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For Broken Hearts💔
This newsletter is a special edition. I'm introducing you to a museum where each person with a broken heart has decided to donate, share, and express their feelings about a relationship that, quite simply, didn't work out.
Not all love stories last forever, nor do they all have a sad ending; some deserve to be told and shared.
This museum is designed to support those going through a breakup who seek to create art with the remaining fragments of love.
The Origin of a Breakup🖼️
Welcome to a place in Zagreb, Croatia, where the invisible traces left by the end of a relationship are on display.
The Museum of Broken Relationships—or Muzej prekinutih veza in Croatian—is one of the most original museums around.
Founded by two Zagreb artists: Olinka Vištica, a film producer, and Dražen Grubišić, a sculptor. After their four-year relationship ended in 2003, neither of them knew what to do with the things they had shared over the years.
It all started as a joke, but three years later, it became a real project. They began asking friends to donate objects from their own breakups, and soon the collection was born, comprised of personal items and other donated pieces.
The first exhibition took place in Zagreb in 2006 and was an immediate success. The idea of preserving the material remains of broken love resonated with people all over the world.
Since then, the museum has traveled to more than 35 countries before finding its permanent home: Zagreb.
The museum is housed in the Kulmer Palace, a Baroque building located in one of the city's most affluent areas: the heart of Zagreb's Upper Town.
Croatia is home to the main branch, but its success has been such that in November 2024, a second branch opened in Chiang Mai, Thailand.
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An award for Broken Stories🏅
In 2011, the museum received the Kenneth Hudson Award as the most innovative museum in Europe. The European Museum Forum gives the award.
The prize recognized its unique concept and its ability to connect with the public by presenting intimate and personal stories as part of a broader cultural dialogue.
It is no small prize: it is the equivalent of an Oscar within the European museum world.
Since its founding, the exhibition has toured 68 cities in 35 countries. Tokyo, San Francisco, Berlin, Paris, London, and Shanghai are some of the major capitals. Of course, the exhibition also visited Mexico City, where it was held at MODO (Museo del Objeto) between November 2022 and March 2023.
What will you find inside?🪓
The museum displays everyday objects donated by people from all over the world. Each item tells the story of a failed relationship. The exhibits are frequently described as poignant, emotional, and sometimes humorous. They offer a glimpse into the universal experience of heartbreak and loss.
Unlike other museums, this place doesn't display works by famous artists or pieces of monetary value. The power lies in the words that accompany each object: anonymous descriptions written by the donors themselves, ranging from the heartbreaking to the utterly absurd.
Some of the most iconic objects in the collection:
The axe. A woman donated it after using it to destroy all the furniture she had shared with her unfaithful girlfriend. It's not a story of violence; it's a story of catharsis, of rage that needed to be released somehow.
The prosthetic leg. A war veteran donated his prosthetic legs along with a bittersweet story. Her physical therapist taught her to walk again, but when she regained her independence, she abandoned her. A raw exploration of growth, change, and the bitter nature of moving on.
The toaster. A toaster from the Netherlands that represents years of silent breakfasts. A small detail, forgotten time and again, that over time became the symbol of everything that went wrong in that relationship. Perhaps the only thing that worked in that relationship was this toaster.
The garden gnome. A woman threw it in fury at her husband's car during a stormy breakup. The gnome bounced off the asphalt and hit him in the face. The accompanying note says that the arc drawn in the air marked the end of their love.
The most controversial so far: Melania Trump's jacket. This is the most recent and most controversial addition. In March 2026, the museum incorporated a work by Bosnian artist Šejla Kamerić: a Melania Trump jacket saponified—that is, turned into soap. A piece that speaks of broken political, symbolic, and institutional relationships that go beyond the romantic.
Broken hearts don't just tell romantic stories; they also depict grief and loss stemming from failed love. Family losses, broken friendships, and homelands left behind.
There are also exhibits on the broken relationships of refugees, which are both impactful and revealing.
The Broken Experience❤️🩹
The museum isn't a place to rush; it invites contemplation and connection with real stories told unfiltered and anonymously.
The texts accompanying the pieces are in Croatian and English, and translations are available in Chinese, German, French, Italian, Japanese, Ukrainian, Korean, Portuguese, Spanish, and Russian in booklet format.
As with almost all museums, you can visit the shop at the end and buy an object that is indeed designed to last.
If you like, you can also sit down and have a coffee to process all the stories you've just read.
Schedules and Prices🗓️
🕐 Opening Hours:
Summer Season (June 1 to September 30): Daily, 9:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. Last entry: 9:30 p.m.
Winter Season (October 1 to May 31): Daily, 9:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. Last entry: 8:30 p.m.
The museum is closed on Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, New Year's Day, Easter, and All Saints' Day. On New Year's Eve, it is open from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
🎟️ Admission Prices:
Adults: €9. Full-time students with ID, people with disabilities, and seniors (65+): €7. Groups of 15 or more: €7 per person (reservations required at least 7 days in advance).
📧 Contact: [email protected] | Tel: +385 1 4851 021
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