Pope John Paul II’s Visit to the Federal Republic of Germany (15–19 November 1980) : Insights from a Confidential Yugoslav Report on Migrant Workers and Political Mobilization
Author: Jelisaveta Blagojević, Aleksandar Ćuković
Affiliation: Historical Institute of the University of Montenegro, Podgorica 81000, Montenegro
Nuova rivista storica 2025, 109(3), 865–884 https://doi.org/10.1400/302940
Received 28 August 2025; Published 13 February 2026
Abstract
Questo articolo analizza un rapporto confidenziale jugoslavo concernente la visita di Papa Giovanni Paolo II nella Repubblica Federale di Germania (RFG) dal 15 al 19 novembre 1980, conservato presso l’Archivio di Stato del Montenegro. Redatto dalla Direzione per i Lavoratori all’Estero del Segretariato Federale per gli Affari Esteri della Repubblica Federale Socialista di Jugoslavia (RFSJ), il documento offre un contributo significativo alla comprensione delle pratiche di sorveglianza e monitoraggio dei lavoratori migranti jugoslavi, nonché degli obiettivi politici e ideologici perseguiti tanto dallo Stato quanto dalle comunità dell’emigrazione. L’analisi evidenzia il duplice ruolo della Chiesa cattolica, intesa sia come istituzione religiosa sia come veicolo di mobilitazione politica degli emigrati, in particolare tra i migranti cattolici croati legati a gruppi nazionalisti. Episodi rilevanti — quali l’esposizione di bandiere e slogan nazionalisti durante le celebrazioni papali, le forme di organizzazione dei lavoratori migranti e le iniziative volte alla presentazione di petizioni al Pontefice — illustrano come la visita fosse percepita non esclusivamente come evento religioso, ma anche come spazio politico per l’articolazione di aspirazioni nazionaliste. Il rapporto mette inoltre in luce gli sforzi compiuti dallo Stato jugoslavo per osservare, contenere e contrastare potenziali attività ostili all’ordine statale nelle comunità dei migranti, rivelando le tensioni tra le politiche socialiste interne, l’attivismo politico dell’emigrazione e la dimensione internazionale dei rapporti con la Santa Sede.
This article examines a confidential Yugoslav report on Pope John Paul II’s visit to the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG) from 15 to 19 November 1980, preserved in the State Archives of Montenegro. Prepared by the Directorate for Workers Abroad of the Federal Secretariat for Foreign Affairs of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (SFRY), the report provides insight into the surveillance and monitoring of Yugoslav migrant workers, as well as the political and ideological objectives pursued by both the state and émigré communities. The analysis highlights the dual role of the Catholic Church as both a religious institution and a conduit for émigré political activity, particularly among Croatian Catholic migrants linked to nationalist groups. Key events, including the display of nationalist flags and slogans at papal masses, the organization of migrant workers, and plans for petitions to the Pope, illustrate how the visit was perceived not only as a religious event but also as a political arena for the expression of nationalist aspirations. The report further underscores the Yugoslav state’s efforts to observe, control, and counter potential anti-state activities among migrant communities, revealing tensions between domestic socialist policies, émigré political activism, and the international dimension of relations with the Vatican.
Keywords
Pope John Paul II; Catholic Church; Croatian émigrés; Yugoslav migrant workers; Federal Republic of Germany
Cite This Article
APA Style
Blagojević, J., & Ćuković, A. (2025). Pope John Paul II’s Visit to the Federal Republic of Germany (15–19 November 1980): Insights from a Confidential Yugoslav Report on Migrant Workers and Political Mobilization. Nuova rivista storica, 109(3), 865–884. https://doi.org/10.1400/302940
Vancouver Style
Blagojević J, Ćuković A. Pope John Paul II’s Visit to the Federal Republic of Germany (15–19 November 1980): Insights from a Confidential Yugoslav Report on Migrant Workers and Political Mobilization. Nuova Riv. Stor. 2025;109(3):865–884. doi:10.1400/302940
IEEE Style
J. Blagojević and A. Ćuković, “Pope John Paul II’s Visit to the Federal Republic of Germany (15–19 November 1980): Insights from a Confidential Yugoslav Report on Migrant Workers and Political Mobilization,” Nuova Riv. Stor., vol. 109, no. 3, pp. 865–884, 2025, doi: 10.1400/302940.
