Kolmar building on Ban Jelačić Square in Zagreb

The building located at Jelačića Square 7 in Zagreb was originally built for the merchant Robert Kolmar in 1904/1905. It was designed in the Neo-Renaissance and Neo-Baroque style by the architectural office of Hönigsberg and Deutsch. The facade was created in the freestyle of late historicism.

Robert Kolmar was a successful merchant and investor, while his brother Edmund was a banker and also founded the Institute for the Deaf and Dumb, the Institute for the Blind, and the Society for Feeding Poor School Youth. Edmund also received the Order of Emperor Franz Joseph I. However, as soon as the building was completed, it was sold to Žiga Stern, an industrialist who owned a tannery and wood wholesaler Filip Deutsch.

The Hönigsberg and Deutsch atelier was also building the nearby Art Nouveau-style Rado house at the same time. Unlike the Rado house, Kolmar’s building was designed in the historicist tradition, with a facade that reflects the freestyle of late historicism. Despite later interventions, the interior of the building has been preserved.

In most residential and commercial buildings, the owner’s apartment is usually located on the first floor. This is also the case for Kolmar’s building, where the owner’s apartment occupies the entire first floor. The main rooms face the Square, while the service area has a separate entrance from Pod Zidom Street. Since the mid-20th century, the premises of the owner’s apartment have been used by the Society of Croatian Writers.

The two towers in the central part of the facade, which were a recognizable feature of Zagreb’s main square, were severely damaged in the 2020 Zagreb earthquake and had to be removed for safety reasons. You can watch the video of the removal on the HRT website.

Overall, the building is a valuable example of a residential palace in the Hönigsberg and Deutsch studios’ oeuvre, as well as others from this studio.