This book, which was printed originally in Dutch, had 40 editions
in 15 languages (until 2014), including Croatian.
Summary. Frank Westerman's book about Lipizzaner horses, with emphasis on their destiny in the 20th century, especially during the Serbian aggression on Croatia in 1990-1995, originally published in Dutch, has been translated into 15 languages (40 editions until 2015). As stressed by Frank Westerman in his book, the CROWN (Croatian World Network, i.e., this web site) and Nenad Bach had an important role in launching the international media campaign aiming to return from Serbia the stolen Croatian Lipizzaners back to their homeland. Mr. Westerman visited on many occasion the town of Lipik, in which numerous noble Lipizzaner horses have been mercilessly assassinated during the aggression.
The Lipik Lipizzaner Stud has been founded in 1843.
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Translations exist into
Armenian,
Catalan,
Chinese, Croatian, Czech, Estonian, Danish, German, French, English,
Italian, Hungarian,
Japanese, Polish, Slovenian and Swedish.
Frank Westerman's book has been translated from Dutch into Croatian by Maja Weikert,
published in 2013 by
Durieux, Zagreb, 326 pp.
Frank Westerman, author of the bestselling book
Presentation of the book in Croatia in 2014
Frank Westerman in Đakovo, Croatia, famous for its
Đakovo Stud dating from 1506.
In other words, the Đakovo Stud is older than 500 years, founded roughly at the time of the discovery of America.
Frank with his Croatian friends.
Many thanks to Mr. Frank Westerman and to Mr. Dražen Tončić from the Durieux publishers, Zagreb, for permission to use the above photos.
Frank Westerman (Dier, bovendier)
In Brother Mendel’s Perfect Horse Frank Westerman explores the great human tragedies of the twentieth century through the story of a horse, the Lipizzaner. The stallion Conversano Primula, the pride of the manager of the dressage stable where Westerman learnt to ride as a boy, marks the start of an astonishing quest through the pure bloodlines of four generations of Viennese ‘school stallions’, to discover what they meant to the world’s most powerful leaders.
'A most charming book' The Times; ‘Westerman's unique process of hybridisation, his mix of travel writing and history, proves a winner…enquiring and thoughtful.’ Independent; His tales have the subterfuge and tension of a thriller.’ Sunday Telegraph 'When you touch a Lippizaner,' Frank Westerman was told as a child, 'you are touching history.' In Brother Mendel's Perfect Horse he explores the history of these unique creatures, an extraordinary troop of pedigree horses first bred as personal mounts for the Emperor of Austria-Hungary. Following the bloodlines of the studbook, he reconstructs the story of four generations of imperial steeds as they survive the fall of the Habsburg Empire, two world wars and the insane breeding experiments conducted under Hitler, Stalin and Ceausescu. Brother Mendel's Perfect Horse, a unique and engrossing fusion of history and travel writing, is a modern fable in which the pureblood horse ends up revealing man's own shortcomings. Source www.frankwesterman.nl
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Many thanks to Mrs.
Verica Kovač, Zagreb, for her information about Croatian translation of Westerman's book.
Glavna tema knjige „Lipicanci“ (naslov izvornika: „Dier, bovendier“, doslovno prevedeno: Životinja, nadživotinja) naizgled je vrlo posebna životinja: najstarija kultivirana pasmina konja — lipicanac. Westerman je ispričao tu priču na sebi svojstven način, kao vrlo osoban dijalog s „glavnim protagonistom“. Ali lipicanac u stvari nije glavni protagonist ove knjige, nego samo lajtmotiv, misao vodilja, oko koje autor isprepliće cijeli niz priča, često se udaljavajući od teme, da bi se opet vratio na polaznu točku. Stvarna tema knjige nije samo jedna, autor dotiče i isprepliće niz tema u fascinantnu cjelinu. Jedna je od njih svakako pitanje koju ulogu igra nasljednost a koju okolina u nastanku odnosno izraženosti rasnih obilježja (nature vs. nurture) — u konja kao i u ljudi (npr. suludih pokušaja „oplemenjivanja“ pod Hitlerom, Staljinom i Ceausescuom) sve do genetskih laboratorija našeg doba. To se pitanje uvijek iznova tematizira u ekskursima o Mendelu, Lisenku, rasnoj ideologiji nacista, miješanju naroda i narodnosti u bivšoj Jugoslaviji. Jednako važnu ulogu ima i pitanje oblikovanja/definiranja jedne životinjske pasmine prema zamislima i predodžbama ljudi, kao uostalom i ljudi samih u zadanim društveno–političkim uvjetima (u fašizmu i u komunizmu). Naposljetku, tu je i pitanje odnosa čovjeka i životinje.
Westerman svoju priču priča iz različitih perspektiva, na temelju burne povijesti raznih ergela lipicanaca (Lipica, Hostau, Lipik) — što je ujedno i povijest 20. stoljeća. „Ako dotakneš lipicanca“, rečeno mu je još kao dječaku, „dotičeš povijest.“ Tu izjavu nikad nije zaboravio, i ovom svojom knjigom zaronio je u povijest Europe: rekonstruirajući povijest četiriju naraštaja rasnih konja i prateći ih po cijeloj Europi, od carskih ergela i jahaonica u Beču, preko propasti Habsburške Monarhije, kroz oba svjetska rata i, na koncu, rata na Balkanu.
Prevela s nizozemskog Maja Weikert-Lozica
Objavljeno uz potporu Ministarstva kulture Republike Hrvatske, Gradskog ureda za obrazovanje, kulturu i sport Grada Zagreba i Veleposlanstva Kraljevine Nizozemske u Republici Hrvatskoj
Sadržaj
Prolog 15
I
"C" od lipicanca 25
Osvježenje krvi 42
Noga ždrala 60
K.u.K.–Leute 75
Crna se izmendelirala 94
Proba posluha 109
II
Povratak tarpana 125
Heim ins Reich 144
Biljka 4711 157
Poziv na obvezu oplodnje 180
Uzgojna postaja 192
Operacija kauboj 208
III
Bratstvo i jedinstvo 231
Animal Farm 247
Konjaništvo Hladnog rata 272
Ljudski park 281
Conversano Batosta 296
Napomene 317
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Frank Westerman, famous writer from Amsterdam visited Lipik on June 24th 2008. During his stay in Lipik, as a guest of youth organizations and young people of Lipik, Frank Westerman visited Lipik Stable and the Lipizzaners, Lipik Orphanage, Cursalon and a hospital. Frank Westerman visited Lipik for his new book about Lipizzaners....Frank Westerman, poznati pisac iz Amsterdama posjetio je Lipik 24. lipnja 2008. godine. Tijekom boravka u Lipiku, kao gost udruga mladih i mladih ljudi Lipika, posjetio je Ergelu i Lipicance, Dječji dom, Kursalon i Bolnicu. Frank Westerman je posjetio Lipik zbog svoje nove knjige o Lipicancima koju upravo piše....
After 16 long years, Lipik's horses, of lipizzian breed, Croatian national treasure, were brought back to their home made stables of the Ergela Lipik, where they were taken from and stolen at the end of 1991, at the beginning of the attack on Lipik. After several years of negotiations and attempts for horses to be returned to Lipik, on the October 12th, 2007, the horses went from Novi Sad to Croatia. Saturday, October 13th, around two o'clock in the morning, the convoy of five trucks with 66 horses arrived to Donji Čaglić, a little village near the entrance of Lipik. The convoy of hope with Lipik's horses was comming back the same road they were taken away in 1991...Nakon 16 dugih godina lipički konji lipicanske pasmine, hrvatsko nacionalno blago, vraćeni su u matične štale Ergele Lipik odakle su bili oteti i ukradeni krajem 1991. godine na samome početku napada na Lipik. Nakon nekoliko godina pregovora i pokušaja da se konji vrate u Lipik, 12. listopada 2007. godine lipički konji su krenuli iz Novog Sada prema Hrvatskoj. U subotu, 13. listopada, oko 02:00 sata ujutro kolona od pet kamiona s ukupno 66 konja stigla je u Donji Čaglić, malo selo na samom ulazu u Lipik. Konvoj nade s lipičkim konjima vraćao se istim putem kojim su i odvedeni 1991. godine...
Nenad Bach, famous croatian musician from New York visited Lipik on June 24th 2008. During his stay in Lipik, as a guest of youth organizations and young people of Lipik, Nenad Bach visited Lipik Stable and the Lipizzaners, Lipik Orphanage, Cursalon and a hospital....Nenad Bach, poznati hrvatski glazbenik iz New Yorka posjetio je Lipik 24. lipnja 2008. godine. Tijekom boravka u Lipiku, kao gost udruga mladih i mladih ljudi Lipika, posjetio je Ergelu i Lipicance, Dječji dom, Kursalon i Bolnicu....
The Lipik Children's home was the first object to be destroyed in 1991 in Lipik. Colonel Mark Cook, the Commander of the British Contingent of the UNPROFOR in Croatia, supported by his family in Great Britain and together with British soldiers, initiated helping to rebuild the orphanage. Doctor Marica Topic from Lipik, todays doctor of Lipik Special hospital for rehabilitation, helped colonel Mark Cook to reconstruct and rebuilt Lipik Orphanage. Their figth was promoted by BBC and HTV (Croatian Television). This HTV documentary Destinies about life of dr. Marica Topic is dedicated to her fight for Lipik Orphanage, and it was filmed in 1994. This is part one Dječji dom Lipik je bio prvi uništeni objekt u Lipiku tijekom 1991. godine. Pukovnik Mark Cook, zapovjednik britanskih snaga UNPROFOR-a u Hrvatskoj, uz podršku svoje obitelji u Velikoj Britaniji, zajedno sa britanskim vojnicima inicirao je pomoć za obnovu Doma. Doktorica Marica Topić iz Lipika, trenutna doktorica Bolnice za medicinsku rehabilitaciju Lipik, pomogla je pukovniku Mark Cooku u rekonstrukciji I obnovi Dječjeg doma u Lipiku. Njihova borba bila je promovirana na BBC-u i HTV-u. Ovaj dokumentarac HTV-a Sudbine o životu dr. Marice Topić posvećen je njenoj borbi za Dječji dom Lipik, a snimljen je 1994. godine. Ovo je prvi dio
The Lipik Children's home was the first object to be destroyed in 1991 in Lipik. Colonel Mark Cook, the Commander of the British Contingent of the UNPROFOR in Croatia, supported by his family in Great Britain and together with British soldiers, initiated helping to rebuild the orphanage. Doctor Marica Topic from Lipik, todays doctor of Lipik Special hospital for rehabilitation, helped colonel Mark Cook to reconstruct and rebuilt Lipik Orphanage. Their figth was promoted by BBC and HTV (Croatian Television). This HTV documentary Destinies about life of dr. Marica Topic is dedicated to her fight for Lipik Orphanage, and it was filmed in 1994. This is part two Dječji dom Lipik je bio prvi uništeni objekt u Lipiku tijekom 1991. godine. Pukovnik Mark Cook, zapovjednik britanskih snaga UNPROFOR-a u Hrvatskoj, uz podršku svoje obitelji u Velikoj Britaniji, zajedno sa britanskim vojnicima inicirao je pomoć za obnovu Doma. Doktorica Marica Topić iz Lipika, trenutna doktorica Bolnice za medicinsku rehabilitaciju Lipik, pomogla je pukovniku Mark Cooku u rekonstrukciji I obnovi Dječjeg doma u Lipiku. Njihova borba bila je promovirana na BBC-u i HTV-u. Ovaj dokumentarac HTV-a Sudbine o životu dr. Marice Topić posvećen je njenoj borbi za Dječji dom Lipik, a snimljen je 1994. godine. Ovo je drugi dio
The Lipik Children's home (Lipik Orphanage) was the first object in Lipik to be destroyed in war during august 1991. Colonel Mark Cook, the Commander of the British Contingent of the UNPROFOR in Croatia, supported by his family in Great Britain and together with British soldiers, initiated helping to rebuild the orphanage. The new Orphanage was opened in december 1993. The main burden of the overall organization of rebuilding the Orphanage were taken by Mr. Mark Cook, prof. Goran Nikles, dr. Marica Topic and Mr. Martin Bell (BBC war correspondent for former Yugoslavia). In project of rebuilding the Orphanage crucial role had BBC...Djecji dom Lipik je bio prvi uništeni objekt u Lipiku u ratu tijekom kolovoza 1991. Pukovnik Mark Cook, zapovjednik britanskog kontigenta međunarodnih snaga UNPROFOR-a u Hrvatskoj, uz podršku svoje obitelji u Velikoj Britaniji i zajedno sa britanskim vojnicima, potaknuo je i pomagao obnovu Dječjeg doma. Glavni teret u cjelokupnoj organizaciji obnove doma ponijeli su g. Mark Cook, prof. Goran Nikles, dr. Marica Topic i g. Martin Bell (ratni dopisnik BBC-a za podrucje bivse Jugoslavije). Značajnu ulogu u obnovi Doma imao je BBC.....by ivanp.
Documentary about Lipik history before and after the war, filmed by Croatian television (HTV) and reporter Ana Mudric. Sound is a little bit noisy. This is part 1 of 2... Dokumentarac o povijesti Lipika prije i poslije rata kojeg je snimila Hrvatska televizija (HTV) i novinarka Ana Mudric. Zvuk je malo suman. Ovo je prvi od dva dijela... (1993/1994).
Documentary about Lipik history before and after the war, filmed by Croatian television (HTV) and reporter Ana Mudric. Sound is a little bit noisy. This is part 2 of 2... Dokumentarac o povijesti Lipika prije i poslije rata kojeg je snimila Hrvatska televizija (HTV) i novinarka Ana Mudric. Zvuk je malo suman. Ovo je drugi od dva dijela...(1993/1994).
Frank Westermann on the left and
Nenad N. Bach in white shirt in Lipik with Children's Choir, June 2008.
On the photo: Frank Westerman, Jadranka Sirovica, Glorija Novokmet, Vlatko Sirovica, Arijan Karačić, Nenad Bach,
Ana Novokmet, Tamara Prohaska, Danijela Prohaska, Vedrana Cah, Timotej Prohaska and Zvjezdana Cah.
