Croatia’s 2021 stamps presented a perfect chance to do a deep dive into Croatian culture and history. Believe it or not, this post originally started out as the 2022 program. In typical fashion, I kind of side tracked myself, got curious about a series, which in turn led me to Croatia’s 2021 list. Everything snowballed from there and … here we are, with 2021 completed. You’ll have to wait for 2022.
So what was it that captivated me? Although most of my readers will say “It was the cats!”, it wasn’t this time. I found my attention absorbed by the Famous Croats series. The series began in 1997 and has covered an impressive swath of Croatian history. I like the style designer Sabina Rešić used in the latest quartet. and ended up chasing stories about the four individuals celebrated in these stamps
Rešić also designed the Famous Croat sets for 2019, 2012 and 2008. I wish I could offer you more information on Rešić (and all the other Croatian designers and artists), but I’m afraid, my offerings are embarrassingly meager. As the year progresses, I’ll give my various translators a work out and then revisit this page and fill in some of the gaps.
I managed to round up some pretty good links and videos to explain the stories behind the 2021 Croatian stamps. Hope you enjoy them as much as I did. I’ll pop back occasionally with more details, but thought it was important to stop poking around and get the article up.
Enjoy.
January
Bridges and Viaducts
2 stamps on souvenir sheet, FDC, cancel
- Kuda Bridge Kuda’s Bridge – The Legend of Love | Visitteo
The 109-metre crossing bridges the Krupa River, a tributary of Zrmanja, and consists of 12 smaller vaulted bridges with openings approximately three to four meters in size, two failures and connecting embankments of stone-lined pages between the aforementioned objects. The width of the transition is approximately 1.5 meters. The crossing was built of travertine – limestone stone relatively easy to process, which usually arises at the base of the waterfalls, so the material for construction was located right next to the location of the building. Croatian Post – New Commemorative Post Block in the series “Bridges and Viaducts” (posta.hr) - Zece Draga Viaduct
Zečeve Drage Viaduct is located between the Bosiljevo 2 and Vrbovsko interchanges of the A6 motorway in Gorski Kotar, Croatia, just to the west of the Veliki Gložac Tunnel. It is 939.2 metres (3,081 ft) long. The viaduct consists of two parallel structures: the first one was completed in 2004, and the second one in 2008. Zečeve Drage Viaduct | Spectroom
Designer: Zvonimir-Zdenko Šimunjak B.Sc
Šimunjak is a lecturer at the University of Zagreb, Faculty of Architecture, School of Design
Release date: January 22, 2021
150th anniversary of the Zagreb Philharmonic Orchestra
1 stamp, FDC, cancel, sheet of 20
Formed in 1871
Zagreb Philharmonic Orchestra (zgf.hr)
Designer: Alenka Lalić
Release date: January 28, 2021
February
Exotic Cats
Series: 3rd in Children’s World – Pets
4 stamps, FDC, cancel, sheet of 8
- Bengal
- Bombay
- Egyptian mau
- Norwegian forest cat
Designer: Katarina Loncar
Release date: February 22, 2021
March
Easter 2021
1 stamp, FDC, cancel, sheet of 20
Designer: Alenka Lalić using art from Sanja Rešček Ramljak
Release date: March 18, 2021
90 years of the Association “Post-mortem Assistance”
1 stamp with label, sheet of 10
Designer: Tomislav Tomic
Release date: March 19, 2021
Croatian Fauna
3 stamps, FDC, cancel, 3 sheets of 20
- Loggerhead sea turtle (Caretta caretta) ADW: Caretta caretta: INFORMATION (animaldiversity.org)
- Bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus) ADW: Tursiops truncatus: INFORMATION (animaldiversity.org)
- Spinetail Devil Rays (Mobula mobular) Mobula mobular | Sharks (cms.int)
Designer: Nataša Odak
Release date: March 22, 2021
April
Famous Croats
4 stamps, FDC, cancel, 4 sheets of 20
- Ljiljana Molnar-Talajić (1938-2007) – opera & concert star Molnar-Talajic, Ljiljana | Croatian Encyclopedia (enciklopedija.hr)
- William Feller (1906-1970) – mathematician/probability theory William Feller (croatianhistory.net)
- Tonko Maroević (1941-2020)- writer, artist, scientist Maroevic, Tonko | Croatian Encyclopedia (enciklopedija.hr)
- Antun Mihanović (1796-1861) – writer, politician Mihanović, Anthony | Croatian Encyclopedia (enciklopedija.hr)
Designer: Sabina Rešić
Release date: April 19, 2021
Sisak Museum
Postcard
1 pre-stamped postcard
Home – Sisak City Museum (muzej-sisak.hr)
Release date: April 21, 2021
Sergej Forenbacher (1921-2010)
Postcard
1 pre-stamped postcard
Forenbacher was a veterinarian and professor with a substantial body of research that included over 200 research papers. Forenbacher, Sergei | Croatian Encyclopedia (enciklopedija.hr)
Designer: Ariana Noršić
Release date: April 21, 2021
50th anniversary of the University Computing Center
1 stamp, FDC, cancel, sheet of 12
Designer: Dubravka Zglavnik Horvat
Release date: April 29, 2021
350th anniversary of the deaths of Petar Zrinski and Fran Krsto Frankopan
2 stamps on souvenir sheet, FDC, cancel
Zrinski & Frankopani | Zrinski Frankopan
Designer: Sabina Rešić
Artist: Oton Iveković Farewell of Zrinski from Katarina
Release date: April 30, 2022
May
EUROPA 2021 – Endangered National Species
2 stamps, FDC, cancel, sheets of 20
Eurasian Lynx | Western Capercaillie
Designer: Nataša Odak
Release date: May 7, 2021
765 Years of the First Croatian Mint in Pakrac
Postcard
1 pre-stamped postcard
Designer: Tomislav Tomic Tomislav Tomic – Arena Illustration and Digital Portfolio
Release date: May 12, 2021
Rotary 2021
Postcard
1 pre-stamped postcard
Designer: Saša Prižmić
Release date: May 17, 2021
Four Croatian Castles
Series: castles
4 stamps, FDC, cancel, sheet of 8, 4 sheets of 9
- Castle Brezovica – baroque castle of counts Draskovic Trakoscan
- Erdödy Castle – the Renaissance Castle of the Counts Erdödy in Jastrebarsko
- Laduč Castle – historicist castle of Baron Vranyczany-Dobrinović
- New courts – the castle of the Croatian Ban Josip Baron Jelačić in Zaprešić
Designer: Dean Roksandić
Release date: May 20, 2021
June
Croatian Marian shrines
4 stamps, FDC, cancel, 4 sheets of
- Church of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary
- Shrine of the Mother of God of Trsat
- miraculous painting
- miraculous statue
Designer: Dean Roksandić
Photographers: Mario Romulić and Drazen Stojčić (Trsat – interior and exterior, Remete – interior) and Elvir Tabaković (Remete – exterior)
Release date: June 7, 2021
NIN – First capital of Croats
2 stamps, FDC, cancel
Nin’s history sprawls across 3 thousand years of history, beginning with the Ilyrian tribe of Liburnians.
.. it was the first political, religious and cultural centre of medieval Croatia. It was the place where the Croatian state was born. Nin is also the oldest Croatian royal town, a permanent or occasional seat of national rulers: dukes Višelav, Trpimir and Branimir, Kings Tomislav, Petar Krešimir IV. and Zvonimir, dukes Šubić from Bribir etc…
Tourist Board of Nin – Nin Dalmacija Croatia
Designer: Dean Roksandić
Release date: June 10, 2021
120 Years Railway in Dubrovnik
Postcard
1 pre-stamped postcard
Designer: Franka Maras
Release date: June 16, 2021
July
Croatia’s intangible cultural heritage
4 stamps, FDC, cancel
- Međimurje popevka – this folk song is recognised in 2018 by the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity
- Annual spring patrol of the Queen or Ljelje from Gorjana Feast of Pentecost was recognised in 2008 Spring procession of Ljelje/Kraljice (queens) from Gorjani – intangible heritage – Culture Sector – UNESCO
- The art of drywall construction is an interesting addition to the Intangible Cultural Heritage list. Included in 2018, highlights the skill of creating walls by stacking stones without using something to hold them together. Art of dry stone walling, knowledge and techniques – intangible heritage – Culture Sector – UNESCO
- Procession Za križen on the island of Hvar joined the UNESCO list in 2009 Procession Za Krizen (‘following the cross’) on the island of Hvar – intangible heritage – Culture Sector – UNESCO
Designer: Orsat Franković
Release date: July 1, 2021
1 stamp, sheet of 20, FDC, cancel
Designer: Alenka Lalić (Zagreb)
Photographer: Marko Ercegovi
Konavle’s earrings | Dubrovnik Private Excursions (dubrovnik-private-excursions.com)
Welcome • Dubrovnik Museums (dumus.hr)
Release date: July 12, 2021
Tokyo Olympics 2021
1 stamp, sheet of 9, FDC, cancel
Croatia’s Olympic team did well at the 2021 games
Gold:
- Taekwondo Women’s −67 kg
Matea Jelić - Rowing Men’s coxless pair
Martin Sinković
Valent Sinković - Tennis Men’s doubles
Mate Pavić
Nikola Mektić
Silver
- Tennis Men’s doubles
Marin Čilić
Ivan Dodig - Sailing Men’s Laser
Tonči Stipanović - Gymnastics Men’s horizontal bar
Tin Srbić
Bronze
- Taekwondo Men’s – 80 kg
Toni Kanaet - Rowing Men’s single sculls
Damir Martin
Designer: Dean Roksandić ::: BEMBELEMBE : HOME :::
Bembelembe Design also designed Croatia’s Rio, London and Vancouver Olympic stamps
Emblem Designer: Živko Skuhala
Release date: July 23, 2021
August
500th Anniversary of the Release of Marko Marulić’s Judith
1 stamp, FDC, cancel, sheets of 15
Marko Marulić is Croatia’s national poet. His works, from 15th c, is hailed as the start of Croatian language literature. Among his body of work was Istoria sfete udovice Judit u versih harvacchi slozena |The History of the Holy Widow Judith Composed in Croatian Verses (composed in 1521). You can see scans of the original pages here Marko Marulic 1450-1524 Croatian Renaissance writer published “Judith” in 1521.
The image used in the stamp is from a statue in Split, Croatia. The bronze statue was created by sculpture Ivan Meštrović
Designer: Duje Šegvić
Photographer: Srećko Listeš
Release date: August 2, 2021
100th anniversary of the Croatian Association of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing
1 stamp, FDC, cancel
EFHOH CONFERENCE&AGM 2019 – Croatian Federation of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing / HSGN
Designer: Alenka Lalić
Release date: August 26, 2021
September
Crypto 2.0 – RIMAC NEVERA – all-electric hypercar
Multi-colored offset
Designers: Ivana Vucic and Tomislav-Jurica Kacunić
Photographer: Danijel Palčić
30,000 copies
Release date: September 21, 2021
Protected woodpeckers – Joint issue with Kyrgyzstan
2 stamps, FDC, cancel
- Red-headed woodpecker (Dendrocoptes medius) also called Middle Spotted Woodpecker – Dendrocoptes medius – Birds of the World
- White-winged woodpecker (Dendrocopos leucopterus) White-winged Woodpecker – Dendrocopos leucopterus – Birds of the World
Designer: Sabina Rešić, a designer from Zagreb, and Daria Maier, a designer from Moldova
Release date: September 22, 2021
100 years of the Clinic for Diseases of the Ear, Nose, Throat and Head and Neck Surgery of the Faculty of Medicine in Zagreb
1 stamp, FDC, cancel
Designers: Jana Žiljak-Gršić
Release date: September 24, 2021
October
For every child a smile!
Series: UNICEF
1 stamp, FDC, cancel
Designer: Katarina Loncar
Artist: Ivana Viljevac, a student of the 7th grade of the Center for Education and Rehabilitation from Virovitica
Release date: October 4, 2021
November
25th anniversary of the receipt of the Republic of Croatia to the Council of Europe
1 stamp, FDC, cancel
Designer: Marko Jovanovac
Release date: November 5, 2021
Dopisnica21 3.30 Zrinska Garda
Postcard
1 pre-stamped postcard
Designer: Ariana Noršić
Noršić has collaborated with both the Croatian and Slovenian post offices for approx. 8 years. In that time, she has created over 30 stamps, two of which won the “Most Beautiful Stamp” award.
Release date: November 19, 2021
Good Day Red and Grounded Sun
Series: Croatian Fine Art
2 stamps, FDC, cancel
- Edo Murtić (1922-2005), Good Day Red, 1980, oil painting
- Ivan Kožarić (1921-2020), Grounded Sun, 1971 (gold-plated bronze, prom. 200 cm)
Designers: Ivana Vucic and Tomislav-Jurica Kacunic
Release date: November 26,2021
Christmas 2021
1 stamp, mini sheet of 10, sheet of 20, FDC, cancel
Designer: Ariana Noršić
Release date: November 22, 2021
December
Solana “Ston” and Polish salt mine Bochnia – Joint edition of Croatia and Poland
2 stamps, FDC, cancel, sheet of 8
Solana Ston salt flats and Bochnia Salt Mine
Saltworks Ston – Home (solanaston.hr)
Bochnia Salt Mine (bochnia-mine.eu)
Bochnia Salt Mine » UNESCO launches new travel website (bochnia-mine.eu)
Designer: Marzanna Dąbrowska, Poland, and Alenka Lalić, Zagreb
Release date: December 2, 2021
Pick a new article to read Stamps by country 2021 | Bitter Grounds Magazine
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