Quick Women’s Day Inspiration
On this International Women’s Day, in today’s world when we’re often too passive members of society, let’s get inspired by a few courageous women from Croatian history. If you want to find true beacons of humanity, go to the darkest hours of history. Several exceptional women left a mark in Zagreb during WWII. Just thinking about them, makes me wonder: would I do the same? Where did such courage come from?
Two young sisters, Zdenka and Rajka Baković, who helped the exchange of secret anti-fascist communication at a newsstand they worked at, bravely resisted the torture once they got caught. They both lost their lives without giving away any of the messengers.
The first Stolperstein (Stumbling Stone) of Zagreb was placed in front of Lea Deutsch’s home in Gundulićeva 29
The most tragic story of the era is the one about young Lea Deutsch, once a child star of Croatian National Theater’s children matinees. Lea died in her teenage years on a train that was supposed to take her to Auschwitz.
The admirable tale of Diana Budisavljević, who helped rescue thousands of children, recently came back into the public focus with a 2019 movie The Diary of Diana B.
When it comes to gender equality, this year is especially significant for Croatia because in August, we will mark 150 years from the first speech on that topic.
Stories about these women, and about many other Croatian women who made a difference – sometimes a small one, but they made a difference – are featured on our Badass Women of Zagreb tour. Join us from March till October Thursdays or Saturdays at 10 am for a scheduled tour, or book a private tour at your convenience. Contact us for more info and reservations.
