Museums of Hrvatsko Zagorje celebrated their 30th anniversary

In the atrium of the Oršić Castle, a special program marked 30 years of the Museums of Hrvatsko Zagorje, on International Museum Day, May 18.

The Museums of Hrvatsko Zagorje were founded by a decree of the Government of the Republic of Croatia in 1992, and began operating on January 1, 1993, and today, a festive program marked 30 years of work and effort. Namely, the Museums of Hrvatsko Zagorje are one of the most complex heritage institutions in this part of Europe. They consist of five different museums in the Krapina-Zagorje County, namely the Veliki Tabor Castle in Desinić, the only open-air museum, the "Old VIllage" Museum in Kumrovec, the Antun Augustinčić Gallery in Klanjec, the Museum of Peasants' Revolts in Gornja Stubica, and the Krapina Neanderthal Museum in Krapina.

All five museums are today strong cultural and tourist destinations in the Krapina-Zagorje County and have been proudly among the most visited museums in the country for many years. Last year, the Museums of Hrvatsko Zagorje were visited by more than 300,000 visitors, which ranked them in second place among all museums and galleries in Croatia.

The festive program on the occasion of 30 years of the Museums of Hrvatsko Zagorje opened with a musical performance by Ivana Husar Mlinac and Matija Dedić, followed by a warm welcome by the program host Mirna Berend.

The anniversary was marked by the arrival of the director of the Museums of Hrvatsko Zagorje, Jurica Sabol, who has held almost all positions in his career through the Museums, from guide to curator to museum manager in Krapina, and today as the director, he can express great satisfaction and pride. A beautiful anniversary, 30 years of work of the Museums of Hrvatsko Zagorje, although our museums have been operating and existing for much more than 30 years. A lot of beautiful and important things have been done, there have been major investments, especially in infrastructure, the new Krapina Neanderthal Museum has opened, the Veliki Tabor Castle has been renovated, the Studio of the Antun Augustinčić Gallery in Klanjec has been built. So, a whole lot of good programs in a professional sense, including this investment one, said the director. Director Sabol also highlighted the excellent attendance of the museums, which is better this year compared to the previous year, 2022. The number of visitors testifies that we have been the second most visited institution in Croatia for three years in a row. This year we are recording 61 percent more visitors than in the first four months of last year, and it is interesting that, for example, the Kumrovec Museum has seen an increase of almost 100 percent, said Sabol.

The envoy of the President of the Croatian Parliament Žarko Tušek also visited this great anniversary. He highlighted all the previous, as well as future directors who primarily contribute to the promotion of Croatian cultural heritage and identity. This is primarily a cultural institution, but it is deeply rooted in relations with the local community, it has its own economic and tourist component and it is at the forefront in every sense and is above all what Hrvatsko Zagorje and Krapina-Zagorje County have, said Tušek.

The great thirtieth birthday was also congratulated by the prefect of Krapina-Zagorje County, Željko Kolar, who is very proud of the Zagorje museums, which, according to him, are much more than just museum exhibits. Museums are, above all, the guardians of our history and cultural heritage. They identify us, when you go through our museums you can find out who we are, what we are, what we were in the past and how we developed, and of course they are an integral part of our tourist offer. A very important and increasingly important part, because we cannot promote Zagorje as a tourist destination of Fairy Tales at Hand without the Museums of Hrvatsko Zagorje and our joint presentation, especially abroad, and their presence gives us a certain weight, said Kolar.

This great anniversary was also celebrated by the arrival of the Minister of Culture and Media, Nina Obuljen Koržinek, who pointed out that museums are responsible for the development and contribution of the local community. Zagorje has become more recognizable and a large number of visitors come precisely because of the museums. Then, of course, they also visit other attractions in Zagorje, so I am really happy that we are here today and that we will mark this great anniversary with colleagues who work in these museums, said Obuljen Koržinek. The Minister also stated that it is precisely the wide range of content offered and the correlation of professionals and fellow citizens that leads to great progress, and Hrvatsko Zagorje and the Zagorje museums have achieved exactly that. I think the most important thing is that the community and citizens recognize the importance and value of their heritage, and that is a kind of synergy when professionals and their fellow citizens agree on priorities and activities, that is a recipe for success, she said in conclusion, congratulating the 30th anniversary of the Museums of Hrvatsko Zagorje and the International Museum Day.

On the occasion of this anniversary and International Museum Day, the filming and production of the documentary film 30 Years of the Museums of Hrvatsko Zagorje took more than a year, which the guests had the opportunity to watch. At the end of the program, the prefect Kolar presented a letter of appreciation to the director Sabol on the occasion of 30 years of work of the Museums, and Jurica Sabol presented a small token of appreciation to the minister Obuljen Koržinek.

At the end of the official part, those present enjoyed music, socializing, and an organized reception.