/Уводът на тази книга е даден тук както на английски, така и на български език/. Книгата се намира в Народната библиотека "Св.Кирил и Методий", София под каталожен номер Ск 694183
Basically each scientific study, which aims at tracing the life and the work of an eminent political, military and cultural figure, intends to touch the sources of the knowledge for the historical root as an intellectual base of the national community. That’s why an event which concerns a whole nation, generally turns into a base, over which the particular individual reveals himself, defending or abandoning his own positions, views, feelings and dreams.That’s why each ethno-story is an important element of the identification of a national autonomous group, living under the will of a row of political and social factors, outside the limits of its national boundaries. Undoubtedly such a group are the Banat Bulgarians. It has firmly recognized its generic root, keeping it for three centuries. For these compatriots the memory and the myth have grown together, keeping the originality and the identity. Together with the constant adherence of these settlers to their national group and prime native land, the openness to the new, rational and more effective is typical. This is the stable characteristics of all those Bulgarians, scattered on the Banat lands in today’s Yugoslavia, Hungary and Romania. At their settling they established societies, collected money and built libraries, schools and churches. They fought dedicatedly and unfortunately with some small exceptions without results against the successful attempts of the recipient country, their already built under a national sign institutions later on to be altered menacingly or simply abolished. For all these Bulgarians, the past has never been and abstract concept, but a part of the notion, which each of them has carried in his heart and has handed over to the generation – the love to the Fatherland. From this aspect, the history of the prime native land has turned for them during the years not into a chronicle, but most of all – into a legend. An in a quite important share of the generic memory of the community, that has preserved its national identity. Thus, gradually, a past full of symbolism, but also accompanied by the pantheon of actual heroes, was created. These are the unwritten laws of each community, moulded and hard as iron. Because they are called to strengthen the outsets and the vitality of the ethnos, carried with much love over foreign lands and carefully preserved through contradictory times and epochs. Thus the past has saved these vital Bulgarians from the present, helping them to build strong bridges of the future.
The topic for the Bulgarian economic emigration through the ages is a serious issue, which unfortunately has not been often an object of scientific interest by the Bulgarian research-workers. Today it’s hard to maintain, that all facts, related to the genesis of the mode of life, language, traditions, culture, songs and myths of this preserved Bulgarian national community, like the Banat Bulgarians, have been studied so completely, that there is no need for new investigations. The same concerns all their representatives, who have really left a bright trace by their worthy contribution in the history of the lands, where they have settled. The recollections for these persons have become allegories of the Bulgarian community, have been a subject of its legal pride and national prestige. In this respect, marks of worthy acknowledgement we find in the far 1428, when the German king Sigismund Luxemburg has given privileges and noble titles for the first time not to his citizens, but to the Bulgarian settlers on Roschd island for their loyalty and renunciation. Such is the logic of life, when the brought by the settlers’ primary boundaries start losing their authority, replaced evolutionally by social activities, raising the zones of their understanding and cooperation with the recipient ethnos.
In this connection it is particularly important to mention, that in the period of the whole 19-th century the Bulgarian presence in revolutions, in military clashes and battles on the side of the underdog and the oppressed flows with exciting worthy examples. But let us refer to the facts. During the war between Serbia and Turkey in at Negotin the detachment of Haidut Velko bravely joined the battle. In the battles for chasing the Turkish military units from the Belgrade fortress in 1862 many Bulgarians participate and among them are Vasil Levski, Stefan Karadja, Ilyo voivode, Peter Bonev etc. Over 1500 Bulgarian volunteers participate in the fights against the Turks close to the Danube near Kniajevac, lead by the voivodes Ilyo Markov, Hristo Makedonski, Panayot Hitov, Filip Totio, Lazar Kostov, Naiden Poplilov, Simo Sokolov etc. A Bulgarian detachment lead by the captains D. Makedonski, Al. Nikolaevich and Indje voivode fought against the Turkish military detachments in the valley of Olt river (Romania). Many Bulgarians help the Greek people in their fights against the Turkish oppressor. In North Greece the detachment of Hadji Hristo lead heavy battles with the Turkish units and even captures their commander Ismail Pasha. During the Krit uprising Petko Voivode, by the help of Djuzepe Garibaldi, formed a detachment of 300 people and participates in the Greek uprising, leading bloody battles in Arkadia area. Bulgarian detachments, lead by Yane Sandanski and Hr. Chernopeev, participate in the suppression of the counter-revolutionary mutiny of the overthrown sultan Abdul Hamid in Tsarigrad in 1909. Over a hundred are the Bulgarians, fighting bravely under the flags of Garibaldi. Among them are captain Petko voivode, Stefan Dunjov, the artist Dimitar Dobrovich Pehlivanov, Teofan Voikov, Ivan Hadjidimitrov, Dimitar Obshti, Gyuro Nachev, Georgi Karaistakiev, Toma Nikolov, Georgi Kanchev, Neno Marinov, Viktor Rachov etc.
In this scientific work an attempt will be made to enter into the historical preconditions, which have laid the basis for the strengthening of the presence of the Banat Bulgarians, who have succeeded to make the way of respect, understanding and mutual aid, which lead them to bringing together with the foreign ethnos. This is also an initiative, prompted by the honest desire of the author of this research to throw a glance in the intellectual territory of the Bulgarian settlers and their generations. And especially of one of them - doctor Stefan Dunjov, the active participant in the Hungarian revolution of 1848, co-worker of Lajos Kossuth and Shandor Petiofi. This is the man, who without reservation stood under the military flags of the Italian hero Djuzepe Garibaldi. With his vital behaviour Dunjov was in his own way deeply religious – above all with his whole heart, in the voice of his conscience, in his mind and thoughts. That’s why in the name of the liberty of Italy, he with great difficulty survived, after the battle at Volturno – was left with one leg.
The present research, devoted on the life and work of doctor Stefan Dunjov is unpretentious regarding full exhaustiveness. At this stage the achievement of such a purpose is a difficult task. Drawing such a conclusion, I do not say that it is doomed in advance for failure. Currently the archive documents, comprising assessments and opinions of contemporaries, the lead comprehensive correspondence with many distinguished political figures, revealing in details the public-political and revolutionary activity of doctor Stefan Dunjov, are spread in different Hungarian, Romanian and Italian institutions. In Hungary for instance for Stefan Dunjov in details write Lajos Kossuth and many other authors. Except this, important materials from and for Dunjov are preserved in “Secheni” library in Budapest /fund Pulski/, in the State archive – Budapest /funds Dunjov, Kossuth, Pulski, Telski/.
In this research work I have tried to reveal the dauntless aspiration for liberty and human dignity of the less known in Bulgaria personality of doctor Stefan Dunjov. His whole stormy life was an expression of a clear position, rising up to an accusation against any oppression and together with this against the lack of national dignity. By his revolutionary actions and courageous behaviour he showed categorically that the moral world is not an illusion. Because he never raised the political helplessness and irresolution for his slogan. The old community offered him a reliable social shelter. But, against a relevant price – withdrawal from the weapon of the mind and from the feeling for social and political equity. That’s why there is no need to emphasize that Dunjov was among the people, who succeeded, in spite of the ups and downs of life – to keep crystal clear his spiritual nature.
Even a conclusion should have its end. For a long time I thought what it might be. And decided that the letter of Djuzepe Dunjov – the son of Stefan Dunjov – will be the best finale. Which unfortunately is quite sad. And which put lots of questions to all of us, the alive: “… in Italy there is no recollection of my poor father. Neither a single monument nor a street named in his honour, years after his death his bones were laid in a common tomb and no gravestone exists in the grave yard in the town of Pistoya, where he was buried”…
In 2009 120 years have passed since the death of our eminent compatriot doctor Stefan Dunjov. It seems to me, that this might be a sufficient reason for writing a book in his honour.
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