Croatia

 

More detailed report: National Policy Report

Thesaurus: Thesaurus - Croatian terms

Glossary: Terms in Croatian

National coordinator: Zrinka STEPANIĆ HOFER

 CULTURAL HERITAGE POLICY

Cultural heritage is of outmost importance and receives its special protection as stated in the Constitution of the Republic of Croatia. Current legislation (Act on the Protection and Preservation of Cultural Property) defines all categories and types of cultural heritage.

By the end of October 2020, a total of 9251 cultural goods have been inscribed in the Register of Cultural Goods of the Republic of Croatia.

Also, the integral part of the Register are Inventory books of public museums and Catalogues of public libraries and libraries that are part of legal entities founded by the Republic of Croatia and local and regional government units and legal entities in their predominant ownership.

6775 IMMOVABLE CULTURAL GOODS

  • 5157 INDIVIDUAL IMMOVABLE CULTURAL GOODS (1129 underwater and above ground archaeological sites)
  • 474 CULTURAL-HISTORICAL AREAS (107 underwater and above ground archaeological areas)
  • 15 CULTURAL LANDSCAPES

2296 MOVABLE CULTURAL GOODS

  • 1291 INDIVIDUAL MOVABLE CULTURAL GOODS
  • 1005 COLLECTIONS
  • INVENTORY BOOKS OF PUBLIC MUSEUMS
  • catalogues of public libraries and libraries that are part of legal entities founded by the Republic of Croatia and local and regional government units and legal entities in their predominant ownership

180 INTANGIBLE CULTURAL GOODS

  • 26 performing arts
  • 33 customs, rituals and ceremonies
  • 18 traditional crafts,
  • 30 oral tradition, expressions and language,
  • 73 knowledge and skills

 

 INSTITUTIONAL FRAMEWORK

Directorate for the Protection of Cultural Heritage

The Directorate for the Protection of Cultural Heritage is a body responsible for carrying out administrative and professional tasks related to the protection and preservation of cultural heritage. The Directorate for the Protection of Cultural Heritage consists of two Sectors; the Cultural Heritage Protection Sector and the Conservation Departments and Inspection Sector, the latter comprising Conservation Departments for the Regions (19) and the City Institute for the Conservation of Cultural and Natural Heritage of the City of Zagreb. The Office for Inspection Activities supervises the application of legal regulations.

The Directorate for Archives, Libraries and Museums consists of two Sectors; Archive, Library and Museum Activity Sector and Digitization, Documentation and Registry Sector. In the latter Sector is The Register of Cultural Goods of the Republic of Croatia. It is a public record of cultural goods kept by the Ministry of Culture and Media. It comprises of three lists: the List of Cultural Goods, the List of Cultural Goods of the National Significance and the List of Cultural Goods under the Preventive Protection. Directorate for the Protection of Cultural Heritage brings acts on permanent protection (the List of Cultural Goods) and Conservation Departments and the City Institute for the Conservation of Cultural and Natural Heritage of the City of Zagreb bring acts on temporary protection (the List of Cultural Goods under the Preventive Protection).

https://registar.kulturnadobra.hr/

Restoration institutions

Institutions for the protection and preservation of cultural goods are restoration institutes or other restoration institutions as well as museums, galleries, archives, libraries and other public institutions in the field of culture, which in the framework of their activities, carry out tasks related to preservation, renovation and protection of cultural property.

Tasks related to restoration, conservation and renovation of cultural goods are performed by the Croatian Restoration Institute, a public institution in the ownership of the Republic of Croatia. The Institute for Restoration of Dubrovnik performs activities in organization and implementation of the Restoration programme of endangered historic centre of Dubrovnik. The Agency for the Renovation of the Osijek Citadel is established as a public institution in charge of preparation, organization and implementation of programmes for protection and revitalization of the Osijek Citadel.

Along with the aforementioned institutions, the tasks of research, analysis, record-keeping, restoration, conservation and preservation of cultural property may be performed by specialised legal or physical persons. The Minister of Culture prescribes the conditions to be fulfilled by legal or physical persons in order to acquire permits to carry out these works.

Local level

The municipalities, cities and counties may act independently in decision-making in the framework of their self-governmental scope of work (some municipalities and towns employ staff to deal with cultural issues including projects concerning cultural heritage such as the launching of rehabilitation projects – some are more active than others in this respect). The municipalities, towns and counties can declare cultural goods of local significance by decision and they have to ensure the conditions and means for the implementation thereof.

 

 LEGAL FRAMEWORK

The current legislation on cultural heritage (available only in Croatian language):

  • Act on the Protection and Preservation of Cultural Property (OG: 69/99,151/03,157/03, amendments 87/09, 88/10, 61/11,25/12, 157/13, 152/14, 44/17)
  • Act on the Rehabilitation of the Threatened Monument Complex of Dubrovnik, (OG 21/86,26/93,33/89,128/99, 19/14, 99/14)

 

 RATIFIED INTERNATIONAL CONVENTIONS

  • Act on the Ratification of the Convention on the Protection of Underwater Cultural Heritage (OG International Conventions 10/04).
  • Convention for the Protection of the Architectural Heritage of Europe, Granada, 1985 (OG International Conventions 6/94)
  • Convention on the protection of cultural goods in the event of armed conflict and its Protocol relating to the prohibition on exports of cultural goods from occupied territories (OG, International Conventions, 12/93, 6/02 promulgation).
  • Act on the Ratification of the UNIDROIT Convention on Stolen or Illegally Exported Cultural Objects, drawn up in Rome, 24 June 1995 (OG, International Conventions, 5/00, 6/02 promulgation).
  • Act on the Ratification of the European Convention on the Protection of Archaeological Heritage (revised), 1992, drawn up in Valetta, 16 January 1992 (OG International Conventions, 4/04 and 9/04 promulgation).
  • Act on the Ratification of the Convention on the Protection of Intangible Cultural Heritage (OG International Conventions 5/05, 5/07 promulgation).
  • UNESCO Convention on Measures to Protect and Prevent Unauthorised Imports, Exports and Transfer of Cultural Goods (OG International Conventions, 12/93).
  • Convention on the Protection of World Cultural and Natural Heritage (OG International Conventions, 12/93: adopted in Paris, 1972). The Republic of Croatia became a party to the Convention pursuant to the notification of succession of 8 October 1991 (Entered into force on 8 October 1991).
  • Regulation on the promulgation of the Agreement between the Government of the Republic of Croatia and the Government of the United States of America on the protection and preservation of certain cultural goods (OG International Conventions, 9/06, 2/07 promulgation)
  • Act on the Ratification of the Second Protocol to the Convention on the Protection of Cultural Goods in the Event of Armed Conflict (OG International Conventions 11/05)
  • Act on the Ratification of the Framework Convention of the Council of Europe on the value of cultural heritage to society (OG International Conventions 5/07)
  • Regulation on the Ratification of the Treaty between UNESCO and the Government of the Republic of Croatia on the Establishment of the Regional Centre for Underwater Archaeology in Zadar, Croatia, as a Category II Centre under the auspices of UNESCO (OG 1/09)
  • Act on the Ratification of the Convention on European Landscapes (OG International Conventions 12/02)
  • Regulation on the promulgation of the Treaty between the Government of the Republic of Croatia and UNESCO regarding the continuation of activity of the Regional Centre for Underwater Archaeology in Zadar, Croatia, as a Category II Centre under the auspices of UNESCO (OG International Conventions 5/16)