Obad-Šćitaroci Mladen: Dvorci i perivoji Hrvatskoga Zagorja

Mladen Obad Šćitaroci: Castles and Gardens of Hrvatski Zagorje

As in the story Sleeping Beauty, the castles of Hrvatski Zagorje wake up after almost fifty years of sleep. Having been focal points of life, work, cultural and even political activity for centuries, in the forties of this century Zagorje castles fell to the margins of everyday life. In those half-century, many castles disappeared, became ruins, abandoned or neglected, but still they were not forgotten. Interest in castles is extremely high today. This is confirmed by this book, the first edition of which was printed in 1991, and the second in 1993. Three editions under the title Perivoji i dvorci Hrvatsko zagorje were printed in 1989 and 1990. The book was printed in English and German in 1992.
I am looking forward to the renaissance of Zagorje castles, which is on the horizon. Fate, it seems, was not too kind to them either now, or in the past centuries. In contrast to many dazzling and luxurious castles, most Zagorje castles are modest, just like the Croatian nobility. Đalski thinks that the castles and manors of Zagorje "could once have been more beautifully furnished and decorated more like a lord's, if we had not had to defend the Croatian homeland for centuries and centuries, which sought from people and money and hands and life, so there was nothing left as soon as we arranged our lord's courts in a truly lordly way".
Croatia Zagorje has already been sung, painted and described so many times, yet we know so little about castles and manors. It is an inexhaustible source of inspiration. Zagorje's "hills", valleys, forests, meadows, vineyards, arable fields, medieval castles, churches, chapels, castles, manors, modest Zagorje "cottages"... all of this intertwines and vibrates in the experience of Croatian Zagorje, just like the colorful, warm and open heart of Zagorje. Is there a better comparison than the one that says that Hrvatsko zagorje is a big meadow - a meadow with many castles and manors, a meadow with which so many historical stories and events, peasant revolts and Gupča puntars are connected. And every castle tells its own story, original and never repeated anywhere.
And this book contains stories about Zagorje castles and their owners. Sometimes they may be incorrect, but they are transmitted among the people and mentioned in the literature. We know little about castles and their owners. There is much more to find out. Perhaps some suspicious or incorrect information will encourage someone to start a painstaking search through the dusty archives?

The richly illustrated monograph deals with the specific and very valuable cultural and architectural heritage of Hrvatski Zagorje (52 castles and 7 manor houses), the value of which exceeds national borders. Conceived as a memorial to Zagorje castles and their owners, this book also includes archival material (old plans and photos of castles). The book was published in German and English.