Professional paper

MUSEUM IN COMMUNITY – COMMUNITY IN MUSEUM

Mirjana Margetić ; Etnografski muzej Istre / Museo etnografico dell’Istria, Pazin

Abstract

The Ethnographic Museum of Istria is a county institution that presents the ethnographic heritage of the Istrian peninsula. It
is located in central Istria, in the city of Pazin, housed in the medieval Castello - Kaštel. In fact the Castello is itself a magnet
for many visitors who are impressed by its state of preservation, size and history. The challenge of museum workers is how to
encourage the domestic visitors, above all those from Pazin and the nearby surroundings, to visit the museum. Pazin is a very
small city (with a population of about 5,000), and its connection with the surroundings by public transport is quite bad. Those
who visit the Castello once seldom return, unless they are quite well motivated. Thus the EMI tends to set up connections with
the community as much as it can in order to be recognised by the local setting. With small steps, we are endeavouring to be a
museum in a community.
Marking the centenary of the publishing of the book Apprentice Hlapić, EMI and the Pazin Municipal Library have organised a
programme for visitors to the museum and users of the library. Thanks to this book, which has for generations been a set text in
schools, we have attempted to combine reading culture and knowledge of the cultural heritage. Taking its cue from the hero of
the book, EMI through an exhibition of the shoemaker’s trade Cobblers without Shoes familiarised visitors with this trade, which
up to the 1950s existed in almost every Istrian town. Members of the local community (cobbler Mr N. Blagonić, retired cobbler
L. Jekić and the smith D. Žufić) of Pazin, Vodnjan and Pula took active parts. A cobbler from Pazin welcomed us to his shop and
enabled third grade schoolchildren to get acquainted with this trade on the spot. The Library presented old editions of the book
The Marvellous Adventures of Apprentice Hlapić and in association with the Our Children Association put on a shadow theatre
performance – Apprentice Hlapić from Another Angle.

Keywords

Hrčak ID:

176926

URI

https://hrcak.srce.hr/176926

Publication date:

2.9.2016.

Article data in other languages: croatian

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