Exhibition "Citius, Altius, Fortius - Communiter, Ancient and Modern Olympic Games" Opens at the Archaeological Museum in Zagreb, Running Until August 31

As explained on the exhibition's website, the phenomenon of the Olympic Games, which originated two and a half millennia ago, has inspired many individuals and united museums such as the Archaeological Museum in Zagreb and the Croatian Sports Museum. Together with authors from the Croatian Olympic Committee and the Croatian Olympic Academy, the curators of these institutions have created an exhibition that takes visitors on a journey through the history of the Olympic Games.

The exhibition organizers are the Archaeological Museum in Zagreb and the Croatian Sports Museum, alongside the Croatian Olympic Committee and its affiliate, the Croatian Olympic Academy. Opening remarks were delivered by Ivan Radman Livaja, Director of the Archaeological Museum, Danira Bilić, Director of the Croatian Sports Museum, and Saša Ceraj, Director of the Croatian Olympic Academy. The opening ceremony was attended by numerous dignitaries, including Croatian government ministers Nina Obuljen Koržinek (Ministry of Culture and Media) and Tonči Glavina (Ministry of Tourism and Sports). On behalf of President Zoran Milanović, his envoy Tomislav Paškvalin greeted the attendees, while the City of Zagreb was represented by Deputy Mayor Luka Korlaet.

Since the co-organizers of the exhibition include the Embassy of the French Republic, the French Institute in Croatia, and the Embassy of the Hellenic Republic in Croatia, the French Ambassador to Croatia, H.E. Fabien Fieschi, and the Greek Ambassador, H.E. Antonia Katzourou, also addressed the attendees.

Among the numerous fascinating exhibits, the Director of the Croatian Sports Museum, Danira Bilić, highlighted a trophy from 1900 intended for the winner of the Croatian qualifiers in the marathon for the Paris Olympics. Although the Croatian marathoner (part of the Austro-Hungarian team) did not compete in that athletic discipline at the mentioned Games, the trophy remained, serving not only as a valuable reminder of that sports event but also as a vivid testament to Croatian aspirations to compete under their own emblems.

The educational segment of the exhibition program is authored by Ana Popovčić from the Croatian Olympic Academy and Marijan Sutlović from the Croatian Sports Museum. The exhibition's authorial team also includes Nina Gostinski and Porin Šćukanec Rezniček from the Archaeological Museum in Zagreb, as well as Petra Husain Pustaj and Ana Wild from the Croatian Sports Museum.

This remarkable exhibition, with an Olympic timeline in its exhibits, can be viewed from June 26 to August 31, 2024, at the Archaeological Museum in Zagreb, Trg Nikole Šubića Zrinskog 19.