The Bakarčić-Simonić Tannery

address: Ružić Street 29
Period: Historicism
Kind: Immovable material heritage
Century: 19
Year:
Purpose: industrial

The Bakarčić-Simonić Tannery once operated in Ružićeva Street, at today’s number 29. The founders of the tannery were Anton Bakarčić and Ljudevit Ružić. However, Ružić soon withdrew from the company and was replaced by Anton Simonić. Anton Bakarčić died in 1889. The tannery was initially a modest manufacturing plant, but after 1900 it experienced a lot of investments, it was modernized, expanded and the production and employment increased. Around 50 workers produced 15 to 20 wagons of the tannery’s product – soles – on an annual basis. The soles were then sold in the regions of Gorski Kotar, Lika and Istria as well as in Slovenia. Shortly before World War I, the factory management changed. Anton Simonić retired from the company in 1911 due to old age and, after the death of Ivan Bakarčić in 1912, the company was run by Pavao Bakarčić. During World War I, the tannery was militarized and production ran exclusively for military purposes. During the occupation, the production was completely suspended. After the demarcation, the factory lost its market in the territories that were under the rule of the Kingdom of Italy, was hit by a severe economic crisis and, after the death of the last owner Pavao Bakarčić in 1925, the tannery was liquidated. In the facilities of the former tannery, a rice mill started production in 1929.

Today’s only remnant of the former tannery and rice mill is a three-storey building with distinctive historicist features. It was built in 1877 according to the project made by V. Vidalin while the construction was supervised by Mate Glavan. The building’s main stylistic feature is the monotonous sequence of window panes with brick lintels and a prominent keystone. A horizontal wreath visually separates the ground floor from the first floor.

 

Valorization:

The wholesale trade Plodine is located in these premises today. Most of the building has remained preserved in its original form and with its stylistic features.