Episode 151
Dobro jutro, slušatelji!
Summer is here and it’s time to make our way to Hrvatska! To get the season in gear, we’ve decided to do a Croatian Summer Destination Series.
In this first episode of the CSDS, we’ll use the lesson to learn important places and possible phrases during your trip to Zagreb!
Lesson
Airport - Zračna Luka Franjo Tuđman
Zagreb Electric Trams - Zagrebački električni tramvaj (ZET)
Main Street - Ilica
Ban Jelacic Square - Jelačić Platz
Main outdoor market - Dolac - pijaca - tržnica
St. Mark’s Church - Crkva svetoga Marka
Super Slatko Report
In this edition of the SSR, DJ Moe will tell us about a famous legend that comes out of Zagreb. If you haven’t heard about the Witch of Gri č then you might not have heard about Maria Jurić Zagorka. If you’re as intrigued as we are, join us for Episode 151!
The tale of the Witch of Grič takes place in Zagreb, it’s as a story that was originally written by Marija Jurić Zagorka—Born in 1873 in rural Croatia, Zagorka grew up with a sharp tongue, sharper mind, and a passion for storytelling that made 19th-century patriarchal society thoroughly uncomfortable. As the first female journalist in southeastern Europe, she wrote against oppression and ignorance while dodging literary superiority like a pro. The inspiration for Grička vještica (The Witch of Grič) came from the historical persecution of women and the rich folkloric fog that still hangs over Zagreb’s Upper Town. The story is a mix of Gothic drama, history, and just the right amount of supernatural to hook your attention.
Here in the US, we are familiar with the goings on from the Salem witch trials, but Croatia had its own history of witch trials too. Croatian witch hunts peaked in the 17th century, with the Kingdom of Croatia enthusiastically following Europe’s bad habit of scapegoating women. Similar sentiments which may not have been linked to actual witch behavior in latter years, were still very much present in the 20th century. In 1912, the Witch of Grič: a fictional creation, but one very much rooted in this reality, was published. Zagorka didn’t just invent the Witch of Grič; she resurrected her from the ashes of historical injustice, cloaking real events in storybook mist. Zagorka’s witch is clever, brave, and cursed more by society’s paranoia than any actual hex.
The book series exploded in popularity—not just during its original run in the early 20th century, but again in the decades that followed. Zagorka wrote seven novels in the series, and while others have dipped their quills into the Grič lore since then, no one has matched her flair for marrying historical commentary with gothic soap opera. Her work gave readers a fascinating heroine to follow, but more importantly, gave Croatians a witch they could root for instead of fear. Suddenly, being called a witch in Zagreb wasn’t so much an insult—it was almost a compliment.
This literary legacy has burned its own place into Zagreb’s culture. The Witch of Grič is almost a mascot these days. Tours through the city whisper her name, local theater groups stage her story, and even beers are named after her. In a place once gripped by fear of the otherworldly, there’s now a weirdly cozy acceptance between the living and the legendary.
So here we are: a journalist with a rebel streak spins history into fiction, fiction becomes folklore, and the folklore settles in for the long haul. The Witch of Grič isn’t just a story; she’s a symbol of how myths can outlive the fear that created them. As long as Zagreb’s fog still rolls in mysteriously and history still has gaps to fill, there’s room for the Witch of Grič.
And thats it for the Super Slatko Report.
