CSA building
The residence of the Croatian State Archives is in Zagreb, Marulić Square 21, in a famous
art nouveau building, also known as the old building of the National and University
Library. However, it is less known that one part of the building was assigned for the
Archives and that its residence has been here from the start. The construction of the
Royal University Library and the Royal State Archives began on February 21st, 1911
based on the competition winning project of the architect Rudolf Lubynski. The building
was inaugurated on November 29th, 1913. Rudolf Lubynski (1873-1935) was a student of
the architect J. Durm on the High Technical School in Karlsruhe, who was his co-operator
on the construction of the University Library in Heidelberg. He worked in Offenberg, Köln
and Freiburg, and was one of the most productive architects of Zagreb.
This, currently the most significant palace of the Croatian art nouveau, a successful
junction of the early Viennese Secession and modern European, especially German
architecture from the beginning of the 20th century, was planned as a autonomous
building in the gardens (80 m long and 46 m wide, of reinforced concrete and iron
construction), well incorporated in the town-planning model of the Lower City (“Zagreb's
green horseshoe”). The high half-dome above the Central Reading Room in the central
part of the palace, with four pillars and four carrying globe owls placed on top of them,
perfectly represent the identity of the library. The façades with allegories of four
university sciences (philosophy, medicine, law and theology) by Robert Frangeš and the
gable of the south façade with allegory of librarianship by Rudolf Valdec, are
harmoniously integrated in complete, simple, and, at the same time, monumental vision
of the architecture.
Most prominent Croatian sculptors and painters who studied at large European art
centres (Paris, Vienna and Munich) contributed to the decoration of the Central Reading
Room
On the south wall of the Central reading-room (above the gallery where, since 1997,
some of the oldest library holdings from the CSA Library have been placed) is a large
painting Development of the Croatian Culture by Vlaho Bukovac (Prague 1913). On the
northern wall, there are three works of the famous Croatian painter Mirko Rački:
Education in the Antiquity, Education in the Middle Ages and Education in the Modern
Age. A wooden panel with 32 bronze angels, a masterpiece of the young sculptress Mila
Wodsedalek-Wood, with motive variation of a boy with a book and four images of
philosophers decorate the western, northern and eastern sides of the Central Reading
Room.
Alongside 51 art nouveau chandeliers in the line below the gallery and 130 desks lamps,
two central magnificent art nouveau chandeliers dominate the room, each about 3 m
wide, with 16 small chandeliers.
The Hall is glazed with 25 bigger and 10 smaller windows with stained-glass windows in
the north, west and east sides and with stained-glass windows on the ceiling. The Central
Reading Room is open for the use of the archival records as well as the rich historic
library holdings.
The “Professors” Reading Room is ornamented with metallic lockets with vignette,
mosaics on the walls by Koch and Marinković, ornamental metallic trellis on the radiators,
stained-glass windows (C. Geyling from Vienna) and oval glazed ceiling. It is worth
pointing out 4 art nouveau chandeliers and 8 desk lamps, as well as two cloths by I.
Tišov Scientiae Naturales/Scientiae Scholasticae, (Paris 1913) and Artes Liberales (Paris
1914) and also one cloth by Rober Auer Pallas Athena (Zagreb 1913).
Until 1996, the Croatian State Archives had been located in the eastern wing of the
building. By executing the Law on transfer of ownership and founder’s privileges over the
National and University Library in Zagreb to the Republic of Croatia (NN 21/1995) the
whole building was given to the Archives.
The building that undoubtedly represents a significant piece of our architectural legacy
has undergone restoration and conservation work on a larger scale over the last ten
years according to an architectural and conservation project of the Croatian Conservation
Institute in Zagreb and proposals of the Civil Engineering Institute of Croatia. The
repositories, main roof, attic, reading room, catalogues, book issue room, atrium,
stairways, and offices on ground and first floor have all been renovated. The basements
have been adapted to meet the needs of Central Photo Laboratory and Central
Laboratory for Conservation and Restoration.
According to professional evaluation, today's residence of the Croatian State Archives is
an inspiring and unique example of the permeation of creative architecture, decorative
symbolic and functionality. Therefore, it is no surprise that several distinguished
architects and art historians declared this building as a realization of 20 th century in
Croatia. Architects, constructors and art historians from all over Europe often come to
visit it. By constant action (restoration, conservation and renovation, as well as by
promotion of the public user's functions), its former shine will be restored and the
humanistic message for the future generations will be preserved.