Marija Jurić Zagorka: A Feminist Icon from Croatia

Few people outside Croatia have heard of Marija Jurić Zagorka. This is a pity, because her life illustrates the great influence that intelligent women had on the culture of their country in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Even in her own country, Zagorka’s life was not researched for a long time. Only in recent years has this fascinating woman received the attention she deserves. In cooperation with the Croatian Mint, the Croatian National Bank is dedicating the second issue of the Croatian literature series to Marija Jurić Zagorka. She succeeds the fairy-tale storyteller Ivana Brlić-Mažuranić as Croatia’s best-known author of historical novels. A gold coin with a face value of 100 euros and a silver coin with a face value of 4 euros are dedicated to her.

Journalist, Publisher, Author and Activist

Marija Jurić Zagorka was born in 1873 as one of four children of a wealthy landowner. Far too intelligent to settle into the life of a noble daughter, she longed for higher education, but this wish was denied her. Her mother encouraged her to marry a Hungarian civil servant, and this probably seemed like a way out for Marija Jurić Zagorka. So the 19-year-old woman married a man 17 years her senior. However, it did not take long for her to suffer not only from the age difference and her domineering mother-in-law, but also from her husband’s political views. While Marija, as a Croatian, was proud of her own nationality, her husband, like the majority of nationalistic Hungarians of the time, was in favour of the Magyarisation of as many groups of people as possible, i.e. bringing Hungarian language, culture and identity to them. Conflict was inevitable. In 1895, the young woman could no longer bear it. She fled her husband’s household, divorced him with the help of her father and lost the right to her dowry. This left her with nothing and she had to earn her own money if she did not want to depend on her family.

Despite much opposition, she managed to establish herself as a nationally conscious journalist and author. Following the tradition of Henryk Sienkiewicz, she used the historical novel as a medium to introduce her readers to a Croatian sense of nationhood. But while Sienkiewicz won the Nobel Prize as a man, critics dismissed her works as trivial literature well into the 20th century.

The public saw things differently. Marija Jurić Zagorka became a hugely popular bestselling author whose cycle of novels, The Witch of Grič, achieved cult status. Despite the smaller readership, the author made a conscious decision to write the novel in Croatian. In doing so, she made a significant contribution to the writing of the Croatian language, which until then had mostly been spoken.

In all her works, Marija Jurić Zagorka advocated the fundamental equality of men and women, for which she is celebrated today. She died at an advanced age in Zagreb on 30 November 1957.

The Design

Both coins show the same motif and were designed by Jelena Mavrić Varga. The obverse shows a bust of the author in contemporary dress, looking to the right in three-quarters view. To her right is her name Marija Jurić Zagorka as a signature and the year 2025.

The reverse shows Zagreb’s Lotrščak Tower, which plays a central role as a prison in the cycle of novels The Witch of Grič. It is partly covered by graphic ornaments. Above, in cursive, Republika – Hrvatska. In the left field the denomination 4 / Euro and 100 / Euro respectively.

100 euros	2025	Marija Jurić Zagorka	31.103 g – 1 ounce	32 mm	Gold .9999	Proof	100
4 euros	2025	Marija Jurić Zagorka	31.103 g – 1 ounce	38.61 mm	Silver .9999	Proof	1000

Issue Date and Price

As of 24 April 2025, the coins can be purchased directly from the shop of the Croatian Mint.

The price of all pieces is adjusted on a daily basis, depending on the current precious metal price. Added to this is the VAT of the country the buyer has the coin shipped to.