The Croatian National Theatre

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The Croatian National Theatre, commonly called as HNK Zagreb, is a theatre, opera and ballet house located in Zagreb, owned and operated by the Ministry of Culture. Croatian National Theatre is a stunning neo-baroque building. Many of Croatia's finest artist have worked at the Theatre. Alomst every night of the week there is a performance taking place. Tickets can be purchased online or at the ticket office in the actual building.

theatre located in Zagreb, owned and operated by the Ministry of Culture. The theatre evolved out of the first city theatre built in 1836 housed in the present-day Old City Hall. The theatre was first established as the Croatian National Theatre in 1860, and in 1861 it gained government support putting it on par with many other European national theatres. In 1870 an opera company was added to the theatre and in 1895 it moved to the new purpose-built building on Marshal Tito Square in Zagreb's Lower Town, where it is based today.

Austro-Hungarian emperor Franz Joseph I was at the unveiling of this new building. The building itself was the project of famed Viennese architects Ferdinand Fellner and Herman Helmer, whose firm had built several theatres in Vienna. Celebrations marking the 100th anniversary of the building were held on October 14, 1995.

At the entrance of the theatre is located the famed wall fountain The Source of Life, designed by Croatian artist and sculptor Ivan Meštrović in 1905.

Many of Croatia's finest artist have worked at the Theatre. Ivan Zajc was the Theatre's first conductor. Jakov Gotovac was the Theatre's opera conductor from 1923 to 1958. The famous Croatian director Branko Gavella began his brilliant career here, as did the first Croatian prima ballerina Mia Čorak Slavenska.