Tourism valorization of intangible heritage: The Bećar Museum in Pleternica opened

After the construction of the Bećarca Square, the Bećarca Museum Interpretation Center opened its doors today in Pleternica.

It is the result of many years of work by the City Administration of the City of Pleternica on this important project, not only for culture and tourism, but also for all other segments that make up one city unit.

The special feature of intangible heritage is that it exists as long as there are people who live and pass this form of heritage on from generation to generation. Thus, the Museum of Bećar becomes a living medium that transmits their voices, and at the same time enables every visitor to find their own personal path and be initiated into the world of Bećar and Bećarusha. The fact that in 2011 he was enrolled in the of UNESCO Representative list of intangible heritage.

This encouraged the project holder, the City of Pleternica, to visionarily protect the Bećar Museum and provide all the prerequisites for the professional and creative contribution of many in the realization of their vision. In the process of developing the content, we worked intensively with numerous restaurateurs. Over 200 items collected from all parts of Šokadija, including Hungary, have been restored and expertly prepared for display. Close cooperation was achieved with more than 20 KUDs and numerous prominent individuals from local communities.

Experts in museology, heritage interpretation and cultural tourism - Muses have set the main topics and media in the extensive museological documentation. Muzo's engagement at the Museum of Bećarac spanned a period of eight years, and included the creation of management plans.

The museum exhibition was designed in intensive cooperation with the local community and through an interdisciplinary team process. In addition to Muze, members of the design co-author team are studio Šesnić&Turković and Clinica studio. The implementation was led by the company AVC, and the multimedia experiences were produced by the companies Divit and Eltel.

In the work with the local bearers of the heritage of the people of Beća, a key contribution was made by expert associate Marija Gačić, an excellent ethnologist and passionate Beća woman dedicated to preserving the heart of Šokadija. National houses also contributed to the permanent museum exhibition by providing various video and audio materials: Zagreb film, HRT, Nova TV, ZAMP, Vinkovačka TV and Croatia Records.

Content production included the collection and translation into English of over 400 people from Venice, the production of 50 videos, the creation of over 200 illustrations and photographs, and the collection of 200 original museum objects.

All this indicates that this is one of the most complex implementations of permanent museum exhibits in Croatia and a unique permanent exhibit that extensively documents and interprets a heritage phenomenon and the people who are inseparably connected with it.

"We are proud, I must point it out at this moment, because being a part of such a large project that has changed the views of our city certainly deserves that both city employees and residents be proud of it. We in Pleternica have decided to put Bećarac in the function of tourism in a special way and actually become a ticket to the world of Bećarac and the traditions of the whole of Slavonia, Baranja and western Srijem" she pointed out Marija Saric, mayor of Pleternica.

The Museum of Bećarac will enable the preservation of this heritage for generations yet to come, and it is certainly a new tourist attraction of the Požega-Slavonia County. 

Photo: Museum of Bećarac