Veliko Trgovišće is a place with a long and significant history, and it was first mentioned in written documents way back in 1501.

The first Croatian president, Dr. Franjo Tuđman, was born in Veliko Trgovišće on May 14, 1922. He was a historian, academic, statesman, and the first president of the Republic of Croatia, as well as the Supreme Commander of the Croatian Army. During World War II, he was a member of the anti-fascist movement, and after the war, he held high military and political positions, and was educated at the Higher Military Academy. In 1961, he left military service and dedicated himself to scientific and research work as the founder and director of the Institute for the History of the Labor Movement in Zagreb and as an associate professor at the Faculty of Political Sciences in Zagreb.

As a dissident in 1972, he was sentenced to two years in prison because his historical work clashed with the official propaganda of communist Yugoslavia. He advocated for Croatian independence, and towards the end of the 1980s, he became politically involved. In 1992, he was elected as the first president of the Republic of Croatia, and as the commander-in-chief he led the defense of Croatia in the Homeland War. The foundations of his policy were based on establishing an independent state, uniting all Croats regardless of ideological orientation, joining the Central European civilization circle, the debalkanization of Croatia and revitalizing suppressed and stigmatized Croatian traditions, culture, language, and history.

At the entrance to Veliko Trgovišće, Tuđman’s birthplace is arranged and open to visitors. It consists of four thematically divided sections depicting the life of Franjo Tuđman and his family. Next to the house, there is also his bust, created by the sculptor Kruno Bošnjak.