Split Town Hall

Last updated
Banovina Palace
Banovina
Banovina, Split.png
Split Town Hall
General information
Architectural style Modernist
Art Deco
Stripped Classicism
Town or city Split
Country Croatia
Coordinates 43°30′12.5″N16°25′42″E / 43.503472°N 16.42833°E / 43.503472; 16.42833
Year(s) built1936–1940
Construction started1940;85 years ago (1940)
Completed1940;85 years ago (1940)
Owner City of Split

The Split Town Hall (Croatian : Splitska gradska uprava) known colloquially as the Banovina (Croatian : Banovina) in Split is representative building housing the city administration. The building was completed in 1940 as the seat of the Littoral Banovina. [1]

Contents

History

Kingdom of Yugoslavia

After Zadar was annexed by the Kingdom of Italy, Split rose in importance within the newly established Kingdom of Yugoslavia and was designated the new administrative centre of Dalmatia with the creation of the Littoral Banovina in 1929. [2] This shift was not welcomed by other Dalmatian cities, particularly Dubrovnik and Šibenik, which viewed Split's new status with disapproval. [2]

Initially, authorities planned to locate the administrative building of the new banovina near the Diocletian Palace on the site of the old lazarettos. [3] Prvislav Grisogono’s 1936 article in the Belgrade daily Politika criticizes plans to construct a new administrative building directly in front of Diocletian Palace, arguing that such a project would permanently damage the historical and aesthetic value of the ancient site. [4] By appealing to national rather than merely local interests, Grizogono positions the preservation of cultural heritage as a matter of public concern and state responsibility. [4] Before launching a formal competition, authorities consulted the renowned Slovenian architect Jože Plečnik, who proposed a comprehensive redesign of the Stara obala. [3] His plan included a widened Francuska obala with a new hotel, a smaller hotel to replace the existing Harbour Master’s Office, and the Banovina Palace building to the east of these. [3]

In 1930, a public architectural competition for the Banovina Palace was held but failed to yield a satisfactory result. [3] Around the same time, a proposal by sculptor Ivan Meštrović and architect Drago Ibler was submitted but was ultimately rejected as well. [3] Interest in the project revived in 1934, with new plans placing the building next to the Maritime Traffic Directorate on Mletačka obala. [3] In 1935, an urban planning study was developed by engineer Petar Senjanović and architect Josip Pićman, inspired by an idea from Josip Smodlaka. [3] This plan proposed a more central location in the Pazar district, east of Diocletian’s Palace, and envisioned a national monument and a large square in front of the building. [3] Despite receiving praise in professional circles, this proposal was never implemented. [3] In discussing the urban plan of Split Fabjan Kaliterna emphasized the importance of the old city port and its coastline as the face of the city for those arriving by sea. [5] He underlined how the new Banovina Palace sets a precedent for further coastal development toward the east. [5] He proposed that instead of building it in standard blocks the city should develop the coast in a meander form. [5]

A definitive decision came in 1936, when authorities opted to construct the Banovina Palace on a completely new site—the Zapadna obala. [3] A regulation plan for this area was developed and approved between 1937 and 1938, calling for multi-story development and placing the future Banovina Palace as a landmark at the southernmost point. [3] The building was finally completed in 1940 on the Western Coast, rather than in any of the originally proposed central locations. [3]

Socialist Yugoslavia

Banovina Palace was damaged during World War II during the Allied bombing of Yugoslavia in World War II between 1943 and 1944. [6] The building was reconstructed in the immediate aftermath of the war. [6]

1991 Protests and Commemorations

On May 6, 1991, protest took place in front of the Banovina building, which then housed the Yugoslav Navy Command. [7] It was organized by Jure Šundov, head of the Brodosplit union, and supported by workers from major city enterprises like Brodosplit, Jugoplastika and others. [7] The protest was a response to the Yugoslav People's Army’s entrance to the Croatian village of Kijevo and the blockade of the hospital in Vrlika. [7] Protesters demanded the lifting of the siege and the raising of the Croatian flag on the Banovina building. [7] During the protest, Ivica Balić removed the flag of Yugoslavia and raised the flag of Croatia, which some participants view symbolically as the start of the Croatian War of Independence. [8]

A Macedonian soldier Sašo Gešovski was killed and two people were injured in the violence at the protest. [7] A violent incident occurred at the 2019 commemoration of the event when a group of activists raised a banner stating “Sašo Gešovski, innocent victim of war criminals Sloba and Franjo”, referring to Slobodan Milošević and Franjo Tuđman. [8] This angered some attendees, one of whom physically attacked the activists. [8] At the 2023 commemoration of the 1991 protest, President of Croatia Zoran Milanović said that the protesters had gathered in front of the Banovina to demand justice, not to incite violence. [9] He acknowledged that one person lost their life that day and emphasized that this should always be remembered. [9]

City authorities of Split announced in 2024 a memorial plaque at the Banovina building will be installed to commemorate Saško Gešovski. [10] The decision was made by the City Commission for Naming Streets and Squares, with expected approval by the City Council. [10] The plaque's wording sparked debate, especially the original proposal calling him a "victim of the protest", which some feared could be misinterpreted. [10] Right-wing groups opposed the bilingual inscription and the plaque’s placement on the Banovina building, preferring a park instead. [10]

Subsequent events

On September 20, 2010, a group of first-year film students staged a silent performance in front of the Banovina building in Split, covering their eyes with neckties to symbolize political indifference toward youth issues. [11] The event took a dramatic turn when Deputy Mayor Jure Šundov attacked a student cameraman and destroyed part of his camera. [11]

See also

References

  1. ↑ Biočić, Anamarija (2025). Mogućnosti razvoja cjelogodišnjeg turizma u Splitu (Undergraduate thesis thesis). Faculty of Economics, University of Split. p. 18.
  2. 1 2 Barčot, Tonko (2006). "Ispostava banske vlasti Banovine Hrvatske u Splitu 1939.–1941" [The Department of the Banal Government of Autonomous Banovina Croatia in Split 1939–1941]. Radovi Zavoda za povijesne znanosti HAZU u Zadru (48). Croatian Academy of Sciences and Arts: 667–702.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 Duplančić, Vedran (2004). "Obalni pojas grada Splita u urbanističkim planovima, projektima i studijama u razdoblju od 1914. do 1941. godine" [Coastal Strip of Split in Urban Plans, Projects and Studies between 1914 and 1941]. Prostor : znanstveni časopis za arhitekturu i urbanizam. 12 (1(27)). Faculty of Architecture, University of Zagreb: 111–120.
  4. 1 2 Barać, Stanislava (2015). "Splićani i splitske teme u beogradskoj javnosti 1920-1941 (Politika i Srpski književni glasnik)" [Split Citizens and Split-Related Topics in the Belgrade Public Sphere, 1920–1941 (Politika and Srpski književni glasnik)]. In Drago Roksandić (ed.). Zbornik radova s Desničinih susreta 2015 (PDF). Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, University of Zagreb. pp. 265–282.
  5. 1 2 3 Kaliterna, Fabijan. "Utok proti regulacijonog plana". The Split Mind. VII (9). Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, University of Split: 165–174.
  6. 1 2 Pocrnjić, Marija (2023). Socijalistička arhitektura u Jugoslaviji s posebnim osvrtom na grad Split (Master's thesis thesis). Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, University of Split. p. 28.
  7. 1 2 3 4 5 Certa, Antonija (2021). Napad Jugoslavenske ratne mornarice na Split, 15. studenog 1991 (Undergraduate thesis thesis). Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, University of Split. pp. 5–6.
  8. 1 2 3 "SPLIT "Sašo Gešovski, nevina žrtva ratnih zločinaca Slobe i Franje"". Nacional (weekly). 6 May 2019. Retrieved 31 July 2025.
  9. 1 2 "Milanović na obljetnici prosvjeda pred Banovinom: 'To je bila jedna od najvažnijih epizoda 1991.'". Telegram. 6 May 2023. Retrieved 31 July 2025.
  10. 1 2 3 4 "U Splitu je 1991. za vrijeme prosvjeda ubijen Makedonac. Sad će dobiti spomen-ploču". Index.hr. 22 October 2024. Retrieved 31 July 2025.
  11. 1 2 Sterle, Sandra (2011). "Aktivizam i performans u Splitu". Kazalište : časopis za kazališnu umjetnost. XIV (47–48). Hrvatski centar ITI: 54–65.
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