bg Sarajevo

Napredak Palace

- Maršala Tita 56 -
The project of the cultural building, which was created by the Croatian architect on the recommendation of the Austro-Hungarian architect , was completed in 1911. The sculptures are designed and created by the Croatian sculptor . The construction, which lasted from 1912 until 1913, was commissioned by the Napredak Croatian Cultural Society, which was founded in 1907. The building was officially opened on September 27, 1913, and the architect Josip Vancaš, who was also attended, accompanied the opera singers on piano. The building, which long served as the center of cultural and social life in Sarajevo, was the first in Sarajevo to have an elevator. One of Sarajevo’s oldest cinemas named Romanija Cinema, which later changed its name into Imperijal Cinema, started operation in the building in 1913. During the 1970s, the basement served as a puppet theater and was later home to Sarajevo’s first cabaret.
Napredko's construction committee in Sarajevo in 1911
The dome on top of the symmetrical building, which is built in styles of Eclectic and Art Nouveau, is crowned with a statue that stands for the country Croatia. The pointed part in front of the dome is embellished with four decorative vases and some sculptural ornamentation. The two semi-hexagonal are adorned with fragments that contain egg-like shapes, a decorative shell surrounded by floral ornamentation, or a boy or a girl. The oriel windows are flanked by two , which are crowned with a Composite . Between the first and second floors, you can admire a total of six . The central part contains an stating the years 1902 and 2002 and NAPREDAK, as well as the . The two statues that flank this part symbolize enlightenment and strength.
An old colorized postcard that shows the building