Esej
https://doi.org/10.17018/portal.2025.28
Towards Another Restoration of the Zagreb Cathedral
Krasanka Majer Jurišić
orcid.org/0000-0003-3157-9230
; Hrvatski restauratorski zavod, Služba za nepokretnu baštinu
Lana Križaj
orcid.org/0009-0004-0878-7861
; Grad Zagreb, Gradski zavod za zaštitu spomenika kulture i prirode
Sažetak
The Cathedral of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary and Saints Stephen and Ladislaus in Zagreb is a place of prayer and the Eucharist, but it is also the largest holy building in Croatia and one of the most significant monuments of Croatian cultural heritage. Its history is deeply rooted in the history of the Archdiocese of Zagreb, as well as our national history, dominant faith and culture, while also reflecting the urban development of Zagreb as a recognizable landmark.
Being chronologically and stylistically highly layered, the cathedral of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary and Saints Stephen and Ladislaus is an outstanding example not only of Croatian, but also of Central European, architecture and art. Though, in its present form, it is primarily a 19th-century monument and, until the damage caused by the earthquakes of March and December 2020, it retained (or at least appeared to retain) the appearance it acquired during the restoration carried out between 1878 and 1907, when its architecture, artistic and liturgical inventory, and other associated furnishings, were substantially altered. Herman Bollé completely remodelled the Zagreb cathedral in accordance with the generally accepted historicist principles that sought to eliminate Renaissance and Baroque features from religious architecture. At the same time, with its new exterior, featuring two tall Neo-Gothic towers and a shimmering roof surface covered in multi-coloured glazed tiles which stood out against the monochrome stone facade until the 1970s, the cathedral claimed a prominent position in the city’s skyline. However, historicism essentially created a shell that still contains and frames the original medieval space in which structures from earlier building phases remain preserved. This attests to the continuity of the liturgical and religious life of the Kaptol chapter, as well as to the tradition of artistic creation whose valuable historical and cultural treasures are preserved not only in the cathedral’s past and present liturgical inventory, but also in the Metropolitan Library and the Cathedral Treasury.
The series of earthquakes that struck central Croatia in 2020, particularly the devastating ones in March in Zagreb and in December in Petrinja, caused significant damage to the country’s sacral architectural heritage, among which the Zagreb cathedral stands out both for its importance and for the complexity of its structure. The extent of the damage rendered the cathedral unusable, making its structural and comprehensive restoration both a necessity and an urgent priority.
Following damage assessment and the implementation of emergency protective measures, the Croatian Conservation Institute was entrusted with organizing and carrying out demanding conservation and restoration research. The preparation of extensive documentation and a conservation study involved fieldwork by numerous experts and interdisciplinary collaboration with institutions such as the Institute of Art History, the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences in Zagreb, the Ruđer Bošković Institute, the Croatian State Archives, the Archdiocesan Archives in Zagreb, and other cultural and public institutions. This was carried out with the support and assistance of the City Institute for the Conservation of Cultural and Natural Heritage in Zagreb, the Archdiocese of Zagreb, and the Ministry of Culture and the Media. New findings and insights, along with a reassessment of earlier ones, have enabled a re-evaluation of the Zagreb cathedral within the broader context of national and Central European architecture and artistic production. Guidelines for its restoration were based on the established values while respecting its religious and liturgical role, and taking into account the cathedral’s structural condition after the earthquakes.
Today, we are once again on the threshold of restoring the Zagreb cathedral. After ensuring its structural stability, a top priority following the earthquakes, the swift completion of restoration work is undoubtedly in the interest of the entire community. However, it is realistic to expect that the work will take time. Even once the structural rehabilitation is fully completed and the interior work reaches a level of completion that allows the cathedral to safely reopen to the public, a considerable amount of restoration and construction work will still be required, especially on the exterior, which will take years to finish. A systematic and interdisciplinary approach is essential during this process: an approach that, alongside the structural repair and stabilization, also values the cathedral’s historical and artistic heritage and enables the continuation of liturgical life in line with contemporary needs, recognizing the Zagreb cathedral as a unique structure that stands as one of the centres of Croatian religious and cultural identity. Securing the necessary funding should not be seen as a limiting factor. Planning for the cathedral’s regular maintenance and long-term protection should begin immediately, and a team of experts dedicated to this project with a permanent working body headed by a Dombaumeister, as many other cathedrals have, should be established. The Zagreb cathedral deserves and demands this, not only because of its liturgical and historical significance, but also as an outstanding architectural edifice of impressive scale and complex structure filled with valuable artistic and sacred works.
Ključne riječi
Zagreb; cathedral; earthquake; conservation and restoration; recognized values; identity
Hrčak ID:
342776
URI
Datum izdavanja:
15.12.2025.
Posjeta: 521 *