1880 Zagreb earthquake
Encyclopedia
The 1880 earthquake
which struck Zagreb
(also known as The Great Zagreb Earthquake) was a 8.0 magnitude
earthquake which occurred on 9 November 1880. Its epicenter
was in the Medvednica
mountain north of Zagreb. Although only one person was killed in the earthquake, it destroyed or damaged many buildings.
According to the Zagreb Meteorological Station data, the earthquake struck at 07:33, and was followed by a series of tremors of smaller intensity. Contemporary records say that 3,800 outgoing tickets were sold at the Zagreb Main Station
within the first 24 hours of the initial earthquake, as many locals sought to leave the city for Vienna, Ljubljana, Graz, and other Austro-Hungarian
cities in the vicinity of Zagreb.
City authorities formed a commission to assess the damage, and their official report said that a total of 1,758 buildings were affected (not counting churches and state-owned buildings), out of which 485 were heavily damaged.
The most prominent building damaged was the Zagreb Cathedral
, which then underwent a thorough reconstruction led by Hermann Bollé
and which went on for 26 years before it was finally finished in 1906. However, the damage brought by the earthquake spurred construction and many historic buildings in the Lower Town
area of the city were built in the following years.
Earthquake
An earthquake is the result of a sudden release of energy in the Earth's crust that creates seismic waves. The seismicity, seismism or seismic activity of an area refers to the frequency, type and size of earthquakes experienced over a period of time...
which struck Zagreb
Zagreb
Zagreb is the capital and the largest city of the Republic of Croatia. It is in the northwest of the country, along the Sava river, at the southern slopes of the Medvednica mountain. Zagreb lies at an elevation of approximately above sea level. According to the last official census, Zagreb's city...
(also known as The Great Zagreb Earthquake) was a 8.0 magnitude
Moment magnitude scale
The moment magnitude scale is used by seismologists to measure the size of earthquakes in terms of the energy released. The magnitude is based on the seismic moment of the earthquake, which is equal to the rigidity of the Earth multiplied by the average amount of slip on the fault and the size of...
earthquake which occurred on 9 November 1880. Its epicenter
Epicenter
The epicenter or epicentre is the point on the Earth's surface that is directly above the hypocenter or focus, the point where an earthquake or underground explosion originates...
was in the Medvednica
Medvednica
Medvednica is a mountain in central Croatia, just north of Zagreb and marking the southern border of the historic region of Zagorje. The highest peak, at 1,035 m, is Sljeme. Most of the area of Medvednica is a nature park , a type of preservation lesser than a national park...
mountain north of Zagreb. Although only one person was killed in the earthquake, it destroyed or damaged many buildings.
According to the Zagreb Meteorological Station data, the earthquake struck at 07:33, and was followed by a series of tremors of smaller intensity. Contemporary records say that 3,800 outgoing tickets were sold at the Zagreb Main Station
Zagreb Main Station
Zagreb Main Station is the central railway station in Zagreb and the largest railway station in Croatia. It is located in the center of Zagreb, on King Tomislav Square....
within the first 24 hours of the initial earthquake, as many locals sought to leave the city for Vienna, Ljubljana, Graz, and other Austro-Hungarian
Austria-Hungary
Austria-Hungary , more formally known as the Kingdoms and Lands Represented in the Imperial Council and the Lands of the Holy Hungarian Crown of Saint Stephen, was a constitutional monarchic union between the crowns of the Austrian Empire and the Kingdom of Hungary in...
cities in the vicinity of Zagreb.
City authorities formed a commission to assess the damage, and their official report said that a total of 1,758 buildings were affected (not counting churches and state-owned buildings), out of which 485 were heavily damaged.
The most prominent building damaged was the Zagreb Cathedral
Zagreb cathedral
Zagreb Cathedral on Kaptol is the most famous building in Zagreb, and the tallest building in Croatia. It is dedicated to the Holy Virgin's Ascension and to St. Stephen and St. Ladislaus. The cathedral is typically Gothic, as is its sacristy, which is of great architectonic value...
, which then underwent a thorough reconstruction led by Hermann Bollé
Hermann Bollé
Hermann Bollé was an Austrian architect specialized in Church architecture who worked in Croatia.Bollé was born in Köln. He worked on the Cathedral in Đakovo, restored the Zagreb cathedral after the 1880 earthquake, restored Križevci cathedral from 1895-1897, designed the main building of the...
and which went on for 26 years before it was finally finished in 1906. However, the damage brought by the earthquake spurred construction and many historic buildings in the Lower Town
Donji Grad
Donji grad is one of the 17 city districts of Zagreb, the capital of Croatia. It is located in the central part of the city and has 45,108 inhabitants . The official name of the district is rarely used, for it is dubbed centar by most of the Zagreb residents....
area of the city were built in the following years.
External links
- Earthquake entry at the United States Geological Survey Database
- Contemporary photographs of damaged buildings at Kultura.hr
- Potresi na zagrebačkom području
- Zagreb cathedral in the 1880 earthquake and its present day renovation