Head of project: Asst. Prof. Margareta Turkalj Podmanicki
Applicant component: Academy of Arts in Osijek
Guest researchers:
– PhD Research Adviser Katarina Horvat-Levaj, Institute for the History of Art, Zagreb
– Prof. Roko Žarnić, Ph.D., Faculty of Civil Engineering and Geodesy, University of Ljubljana
Project description
The former palace of the Slavonian General Command (1723-1765) in Tvrđa (Fortress), Osijek, today the location of the University of J.J. Strossmayer in Osijek, due to its monumentality and architectural quality, is one of the most significant monuments of Baroque architecture in Croatia. Although it is believed that the construction of the palace was initiated by one of the then leading men of the Habsburg Empire – Prince Eugene of Savoy, its designer is unknown. However, the way of designing the front portal (among the most representative in continental Croatia) and the vestibule on the ground floor of the building point to the Central European origin of the Slavonian General Command project, which can be compared with the contemporary achievements of the leading Viennese architects of the time. The building represents an important part of the history of Croatian Baroque architecture and certainly belongs to the Central European Baroque heritage. Despite the fact that it is a building of exceptional architectural value, little is known about the context of its construction and the origin of the project. The aim of the project was to investigate the above and to give the building a suitable place within the Croatian and Central European Baroque architecture. As part of the research, the historic building has been digitally documented and digital models have been created.