The Pejačević family library in Našice

The Pejačević family left an undeniable mark on the Croatian political and cultural scene providing notable viceroys, district-prefects, officers, generals, scientists and well-known culture and art patrons. From the three kins of the Pejačević family, the paper deals with a library story, today still living Našice-Virovitica kin which raised two Croatian viceroys and the first Croatian female composer Dora Pejačević. With its presence the Pejačević family left a profound mark in every part of social, economic and cultural life in Našice. By building its objects and supporting the public houses construction, it created a historical core in the centre of Našice and left a building legacy that is nowadays the main feature of Našice. It contributed an economy development of the Našice region whose fundamentals were based on the well-run manor and helped the citizens of Našice with humanitarian and social work. In concordance with it, one of the main tasks of the Native Museum in Našice has been to collect, research and systematize the materials about the family as well as to examine and present the rest of the legacy of this wealthy and notable family. The family library legacy represents only a step in thorough research and presentation of their whole legacy. The Pejačević family library was founded probably in the mid 19th century when it was organized and placed into a basement of the Pejačević manor-house in Našice. A special furniture was made for it, in spirit of historicist style, the same one which the manor-house interior was furnished in. A library list was made in 1935 when many books received the special library seal - EX LIBRIS BIBLIOTECAE NASICIENSIS. In this library the literature documents prevailed, but we can find also numerous reference books, manuals, books for children, magazines etc. A book design is an example of outstanding achievement of the then notable publishing houses. The lesser part of the books were printed in Croatian language, the others were printed in German (frequently in Gothic characters), Hungarian, French, Italian and English. We suppose that the library originally possessed 4000 to 5000 items. After the family had left, the library was moved out from its original site and placed in the Museum of Slavonia in Osijek. The lesser part remained in Našice, some of which ended up in various institutions and the others private. Eventually the books became the property of the Croatian national library and reading-room in Našice and in 2002 about 1100 preserved issues were given to the Native Museum of Našice for permanent use. In the museum the books are stacked in original library book-cases and the collection was supplemented by a collection of books from the Native Museum of Našice, especially from the Pejačević collection (blueprints of the Pejačević manor-house in Našice, an ink-stand with a family coat of arms, photos etc.). On the occasion of the Croatian Book Month in the Native Museum of Našice in 2003, the permanent exhibition "the Pejačević library in Našice" was solemnly opened. The exhibition opening was followed by another one where forty books were presented from the permanent exhibition but with their get up, content or some other detail ( an inscribed proprietor\u27s signature or similar) stand out as the most representative in the collection as well as in the catalogue "The Pejačević library in Našice". However, the thorough research of the library and the whole Pejačević family legacy is still to come