Did you know about these distinguished Croatians and inventions!

Do you know that the first tie has been applied in Croatia? Find out how that happened and where you can buy authentic Croatian ties.

The word "croata" can be found in many languages as the root of words meaning "tie" or "cravat" (in English, German, French, Portuguese, Italian etc.). Croatia is the home of the tie, just as France is the home of high fashion, Brazil of coffee, Switzerland of cheese and watches, Portugal of Porto… Learn about the history of ties throughout the centuries and get yourself an authentic Croatian tie.

SYMBOL OF FIDELITY
The story of the tie first appeared among Croats several hundred years ago. According to legend, girlfriends and wives, when seeing off their boyfriends and husbands to many imposed and detested wars, used to give them kerchiefs to remind them of their girlfriends and wives and to give them strength and courage in difficult moments while far from home. Furthermore, it meant that they were in the thoughts and prayers of their girlfriends and wives. By wearing a kerchief, a man showed that he respected his chosen one and the fact that she had chosen him as well. This custom, in a symbolic way, meant fidelity to a woman and emphasized fidelity as a moral virtue. Many songs and stories bear witness to this tradition, including the fact that a tie has become an integral part of the national costumes worn by Croats living abroad (Croatian minorities in the Czech Republic, Hungary, Austria…)

For those who are looking for an authentic Croatian necktie, all roads lead to Zagreb. From the Homeland of the first Tie  Croata course of tieing a tie!

Did you know that the inventor of the first parachute, Faust Vrancic, was born in Sibenik in 1551? This young man who, besides natural sciences, also engaged in lexicography and history, published an unusual scientific work in 1595. In it, besides other technical inventions, he presents plans, as well as concrete solutions, for building the first parachute, which set the foundation for modern parachuting. With this discovery, Vrancic showed how far ahead he was from his time, because parachute jumps started to be frequent at the beginning of the 20th century.

Did ypu know that Vrancic also constructed a mill driven by tides, ropeway, gave a new construction of metal bridges (suspended by iron chains, i.e. suspension bridges), described in his famous book on mechanics Machinae novae (61 constructions, Venice, 1595).

History of Croatian Science

You can read more about Faust Francic, here!

Did you know that one of the greatest world travelers, Marco Polo, was born in 1254 on the island of Korcula? At the time when the life and culture of exotic culture in the East were completely unknown to all of Europe, and no one had heard of paper money, the seventeen year old Marco Polo headed for China to the great Kubla Kahn. He became so fond of Marco Polo that he put him in charge of an entire region, which is why Marco Polo stayed at the Mongolian court for 17 years.

During that time, he traveled through and got to know a large part of Asia, which he later described in his well-known travel record "Milijun" (Million). After having returned with extensive riches, he spent his life convincing friends of the accuracy of his unusual experience in the mysterious East. However, did you know what everyone has been grateful for is - pasta, which he brought to Europe from China. The only thing we can say is: Marco Polo, thank you for this gastronomic pleasure!

MARCO POLO & KORČULA - Birthplace of Marco Polo

Did you know that one of the world's greatest inventors, Nikola Tesla, was born in 1856 in the small village of Smiljan in Croatia? Since he did not have enough money to continue his studies, after wandering around Europe, Tesla went to New York where he made himself a career in science. Namely, he invented the multiphase system of alternating currents, he solved the problems of transferring electric power, he discovered the principle of the rotating magnetic field and was among the first who experimented with electromagnetic waves.

Did you know that he patented over 700 inventions. To remind you of how important the invention of alternating current was, we will just mention the fact that, thanks to it, nowadays we use such everday devices such as televisions, computers, refrigerators, that is, almost everything that surrounds us.

"Science is but a perversion of itself unless it has
as its ultimate goal the betterment of humanity." More about Nikola Tesla!

Did you know that Croatia can be justly proud of Eduard Slavoljub Penkala, the extraordinary inventor and innovator. He was a man with great energy and enthusiasm, whose aim was to make practical devices simpler, more useful and of a higher quality. In this book we pay tribute to him and to the legacy he left behind.

Penkala was born on 20 April 1871 in Liptovsky St Mikulas (today in the Slovak Republic), to a Polish father and a Dutch mother. As a young boy he already showed great interest in solving technical problems and was always repairing something at home in his own small workshop. His parents urged him to become a doctor, and he enrolled in the Faculty of Medicine in Vienna. But he felt he had made the wrong choice, and eventually moved to Dresden where he studied chemistry and met his future wife, Emilija, a music student.

The year following his graduation the young couple were married, and in 1900 they moved to Zagreb. Penkala found the city stimulating, and he soon became a high ranking official in the Austro-Hungarian Ministry of Finance. He was later appointed Royal Technical Controller. To mark his loyalty to his new homeland he took on the Croatian name Slavoljub.

Find out all about Eduard Slavoljub Penkala, the great inventor of writing instruments

Slavoljub Penkala - From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia!

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