The Čazma Cultural Center, as the legal successor of the Slavko Kolar National University, inherits a long tradition of cultural and educational activities in this city. Its history is intertwined with the Čazma Museum, which opened its doors for the first time in 1958, and was officially founded by the National Committee of the Municipality of Čazma on 24 March 1961. Since 1985, the Museum has been operating within the National University, which later became the Slavko Kolar Cultural Center.
In 1964, the municipal assembly established the National University with the aim of providing a broad education to young people and adults, especially through professional and cultural programs. As part of the university, there was a high school and secondary trade school, producing many local craftsmen. Čazma High School became an independent institution only after more than two decades of joint work with the Center.
Since 2007, the Cultural Center has focused exclusively on museum and cultural activities, ceasing librarian work and removing the name Slavko Kolar from its official title. Today, the Center organizes diverse musical and stage programs and cultural events, including museum exhibitions. The Čazma City Museum, as a key institution, manages a rich collection containing more than 14,500 tangible articles. At the same time, it preserves the intangible heritage that includes the knowledge, skills and customs of the local population, keeping the history and traditions of Čazma alive.
ČAZMA CITY MUSEUM
The Čazma City Museum was founded in 1958 under the name Native Museum, but over the years it its name was changed (Museum of the People’s Revolution, History Museum). The first exhibition was set up at the end of 1957, and the museum was founded by enthusiasts and volunteers of the Association of Friends of Museums. For a long time, it was located in the old building of the Vojna Krajina captains, until 2007, when due to inadequate conditions, it was moved to a new address – Trg Čazmanskog kaptola 13.
The National Committee of the Čazma Municipality officially founded the Čazma National Museum in 1961, and since 1985 it has been part of the Slavko Kolar National University, whose successor today is the Čazma Cultural Center.
Today, the City Museum of Čazma operates as a public museum with an impressive collection of over 16,500 objects, distributed in 22 collections. The prehistoric, ancient and medieval archaeological collections are particularly noteworthy, with special emphasis on the site of Rađinac from the Early Bronze Age and valuable finds from medieval Čazma and its surroundings.
In addition to archaeological treasures, the museum also has an Ethnographic Collection, a Technical Collection and collections dedicated to crafts. Among the memorial collections, those dedicated to botanist Ivo Horvat, writer Slavko Kolar and painters Aleksandar Marks and Milan Kren stand out.
You can view the permanent exhibitions in the Anton Cetín Gallery, the Aleksandar Marks Gallery and the Moslavina Traditional House, while various thematic exhibitions are held on the ground floor of the Cultural Center. The museum not only preserves material heritage, but also actively researches and promotes the intangible cultural heritage of Čazma and its customs, thus preserving the rich history of this region.