Štimac Family Estate

Before leaving, Josan — widowed himself — took on the care of a widow from his village, raising her nine daughters alongside his own children.

In a remarkable twist of fate, one of those daughters, Ana, and one of Josan’s sons, Stipe — both born on the same day and year — fell in love and got married.

They had four children: three sons and one daughter. And in a striking echo of the past, that next generation brought forth nine daughters and one son — continuing an unspoken tradition of matriarchy, symbolically pictured in family crest with nine mountain flowers. 

Despite only basic formal education, the women in our family have long been the quiet leaders: managing money, making key decisions, and acting as the true heads of the household.

Just as the men in our family endured the hardships of World War II and the Balkan War of the 1990s, so too did the land, forests, and homes — scarred by time, conflict, and neglect.

Today, this legacy needs rebuilding. And it is the women of the Štimac family who are leading the way, reviving this land with care, vision, and purpose.