When Marija Jurić Zagorka started working as a journalist, she got a special room in the newsroom of the magazine Obzor. A special room? Many were impressed with her talent which allowed her to write using her analytical and sharp mind, but according to social norms of the late nineteenth century it was simply unacceptable for a journalist to be a woman.
There were many other taboos and prejudice that this journalist, writer and feminist challenged, including those related to fashion: she was noted as the first female citizen of Zagreb who wore trousers. Also her advice about healthy lifestyle, proper diet and emancipation, which she published as the editor of the first magazine for women, stood the test of time and today are equally valid as in those days.
However, Marija Jurić Zagorka will be remembered primarily as the chronicler of Zagreb who based the plots of her novels, the most famous of which is The Witch of Grič (Grička vještica), on events from Zagreb’s history. Her writing is still read with equal passion and she remains one of the most frequently read Croatian authors.
Zagreb honored its heroin with a monument, a memorial house and tours in which the city is seen through her eyes and the eyes of characters from her novels.
(Photo: Lice Grada)