First Croatian High School of Sušak

address: 1 Ljudevita Gaja Street
Period: Historicism
Kind: Immovable material heritage
Century: 19
Year: 1896
Purpose: educational

The building of the First Croatian High School of Sušak was built in 1896 according to the project by the architects Ludwig and Hülssner.

The tradition of secondary school education in Rijeka started with the Jesuit order. In the building near the Cathedral of St Vitus, the educated Jesuits started with general education in Latin in 1627, and already in 1698/1699 in Croatian as well. From 1881 until 1896, the comprehensive high school worked under the name Great Gymnasium in Rijeka in the palace Adamić on Fiumara, when another floor was added for the needs of education.

When the construction of the new building for the gymnasium was advocated, the political situation hindered progress. The Hungarians who had authority over Rijeka at the time advocated Hungarisation and education in the Hungarian language. Another powerful force appeared in Rijeka district which gave preference to the Italian gymnasium. The crucial point for the decision about the construction of the gymnasium building on Sušak was the advocacy by Izidor Kršnjavi, who was the head of the Department of Religion and Education and was the first to suggest the relocation to Sušak. The designe of the building started in 1893, while the ground for the construction was donated by the mayor Hinko Vitez Bačić on behalf of the District Sušak. The building started operating, although unfinished, in 1896 under the name Royal Gymnasium on Sušak, changing the name in the same year by adding the adjective Great.

The construction of an edifice at that time and of that significance demanded a selection of a worthy stylistic expression. The building was constructed in historicistic style, more specifically, Italian neo-Renaissance. It dominates over its surroundings both with its height and its monumentality. It has an elongated rectangular layout with prominent central and two side avant-corps. The stylistic neo-Renaissance characteristics can be seen in the shape of the entrance with high semi-circular arches, supporting the ceremonial balcony on the mezzanine, in clear-cut windows with semi-circular and triangular gables and in half-columns. The symmetry in shape is one of the stylistic characteristics of neo-Renaissance, which can be recognized both in the interior and the exterior, as well as in the approach to the building. The entrance stairway with two sides, ending on an entrance terrace, contributes to the monumentality of the building. The building got its today’s appearance in 1913, when another floor was added for the needs of education according to the project by Franjo Matković.

The gymnasium building can boast with its internal decoration as well. The floor of the gymnasium is tiled with three-coloured terrazzo with stylized floral ornaments and geometrical motifs. Today two wall paintings can be seen on the ceiling of the vestibule and the third floor, performed in al secco technique.

 

Valorization:

The edifice in not included in the List of Protected Cultural Goods of the Republic of Croatia Register of Cultural Goods, so it is not protected as an individual immobile cultural good.  

 

Tags: firstcoatianhighschoolofsusak, historicism