The study of decorations – phaleristics – was established as an auxiliary historical discipline as late as in 1937 as a result of the initiative of the Czech collector and theoretician Oldrich Pilc. Its name is derived from a Roman decoration in the shape of a medallion (Latin: phalerae, derived from Greek). This is why the systematic collecting and study of and decorations in museums began so late. One of the reasons for this is that museums before that time usually held other material, more interesting culturally and artistically, which had not been studied. However, although museums had shown little interest in decorations, these objects were not lost. Two things were responsible for this. The first is that after changes of regimes in Croatia, decorations were discontinued (1918, 1941, 1945, and 1991), they were no longer worn, and frequently even keeping them was not advisable. And so many old decorations were given to the Museum as testaments of the former (odious!) times. At other times whole sets of newly minted decorations were donated to the Museum as a permanent memento of that occasion. The second factor was that the Croatian History Museum acquired new material for the Collection by exchange and purchase from small and large collectors, many or them specialising in certain areas. The greatest contribution to the Collection was, without doubt, the donation of Dr Veljko Malinar’s collection of and decorations in 1982 with more than 2.500 decorations campaign awards and certificates.

The Croatian History Museum now holds some 3.500 decorations, which makes it the largest collection of its kind not only in Croatia, but also in the region. The holdings include decorations from many countries in Europe and around the world, dating from the 19^th century to the present day. Especially prominent in the Collection are decorations from the Hapsburg Monarchy, Montenegro, Serbia, the Kingdom of Yugoslavia, the Independent State of Croatia, the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, the Republic of Croatia, Bulgaria, Rumania, Greece, Turkey, Germany, Poland, Czechoslovakia, Italy, the Holy See, France, Spain and Portugal. He Collection is enhanced by decorations from Africa, Asia and the Americas: from Egypt, Tunisia, Iran, China, Nepal, Thailand, Burma, Venezuela, Chile and the United States.

There can be no doubt about the cultural and historical significance of decorations: they illustrate political events in their countries of origin, and they are especially linked with wars. The artistic quality of decorations is a testament of the culture of a country, of its rise and decline. In the history of human endeavour, especially during the past three hundred years, decorations are an integral part of the institution of power, of the way in which it functions and maintains itself.

The Collection of Medals and Plaques at the Croatian History Museum was also formed fairly late, and the focus of attention was placed on material relating to domestic history and art. The Collection is rather modest; it holds some 400 medals and plaques, acquired mainly over the past thirty years through donations made by individuals and through purchases. It holds medals and plaques from the 19^th and 20^th century made by medal-makers from Croatia and abroad which were devoted to societies, institutions, ruling families, prominent figures and events from military, political, cultural and economic history. The collection includes works by Robert Franges Mihanovic, Rudolf Valdec, Ivo Kerdic, Rudolf Spiegler, Teodor Krivak-Klauzer, Ivan Jeger, Vanja Radaus, Zelimir Janjes and other respected Croatian artists.

The Croatian History Museum also holds a large collection of some 3.000 badges. Although the badges on the whole have little material value, they are very significant for the study of any society. It is hard to imagine any public association or organisation, which had not minted its badge. Since these societies disappeared with time and were forgotten, the badges are a silent witness to their existence. Thus, when we look at the badges, we remember former sports clubs: ‘The First Croatian ice-skating Club in Zagreb’ from 1874; ‘The First Croatian Cycling Club in Zagreb’ from 1885; ‘The Croatian Falcon’, founded in 1874; ‘ The Croatian Academic Sports Club’ (HASK) from 1904; ‘Concordia’ from 1906 and others. Apart from badges of sports clubs and societies, the Museum also holds numerous military badges, particularly from World War I, as well as badges of hunting clubs, fire-fighting societies and Red Cross badges. The collecting of badges has always been an inexpensive and popular collector’s hobby, and has become very popular in recent times.