/Centre for Cultural Heritage

About the Centre

Function

  • To research, evaluate, interpret, protect, and educate about cultural heritage.

Vision

  • To become a leading point of contact and reference in the research, evaluation, interpretation, and protection of tangible and intangible cultural heritage and cultural landscapes.
  • To improve quality of life and foster regional development based on the sustainable use of cultural heritage.
  • To recognise cultural assets as key resources for development.
  • To integrate historical heritage into contemporary contexts.
  • To stimulate creativity and innovation through the use of cultural heritage.

Mission

  • To enhance the research, promotion, and sustainable development of cultural heritage in eastern Croatia.
  • To provide accurate and professional interpretation of heritage.
  • To safeguard cultural heritage and its authenticity.
  • To educate and raise awareness of the significance and value of eastern Croatia’s heritage.
  • To strengthen the role of the Academy of Arts and Culture within the local community and encourage community involvement in heritage protection.
  • To collaborate with public and private sectors engaged in the use and promotion of cultural heritage.
  • To digitalise cultural heritage to improve accessibility and understanding.

Associates

  • Jasna Šulentić Begić, Full Professor, PhD
  • Sanja Drakulić, Full Professor (Art)
  • Marta Borić Cvenić, Associate Professor, PhD
  • Jasminka Najcer Sabljak, Associate Professor, PhD
  • Margareta Turkalj Podmanicki, Associate Professor, PhD
  • Katarina Žeravica, Associate Professor, PhD
  • Blanka Gigić Karl, Assistant Professor, PhD
  • Brankica Ban, Assistant Professor, PhD
  • Igor Mavrin, Assistant Professor, PhD
  • Hrvoje Mesić, Assistant Professor, PhD
  • Lana Skender, Assistant Professor, PhD
  • Iva Papić, Assistant Professor, PhD
  • Mirna Sabljar, Assistant Professor, PhD
  • Dorotea Telarović, MSc
  • Toni Podmanicki, University Specialist in Economics, Lecturer
  • Slađana Pupovac, MA in Cultural Studies, Graduate Librarian
  • Marta Radoš, MA in Library Science and MA in Croatian Language and Literature Education

External Associates

  • Dina Stober, Full Professor, PhD – Faculty of Civil Engineering and Architecture Osijek
  • Ivan Roth – Museum of Fine Arts, Osijek
  • Mihael Sučić – Museum of Slavonia, Osijek
  • Ivana Puljić, MA in Music Pedagogy – Alumni of the Academy
  • Aleksandra Vukadinović, MA in Music Pedagogy – Alumni of the Academy

Projects

Topotheque of Cultural Heritage of Eastern Croatia

We are pleased to announce the launch of the Topotheque of Cultural Heritage of Eastern Croatia, a digital platform dedicated to preserving, documenting, and promoting the region’s cultural heritage.

The first published materials focus on the transcription and documentation of traditional songs recorded over the past twenty years. These songs reflect customs, everyday life, and spirituality of local communities and represent a valuable part of intangible heritage.

The project is led by Assistant Professor Brankica Ban, PhD, in collaboration with Ivana Puljić, MA in Music Pedagogy. The materials were collected as part of the course Introduction to Ethnomusicology.

The Topotheque will be continuously expanded with additional themes from both tangible and intangible heritage, becoming an important resource for researchers, educators, and the wider public.

DANUBE PlaceCRAFT Project

The DANUBE PlaceCRAFT project, part of the Interreg Danube Programme, focuses on revitalising rural communities and fostering sustainable tourism through innovative, art-based placemaking approaches in multicultural settlements along the Danube River.

The project aims to revitalise local communities through participatory processes in which cultural heritage and contemporary art serve as tools for strengthening social cohesion and enhancing spatial attractiveness.

Its goal is to develop a sustainable socio-ecological model of rural spatial development based on local cultural values and tourism potential. Pilot activities will be implemented in selected settlements through active community participation, creating transferable models of good practice.

Special emphasis is placed on connecting rural areas with regional cultural and tourism networks and promoting project results at regional and national levels.

The Centre for Cultural Heritage participates as an Associated Strategic Partner (ASP), contributing to heritage-based methodologies and knowledge exchange in intercultural and regional cooperation.

The project kick-off meeting is scheduled to take place in Budapest from 28 to 30 May 2025.

Historical Wine Cellars of Slavonia, Baranja, and Syrmia

The project Historical Wine Cellars of Slavonia, Baranja, and Syrmia focuses on the research, documentation, and valorisation of historic wine cellars, which testify to the rich tradition of viticulture and winemaking in the Danube region.

Dating from the 13th to the 19th century, these cellars represent a unique cultural and economic heritage closely linked to European aristocratic, ecclesiastical, and monastic estates.

The project aims to preserve their authenticity and cultural value, integrate them into contemporary wine tourism development, and interpret them within broader Croatian and Central European contexts.

Activities include mapping, architectural analysis, and documentation of cellars in Croatia, alongside comparative studies with examples from Austria and Hungary.

Through collaboration with researchers and conservation experts, the project highlights the architectural, cultural, and historical significance of these structures and their role in shaping local and regional identities.

Project Leader:
Margareta Turkalj Podmanicki, Associate Professor, PhD
Josip Juraj Strossmayer University of Osijek
Academy of Arts and Culture – Centre for Cultural Heritage

Project Team:

  • Dina Stober, Associate Professor, PhD
  • Petar Puhmajer, PhD

The project is financially supported by the Adris Foundation and the Croatian Academy of Sciences and Arts Foundation.

ERAMCA Project

Environmental Risk Assessment and Mitigation on Cultural Heritage Assets in Central Asia (ERAMCA) is an Erasmus+ project introducing an interdisciplinary approach to environmental risk assessment and mitigation for cultural heritage in Uzbekistan and Tajikistan.

The project develops a graduate programme (120 ECTS) and a digital library containing teaching materials, including books, hypertexts, videos, and best practices, freely accessible to all.

The Centre is represented by Associate Professor Margareta Turkalj Podmanicki and Assistant Professor Lana Skender.

Project Coordinator:
Politecnico di Torino, Italy

Partners include:

  • Bauhaus University Weimar, Germany
  • Josip Juraj Strossmayer University of Osijek, Croatia
  • Universities and institutions in Uzbekistan and Tajikistan

More information: https://eramca.com/

Other Activities and Projects

  • Brochure: The Art of Creating and Restoring Stained Glass Windows
  • EWAP Project: Documenting Chardak Houses for Preserving Endangered Wooden Structures along the Drava and Danube Rivers in Croatia
  • Co-organisation of the 9th ICARUS Croatia Days (Osijek, March 2024)
  • European Heritage Label (in cooperation with the City of Osijek)
  • Croatian translation of The London Charter for the Computer-based Visualisation of Cultural Heritage

Contact

Centre for Cultural Heritage
Trg Sv. Trojstva 3
Osijek, Croatia

2nd floor, Room 36

Centre Director:
Margareta Turkalj Podmanicki, Associate Professor, PhD

E-mail:
ckb@gmail.com
mturkaljpodmanicki.aukos@gmail.com

Working hours:
Tuesdays from 1:00 PM or by appointment