- by croatiaweek
- March 16, 2026
-
in
Entertainment
(Photo: Club Croata de Punta Arenas-Hrvatski Dom)
ZAGREB, 16 March (Hina) – The Croatian Club in Punta Arenas, Chile, marked its 111th anniversary on Sunday, commemorating the thousands of Croatian immigrants who arrived there in search of a better life.
Punta Arenas, a city of about 145,000 people at the southern tip of Chile, was once a major trading crossroads between the Atlantic and Pacific oceans.
Croats from Dalmatia, faced with vine disease, the decline of shipyards and widespread poverty, began arriving there in the second half of the 19th century.
As their numbers grew, they founded the Croatian Club in 1915. Located in the city centre, it serves as a gathering place where members preserve their identity through lectures, dance, singing and Croatian language classes.
“In 111 years, those brave Croats who came to this country founded this home to unite their families and promote their culture and traditions,” the club said.
Many residents of Punta Arenas, including Mayor Claudio Radonich, have Croatian surnames.
“We are still present here today and proudly celebrating this event,” the club added.
During the anniversary celebration, a room named “Margarita Mihovilovic Peric” was inaugurated in honour of the first woman to serve as president of the club. Mihovilovic Peric died two months ago at the age of 89.
Punta Arenas
She led the Croatian Club for 12 years and for 31 years was editor-in-chief and director of the magazine Male Novine. The club is currently headed by another woman, Maria Angelica Mimica.
To mark the anniversary, members of the local Croatian community performed Croatian dances and songs at the main square, Plaza de Armas, before gathering at the club for a shared lunch and reminiscing about emigrant life.
About 200,000 people of Croatian origin live in Chile, making it the country with the second-largest Croatian diaspora in South America after Argentina.
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