On the initiative of Josip Juraj Strossmayer, the Yugoslav Academy of Sciences and Arts was founded on March 4, 1866, which later changed its name to the Croatian Academy of Sciences and Arts (HAZU). It was called Yugoslavian because of Strossmayer's wish for it to be a common scientific and cultural institution for all southern Slavs, but other southern Slavs also founded their own academies, and HAZU was always primarily concerned with researching Croatian history, heritage, culture and language. The first president of this institution was the historian Dr. Franjo Rački, who established cooperation with other European academies. The activities of the Academy include the publication of numerous scientific publications, such as various magazines, anthologies, monographs, etc., organizing scientific meetings, encouraging art and scientific research, etc.
When it was founded, HAZU did not have its permanent headquarters. The current building of the Academy, designed by Friedrich von Schmidt and Herman Bollé, was built only in 1880. However, due to damage in the 1880 earthquake, the Academy moved into its palace in 1884. Today, behind the palace there is a statue of J. J. Strossmayer, the work of Ivan Meštrović, and inside the palace itself there are numerous national treasures. In addition to the rich Strossmayer gallery, the palace also houses a library with a copy of the oldest Croatian printed book: Missals according to the law of the Roman court. The Baška tablet, the Abduction of the Sabine women tapestry, a moonstone that was a gift from members of the Apollo 15 mission are also kept there, and the palace also has a Nobel Prize room dedicated to Lavoslav Ružička and Vladimir Prelog.
After the independence of the Republic of Croatia, the Academy started a project called Croatia and Europe with the aim of presenting Croatian culture and history as an integral part of European heritage.
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