Nikola Tesla Memorial Center

The Memorial Center was opened to the public on the 150th anniversary of Tesla's birthday, 10 July 2006, by the President of the Republic of Croatia.{{cite web|url=http://balkans.aljazeera.net/vijesti/kuca-cuda-u-rodnom-mjestu-nikole-tesle|title=Kuća čuda u rodnom mjestu Nikole Tesle|date=11 February 2015|last=Šoštarić|first=Tomislav|publisher=Al Jazeera}} The original memorial site was first established as a museum in 1956, but it was damaged during the Croatian War of Independence when a projectile fell on the commercial building next to Nikola Tesla's house. The fire was eventually put out by the Croatian Army who deposited furniture and other objects it saved in the Museum of Lika.{{cite news | url = http://www.jutarnji.hr/lika-napokon-otkrila-teslu/227052/ | archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20110522023331/http://www.jutarnji.hr/lika-napokon-otkrila-teslu/227052/ | archivedate = 2011-05-22 | newspaper = Jutarnji list | language = Croatian | title = Lika napokon otkrila Teslu |trans-title=Lika finally discovers Tesla | date = 2006-07-08 | quote = Vesna Bunčić, ravnateljica Muzeja Like u kojem se čuvaju namještaj i predmeti iz Tesline rodne kuće. Kada je u svibnju 1992. jedan projektil pao na gospodarski objekt tik uz kuću, izbio je požar u kojem je ta drvena zgradica u potpunosti izgorjela. No, požar je zahvatio i dio krova Tesline rodne kuće. – Pripadnici HV-a ugasili su požar, a onda su namještaj i svi predmeti deponirani u Muzeju Like. Od 2000. godine Muzej Like krenuo je u sanaciju krova, dok je gospodarski objekt ponovno sagrađen 2003. godine – pojasnila je Vesna Bunčić. U Muzeju su, uz namještaj, i porculanski predmeti te 133 knjige iz biblioteke Teslina oca Milutina. Namještaj će tu i ostati jer se u obnovljenoj Teslinoj kući sada priprema drukčiji postav. | accessdate = 2011-08-11}} The Croatian authorities restored the complex and reopened it in a 2006 ceremony, with the highest dignitaries of Croatia and Serbia attending.{{cite news | url = http://www.predsjednik.hr/Default.aspx?art=12900&sec=810 | language = Croatian | title = 150. obljetnica rođenja Nikole Tesle | trans-title = 150th anniversary of the birth of Nikola Tesla | agency = HINA | publisher = Office of the President of Croatia | date = 2006-07-10 | accessdate = 2011-11-08 | url-status = dead | archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20120120115521/http://www.predsjednik.hr/Default.aspx?art=12900&sec=810 | archivedate = 2012-01-20 }} After the war it was renovated, improved, equipped and opened as Memorial Center in 2006.

On its surface area of 1.37 square kilometres, the memorial complex contains various components: museum in the birth house*{{cite web |last=Brstilo Rešetar |first=Matea |year=2007 |title=The Permanent Display of the Birth House of Nikola Tesla in Smiljan (scientific work) |url=https://hrcak.srce.hr/file/198678 |publisher=Hrvatski povijesni muzej (Croatian History Museum) |location=Zagreb}} of Nikola Tesla (where the details of his life are shown in a permanent exhibition of artifacts, documents, photographs and audiovisual material), the Serbian Orthodox Church of St. Peter and Paul, an old agricultural building, village cemetery, Tesla's testing station, stone monuments, benches and river banks designed by architect Zdenko Kolacio, metal statue of Nikola Tesla made by sculptor Mile Blažević, open-air auditorium, prototypes of some Tesla's inventions*{{cite thesis |last=Jovanović |first=Dragan |year=2017 |title=Innovations at the Memorial Center "Nikola Tesla" in Smiljan (scientific work) |url=https://zir.nsk.hr/islandora/object/vus:783 |publisher=Nacionalna i sveučilišna knjižnica /NSK/ (National and University Library) |location=Zagreb|type=info:eu-repo/semantics/masterThesis }} (induction motor, Tesla's turbine, rotating magnetic field, Tesla coil), multimedia center etc.

Various scientific and educational activities or presentations are occasionally organized in the Memorial Center. Over the past years the number of visitors coming to the site has been steadily growing. 41,000 tourists from many countries from all over the world visited the center in 2016.{{cite web|url=https://samolika.com/10-godina-memorijalnog-centra-nikola-tesla-u-smiljanu/|title=10 godina Memorijalnog centra Nikola Tesla u Smiljanu|date=11 January 2017}} In 2018 this number increased to over 44,000 people.

• List of museums in Croatia

Nikola Tesla Smiljan 01.jpg|Memorial Center reception building

Nikola Tesla Memorial Center.JPG|Tourists visiting Memorial Center

Nikola Tesla Smiljan 11.jpg|Tesla's birth house entrance

Tesla Geburtshaus.jpg|Buildings and surrounding area

Teslina eksperimentalna stanica Smiljan.jpg|Tesla's experimental station

Nikola Tesla Smiljan 15.jpg|Tesla coil

Multimedijalna zgrada Memorijalnog centra Nikola Tesla u Smiljanu, Hrvatska.jpg|Multimedia center

• List of museums in Croatia
• Tesla Science Center at Wardenclyffe
• Nikola Tesla Museum, Belgrade, Serbia
• List of science museums

{{Reflist}}

• [http://www.lika-destination.hr/en/nature-protected-area/memorial-center-nikola-tesla-smiljan/ Memorial Center information data]
• [https://www.welcome-to-croatia.com/listing/nikola-tesla-memorial-center/ Memorial Center guide]
• [https://croatia4me.com/travel-directory/memoriam-centrum-nikola-tesla-in-smiljan/ Memorial Center – thematic park consisting of renovated birth house, church, various exhibits and multimedia centre]
• [http://www.mcnikolatesla.hr/lenta-vremena-nikole-tesle/ Nikola Tesla timeline] (in Croatian)

{{Nikola Tesla}}

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Memorial Center

Tesla, Nikola

Category:Tourist attractions in Lika-Senj County

Category:Buildings and structures in Gospić

Category:Museums in Croatia

Category:Museums established in 2006

Category:Culture of Croatia

Category:History of science museums

Tesla

Category:Buildings and structures in Lika-Senj County

Category:Technology museums in Croatia

Category:History of Gospić