The Museum of Turopolje, Turopolje region, Croatia, was established in 1960 with a purpose to collect, research, preserve, present and promote traditional cultural heritage. The Museum's fundus contains 5500 items that are organized in four thematic collections: archaeological collection, ethnographic collection, art collection and a history collection. The ethnographic collection, the largest and most attractive collection, contains a museum item that intrigues visitors from all over the world, not with its size nor the attractiveness or beauty, but with the universality of symbolism that is associated with the history of its origin and use. This item is locally known as Turopoljska podgutnica (the Turopolje tie) and is considered to be a precursor of a tie – universal communication medium of the modern man. The story of a tie is a journey from local to global and back, a trip in which numerous nations participated and gave their contribution. This story is also an excellent context for the understanding of European values such as the respect for different cultural identities.

The Museum of Turopolje, Turopolje region, Croatia, was established in 1960 with a purpose to collect, research, preserve, present and promote traditional cultural heritage. The Museum's fundus contains 5500 items that are organized in four thematic collections: archaeological collection, ethnographic collection, art collection and a history collection. The ethnographic collection, the largest and most attractive collection, contains a museum item that intrigues visitors from all over the world, not with its size nor the attractiveness or beauty, but with the universality of symbolism that is associated with the history of its origin and use. This item is locally known as Turopoljska podgutnica (the Turopolje tie) and is considered to be a precursor of a tie – universal communication medium of the modern man. The story of a tie is a journey from local to global and back, a trip in which numerous nations participated and gave their contribution. This story is also an excellent context for the understanding of European values such as the respect for different cultural identities. The Museum of Turopolje is located in the region of Turopolje which is spatially located on the edges of the Croatian capital, Zagreb. To understand this story you need to reach far into the history of the region of Turopolje. The regional identity of Turopolje is based on the collective awareness of the uniqueness and homogeneity of space where free men of noble birth have been living since the dawn of time. The crucial factor in creating this perception and its sustainability through history was the oldest administrative-political organisation in Turopolje, the Noble Municipality of Turopolje that was active since the 13th century up to 1947. The origin of the Turopolje nobility was the King Bela IV Charter which exalted one family to nobility in 1225, but even more so, the origin of noble status were land estates which belonged to Turopolje people not by the King’s grant but by tribal law. Hereditary rights were regulated and recorded in 1950 via revival of the brotherhood of Turopolje and the confirmation of King Rudolph II in 1582. On that occasion people of Turopolje declared themselves as “brothers of the same origin” thus ensuring that no property can be claimed by the State “as long as much as only one of them is alive and breathing”. Noblemen of Turopolje were poor peasants and were often derogatory referred as plum nobility. When viewed in a historical context nobility guaranteed certain freedoms such as the right to property and the right to participate in public life. Participation in wars was an obligation but also an existential need therefore the nobility was obligated to answer the Imperial call to battle and make a contribution to the Thirty Years' War. Knowing that their stength lay in unity The Noble Municipality of Turopolje sent a military unit to the European front line which fought under its own flag. These Turopolje troop soldiers were known as Turopoljski banderij and it was consisted of Turopolje nobility. As a part of their traditional garment they tied pictoresque scarfs around their necks that were reminders of home and also had a practical value when it came to taking care of wounds. During the Thirty Years’ religious War (1618 - 1648) Turopoljski banderij arrived in Paris along with other military units. King Louis IV and the French people liked the scarves tied around the necks of soldiers from Turopolje so they transferred this new fashion accessory that will later be known as a tie throughout Europe. Tie is an example of a "creative interaction and cultural exchange among the various nations and cultures". The French named it, the Belgians and the Dutch accepted it as such, the English added new ways of tying and a rich variety of colours, an American entrepreneur adjusted it to industrial production and contemporary usage, the Italians added elements that emphasize the individuality of the person wearing it and the rest of the nations accepted it as a symbol of values of civilization. Thus redesigned and enriched with new meaning it was taken over by those it originated from, redefining their own identity in the context of new knowledge and belonging to the European cultural sphere. European dimension The story of a tie is the history of reconstructing the process of creation, use, interpretation, and dissemination of information and knowledge, it is the story of human creativity, and an argument for the preservation of cultural diversity. These are also the reasons for insuring the prerequisites for further research and development of projects that are an imaginative and layered interpretation as well as the promotion of values of the local community in the context of belonging to European cultural values.

European dimension The story of a tie is the history of reconstructing the process of creation, use, interpretation, and dissemination of information and knowledge, it is the story of human creativity, and an argument for the preservation of cultural diversity. These are also the reasons for insuring the prerequisites for further research and development of projects that are an imaginative and layered interpretation as well as the promotion of values of the local community in the context of belonging to European cultural values.