On Sunday, 22 March 2020, at 6:24 AM, Zagreb was shaken by an earthquake of magnitude 5.5. At 7:01 AM, a second earthquake of magnitude 5 hit Zagreb. One person perished. Citizens stood frightened in the streets, squares, parks, and car parks. Chimneys and gable walls fell from buildings onto the streets and courtyards. Zagreb was stricken. The entire world was engrossed by the COVID-19 pandemic, which saved many lives that fateful Sunday.
“…By comparing his pocket watch with the standard chronometer, Professor Stožir found that the Zagreb earthquake began at 7:33:53 AM and lasted 10 seconds. The consequences of this earthquake were catastrophic. The report from the Zagreb observatory reads: “After the first shock, a massive cloud of dust was raised across the entire city; chimneys and brickwork fell from the rooftops, firewalls collapsed, covering the streets with debris. One man is dead and several others are injured.”…”[1]
When observing their reports, the earthquakes of 1880 and 2020 were almost identical. Chimneys and gable walls caused the most damage. Buildings, both sacred and secular, that had been constructed before 1880 were equally affected in both earthquakes. Citizens of Zagreb endured great fear, and a concern for loved ones was palpable. Today, two and a half years after the earthquake, people of Zagreb still experience fear and each tremor causes anxiety.
Zagreb Cathedral was severely damaged in both earthquakes. After the 1880 earthquake, the vaults in the sanctuary and choir collapsed, the bell tower was damaged, and the altars and floors were destroyed. The restoration was led by Hermann Bolle based on designs by Friedrich von Schmidt in the Neo-Gothic style. During this restoration, Bakačeva kula and part of the defensive wall were removed to make the facade of the new cathedral more visible. The restoration was completed in 1902.
In 1938, the first restoration of the southern bell tower began, and in 1968, the restoration of the northern bell tower continued.
A more recent restoration of the Cathedral began in 1990, during which the floors of the galleries, stone railings, and baldachins were restored, and all galleries were reinforced for seismic safety.
The 2020 earthquake severely damaged the Cathedral causing the stone pinnacle of the southern tower to collapse along with the gilded cross and lightning protection rod. Stone fragments fell onto scaffolding, and part of the tower collapsed onto the roof, causing several punctures. The remaining stone elements fell into the courtyard between the cathedral and the Archbishop’s Palace. Following extensive work, the top of the northern tower was removed on April 17, 2020. The earthquake also damaged other sacral buildings in Zagreb, including St. Mark’s Church, St. Catherine’s Church, St. Mary’s Church on Dolac, the church in Palmotićeva ulica, the church in Granešina, and the church in Markuševac. In addition to sacred buildings, profane structures in the Upper and Lower Towns were also damaged.
(I. K.)
[1] Tobar, J. Izvješće o zagrebačkom potresu 9. studenoga 1880., p. 3, Zagreb
