Tags
Architecture, Art Nouveau, Croatia, Essek, Facade, Ivan Lay, Jugendstil, Osijek, Post Office, Secession
Post Office (Ivan Lay, 1912)
In my earlier post about my trip to Osijek I promised to show you more detailed pictures of the Art Nouveau buildings in Osijek, Croatia, one building at a time. Well, here is the first building: the Post Office at A. Stepinca street 17.
The main Post Office of Osijek was built in 1912 at the corner of Europska Avenija and Kardinala Alojzija Stepinca street. This huge (for Osijek scale) building is one of the best examples of the Hungarian-influenced “Esseker Secession” architecture. (Essek is the Hungarian name for Osijek, while Secession is the Austrian name for Art Nouveau / Jugendstil – so even the name of the style shows how different cultural influences shaped Osijek and the Northern part of Croatia in the past).
Interior Detail Post Office Osijek
As you can clearly see, the outside of the building has suffered severely from the recent war in the Balkan. The facade has not yet been repaired. One can only hope that restoration starts soon, before the damage is beyond repair. As a concerned Art Nouveau lover, I have taken the liberty to inform “Art Nouveau European Route” (a non-profit association of local governments and non-governmental institutions that have joined together in a collective commitment to develop useful and efficient mechanisms for the international promotion and protection of Art Nouveau heritage) about the Art Nouveau architecture in Osijek, and the state most building are in. Maybe they can contribute to the conservation of the ‘Esseker Secession’ in Osijek.
Location of Osijek within Croatia
Source:
Virtual Tourist
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