Memorial plaque to Stipan Vujić unveiled at HOŠIG

A memorial plaque dedicated to Stipan Vujić—the long-standing principal of the Croatian-Serbian Gymnasium and the first president of the Croat Self-Government of Budapest—was ceremonially unveiled at the Croatian Kindergarten, Primary School, Secondary School, and Student Dormitory in Budapest (HOŠIG). The plaque was installed by the Association of Croats in Hungary.

HOŠIG Director-General Ana Gojtan, who was herself a student at the Croatian-Serbian Gymnasium, emphasized that Vujić served as principal for three decades and remains in the memories of numerous generations. She noted that installing the plaque is not only a remembrance of one man but of all the people whose work during his era left a lasting mark.

In his formal address to those present, the President of the Association of Croats in Hungary, Joso Ostrogonac, presented the life path of Stipan Vujić and spoke about the school where many completed their secondary education.

The President of the Croat Self-Government of Budapest, Stipan Đurić, likened the Croatian-Serbian Gymnasium under Vujić’s leadership to an intellectual cradle. He noted that the majority of self-government leaders in Hungary—successful individuals who thrive everywhere, including in their homeland of Croatia, across Europe, or around the world—all originated from this institution.

Ivan Gugan, the spokesperson for the Croatian national minority in the Hungarian Parliament, recalled his professor and principal, Stipan Vujić, with a touching and emotional speech. A tragic family event bound the fates of their two families forever. Specifically, Gugan's father was orphaned at an early age and spent his days with his aunt and uncle in the Vujić family. For spokesperson Gugan, as well as for some others, Stipan Vujić was known affectionately as "Čiča" (Uncle). This immense love and support during the hardest of times sealed the relationship between spokesperson Gugan and Principal Vujić.

"When we speak about the gymnasium on Rose Square, we will first remember our friends, teachers, and professors, but we must not forget that the very man who created that security and atmosphere, making us feel like a living family, was precisely Director Vujić," spokesperson Gugan emphasized. Vujić continued to follow Gugan's life path even after graduation, frequently offering advice and sending congratulations for his career achievements, as reported by Kristina Goher.

The memorial plaque to Stipan Vujić was ceremonially unveiled by the President of the Association of Croats in Hungary, Joso Ostrogonac, and Stipan Vujić’s granddaughter, Mira Vujić. As part of the formal program, HOŠIG students performed, the school band played a Croatian melody, and the event was hosted by high school student Aljoša Šarić.

Source: HRT