Have you ever had your heart broken? Perhaps it was the end of a romance or a friendship. Maybe it was another kind of loss, like the death of a pet or of someone you loved.
Is there an object that reminds you of this relationship? Is it something that was a symbol of your time together?
In the article “When Relationships Fail, This Museum Keeps the Stuff Left Behind,” published in 2023, Alex Marshall writes about a museum in Croatia, which still exists today, that collects items from broken relationships all around the world. It begins:
When their relationship ended more than 20 years ago, the time came for Olinka Vistica and Drazen Grubisic to divide up their stuff, including a TV, a computer and a bunch of vacation souvenirs. Then, they got to a toy bunny.
When they were lovers, the two Croatians had a cutesy ritual: When one of them came home, the other would wind up the fluffy rabbit and send it scampering around their house to welcome them. And when either went abroad on a business trip, they would take the white bunny with them and snap photos with it at tourist spots. It was such a symbol of their time together, Vistica said, that she didn’t think either of them should keep it.
At that moment, the pair could have fallen into a bitter argument — but, instead, they had a brain wave: “Wouldn’t it be wonderful to have a place where everyone on the planet could send objects after a breakup?” Vistica recalled thinking. A global archive of failed romances could help couples move on from heartbreak, Vistica said; it would also let them say to the world, “This love existed.”
Today, the former lovers run the Museum of Broken Relationships, one of Croatia’s busiest — and quirkiest — tourist attractions. Located in a former palace in the old town of Zagreb, Croatia’s capital, the museum displays objects sourced from heartbroken lovers worldwide alongside text telling each item’s story. The objects’ donors, many of whom send in the objects by mail, are kept anonymous, an attempt to encourage them to be truthful.
Students, read the entire article and then tell us:
What do you think about the Museum of Broken Relationships? Is sending meaningful objects to the museum a good way to help people cope with heartbreak and honor significant relationships in their lives?
What have been your experiences with romantic relationships? Have you dated or had a girlfriend or boyfriend? Have you ever broken up with someone or been broken up with? What was that like for you?
Have you experienced another kind of heartbreak? For example, the end of a friendship, the loss of a pet or the death of a loved one?
In the wake of these losses, how did you cope with your feelings and move on? What words of wisdom do you have for others who might be experiencing heartbreak?
If you were to send an object to the Museum of Broken Relationships from a significant heartbreak in your life, what would you send? Tell us the story of that item and what it meant to your relationship.
Students 13 and older in the United States and Britain, and 16 and older elsewhere, are invited to comment. All comments are moderated by the Learning Network staff, but please keep in mind that once your comment is accepted, it will be made public and may appear in print.
Find more Student Opinion questions here. Teachers, check out this guide to learn how you can incorporate these prompts into your classroom.
