Museum’s mission…

“Museum’s mission is to document and promote Croatian biomedical sciences and practices in the national, European and global context. It is based on material and immaterial heritage, as well as on collaboration with Croatian medical and pharmaceutical institutions and companies.”

The Croatian Academy of Sciences and Arts has designated for the Museum an area of about 300 m² on the ground floor of Gunduliceva 24 courtyard building in Zagreb, and preparations for the project of renovation and adaptation of space for the Museum activity have begun.

The activities of the Museum are in line with the basic tasks and program of the Croatian Academy of Sciences and Arts, in particular the Division of History of Medical Sciences.

Museum’s mission is unique in the Croatian context, since insofar the Croatian medical and pharmaceutical heritage has been presented only fragmentary or within temporary exhibitions.

Museum’s permanent and temporary exhibitions will be aimed at general public of all ages, the professional and scientific community, schoolchildren and students. Museum will also occupy an important space in cultural tourism and lifelong learning.

About Us

The Croatian Museum of Medicine and Pharmacy was founded with the aim of collecting, preserving, professionally processing and presenting the Croatian medical and pharmaceutical heritage. The Museum’s initial hold is the Collection of History of Medicine and Pharmacy of the Department of History of Medical Sciences.

The museum was formally founded by the decree of the Croatian Ministry of Culture on July 7, 2014, while its practical activitiexs started in March 2015. The Croatian Academy of Sciences and Arts gave the Museum a 350 m² space on the ground floor at 24 Gunduliceva street in Zagreb. The space needs a thorough reconstruction and adaptation according to contemporary museum standards. The museum will consist of a reception area, space for temporary exhibitions and other events, permanent exhibition, storage room and auxiliary rooms.

Head: Academician Marko Pećina
Deputy Head: Prof. Stella Fatović-Ferenčić
Manager: Silvija Brkić Midžić, Senior Curator

Goals and tasks

Museum’s core task is to collect, protect and present Croatian medical and pharmaceutical heritage. Its specific goals are to promote an understanding of the human body, disease and treatment throughout history, to educate general public, to document and present important events, individuals, institutions and ethical, scientific, technical, political, legal, economic, social, psychological and other aspects of medicine in the Croatian society, as well as to create a stimulating environment and inspiration for future physicians, pharmacists and scientists.

Programs and strategy

Museum’s programs are being developed in collaboration with the Division for the History of Medical Sciences of the Croatian Academy of Sciences and Arts and various Croatian medical and pharmaceutical institutions and companies. They are based on the principles of innovativeness, inclusivity and multidisciplinarity.

Museum’s strategy consists of a continuous care about the heritage of Croatian collections on the history of medicine and pharmacy, their registration, active research, identification, collection, valorization and documenting objects of medical and pharmaceutical heritage, as well as ensuring their proper protection, accommodation and availability by implementing measures of preventive protection, restoration and digitalization. The Museum’s main strategic goal is to open it to the public.

Museum Committee of the Croatian Museum of Medicine and Pharmacy
From left to right: Prof. Nikola Kujunžić, Vjekoslav Jerolimov, F.C.A., Slobodan Vukičević, F.C.A., Silvija Brkić Midžić, Marina Štancl, LL.M., Marko Pećina, F.C.A., Prof. Stella Fatović-Ferenčić

History of the Museum

The development of the history of medicine in Croatia and first initiatives to establish the museum