Ethnographic Museum of Belgrade Exhibit: “The Sun of a Foreign Sky”

On the occasion of the Canadian Confederation’s 150^th anniversary (1867-2017), the Ethnographic Museum of Belgrade opened an exhibit on August 22^nd, 2017, curated by Milovan Mraćević who holds a Master’s in History. He graduated from the University of British Columbia with a thesis on the history of Yugoslavian immigrants in Canada. Since 1994, he has lived in Belgrade with his family.

            With much documentation, and using archival materials, the curator examines the largest wave of European immigration into Canada, from 1924 to 1930, through the texts and photographs of emigrants coming from the former Yugoslavia. The aim of Canadian immigration was to attract as many simple labourers, ordinary workers, primarily for work on farms and in mines. It appears that 23, 000 new residents, out of 165, 000, were from Yugoslavia. The peak was reached in 1928 when 6000 Yugoslavian immigrants came to Canada, and among them, Petar Mračević, the curator’s father. After this period settlement in Canada largely ceased due to the economic crisis of the 1930s. The central aim behind attracting such a large number of immigrants was profit, either through their permanent residency or a temporary stay.

            Canada afforded them administrative benefits: they were secured transportation, financial loans, families were brought together, among many other things. For 250 dollars and about 25 dollars in travel expenses, one could arrive in Canada by steamboat in about ten days. Immigrants were required to declare the purpose of their arrival, present a certificate of health, and the age limit was set at 45 years old. Back then they also examined immigrants’ hands as a means of making sure that they were primarily simple labourers. Newcomers also had the opportunity to leave for America, either as visitors or future residents.

            Assistance was also extended to those who ended up returning to Yugoslavia, of which there were between 400 and 800 a year. Among these were primarily those who did not achieve their goals, who could not adjust, who were under social threat, the poor, and most often, the sick. The majority of these were miners.

            The opening of this excellent exhibit was attended, not just by the director of the Ethnographic Museum, a representative from the Canadian embassy, specialists in this field, and the curator himself, but was also enriched by the presence of the actor, Darko Bjeković, in the role of an immigrant who recited a text by Petar Mračević, the curator’s father and also an author. With a cardboard suitcase in hand, he unexpectedly turned his back to the audience and without turning back set out “to seek his fortune.”

            The curator of the exhibit also told the story of Johan Bajer through official sources (Stanišić, 1905). In his case, the commision cited his reason for immigration as “fleeing from a rampant woman.” No trace is left of him, even among police records. In Canada he was a thief, never sending his wife and child their alimony payments. He was seen here and there, and then finally disappeared.

            The exhibit closes on September 5^th with the one-act play “Outfit” (“Odijelo”) and the documentary film, “New Canadians.” It is likely that this exhibit will find its way to other venues as well.