About the museum / History of the museum

The first attempts to establish a museum date back to 1955 when Tomislav Morović, a history teacher, initiated the establishment of the Municipal Museum in Mali Lošinj; due to space problems, it operated until 1960. After several years of stagnation, the museum activities continued, prompted by the Piperata Collection of Old Masters that was displayed to public in 1967, on the occasion of the International Year of Tourism, and then repurchased in 1971. A few years later, in 1978, as part of the People's University (now the Adult Education Centre), there was an increase in the number of museum activities. In addition to the Piperata Collection of Old Masters, the Archaeological Collection of Osor and the Cres Museum became part of the People's University as well. The next important event for the Museum was marked by the donation made by Andro Vid and Katarina Mihičić in 1988. That donation resulted in the development of activities that would lead to the setting up of the first permanent exhibition; although slightly modified, it has remained basically the same down to the present day. Part of the collection of Andro Vid Mihičić was first displayed in 1993, while the Piperata Collection of Old Masters was installed in the Fritzi Palace in 1998. In 2000/2001, after the restoration of the tower in Veli Lošinj built during the Venetian rule, the Tower Museum-Gallery in Veli Lošinj was opened as part of the Lošinj Museum. In 2007, the Town of Mali Lošinj established the present-day Lošinj Museum, after it formally detached from the Adult Education Centre.