Diana Bathhouse, Ilica 8

You have probably heard of public bathing areas in Zagreb, from the earliest ones by the Medveščak stream to the swimming areas by the River Sava, Babinjak and Bundek Lake. It might be less well-known that Zagreb once had four thermal baths: in Ilica, Creska ulica, Nazorova ulica, and at Kvaternik Square.

The oldest of Zagreb’s bathhouses, Diana, was opened in 1834 by iron merchant Alexander Lolkoss at Ilica 8. The next owners, Weiss de Polne family, built a new steam bathhouse which opened in 1879. This included a sauna, steam room, swimming pool, and showers.

Diana was an important part of everyday life in Zagreb, a place for socialising and meeting people, positioned at a prominent address in the city. In the same courtyard, the renowned photographers Rudolf Mosinger and Lavoslav Breyer built a photography studio in 1894. Rudolf’s son, Franjo Mosinger, in addition to his photography, also held artistic exhibitions. After him,  a photographer Anonija Vajda took over the studio, known as Foto Tonka, which remained at this address until 1958.

According to testimonies from former employees, the bathhouses were very popular in the 1970s, with around seven hundred regular guests. The development of the city and changes in living standards and housing culture influenced the social role of the baths. Diana became a place mostly used by people of lower economic status, those without bathrooms in their flats or heating in their bathrooms, refugees, displaced persons, and homeless people. 

The bathhouse is still in operation today, although on a smaller scale and with reduced working hours.

Cultural memory preserves the significance the bathhouse once held, as evidenced by the photographs of the Zagreb City Museum.

Sources:

1. Zagreb Lexicon: A-LJ. 2006. Eds. Bilić, Josip; Ivanković, Hrvoje. Miroslav Krleža Lexicographical Institute – Masmedia, Zagreb.
2. Galović, Krešimir. Zagrebački štikleci: Zaboravljena ilička dvorišta i vrtovi. https://projektilica.com/bastina/ (accessed 23 April 2020).
3. Zovko, D. Tko jednom dođe – postaje stalnim gostom. https://www.vecernji.hr/zagreb/tko-jednom-dodje-postaje-stalnim-gostom-708907 (accessed 25 April 2020).
4. Živković, Ivana; Vuković, Ema. Gradsko kupalište Diana, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BMhvnwX-Upk&t=5s (accessed 25 April 2020).

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