Lovrak's Centre, located in Veliki Grđevac in the Bjelovar-Bilogova County, approximately one and a half miles from the town centre, was visited by primary school pupils from Kumrovec and Klanjec, as well as retirees from Sveti Ivan Žabnjak. The project, 'How Mate Lovrak and fifty years after his death made Veliki Grđevac nationally known', is being implemented with the financial support of the Agency for Audiovisual Media through the Programme for Promoting Journalistic Excellence.
A railway composition has been installed at the Centre, based on the novel 'The Train in the Snow', and a mill has been built to evoke 'Pera Kvržica's Company'. Visitors can choose to explore the Centre independently or participate in one of two guided tours, with workshops also available. Those who opt for guided tours led by heritage interpreters are met by Kristina Dushaj and Helena Lovrak, the latter being the centre director and the former's distant relative.
Visitors are told the story of Mate Lovrak, his creative work, and his influence on generations of students. The narrative begins with the 'Train in the Snow' composition, followed by the mill and 'Pera Kvržica's Company' at the site. The stories are linked to life in the first half of the 20th century, during the time Lovrak lived in Veliki Grđevac, followed by a tour of the 'Friends of Nature Trail'. The workshops include making puppets from corn husks, 'Train to Recycling', and a miller's workshop, as well as a 'Knowledge Society' quiz.
Pupils from the third and fourth grades of the Antun Mihanović Elementary School in Klanjec and the Josip Broz Tito Elementary School in Kumrovec were present. Noa Sušec, from Klanjec, had read 'The Train in the Snow' and 'Pera Kvažić's Company' and watched both films, stating that both stories convey important messages. In Veliki Grđevac, the train was particularly interesting to him, as it was very similar to the one in the film, though he was disappointed that he could not enter the train.
Mari Grilec, a fourth-grader from the school in Kumrovec, stated that her favourite characters from Lovrak's novels were Milo D'Ince, and she enjoyed visiting the mill in Veliki Grđevac. Tea Špoljar from Klanjec enjoyed the corn husk doll workshop, stating she had never made corn husk dolls before. Laura Čuk from Klanjec had learned who Mate Lovrak was at an early age, as her father used to read to her when she was very small and regularly asked who wrote the books. She watched 'Anka the Brazilian' and described the plot in detail, expressing her delight at visiting Veliki Grđevac. She mentioned that they had travelled by a small train for tourists, visited the school, seen the train, the mill, walked in the forest, played, had lunch, and participated in a workshop and quiz, adding that she would like to see the train from the inside.
Marina Suš, a teacher at the Josip Broz Tito Elementary School in Kumrovec, stated that they were visiting for the first time and were very pleased with the approach and organisation. At the third and fourth grades, they cover Lovrak's works by reading books and watching films, which they then compare and analyse. The works are very interesting to the children as they are written in a language suitable and close to children, and they encounter characters their own age. The visit to the centre will further connect the pupils with Lovrak and his works.
Members of the Croatian Retirees' Association from Sveti Ivan Žabno were also present at the Lovrak Centre, touring the composition, the mill, and purchasing souvenirs. Ivan Poljak stated that he had watched 'The Train in the Snow' as a child, and it had left a great impression on him. He said that small people, when left without a leader and teacher, even if divided at the moment, find a solution and help the train driver to move forward, which is an example of how people should behave. The words 'When small hands join together, anything is possible' speak for themselves, adding that large ones could do even better. The visit to the Lovrak Centre brought back memories for him of travel to Križevci by train, with the locomotive that now adorns the Veliki Grđevac centre, and he stated that every writer who has positively influenced people with their words deserves such a tribute.
