Faced with the challenges of its post-earthquake reconstruction and the lack of space for exhibiting its valuable materials, the Croatian History Museum, a national heritage institution, will present the crucial events and figures of Croatian history through a series of unique exhibitions in the MUSEUM ZONE of the Franjo Tuđman Airport, which will thereby temporarily house the museum's collections.

As a successor of the National Museum, founded in 1846 in Zagreb, the Croatian History Museum is a national cultural institution that protects and communicates the national historical heritage. Considering that the Museum has been closed to the public due to damage from the 2020 earthquake, the collaboration with the Franjo Tuđman Airport is of great significance for the promotion of its extensive holdings and the realisation of the first permanent exhibition. Nearly four million passengers a year will have the opportunity to learn about Croatia’s rich history in a creative, accessible and comprehensible manner, as well as experience notable aspects of Croatian history in a contemporary setting.

The first exhibition in the Museum Zone of the Franjo Tuđman Airport, titled The Stars of Croatian History: The Sky is Their Limit. Come, Meet Them!, will present the individuals whose heritage contributed to the worldwide recognition of Croatia. The rich history and culture of Croatia produced an extraordinary number of famous individuals, who gained recognition in many areas of human activity, earning fame both for themselves and their homeland. You have surely encountered the great figures of Croatian history in the squares, streets and parks of Croatia, and they may have even been travelling with you all along. Apart from their significance for the Croatian people in the past, their ideas and inventions also affect our present, and our daily lives.

The Croatian History Museum has chosen to present you twenty-four great Croatian historical figures, whose contribution to politics, society, science, culture and sports has left an indelible mark on Croatia and permanently secured its reputation across the world. Their visions and work have promoted the development and integration of Croatia as a nation, steering and guiding the Croatian society to the ideals of freedom, democracy and spiritual and material progress. The achievements of these outstanding Croats bear permanent witness to their extraordinary spirit, intellect, imagination and inventiveness, in Croatia and the world, and their memory remains a source of pride, gratitude and inspiration.