Posted on: 13.10.2026.
Author: petra
On Thursday, October 8, we officially opened the exhibition 80 Years of Ivančica: A Story That Began in 1946 and Continues Today at the Museum of Mountaineering in Ivanec.
We welcomed our partners, associates, representatives of city institutions, and former and current employees. The opening program began with a performance by Krunoslav Čolo, a Varaždin town notary. Taking on the role of a shoemaker, he showed how people made shoes in a small workshop back in 1946. That very type of workshop is where our story began.
After the performance, Siniša Zver, President of the Management Board, delivered the opening address. Here is an excerpt from his speech.
“Ivančica grew alongside Ivanec. But without the people of this region, their skills, hard work, and dedication, Ivančica would not be what it is today. That is why these 80 years are more than just a chapter in our company’s history. They are also part of the economic and social history of Ivanec and the surrounding area.
We did not prepare this exhibition simply to show how shoes were made in the past or what our factory looked like 30, 50, or 70 years ago.
Above all, we wanted to preserve a part of our history.
Photographs get lost. Documents disappear. And when people are no longer with us, the stories they never wrote down disappear with them. That is why we made an effort to collect, document, and preserve as much as we could.
Of course, our business partners, customers, suppliers, and many others have stood by us throughout these 80 years. They, too, are part of this story.
To everyone who has been part of Ivančica in any way over the past 80 years, I offer my sincere thanks.”
After the President of the Management Board’s speech, Milorad Batinić, Mayor of Ivanec, also addressed the guests.
We closed the official part of the evening with a guided tour of the exhibition. Robert Čimin, Director of the Museum of Mountaineering, took visitors through our history, from our beginnings in 1946 to the present day.
Guests, especially our employees, used the occasion to look back on the key moments, products, and people that have shaped our 80 years in business.
Irma Dragičević and a pianist took care of the music throughout the evening. One of the evening’s highlights was a dance performance featuring glowing lotus flower effects.
After the reception, we cut the anniversary cake. Nada Zver, our long-serving former director, now advisor and President of the Supervisory Board, had the honour of cutting it. We then continued the evening with conversations, photos, and a closer look at the exhibition.
We opened the exhibition to the public on October 9, and it will remain open until November 22. We invite everyone to visit the Museum of Mountaineering in Ivanec and learn about the history of shoemaking and Ivančica’s 80-year story.
The museum is open on weekdays from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. and on weekends from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
