Old City Hall (Zagreb)
Encyclopedia
The Old City Hall is a complex of three adjacent buildings located in the Gradec
neighbourhood in Zagreb
, Croatia
. The three buildings were joined in the late 19th century and since then, the complex has served as the place where all sessions of the city assembly are held.
lottery and then decided to invest his winnings in building a city theatre. City authorities then added a second floor to Oršić's one-story house, torn down the original town hall and bought two land lots in today's Freudenreichova Street, which cleared enough space for the construction of a theatre, for which the cornerstone was laid on 12 August 1833. The theatre building, which was originally called "City theatre" and later "People's theatre" was a one-story building with triple doors on Saints Cyril and Methodius
Street, which featured a ballroom
and a long gallery
.
The Croatian language was first heard in the theatre during an intermezzo
of a German production, when Ljudevit Gaj
's reveille
"Još Hrvatska ni propala
" was performed, and the first play in Croatian, the Juran and Sofia or The Turks under Sisak: Heroic Play in Three Acts by Ivan Kukuljević Sakcinski
, was performed there on 10 June 1840. The first Croatian opera
, Love and Malice by Vatroslav Lisinski
, was also performed there on 28 March 1846. The ballroom also hosted a number of historically important sessions of the Croatian Parliament, most notably the one held on 23 October 1847 in which the parliament made Croatian language the official language spoken in the parliament.
In 1895 the new theatre building was opened (the present-day Croatian National Theatre in Zagreb) in the Lower Town
area, and the theatre was moved there. Municipal government then took over the abandoned building and converted it in 1897. The city hall and the theatre building were merged, and the ballroom was converted to host sessions of the city assembly. In 1910-11 an additional two-story building in Kuševićeva Street was added and in 1941 rooms in the attic
space were converted into offices.
In 1958 the city government moved to their present-day building at Stjepan Radić Square but the old town hall continued to host city assembly sessions. The building underwent restoration between 1968 and 1975, including large-scale conservation work done on the council hall and the three smaller halls on the first floor and two wedding halls on the second floor. In 1993 some municipal services were moved back to the old city hall building, including the urban planning institute's statistics department and the institute for the protection of cultural and natural heritage. In 1998 wedding halls were moved to the ground floor and in their former place on the second floor halls for special occasions named Kaptol and Grič were installed. The ground floor today houses the Kristofor Stanković Art Gallery.
cultural heritage society in 1917, enumerating several notable events held at the building, and the other depicts a relief of Nikola Tesla
, commemorating his proposal to build an alternating current
power station
which he made to the city council. The plaque quotes Tesla's statement, given in the building on 24 May 1892, which reads "As a son of this country I consider it is my duty to help the city of Zagreb in every way, either through counsel or action" . Tesla had visited Zagreb on invitation by mayor Milan Amruš
and presented his idea of installing an electric street light
system powered by a hydroelectric power station which would be built at Plitvice Lakes
. His idea was rejected and the city council chose to build a power station near the city of Ozalj
instead.
The Old City Hall was listed in the Croatian Ministry of Culture
's Protected Cultural Heritage Registry (Registar zaštićenih kulturnih dobara) in February 2003.
Gradec, Zagreb
Gradec or Grič is a part of the Zagreb, Croatia, and together with Kaptol it is the mediaeval nucleus of the city. It's situated on the hill of Gornji Grad.- History :Gradec was given a royal charter by King Bela IV in 1242...
neighbourhood in 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...
, Croatia
Croatia
Croatia , officially the Republic of Croatia , is a unitary democratic parliamentary republic in Europe at the crossroads of the Mitteleuropa, the Balkans, and the Mediterranean. Its capital and largest city is Zagreb. The country is divided into 20 counties and the city of Zagreb. Croatia covers ...
. The three buildings were joined in the late 19th century and since then, the complex has served as the place where all sessions of the city assembly are held.
History
The earliest mention of the site dates from the 15th century, when a house on the same location was referred as "the Gradec city council building", and in 1614 the Gradec magistrate Jakov Gasparini had the house adapted into a town hall. According to historical records, in 1787 the building had eight rooms, a kitchen, three jails, two shops and a cellar. In 1803 the municipal authorities bought the adjacent building owned by count Adam Oršić, in order to expand the town hall. In 1832 local merchant Kristofor Stanković had won the main prize at the ViennaVienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
lottery and then decided to invest his winnings in building a city theatre. City authorities then added a second floor to Oršić's one-story house, torn down the original town hall and bought two land lots in today's Freudenreichova Street, which cleared enough space for the construction of a theatre, for which the cornerstone was laid on 12 August 1833. The theatre building, which was originally called "City theatre" and later "People's theatre" was a one-story building with triple doors on Saints Cyril and Methodius
Saints Cyril and Methodius
Saints Cyril and Methodius were two Byzantine Greek brothers born in Thessaloniki in the 9th century. They became missionaries of Christianity among the Slavic peoples of Bulgaria, Great Moravia and Pannonia. Through their work they influenced the cultural development of all Slavs, for which they...
Street, which featured a ballroom
Ballroom
A ballroom is a large room inside a building, the designated purpose of which is holding formal dances called balls. Traditionally, most balls were held in private residences; many mansions contain one or more ballrooms...
and a long gallery
Long gallery
Long gallery is an architectural term given to a long, narrow room, often with a high ceiling. In British architecture, long galleries were popular in Elizabethan and Jacobean houses. They were often located on the upper floor of the great houses of the time, and stretched across the entire...
.
The Croatian language was first heard in the theatre during an intermezzo
Intermezzo
In music, an intermezzo , in the most general sense, is a composition which fits between other musical or dramatic entities, such as acts of a play or movements of a larger musical work...
of a German production, when Ljudevit Gaj
Ljudevit Gaj
Ljudevit Gaj was a Croatian linguist, politician, journalist and writer. He was one of the central figures of the Croatian national reformation, also known as the Illyrian Movement.-Origin:...
's reveille
Reveille
"Reveille" is a bugle call, trumpet call or pipes call most often associated with the military or summer camp; it is chiefly used to wake military personnel at sunrise...
"Još Hrvatska ni propala
Još Hrvatska ni propala
Još Hrvatska ni propala is a famous Croatian patriotic reveille which was penned by Ljudevit Gaj and set to music by the composer Ferdo Livadić in 1833...
" was performed, and the first play in Croatian, the Juran and Sofia or The Turks under Sisak: Heroic Play in Three Acts by Ivan Kukuljević Sakcinski
Ivan Kukuljevic Sakcinski
Ivan Kukuljević Sakcinski was a Croatian historian, politician and writer. Most famous for the first speech delivered in Croatian before the Parliament, this patriot and cultural figure did some pioneering work in Croatian historiography and bibliography...
, was performed there on 10 June 1840. The first Croatian opera
Opera
Opera is an art form in which singers and musicians perform a dramatic work combining text and musical score, usually in a theatrical setting. Opera incorporates many of the elements of spoken theatre, such as acting, scenery, and costumes and sometimes includes dance...
, Love and Malice by Vatroslav Lisinski
Vatroslav Lisinski
Vatroslav Lisinski was a Croatian composer.Lisinski was born Ignaz Fuchs to a German Jewish family...
, was also performed there on 28 March 1846. The ballroom also hosted a number of historically important sessions of the Croatian Parliament, most notably the one held on 23 October 1847 in which the parliament made Croatian language the official language spoken in the parliament.
In 1895 the new theatre building was opened (the present-day Croatian National Theatre in Zagreb) 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, and the theatre was moved there. Municipal government then took over the abandoned building and converted it in 1897. The city hall and the theatre building were merged, and the ballroom was converted to host sessions of the city assembly. In 1910-11 an additional two-story building in Kuševićeva Street was added and in 1941 rooms in the attic
Attic
An attic is a space found directly below the pitched roof of a house or other building . Attic is generally the American/Canadian reference to it...
space were converted into offices.
In 1958 the city government moved to their present-day building at Stjepan Radić Square but the old town hall continued to host city assembly sessions. The building underwent restoration between 1968 and 1975, including large-scale conservation work done on the council hall and the three smaller halls on the first floor and two wedding halls on the second floor. In 1993 some municipal services were moved back to the old city hall building, including the urban planning institute's statistics department and the institute for the protection of cultural and natural heritage. In 1998 wedding halls were moved to the ground floor and in their former place on the second floor halls for special occasions named Kaptol and Grič were installed. The ground floor today houses the Kristofor Stanković Art Gallery.
Plaques
There are two commemorative plaques on the house. One was put there by the Brethren of the Croatian DragonBrethren of the Croatian Dragon
The Brethren of the Croatian Dragon is a Croatian historical and cultural society established in 1905.In 1907, the Brethren claimed to have found the remains of Petar Zrinski and Fran Krsto Frankopan, and by 1919 those were moved to the Zagreb Cathedral. During the Independent State of Croatia,...
cultural heritage society in 1917, enumerating several notable events held at the building, and the other depicts a relief of Nikola Tesla
Nikola Tesla
Nikola Tesla was a Serbian-American inventor, mechanical engineer, and electrical engineer...
, commemorating his proposal to build an alternating current
Alternating current
In alternating current the movement of electric charge periodically reverses direction. In direct current , the flow of electric charge is only in one direction....
power station
Power station
A power station is an industrial facility for the generation of electric energy....
which he made to the city council. The plaque quotes Tesla's statement, given in the building on 24 May 1892, which reads "As a son of this country I consider it is my duty to help the city of Zagreb in every way, either through counsel or action" . Tesla had visited Zagreb on invitation by mayor Milan Amruš
Milan Amruš
Milan Emil Amruš was a Croatian physician, lawyer and politician, a two-term mayor of Zagreb.Amruš was born in Brod na Savi, where he completed grammar school. He studied at the gymnasiums in Vinkovci and Zagreb, and then enrolled at the Josephinum, the academy for military doctors in Vienna...
and presented his idea of installing an electric street light
Street light
A street light, lamppost, street lamp, light standard, or lamp standard is a raised source of light on the edge of a road or walkway, which is turned on or lit at a certain time every night. Modern lamps may also have light-sensitive photocells to turn them on at dusk, off at dawn, or activate...
system powered by a hydroelectric power station which would be built at Plitvice Lakes
Plitvice Lakes
Plitvice Lakes National Park is the oldest national park in Southeast Europe and the largest national park in Croatia. The national park was founded in 1949 and is situated in the mountainous karst area of central Croatia, at the border to Bosnia and Herzegovina...
. His idea was rejected and the city council chose to build a power station near the city of Ozalj
Ozalj
Ozalj is a town in central Croatia, located north of Karlovac and southwest of Jastrebarsko, on the Kupa river. It is close to Žumberak in the north and the border with Slovenia in the northwest, with Metlika being the closest Slovenian town.-Population:...
instead.
The Old City Hall was listed in the Croatian Ministry of Culture
Ministry of Culture (Croatia)
The Ministry of Culture is a ministry of the Croatian government, whose work is aimed at preserving the cultural and natural heritage and overseeing its development...
's Protected Cultural Heritage Registry (Registar zaštićenih kulturnih dobara) in February 2003.
External links
- Old City Hall at the City of Zagreb official website