The association "Posmrtna pripomoć” (Funeral Assistance) was founded on 26 August 1931 and modelled after the Vienna funeral home. On that day, a group of enthusiasts from Zagreb decided to establish a social and charitable institution in their city that would help members in the most difficult moments. The support for its establishment was provided by the Archbishop's Spiritual Table Zagreb, Caritas and wealthier Zagreb craftsmen. This institution was established after the great economic crisis with the aim to provide the poorer strata of Croatian society, primarily Catholics, with a favourable Christian funeral and assistance at the time of death. When founded it was named "Posmrtna zadruga sv. Josipa“ (St. Joseph’s Funeral Cooperative) and “St. Joseph’s” was dropped from its name already in 1939. It received its current name "Udruga za solidarnu posmrtnu pripomoć" (Solidarity Funeral Assistance Association) at the end of the 20th century, which testifies to the fact that over time, due to various social and political circumstances, its secular character and thus openness to all citizens became more pronounced, regardless of their religious and national affiliation.
In the first years after its establishment, two principles largely determined the activities of the Association - love of neighbour and work for the common good. Its mission was later formed in accordance with these principles and it is to provide timely, reliable and solidary assistance to individuals and families in the most difficult moments, in accordance with the highest ethical values of interpersonal and intergenerational solidarity. Consistency in the implementation of these principles has greatly contributed to the comprehensive development of the Association in relation to several important aspects. First of all, in relation to increasing the number of members, strengthening the material basis of the Association and building such an internal structure in which its members can fully express their free will.
There are few organizations that have managed to maintain their business continuity over the past 90 years. That long historical period witnessed four different states and political systems, but despite these changes, "Posmrtna pripomoć" has managed not only to survive but also to grow steadily. Today it has more than 239 thousand members, of which about 130 thousand live in the city of Zagreb. However, as the number of new members increased, so did the number of deceased members. From 1931 to 2020, over 180,000 members left the Association forever, and a dignified farewell was organized for them according to the " Posmrtna pripomoć" standard.
Funeral activities do not only consist of organizing the funeral of the deceased but also include respecting their ancestors and showing reverence for the deceased. The Association starts from the premise that every person has the right to a dignified farewell. Therefore, in that long period, from the founding of the Association until today, it has never happened that the deceased member did not exercise his acquired right.
The Association was awarded the Funeral services certificate in accordance with EN 15017: 2005 in 2013. It should be noted that "Posmrtna pripomoć" was the first organization in the funeral sector in the Republic of Croatia that received this certificate from the international certification company Bureau Veritas Certification, based in Paris, founded in 1828. This European standard ensures, among other things, a high quality of funeral services, including the highest degree of sympathy and respect for the deceased and bereaved, in compliance with all local regulations in force.
In an effort to continuously improve its activities, "Posmrtna pripomoć” has been conducting regular surveys of user satisfaction with the organization of funerals for the last ten years. The objectives of the research are aimed at determining both general satisfaction, and satisfaction with specific elements of the standard and special offer. The survey is anonymous, and its results are used in making business decisions to improve individual segments of the funeral organization.
“Posmrtna pripomoć“ has developed cooperation with a number of social and business partners without which it would not be able to successfully fulfil its business or social role. This primarily refers to the already traditional cooperation with communal business organizations and private funeral craftsmen (who perform funerals for members of the Association outside Zagreb and Zagreb County), manufacturers of funeral equipment, business organizations and craftsmen who perform various service activities for the needs of the Association, religious communities operating in the Republic of Croatia, homes for the elderly and infirm, foster homes, hospitals, scientific research organizations and print and electronic media.
Boris Kozjak, PhD
Supervisory Board member of
„Posmrtna pripomoć“
