The potential of forgotten and hidden Zagreb historical cemeteries in the design of ‘dark’ tourist experiences

ABSTRACT

On the territory of modern Zagreb, Croatia, several locations of historical cemeteries exist without visible markers of remains on the surface. Although forgotten and hidden, they are undetectably integrated into city’s everyday life. This paper aims to identify specific requirements and challenges in the design of ‘dark’ tourist experiences using the setting of such hidden Zagreb historical cemeteries. The main instrument used to shape a tourist experience is the experience economy model (EEM) and heritage tourism represents the perfect setting because heritage's intrinsic values are immanently related to experiences. The second generation EEM served as the theoretical basis for the research and the research methodology included archival research, participant observation, and focus group discussions. Hidden cemeteries, if discovered and disclosed, can provoke many impressions and agitate meanings. Experience design should avoid theming the experience which could provoke fear, discomfort and uneasiness but should relate to positive connotations: curiosity, desire for learning in an exciting and amusing environment, an honouring the deceased.

KEYWORDS:

• Hidden cemeteries
• Zagreb
• dark tourist experience
• experience design
• experience economy model

Correction Statement

This article has been republished with minor changes. These changes do not impact the academic content of the article.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Notes

1 Visitmanchester.com. Manchester’s Forgotten Burial Sites. Retrieved February 10, 2020. https://www.visitmanchester.com/ideas-and-inspiration/haunt-manchester/places-product-list/manchester-s-forgotten-burial-sites.

2 6sqft.com. What lies below NYC’s forgotten and hidden graveyards. Retrieved February 10, 2020. https://www.6sqft.com/what-lies-below-nycs-forgotten-and-hidden-graveyards/.

3 Ghostcitytours.com. Secret burial grounds in Savannah. Retrieved February 10, 2020. https://ghostcitytours.com/savannah/haunted-places/secret-cemeteries/.

4 7X7.com. Dark history of cemeteries in San Francisco. Retrieved February 10, 2020. https://www.7x7.com/amp/dark-history-of-cemeteries-in-san-francisco-1786563925.

5 Secret Zagreb. Mysterious Zagreb: ghosts and dragons tour. Retrieved February 21, 2020. http://www.secret-zagreb.com/zagreb-ghosts-and-dragons-tour-1.

6 Secret Zagreb Walks and Activities. Zagreb ghosts and dragons tour. Retrieved September 1, 2020. http://www.secret-zagreb.com/zagreb-ghosts-and-dragons-tour-1.html.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Ingeborg Matečić

Ingeborg Matečić a Ph.D. is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Tourism, Faculty of Economics and Business at the University of Zagreb, Croatia. She holds Ph.D. in Ethnology and Cultural Anthropology and double doctoral degree (Cotutelle de thèse) in Economics with specialization in Tourism Economics. Her research interests lie in the field of cultural tourism, cultural tourism experiences and socio-cultural sustainability within the concept of sustainable tourism development.

Petra Rajić Šikanjić

Petra Rajić Šikanjić Ph.D. is a senior research associate at the Institute for Anthropological Research in Zagreb, Croatia. She completed her BA in Archaeology, a MA in Biological Anthropology and Ph.D. in Bioarchaeology. Her research focuses on the bioarchaeological analyses of human skeletal material from archaeological sites dating from prehistory to the Early Modern Age.

Ana Perinić Lewis

Ana Perinić Lewis Ph.D. is a research associate at the Institute for Anthropological Research in Zagreb, Croatia. She has a BA in Croatian Language and Literature and Ethnology and Ph.D. in Ethnology and Cultural Anthropology. Her main fields of interest encompass identity and identification processes, stereotypization, migrations, island studies, anthropology of place and space (place-making), literary anthropology and oral literature.