The audience was thrilled with the joint changing of the guard in front of the Cathedral.
Kroathenregiment Stjepan Dragjie Waldmünchen, a historic regiment from Germany, consisting of German members, but representing the regiment led by Stjepan Dragija in the Thirty Years’ War, joined the Cravat Regiment in their traditional changing of the guard on Saturday, Politika plus reports on August 28, 2017.
Several members came to Zagreb on Saturday to learn more about the Cravat Regiment and join the changing of the guard. Their performance thrilled tourists, but also citizens of Zagreb who were gathered in front of the Cathedral.
“We are honoured to be here. We are Germans, but also Croats in a way! We have spent years studying and honouring the Croats’ role in the Thirty Years’ War and the heroism of Croatian light cavalry that the Cravat Regiment was modelled after. Commander Željko Matejčić is very popular in our regiment, as well as other German regiments, and we look up to the Cravat Regiment,” Franz Riderer, Commander of the Kroathenregiment Stjepan Dragjie Waldmünchen pointed out.
“Our German guests who joined the changing of the guard are members of a historic regiment that recreates the Croatian Regiment from the Thirty Years’ War, the Stjepan Dragija, or Dragić, Regiment. It was established in 1627, and the regiment’s flag was captured in their fight against the Swedes. That flag is the oldest historic Croatian flag, kept in a museum in Stockholm,” historian Vladimir Brnardić, an expert on the Thirty Years’ War, said.
The Thirty Years’ War was the deadliest European religious war in history that took place in Central Europe between 1618 -1648 and resulted in eight million casualties. What started as a war between various Protestant and Catholic states in the parts of the Holy Roman Empire developed into a long continuation of the fight between France and the Habsburgs for domination in Europe.
The event was organised by Academica Cravatica, the Cravat Regiment, and the City of Zagreb Tourist Board, and this is only the beginning of cooperation between the two regiments.
See photos from the event on the Cravat Regiment’s Facebook page and watch a video of one of the Cravat Regiment’s changing of the guard on the Main Square two months ago below:
Translated from Politika Plus.
