The UNESCO Workshop at Gimnazija Dubrovnik
On the occasion of UNESCO’s fiftieth anniversary and the International Year of Tolerance, Gimnazija Dubrovnik became a member of UNESCO’s Associated Schools Project in 1994.
Guided by the well-known saying that “only those who know their heritage can appreciate it and preserve it as it deserves to be preserved”, generations of students have, through extracurricular activities, developed a personal appreciation of the cultural heritage of their city, giving it the recognition it deserves. The project work repeatedly brought together large numbers of students who, with youthful enthusiasm and a sense of wonder, visited historic buildings, studied walls and portals, paintings and sculptures, explored archives and museums, asked questions, and attended lectures by art historians, architects and archaeologists, as well as seminars in Florence devoted to the cultural landscape.
Cooperation was established with the Dubrovnik Museums, the Society of Friends of Dubrovnik Antiquities, the Historical Archives, the Institute for the Restoration of Dubrovnik, the Dubrovnik Conservation Department, the International Centre of Croatian Universities, the Dubrovnik Polytechnic, the Croatian-French Friendship Association, the Heritage Association (Baština), the humanitarian organisation Deša, and numerous schools and universities in Croatia and abroad.
Cooperation was established with the Dubrovnik Museums, the Society of Friends of Dubrovnik Antiquities, the Historical Archives, the Institute for the Restoration of Dubrovnik, the Dubrovnik Conservation Department, the International Centre of Croatian Universities, the Dubrovnik Polytechnic, the Croatian-French Friendship Association, the Heritage Association (Baština), the humanitarian organisation Deša, and numerous schools and universities in Croatia and abroad.
All the activities received the full support of the Croatian Commission for UNESCO Cooperation, headed by Dino Milinović and Neda Ritz. The workshop thus became an integral part of Gimnazija Dubrovnik. As one student concluded, it “…makes life at the school, in certain respects, easier and more bearable, often providing shelter from dry and exhausting school curricula and an overly demanding approach to teaching.”
It is therefore essential to express our gratitude to all the teachers and principals—Nevenka Lonza, Dubravka Šuica, Katija Radović, Sanja Putica and Katarina Tolja—who closely followed the work, encouraged creativity and provided the financial resources needed to carry out the projects.
UNESCO Workshop Projects
1. Minčeta Tower – A Symbol of the City
2. The Franciscan Monastery
3. The History of Dubrovnik’s Maritime Heritage
4. The Urban Development of Ston
5. Model Shipbuilding
6. Christmas Dreams of Dubrovnik’s Grammar School Students
7. Tapestry Making
8. The Embroidery School
9. Basket Weaving
10. Setting Up the Nativity Scene in the Cathedral
11. *Promplasaji čistog srca* (original project title)
12. The History of Gimnazija Dubrovnik
13. Journalism Workshop – *Infođir*
14. The City Map
15. Goldsmithing
16. Dubrovnik: Stone and City
17. Rainbow Rain
18. Silk
19. Dubrovnik’s Renaissance Summer Villas
20. The Rector’s Palace
21. Clay Modelling Workshops
22. Creating the Nativity Scene – Angels
23. Presentations on Đuro Baglivi at the Modern Gallery in Zagreb
24. Vlaho Bukovac
25. Ivo Dulčić
26. Slaven Tolj
Exhibitions of Projects by the UNESCO Workshop of Gimnazija Dubrovnik
- Split, February 1995 – Round Table of Croatian UNESCO Associated Schools
- Bergen, Norway, June 1995 – First World Youth Forum
- Zagreb, June 1995 – Mimara Museum
- Dubrovnik, May 1996 – Sponza Palace, First European Youth Forum
- Dubrovnik, December 1996 – Dubrovnik Museum of Modern Art
- Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe, September 1996 – First African Youth Forum
- Dubrovnik, 1996 – World Heritage Cities Day, Sloboda Cinema Foyer
- Augsburg, Germany, November 1996 – Exhibition of the Croatian Pan-European Union
- Dubrovnik, January 1997 – Exhibition Hall of Matica hrvatska
- Dubrovnik, December 1997 – Domino Church
- Stockholm, Sweden, April 1998 – UNESCO Conference, *The Power of Culture*
- Dubrovnik, December 1997 – Dubrovnik Cathedral
- Osaka, Japan, November 1998 – Second World Youth Forum
- Dubrovnik, June 1999 – International Centre of Croatian Universities
- Dubrovnik, April 2000– National Library, Hall of Mirrors
- Dubrovnik, September 2000 – World Heritage Cities Day, Institute for the Restoration of Dubrovnik
- Dubrovnik, December 2000 – Dubrovnik Polytechnic
- Rector’s Palace, Dubrovnik, February 2001 – Dubrovnik Goldsmithing
- Matica hrvatska, Ston, July 2003 – Ston and Mali Ston
- Sponza Palace, Dubrovnik, February 2004 – Ten Years of the UNESCO Workshop
2024 The Stećci of Konavle A lecture on the symbolism of stećci (medieval tombstones), a visit to the archaeological site in Brotnice, and an art workshop in which students created reliefs inspired by the motifs found on the tombstones.
2025 The Country Estate and Agricultural Complex of Dominko Zlatarić in Radovčići A lecture, presentation and workshop on the country-house architecture of the Republic of Ragusa and the cultural heritage of Konavle.
2025 In the Embrace of Dubrovnik’s City Walls Research into Dubrovnik’s city walls and the production of short films highlighting their importance to the city’s identity. This activity should be further verified through the school’s publications before being listed as a separate UNESCO project.
Dr. Antun Karaman: “In this respect, the UNESCO Workshop at Gimnazija Dubrovnik is a shining example of an interactive relationship with young people and their involvement in reflecting on the protection of historic and cultural heritage. The workshop not only introduces young people to the greatest values of our heritage, but also engages them in practical work and encourages them to present their research and experiences from individual heritage projects to others in a thoughtfully designed and meaningful way.”
Ljiljana Ivušić, prof.: “Cooperation with the UNESCO Workshop at Gimnazija Dubrovnik has provided all of us who participated in these projects with tremendous encouragement for our future work. Watching and listening to young people who invest their whole being in realising their ideas, bringing enthusiasm, energy and a strong desire to discover new things, is an inspiration to continue creating.
“The work of the UNESCO Workshop at Gimnazija Dubrovnik, which focuses on protecting cultural and natural heritage, remains relatively unknown to the wider public. Our primary aim in organising this exhibition was therefore to encourage greater appreciation of our historic heritage and to attract the interest of those who could help ensure that projects of this kind become an important part of our cultural life.
“Thanks to the tremendous efforts of Mr Jozo Serdarević, the workshop’s coordinator, and the outstanding work of the students, these projects were successfully realised. Their spontaneous youthful creativity, supported by knowledge, found full expression and made the projects all the more valuable.”
Tonko Maroević, Art Historian, Zagreb: “I am delighted to see the seriousness with which young people approach heritage and to experience the diversity of their approaches, which testifies to its vitality and continuing relevance. Indeed, few cities deserve as much as Dubrovnik to be embraced by new generations, so that its tradition does not remain lifeless and frozen, but continues to offer fresh inspiration.
“The international dimension, namely the connection of the project with UNESCO, exemplifies the significance of the City and reflects a methodology based on active engagement. Congratulations to the teachers and students of Gimnazija Dubrovnik on their motivation and on bringing these projects to fruition.”
Ivanka Lilić, Professor
