The Blažeković Gingerbread and Candle Maker workshop was founded in 1953 by the craftsman Franjo Blažeković. The craft tradition and the skill of making licitars, candles and other gingerbread products have successfully been passed on to his daughter Antonija Ranogajec and her family. The status of an artistic and traditional craft, awarded to Antonija by the Croatian Chamber of Trades and Crafts in 2009, established the Blažeković craft as one of the best gingerbread and candle making crafts in the Republic of Croatia. With her artistic expression and craftsmanship, Antonija Ranogajec participated in a series of important projects which enriched Croatia’s intangible cultural heritage, such as the exhibition “Licitar and Gingerbread Making – Crafts of Age-Old Tradition” organized by the Ethnographic Museum Zagreb, the exhibition “Zoete Zonde” in Rotterdam and the 34th International Exhibition 100 PRESEPI held at the basilica of Santa Maria del Popolo in Rome, also in cooperation with the Ethnographic Museum Zagreb. As part of a project of the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs of the Republic of Croatia, a Christmas tree was decorated with licitars in Vatican in 2002. The Blažeković workshop received its greatest recognition when it was inscribed on the UNESCO´s Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. The Blažeković workshop, its owner Antonija Ranogajec and her family are living proof that even today, by preserving traditional values, a single small manufacturing business can show future generations that success is achieved through perseverance and dedication driven by love and a small licitar heart.
Crafts workshop Blažeković gingerbread and waxer or Mrs. Antonija Ranogajec continued the tradition of gingerbread and waxing crafts in Osijek, and is one of the few craftsmen in Slavonia and Baranja, which preserves and nurtures this beautiful tradition. Through all her working life nurtures own expression with a thorough understanding handwork and craft skills in making gingerbread always emulation of his own high aesthetic criteria, in every product that has so far produced give the maximum yourself and your personality.
Confirmation and aesthetic values drafting gingerbread and candles, and confirms the collaboration with renowned artists npr.gospodin Dragan Strišković artist working in Rotterdam, prof.Miroslav Šutej project Croatian Christmas decorations in the Vatican, prof.Ines Krasic – PROJEKT Baranja colony in 2007, Josip Barlek – a project of the Ethnographic Museum in Zagreb wonderful world of angels, Ana Rucner project Voice of an Angel. It participated in the project Wonderful World of angel Antonija presented its Gingerbread Angels along with some 60 renowned Croatian artists there is a recognition that their work has a certain artistic value.
All these years of activity and work Antonija is primarily focused its business in the promotion and preservation of crafts as a cultural heritage of the city of Osijek, which ultimately resulted in the participation in a number of important projects of cultural importance to the city and the Republic of Croatia.
Antonija Ranogajec in her workshop maintained and preserved centuries-old tradition of making gingerbread and thus also through the promotion of crafts through various cultural projects in the Republic of Croatia and abroad contributed to the craft and art of gingerbread included on UNESCO’s Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage mankind.
She pointed to her work and commitment to the exhibition of Ethnographic Museum “Gingerbread skills, gingerbread and svijećarstvo – Crafts centuries-old tradition” She has participated in the project Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Croatia “Croatian Christmas decorations in the Vatican”, decorating the pine on the St.. Peter’s Square.
Its gingerbread angels, enriched the exhibition The Wonderful World of Angels Ethnographic Museum in Zagreb.
She has participated in exhibitions 21.međunarodnoj manger 100 Prespa. Basilica of S. Maria del Popolo in Rome.
She has held solo exhibition in Pozega “Gingerbread art of traditional and artistic craft.” After a series of important projects where Antonio confirmed as a master of his craft Croatian Chamber assigns it the status of art and traditional crafts of 2009.
The preservation and promotion of crafts participated in a series of Trade Fairs and its crafts presented through art workshops of kindergartens, museums, schools and city libraries of Vukovar, Osijek, Belišće, Zagreb.
She has received a number of recognition and gratitude for the participation of the various ethnic manifestations, and the Seal of the City of Osijek for outstanding contribution to the preservation of tradition and historic crafts.
In December 2013 years marked the 60 th anniversary of establishment of the workshop in Brussels, where as a guest of the European Parliament met parliamentarians and guests with their craft, the intangible cultural heritage of Croatia under the protection of UNESCO.
Recognizing the importance of preserving the craft regardless of time of new technologies on social networking sites to promote craft and present their works which proved to be very good and innovative move, because it is so Crafts as cultural heritage present throughout the world, which is very nicely accepted by site visitors Blažeković your site and waxer on facebook.