initiator and the founder of the educational program and a textbook project²⁷ for primary and secondary schools for Croats in Bosnia and Herzegovina, which was discussed earlier in this paper.

By actively contributing to social and cultural work and development and through his scientific papers such as Položaj Kroatistike na Sveučilištu u Mostaru i hrvatskog jezika u BiH [The Position of Croatian Studies at the University of Mostar and the Croatian Language in Bosnia and Herzegovina]²⁸, Musa points out, considering the position of Croats in Bosnia and Herzegovina, that this study program is of paramount importance and that consequently educational programs and the organization should be standardized and completely harmonized with the programs in the Republic of Croatia and Europe. In other words, the University of Mostar is the only university in Bosnia and Herzegovina where Croatian is the official language. Therefore, this is one of many reasons that point to the relevance of this study program.

Through a large number of professional and scientific activities, Musa continuously contributes to sociocultural development and the creation of new values. As the editor of the journal “Hum”, a journal of humanities of the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences in Mostar and as the editor-in-chief of the journal “Vidici [Horizons]”, journal of the Croatian Academy of Arts and Sciences of Bosnia and Herzegovina, he cares for the development of Croatian culture and the expressive perfection of the Croatian literary language in Bosnia and Herzegovina. He was also the editor of the journal “Škola [School]” in Mostar (1994). As the editor-in-chief of textbooks for Croatian language and literature at the publishing house Školska naklada Mostar – Školska knjiga Zagreb, he is a leading promoter of school activities according to the Croatian educational program. He is an editor at the publishing house ZIRAL Mostar. He is a member of the editorial board of several journals: “Mostariensia,” a journal for humanities and social sciences in Mostar, “Osvit [Dawn],” CWA Mostar and “Riječ [Word],” Croatian Philological Society Rijeka. He was the initiator, president, member of the organizing committee, a participant in various international meetings and editor-in-chief and member of the editorial board of the proceedings from those meetings.²⁹ He was a member of the Management Board and the Director of the Institute of Croatian Language, Literature and History of the University of Mostar.

Conclusion

Through hundreds of bibliographic units, including eighteen books, Šimun Musa writes about the work of an impressive number of writers such as: Franjo Milićević, Filip Lastrić, Andrija Kačić Miošić, Mihovil Pavlinović, Marijan Šunjić, Ilija Jakovljević, S. S. Kranjčević, Antun Branko Šimić, Ivo Andrić, Mirko Božić, Lucijan Kordić, Stojan Vučićević and hundreds of other authors and works. Overall, the theoretical and methodological basis of his scientific works is based on the corpus of relevant local and foreign literature.

However, the areas of his research go beyond the limits of literary science; they are diverse and broadly encompassing. Alongside the history of Croatian literature, literary theory and the Croatian language, Musa also explores the educational process from a methodological point of view, textbook issues and educational programs in Bosnia and Herzegovina, the position of Croatian studies at the University of Mostar, the position of Croatian people and Croatian language in Bosnia and Herzegovina as well as Croatian culture. He is also engaged in professional, cultural, social and political issues.

Considering the breadth of his engagement and the importance of all activities as well as the commitment to engaging in them, he has established himself as an excellent literary scholar, exceptional organizer of scientific life, enterprising editor, renowned methodologist and an excellent, diligent and consistent collaborator and leader, which is all actually a natural sequence of his human qualities: moderation, dignity and stoic consistency – inseparable from his scientific work.

The educational, scientific and sociocultural contribution of the academic Musa is marked by thoroughness in work, clarity and methodological persuasiveness, which is seen in his organized, tireless, dedicated and inventive work in all areas of activity. This resulted in numerous articles, written, edited and prepared books, organized and held scientific meetings, as well as published proceedings and several journals, many of which he is the editor-in-chief and the initiator. A large number of his books and hundreds of papers reflect his thorough and extensive erudition, show an excellent knowledge of literary science and philology in general, a pronounced power of analysis as well as his keen sensitivity to expressive and artistic value. His works and books established him as a sharp thinker and an excellent connoisseur of Croatian language, literature and culture as well as the methodology of literature.

His scientific contribution in the field of theory and history of literature, Croatian language and methodology of literature, with a special focus on newer Croatian literature, make Šimun Musa, Emeritus Professor, an excellent scientist with a profound knowledge of literary processes, phenomena, Croatian writers and works of newer Croatian literature, especially from the area of Bosnia and Herzegovina, as witnessed by his evaluators mentioned earlier in this paper.

Croatian people as well as Croatian language and literature in Bosnia and Herzegovina have their past and present, and Croats as historical people need contributions such as those coming from the academic Šimun Musa, Emeritus Professor.

His perceptive powers, creative energy and thorough erudition are the essential characteristics of his overall work, and the spirit of intellectual responsibility is his greatest quality.

References