Museum of Broken Relationships, Zagreb - Croatia

Paris has the Louvre. New York has the Museum of Modern Art. London has the British Museum and Bilbao has the Guggenheim. Some cities are home to such outstanding museums, that it is not uncommon for some tourists to dedicate a trip just to enjoy the works of the great masters of the arts. Zagreb, the Croatian capital, is home to a museum that, although not as grand as the ones above, it’s definitely the quirkiest: The Museum of Broken Relationships.

When their own relationship came to an end, founders Drazen Gubrizic and Olinka Vistica had the brilliant idea of an itinerant exhibition dedicated to broken relationships. Along the way, they received donations from countries as far away as the Philippines, the USA and Bosnia-Herzegovina.

The exhibits consist of objects of high emotional value, ranging from a man’s belt to a bride’s dress and a broken mirror. These would be considered worthless pieces of junk, if it weren’t for the poignant stories that bring the displays to life. If you ever thought your love life is complicated, oh boy, you should visit the museum. In a little more than one hour, I felt anger, pain, lust, joy, love, heartbreak. It was as if I was living those people’s joy and sorrows again.

To help you have a taste of what’s on display, here is a tease.

Museum of Broken Relationships, Zagreb - Croatia

A Dog Collar Light (13 years, Berlin, Germany)
We had been married for 13 years and were living in a foreign country together. The love in our relationship had taken a backseat to friendship and I’d come to realise I was miserable. I made up my mind to leave a year before, but needed time to gain enough strength. So I waited, building myself up. Telling her I was leaving was the hardest thing I’d ever done – at that time, anyway. She went back to her own country to stay with her family, trying to regain her strength. She took our little dog, which I thought she needed more than me. I went home to my own country, and discovered I was suffering quite badly from depression. We maintained a level of contact, though she was having great difficulty coming to terms with our new reality. She sent me a package with a few small things, each of which broke my heart a little more, because each had a sort of significance and were mostly about her wanting to take care of me, even though she was the one suffering.
 
She had bought this little dog collar light for our little dog, because he kept wandering off in the dark and getting lost. This way, they could always find him. I said many times during our split, how I felt lost and very alone. This little red light has been with me everywhere, in my toilet bag for two years now, killing me every time I saw it. My former partner took her own life just over a year after we split up. Alone. In a hotel room. In a strange town. I am still alive, but…
 
PS: Please hang it blinking if you use it – it reminds me of a heartbeat.
 
Museum of Broken Relationships, Zagreb - Croatia
 
A Photograph (1993-1995, Bloomington, ID, USA)
 
Florida Lake, where I skipped school with my boyfriend. The arrow indicates the spot where I first saw a penis in the sunshine. 🙂

If these items got you intrigued, the Museum of Broken Relationships, which won a Kenneth Hudson awards for innovation, has many more heartfelt stories. In all honesty, it was one of the highlights of my trip to the Croatian capital. So, if you broke up  with your other half recently – I do hope you haven’t! – and plan to visit Zagreb, why not consider donating some unwanted items?

Address: Ćirilometodska 2, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia – Open from 9am to 10:30pm  www.brokenships.com

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Pedro has travelled to almost 120 countries and has made his nest in London. He has also lived in Spain, Australia, the US, Georgia and Turkey. A former hotel management professional, he loves exploring local cultures, is now learning his 8th language and has a soft spot for the Middle East and the CIS countries.