Croatian State Theatre in Zagreb, 1895. Photograph by Josip Dryák
Central Croatian theatre institution has operated under various names since 1860. Initially it was located at St. Mark’s Square in the Upper Town. Later, following a suggestion of Izidor Kršnjavi, the then head of the Department of Divine Worship and Education, construction of a new building in the centre of the Fair Square began. The project was designed by Viennese architects Ferdinand Fellner and Hermann Helmer, renowned for constructing many theatres and concert halls across Central and Eastern Europe. The building combines a neoclassical style on the facade with a neo-baroque style in the interior. The first director of the Croatian National Theatre, at the time of the institution’s relocation, was Stjepan Miletić, a great reformer of Croatian theatre.
The photographs featured here are part of an album (portfolio) created between May 1894 and October 1895 during construction of the Croatian National Theatre. It is assumed that the photographer was architect Josip Dryák, who was also the construction supervisor for the Theatre, as his name appears on one of the photographs in the Album. Josip Dryák studied architecture at the Higher Technical School in Prague before permanently relocating to Zagreb in 1893. Shortly after which, he was employed at the construction department of the Croatian Government and became a member of the Society of Engineers and Architects.
(IPS)
