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Traces of History
Bulgaria
Dimitar Dimitrov
Born 1988 in Plovdiv, Bulgaria
High school student ("Constantine Cyril"-High school; Plovdiv)
"Ivan Nojarov - the wars and chances for a new life" (2006)
"The old people who had known him were already dead. And the younger ones could only tell stories that sounded like fairy tales." In this way, the 19-year-old Bulgarian Dimitar Dimitrov describes the situation when he began his researches into the fate of his ancestor Ivan Nojarov, who fought as a soldier in the Balkan wars in 1912 and 1913. Starting from a few pictures in a family photo album, Dimitar unearthed a story of upper mobility. He established that the social upheavals created by the Balkan wars and World War I as well as the economic situation during the post-war period proved decidedly beneficial to Ivan Nojarov's entrepreneurial ambitions. Sources in Plovdiv's central military archive and public-record office provided the picture of a self-made man and sawmill owner, who at the time of his death in 1940 was the largest private owner of forest land in the district of Chepalare - an area that is now one of Bulgaria's most famous ski regions. Dimitar Dimitrov contrasts Nojarov's advancement with the family's later fate: In the wake of World War II, Nojarov's heirs lost their home and the possessions that their success-oriented ancestor had collected. In spite of this, the Bulgarian student draws a positive conclusion: What remains is the example of a man who, even during the hardest times, used industriousness and entrepreneurship to improve his life and that of his employees.
With his competition contribution "Ivan Nojarov - the wars and chances for a new life," Dimitar Dimitrov earned a third prize in the Bulgarian History Competition of 2006, whose theme was "The upheavals of the 20th century and my family history."
Kalina Kirilova
Born 1984 in Sofia, Bulgaria
Student (Media- and Communications Science, Mannheim University)
"The history of Bulgarian orphanages. The Evdokia organisation and its charitable activities from the beginning of the 20th century to the 1950s" (2002)
This study addresses the history and function of the Evdokia organisation, whose socially oriented activities can be seen as quintessential examples of the successes and failures of charitable organisations in Bulgaria during the first half of the 20th century. In her work, the author describes not only the history of this particular charitable organisation but also illuminates the different personalities of those who actively worked for Evdokia. Another aspect of the theme is the connection between charitable organisation and the Bulgarian state, especially when it came to the makeup of the local administration. Kalina Kirilova's chief aim, however, was to discover more about the personal motives of all those who worked for the Evdokia organisation. What moves people to engage in public-spirited work, to put themselves out for people who are socially disadvantaged? Along with humanity, compassion and the need to take care of others, Kalina Kirolova also discovered less noble motives among the participants, such as the urge to impress others with one's own beneficence. Personal strokes of fate were another motivating factor leading people to work for Evdokia. In her contribution, the author also reflects on how her research results could be applied to Bulgarian society today.
For her contribution, Kalina Kirilova was awarded first prize in the national Bulgarian History Competition of 2002, whose theme was "Benefactors and benefiting: charity and progress."
