National Anthem Comparison
Bosnia and Herzegovina vs Croatia
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Intermeco
Comparison Analysis
Bosnia and Herzegovina and Croatia, both Europe nations, take distinct approaches to their national anthems. Bosnia and Herzegovina's "Intermeco" was written in 1998, while Croatia's "Our Beautiful Homeland" dates to 1835.
Both anthems share themes of Identity. Bosnia and Herzegovina additionally explores Unity and Peace, while Croatia also touches on Nature, Love of homeland and Ancestors / Heritage.
The emotional tones differ: Bosnia and Herzegovina's anthem is Solemn, while Croatia's is Proud.
Croatia's anthem predates Bosnia and Herzegovina's by 163 years, having been written in 1835 compared to 1998.
Bosnia and Herzegovina changed its national anthem in 1999, reflecting a shift in the nation's identity or political landscape.
Shared themes
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Croatia
Shared themes:
Metadata
| Bosnia and Herzegovina | Croatia | |
|---|---|---|
| Written | 1998 | 1835 |
| Adopted | 1999 | 1972 |
| Lyricist | Instrumental (no official lyrics) | Antun Mihanovic |
| Composer | Dusan Sestic | Josip Runjanin |
| Language | bs | hr |
| Region | Southern Europe | Southern Europe |
Lyrics Side by Side
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Intermeco
Instrumental (no lyrics)
Croatia
Lijepa naša domovino
Original
Translation
Interesting facts
Bosnia and Herzegovina
- 1. The anthem is one of only a handful in the world that has no official lyrics; the wordlessness is itself a deliberate political compromise among Bosniaks, Croats, and Serbs.
- 2. It became official on 25 June 1999 by direct order of High Representative Carlos Westendorp under his Bonn powers, after the Parliamentary Assembly could not pass the law itself.
- 3. The previous anthem, "Jedna si jedina," was arranged by Dino Merlin from the Bosnian folk song "S one strane Plive"; Bosniaks still sing it informally.
- 4. Lyrics titled "Ti si svjetlo duse," written by composer Dusan Sestic with Benjamin Isovic, were approved by a parliamentary commission in 2009 but have never been formally adopted.
Croatia
- 1. One of the oldest national anthems in Europe, written during the Croatian National Revival of the 1830s
- 2. The melody bears resemblance to a Donizetti opera passage, suggesting the composer was inspired by Italian opera
- 3. Only the first and last stanzas of the original poem are used in the official anthem
Listen
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Croatia
