Exhibition ”Gjuro Prejac - Desinić's Multitalented Artist” opened

On Friday, November 7, 2025, the Veliki Tabor Castle hosted the opening ceremony of the exhibition Gjuro Prejac - Desinić's Multitalented Artist, by Renata Dečman, senior curator of the Museum.

The guests were first addressed by the director of the Veliki Tabor Castle, Paul Lekaj, who reminded them that two spring exhibitions had been held in Veliki Tabor this year, and now it was the turn of the autumn one – this one about Gjuro Prejac. The Mayor of the Desinić Municipality, Dražen Šurbek, also addressed the audience with a few appropriate words.

The author of the exhibition, Renata Dečman, introduced the audience to the exhibition that presents Gjuro Prejac, a famous artist born in Desinić in 1870. Prejac spent almost his entire working life at the Croatian National Theatre in Zagreb, where he began working in 1899. He worked there as an actor, director, composer, writer, singer, conductor, translator, set designer and choreographer. In his rich career, he managed to rise to the highest positions and for two years was the tenant and intendant of the Croatian National Theatre in Osijek. Dečman emphasized that, during a full four decades of working in music and theatre, Prejac created numerous works with which he enriched the artistic and cultural heritage of Zagreb, the Croatian Zagorje region and the whole of Croatia. He was a gifted and multitalented artist who left behind an exceptionally numerous and diverse legacy. Although he is remembered today primarily as the author of the ballads Vu plavem trnaci, Peharček moj and Pozdrav Zagorju, his contribution to Croatian art is much greater. He dramatized historical novels, wrote comedies and plays with a cheerful content. He composed numerous ballads, choral and instrumental works and cheerful musical and stage plays, and he wrote the librettos for all of his operettas himself. In his rich career, he tried his hand at being a singer and recorded numerous records, and visitors to the exhibition had the opportunity to see and listen to some of them.

The author emphasized that Prejac began to fall into oblivion soon after his death, and she informed the attendees about the efforts made to correct this injustice. This exhibition is another attempt to promote Prejac's character and work to the general public, and it was prepared on the eve of two anniversaries. Namely, this year marks the 155th anniversary of the artist's birth, and next year (2026) will mark the 90th anniversary of his death.

The director of the Museums of Hrvatsko Zagorje, Jurica Sabol, opened the exhibition and emphasized its importance for the local community, but also beyond, since it presents an artist of national importance.

Those present had the opportunity to view 75 exhibits, through which they learned about Prejac's successful and diverse theatrical, literary, and musical creativity. The exhibits for the exhibition were provided by the Municipality of Desinić, the Zagreb City Museum, the Croatian History Museum, the Croatian Academy of Sciences and Arts, and the National and University Library in Zagreb.

The exhibits included photographs, postcards, letters, invitations, magazines, concert programs, drawings, original compositions and songs, printed sheet music, librettos and scores of operettas, gramophone records, a gramophone and a zither, etc.

On the panels in English and Croatian and in a video presentation, reproductions of numerous theater notes, drama texts, manuscript originals of Prejc's musical and stage works were shown, and the exhibition was also enriched with a sound recording of the gramophone record Vu plavem trnaci performed by Gjuro Prejac.

The event was complemented by an excellent musical performance by the Choir Đuro Prejac from Desinić.

The exhibition will remain open until July 31, 2026.