The Congress is organised to mark the 180th anniversary of the Museum’s founding (1846–2026). This anniversary provides an opportunity to evaluate and celebrate the Museum’s rich history, its achievements, and the role that natural history museums play in contemporary society and in shaping the future.
7–9 December 2026 / Zagreb
A Museum for the Future
The Croatian Natural History Museum is pleased to announce the Congress “180 Years of Dedication to Natural History Heritage – A Museum for the Future”, to be held in Zagreb, Croatia, from 7 to 9 December 2026.
First Announcement
Over nearly two centuries of activity, the Croatian Natural History Museum has developed into the leading national institution for the collection, research, preservation, and interpretation of the natural history heritage of the Republic of Croatia. The Museum’s collections documenting geological and biological history, its scientific research projects, educational programmes, and international collaborations have significantly shaped the development of natural sciences and the museum profession.
The Congress will bring together museum professionals, scientists, naturalists, nature conservation experts, educators, students, and representatives of cultural and scientific institutions from Croatia and abroad. Through lectures, discussions, round tables, and poster presentations, participants will exchange experiences, present their research, and jointly discuss the role of natural history museums in the future.
Main Topics
History, development, and contribution of the Croatian Natural History Museum to science and culture
Natural history collections: collection management, preservation, and accessibility
Digital transformation of museums and digitisation of natural history collections - challenges of the 21st century
Museums as centres of science communication, education, and science popularisation
Round Tables
Abstract Submission Topics
History, development, and contribution of the Croatian Natural History Museum to science and culture
- institutional development through the decades
- collections, research, and achievements
- national and international cooperation
Natural history collections: collection processing, preservation, and accessibility
- collection management and development
- documentation, conservation, and restoration of collection material
- collections as a foundation for scientific and museological research
- the role of museum collections in monitoring changes in nature and biodiversity
Digital transformation of museums and digitisation of natural history collections - challenges of the 21st century
- digitisation of collections and documentation
- new technologies in research and presentation of museum collections
- open data and online accessibility of natural history collections
- artificial intelligence, 3D technologies, and digital tools in natural history museums
- management of digital data and metadata standardisation
Museums as centres of science communication, education, and science popularisation
- popularisation of natural sciences
- museum education and educational programmes
- science communication for diverse audiences
- interinstitutional and international cooperation
- the museum as a space for dialogue between science, culture, and society
- museum marketing and public relations
- citizen science and volunteer programmes
Call for Papers
We invite you to participate with an oral or poster presentation and share the results of your research, professional projects, and practical experiences.
Accepted presentations may be submitted as full papers for publication in a supplement of Natura Croatica, the scientific journal of the Croatian Natural History Museum, which will be published in 2027. Instructions for authors are available on the journal's website: Natura Croatica.
Participation
The official languages of the Congress are Croatian and English.
Participation without a presentation: Anyone interested may register to attend the Congress as a non-presenting participant, without submitting a paper or delivering a presentation.
Abstract Submission and Participant Registration
Applications for oral presentations, poster presentations, and participation without a presentation should be submitted via the online registration form or by email to HPM180@hpm.hr by providing the following:
- title of the contribution
- author’s full name
- affiliation
- author's contact details (e-mail address)
- abstract (up to 250 words in Croatian and up to 250 words in English)
- keywords (up to 5 in Croatian and English)
- information on whether the submission is an oral presentation, poster presentation, or participation without an oral or poster presentation
Plenary lectures are 45 minutes in duration, while all other oral presentations are 15 minutes long. Posters should be prepared in A1 format.
Open registrationImportant Dates
- First Announcement
- Deadline for Abstract Submission
- Notification of Acceptance
- Congress Dates
- Submission of Full Papers for the Supplement of the journal Natura Croatica
Contact Information
Congress "180 Years of Dedication to Natural History Heritage – A Museum for the Future"
Croatian Natural History Museum, Demetrova 1, Zagreb
Tel: +385 1 4851700
E-mail: HPM180@hpm.hr
Website: www.hpm.hr/en/hpm180
Venue: Croatian Natural History Museum, Demetrova 1, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia
Registration fee: There is no registration fee for participation in the Congress.
We look forward to welcoming you and engaging in discussions on the importance of preserving natural history collections for the future, the role of museum activities, and the contribution of museums to the promotion of scientific and professional knowledge among the public.
Organising Committee
- Prof. Tatjana Vlahović, PhD, director
- Iva Mihoci, PhD, museum advisor
- Assoc. Prof. Draško Holcer, PhD, museum advisor
- Sanja Japundžić, museum advisor
- Snježana Mikulčić Pavlaković, MSc, senior curator
- Biserka Radanović-Gužvica, MSc, museum advisor
- Jasminka Poklečki Stošić, museum advisor
- Renata Brezinščak, PhD, museum advisor
- Branimir Ivić, head of museum marketing
- Martin Glavinić, head of public relations
Scientific Committee
- Prof. Tatjana Vlahović, PhD
- Iva Mihoci, PhD, museum advisor
- Martina Šašić Kljajo, PhD, museum advisor
- Assoc. Prof. Draško Holcer, PhD, museum advisor
- Irena Grbac, PhD, museum advisor
- Martina Podnar Lešić, PhD, museum advisor
- Marija Bošnjak, PhD, museum advisor
- Ivan Razum, PhD, museum advisor
- Suzana Buzjak, PhD, museum advisor
- Renata Brezinščak, PhD, museum advisor
- Vlatka Mičetić Stanković, PhD, senior curator
- Marko Lukić, PhD, curator
- Davor Vrsaljko, PhD
Editorial Board of the Proceedings
- Irena Grbac, PhD, museum advisor
- Assoc. Prof. Draško Holcer, PhD, museum advisor
- Darija Ćaleta, senior librarian
- Marijana Vuković, MSc, museum advisor
- Sanja Šuica, PhD, curator
- Igor Boršić, PhD, curator
- Katarina Krizmanić, museum advisor