Croatia - Hungary. 800 Years of Common Heritage

The goal of this virtual exhibition, a joint project of the Hungarian National Museum and the Galerija Klovićevi Dvori (Zagreb), is to present the Croatian-Hungarian cultural and cultural-historical relations in a broad and illustrative context, thus strengthening the feeling of belonging together in the two nations.

“Since our common heritage of 800 years is immense, we have divided our exhibition into eight chapters. The virtual exhibition, currently consisting of 60 objects, guides the visitor – partly chronologically and partly thematically – through the representative spaces of the Hungarian National Museum, the Dome, the Ceremonial Hall and the Fireplace Halls,” the website of the Hungarian National Museum highlights.

The coronation of Koloman of 1102, an act which established the Hungarian-Croatian personal union, was one of the formative events of the Middle Ages for the region. The first centuries of the common past also left their marks on Croatian historical painting. Due to its geographical proximity, Italian humanism also had a signficant impact on both countries; therefore a chapter is dedicated to Renaissance influence. Later on, in the early modern times, heraldic representation of the Croatian-Hungarian state community was somewhat special, the relationship of the partner countries manifested in many different ways. In the Baroque era, the veneration of the Hungarian holy kings was lively in both countries. Several examples from the iconographic program and liturgical objects of the Zagreb Cathedral are showcased to highlight this common cult. A special unit is dedicated to the most emblematic family of the era, the Zrínyis/Zrinskis. Their activities in the spirit of dual patriotism left an indelible mark on the culture and art of the two countries.

After the Austro-Hungarian Compromise, the constitutional relationship between Hungary and Croatia was settled in 1868. Hungary and Croatia-Slavonia formed a state union, with Croatians forming a political nation with a separate territory. The important role of Rijeka, a prosperous, open-minded port city open to the world, must be highlighted, as it presented a kind of special blend of the culture and mentality of its many nationalities. Mobility between the two countries is perfectly illustrated by some of the life paths of the nobility. Since the 17th century, a number of noble families of Croatian origin had significant political careers in Hungary, and Hungarian aristocratic families became the creators of a common cultural heritage in today’s Croatia.

After the Compromise, Croatia-Slavonia was independently represented at the large-scale exhibitions of 1885 and 1896 of the Kingdom of Hungary, designed to demonstrate the economic, industrial and cultural prosperity of the country. 19th century architectural relations are presented in another unit. Hungarian architects implemented many building constructions in Croatia, and Croatian artists and craftsmen exhibited their own works at the Millennium Exhibition in Budapest.