May 30, 2019 – Red History Museum, a new museum in Dubrovnik looking at Croatia’s socialist past, is proving rather a hit on a topic which usually polarises opinion.
If there is one thing I have learned living in Croatia, it is that talking about Croatia’s recent Socialist path is the shortest way to disagreement and argument with someone.
I can totally understand why the Tito period is so divisive, and why the former Yugoslav leader is so reviled and loved by different sections of the population.
And so when I heard that two brothers had opened a new museum covering the socialist era in Dubrovnik of all places, I was more than intrigued. It was one thing to have an opinion online about this controversial period of Croatia’s past, but it was quite another to have a museum dedicated to it.
As previously reported on TCN, I went to report on it and was supremely impressed, not only at the rich collections of original material, but also the balanced view that the curators were trying to present of the period. Far from being a glorification of the Socialist era, there was an educational overview of the origins, rise and fall of socialism, followed by a nostalgic tour of a fully-stocked apartment from the socialist years. As a nostalgic reminder of the past, this interactive section (including videos and adverts via the interactive app) have been very popular indeed. But the darker side of Tito’s regime is also covered in the Dark Room, with interviews of Goli Otok survivors, for example. The museum is still expanding as more exhibits come in, but this was my experience when I visited earlier this month.
I met both the guys behind the museum and was impressed by their tenacity and determination to take on some a brave – and necessary – project. And I have been telling anyone who will listen about the museum since, to rather predictable initial reactions.
“A Red History Museum in Dubrovnik,” remarked one. ” That is like opening a Dinamo fan shop in Diocletian’s Palace.”
I sent my article to others, suggesting they share it to tell people about this great museum, but more than one declined, saying they were worried about the online backlash.
These are reactions I totally understand, which makes my admiration of the guys behind the museum all the stronger, and I have been following their progress. And mighty impressive it is too.
It seems that those prepared to experience the museum with an open mind have come out more than impressed, and Red History Museum now stands at number 3 out of 26 on TripAdvisor for museums in Dubrovnik. That is no mean feat in any city, never mind Dubrovnik which is a museum in itself. But to do so with such a topic is commendable indeed.
Learn more about the Red History Museum on the official website.
