The Ethnographic collection Lic
Notification of visit:

In 1994 when brothers Nenad and Drazen Starcevic have initiated the establishment of the Ethnographic collection in the occasion of the 150^th anniversary of organized education in Lic, nearly nobody expected to see the collection grow from the initial gathering of exhibits to an ethnographic museum, unique in the municipality of Fuzine and one of few in Gorski kotar.

The Ethnographic collection became a recorded cultural monument as early as 1995 and in the occasion, 63 different object were listed as display exibits. With time new and interesting objects from the past were collected, and many inhabitants and occasional visitors from all of the municipality began donating valuable old objects on their own initiative.

The collection experienced its bloom when it became an institution, with the foundation of the Ethnographic association “St. Juraj”.  The association was founded in 2001 and since it provides care for the collection, its maintenance and expansion. The association has set several objectives of its activity. Among them are preservation and protection of historical and cultural heritage, of village treasures and customs, study of the history of Lic, the municipality Fuzine and Gorski kotar, informing the public of its work and educational activity at the field of ethnography and history.  One of the objectives which has already been met was to include the Ethnographic collection in the tourist offer. Also preparations for a future monograph on Lic as the oldest village in the municipality of Fuzine are on course.

The Ethnographic collection is positioned at the centre of Lic, in the elementary school building. As one classroom suffices to cover other educational needs, hard-working enthusiasts, members of the association have been arranging number of other rooms and in such a way provided new contents and enriched the neglected unused space.  In the beginning, the Ethnographic collection occupied one display room where first exhibits were placed, then an archive was established which stored written documents, books and different interesting photographs.  Two new rooms were prepared for keeping valuable exhibits. One of these is the “history room” which houses the donation of the old family from Fuzine, the family Kauzlaric (Svecevi). It is a very attractive display of antique furniture, art paintings, old tableware, ornaments, and old documents and books.  A small sacral treasury is placed in the same room, containing a significant number of sacral objects, valuable old church vestments and flags that need a special airtight chest. Old musical instruments are also stored here.

One other room was arranged, which thematically does not belong to the collection nor is it related to the history of Fuzine, Lic or Gorski kotar, but visitors find it to be very interesting. It is a result of a valuable donation by a vacation home owner in Lic. Physicist Guy Paic PhD who works in New Mexico, USA, following a wish of his late wife, famous television journalist Arlette Ambrozic-Paic, donated valuable art works collected on their numerous travels to the Collection. Contained mostly are objects from Africa and South America, therefore the Ethnographic association members have formed a separated display room with exhibits of non-European peoples.

By forming several display areas, the Ethnographic collection in Lic became a very respectable museum.  Today it contains more than 500 exhibits in the permanent display, and it is continuously enlarged with new objects. Their maintenance is cared for and protective substances are applied, and the association is planning to determine the age of the most valuable exhibits by laboratory procedures and to restore them if necessary.