"In the past eight months the town donated around €20,000 for the renovation work, and we will continue providing support after a budget revision this year or after a new budget is adopted, with a slightly higher amount," said Turk, who with his associates visited the Croat community in Serbia, according to the Croatian-language "Hrvatska riječ" paper.
The mayor of Zaprešić and his associates visited the birth house of Count Josip Jelačić in Petrovaradin in Novi Sad, the Church of St. George, and the Tekije shrine, and met with the leadership of the Croatian National Council (HNV) in Subotica.
HNV Executive Board president Karolina Bašić thanked Turk for the financial support, noting that once the renovation work on Count Jelačić's house was completed, one would discuss ways to "make this great man a brand and what kind of content we can offer to tourists."
The birth house of Count Josip Jelačić was built in 1745 and the historical building was transferred to the Croat community for management in October 2020, at a ceremony attended by Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić and Croatian Foreign Minister Gordan Grlić Radman.
The Serbian government provided €600,000 for the purchase of the house. It additionally provided €100,000 for the restoration of its exterior and interior, and the restoration work has also been supported by Zaprešić and Osijek-Baranja, Vukovar-Srijem and Virovitica-Podravina counties.