As part of primary school students learning about the Homeland War, three years ago the Memorial Center of Homeland War Vukovar launched a pilot project titled “Visit of 8th-grade students to Karlovac”. Every year, more than 4000 students and attendants visit the landmarks of Karlovac, with special emphasis on the Museum of the Homeland War Karlovac – Turanj.
The cooperation between the Karlovac City Museum and the Memorial Center of Homeland War Vukovar has been going on for several years, and the Museum of the Homeland War is the starting point of the sightseeing program for Karlovac and its cultural landmarks.
The aim of the project is to expand students’ knowledge of the Homeland War, by learning about the importance of individual areas for the defense of the sovereign and independent Republic of Croatia.
In the period from March to May every year, Karlovac is visited by students from five counties: Vukovar-Srijem, Osijek-Baranja, Virovitica-Podravina, Brod-Posavina, and Požega-Slavonia. One-day field class starts in the Museum of the Homeland War Karlovac – Turanj with the introductory lecture “Karlovac in the Homeland War of 1991 – 1995” and a tour of the permanent display in the company of a curator and curator pedagogue. During the visit, students learn about the events on the Karlovac battlefield and the lives of defenders and civilians, who contributed to the defense of Karlovac and the creation of the Republic of Croatia in different ways.
Upon conclusion of the tour of the Museum of the Homeland War Karlovac – Turanj, students visit the Defenders’ Boulevard, where they listen to the testimonies of the defenders of the city of Karlovac, and then tour the Dubovac Castle, and the Karlovac Freshwater Aquarium – Aquatika.
A large number of young people from eastern Croatia learn about the landmarks of Karlovac through this project and gain insight into the Homeland War as a historical period, but also in the context of the present-day and its significance for the people of Croatia today.
