President Milanović Tours Exhibition “Skull C – World Paleoanthropological Heritage” at the Croatian Museum of Natural History
The President of the Republic Zoran Milanović today visited the exhibition “Skull C – World Paleoanthropological Heritage” at the Croatian Museum of Natural History in Zagreb, dedicated to one of the most important fossil finds from the Museum’s holdings.
Accompanied by the Museum Director Tatjana Vlahović and the exhibition curator Jasminka Poklečki Stošić, President Milanović toured the exhibition, an interdisciplinary museological and scientific-educational project of the Croatian Museum of Natural History dedicated to one of the Museum’s most significant fossil finds – the so-called Skull C. This is the most complete and best-known Neanderthal fossil from the world-famous Hušnjakovo site in Krapina, discovered at the end of the 19th century under the leadership of Dragutin Gorjanović-Kramberger. This exceptional find, around 130,000 years old, represents an invaluable testament to human evolution.
The central part of the exhibition is the presentation of the original fossil, displayed in a specially designed protective museum case that ensures controlled microclimatic and lighting conditions. In addition to the physical exhibit, a documentary film of the same name was produced especially for this occasion, in which the significance of Skull C in the broader context of knowledge about Neanderthals is presented through striking visual sequences, 2D and 3D animations, and expert scientific commentary.
After touring the exhibition “Skull C – World Paleoanthropological Heritage”, President Milanović also visited other collections of the Croatian Museum of Natural History. One of the largest museums in Croatia, located in Zagreb’s Upper Town in the protected cultural monument – the Amadeo Palace – was officially reopened in October 2024, following three years of thorough renovation and modernization of its museum content, marked by the presentation of a new permanent display.
The renovation of the Croatian Museum of Natural History was unique in that funding had been approved prior to the earthquake through the European Regional Development Fund. Since the March 2020 earthquake caused additional damage to the Museum, the Croatian Government approved funds from the EU Solidarity Fund, via the Ministry of Culture and Media, for the structural reconstruction of the palace. Additional funding was provided by the Ministry of Regional Development and EU Funds and the City of Zagreb. The renovation and extension of the Croatian Museum of Natural History, valued at 31.5 million euros, is the result of investment from European, national, and city sources.
PHOTO: Office of the President of the Republic of Croatia / Marko Beljan