Album from the opening of the War Museum and Archives of the First Institute for Military Science of the Armed Forces of the Independent State of Croatia


Zagreb January 22nd 1944 Linen, edged with vignettes made of brown leather, cardboard, paper, black and white photographs of various sizes album dimensions 35 x 46 x 4.5 cm, 25 pages The album, containing 70 black-and-white photographs on 25 pages, is a document of the opening of the Museum in Zagreb on June 22nd 1943 at Jesuit Square number 4, in rooms 127 and 128. The album contains photographs of the storerooms of the former leather factory at Medvedgradska Street 2 as well as the Ceremonial Hall of the Ministry of the Armed Forces at Kresimir Square. The album is exceptionally valuable for the reconstruction of the existence and activities of the War Museum and Archives of the Independent State of Croatia. The twentieth page of the album shows glass showcases with items of partisan provenience, captured during fighting; these items are today kept at the CHM. The album was created on January 20th 1944 in five copies, because of security reasons and imminent war danger. According to a written document in the album, one copy was stored at the storeroom in Medvedgradska Street 2, the second one in the University and National Library at Marulic Square number 21, the third in the apartment of the director, colonel and judge Milan Praunsperger of Hadersdorf at Dezeliceva Street number 6, the fourth at the Croatian State and Historical Museum at Zrinski Square number 11, and the fifth at Pavelic's Military Office on Stjepan Radic Square number 2. The photographs include museum items, persons from the state leadership who were present at the opening of the Museum, and Museum rooms at Jesuit Square. The photographs show that the Museum was full of museum items; weapons were placed in showcases and on walls, and pictures, prints and drawings were placed above the wooden showcases. The Museum items did not have appropriate captions. R. Ivanus, A. Purtic, Ratni muzej i arhiv NDH, Informatica Museologica 3/4, 1990, pages 59 to 63; V. Humski, Pregled povijesti muzeja u Hrvatskoj, 19. i 20. stoljece (do 1945) s bibliografijom, Muzeologija 24, 1986, pages 36 to 265; Nasa domovina, book I, volume 2, Zagreb, 1943, page 1019; Deutsche Zeitung in Kroatien, 5, number 10, January 14th 1945, page 3




HPM/MRNH-009543