The Ethnographic Museum is a museum with a vision and a mission, a museum that marks 100 years of independent operation at its current location at 14 Mažuranić Square in Zagreb, full of plans for reconstruction and innovative programmes for its audience. It awaits its anniversary busy as always, working on the reconstruction of its building, a unique Secession edifice designed by Vjekoslav Bastl in 1903 to house the Museum of Commerce and Trade.
The history of the Ethnographic Museum can be traced back to the National Museum, founded in Zagreb in 1846, since the Ethnographic Museum inherited some of its collections when it was divided into specialized museums. The order of the Ban of Croatia and Slavonia of 22 October 1919 established the Ethnographic Museum as a part of the national museum, and it came to house several collections of various origins. These collections include the ethnographic collections from the historical-archaeological sections of the Croatian National Museum, the Museum of Arts and Crafts, the Croatian School Museum and the Chamber of Commerce and Trade Museum, as well as a collection of folk home crafts products entitled S. Berger’s Collection. In April 1919, the Government bought this collection from the industrialist Salomon Berger, who became the first director of the newly established Museum.
Throughout the century, many distinguished museum workers have enriched the Museum through their research, gathering materials and publishing professional and scientific papers. The Museum has come to be known for its fascinating exhibitions and projects, many of which have received awards and been internationally recognized. It is actively engaged in the community, promoting a multicultural approach and programmes including vulnerable groups.
The current display at the Ethnographic Museum dates back to 1972 and it exhibits only a small part of its extremely rich holdings, which include around 85,000 items and 40,000 units of audiovisual material. The Museum is therefore extremely dedicated to creating a new museum display with the help of European funds, which will provide an adequate response to the needs of 21st-century visitors.
Goranka Horjan
director of the Ethnographic Museum in Zagreb
