Typhlological Museum

The Tyflological Museum in Zagreb is a public state institution dedicated to collecting, preserving, and presenting tangible and intangible cultural heritage. Its focus is the life and history of people with visual impairments. The name derives from the Greek words for blind and story. The museum aims to raise public awareness of the world of visually impaired people, break down prejudice, and promote harmonious, tolerant relationships among all people. It also serves as a place where people with disabilities can take an active part in cultural life.

The roots of the collection go back to 1888, when the educator Vinko Bek began assembling a private collection that he called the Croatian Museum of the Blind. His objects were already being shown at various exhibitions in Zagreb and Budapest in the late 19th century. After the institute for blind children that he founded was relocated, many pieces were lost, while others passed through his family to the museum's later administration. The museum finally opened in Zagreb in 1953, with significant support from the blind scholar Franjo Tonković and his wife.

Today the institution is located at Draškovićeva ulica 80. Visitors can view a variety of collections, including objects relating to special education and rehabilitation, printed materials in Braille, and an extensive collection of works by self-taught blind sculptors. You can also see historic ophthalmological instruments from the late 19th and early 20th centuries that originally belonged to the equipment of the University Eye Clinic in Zagreb. Photographs and archival materials on the history of care and education for visually impaired people are also part of the holdings.