Zagreb

Zagreb , Ger. Agram, Hung. Zágráb, city (1991 pop. 706,770), capital and largest city of Croatia, on the Sava River. Zagreb is Croatia's largest industrial, manufacturing, and financial center and, prior to Yugoslavia's disintegration in the early 1990s, was also Yugoslavia's largest. It has industries that produce machinery, machine tools, electrical and metal products, and chemicals. It is also the cultural center of Croatia, with an Academy of Arts and Sciences (founded 1861), a university (founded 1669), an institute of nuclear physics, an observatory, and several fine museums and art galleries. Zagreb is the seat of a Roman Catholic archbishop, an Orthodox Eastern archbishop, a Protestant bishop, and a grand rabbi.

The ancient Roman town of Andautonia was southeast of the modern city, which developed from 2 nuclei: Gradec (or Grič) and Kaptol. It was made an episcopal see of the Western church in 1093. In 1242, the year of a Mongol invasion, Gradec became a free royal city and later in the 13th cent. became the chief city of Croatia and Slavonia, which were then joined with Hungary in a personal union under the Hungarian crown. Although the Ottoman Turks attacked Zagreb in the 16th cent., they never conquered this part of Croatia. The bishopric of Kaptol and the city of Gradec merged in 1850. During the 19th cent. Zagreb was a center of the Croatian nationalist movement. With the formation of the dual Austro-Hungarian Monarchy in 1867, the city became capital of autonomous Croatia. It has since been, successively, capital of an Axis-controlled Croatian puppet state (during World War II), the constituent republic of Croatia in Yugoslavia (1945-1992), and the independent Republic of Croatia (since 1992).

A fine modern city, Zagreb has its historic center in the old Kaptol district, with the Catholic cathedral (begun 1093) and the Catholic archiepiscopal palace (18th cent.), and Grič, or Gornji Grad [upper town], with its baroque palaces and churches.

Zagreb Capital of Croatia, on the River Sava. Founded in the 11th century, it became capital of the Hungarian province of Croatia and Slavonia during the 14th century. The city was an important centre of the 19th-century Croatian nationalist movement. In 1918 it was the meeting place of the Croatian Diet (parliament), which severed all ties with Austria-Hungary. It later joined a new union with Serbia in what was to become Yugoslavia. In World War 2, Zagreb was the capital of the Axis-controlled, puppet Croatian state. It was wrested from Axis control in 1945, and became capital of the Croatian Republic of Yugoslavia. Following the break-up of Yugoslavia in 1992, Zagreb remained capital of the newly independent state of Croatia. The old city has many places of historical interest, including a Gothic cathedral and a Baroque archiepiscopal palace. Zagreb has a university (founded 1669) and an Academy of Arts and Sciences (1861). It is also the industrial and manufacturing heart of Croatia. Industries: steel, cement, machinery, chemicals. Pop. (2001) 682,598.

Zagreb, Croatia Andautonia, Agram The first settlement was named after the Illyrian tribe, the Andauti. The present name may be derived from zagrepsti ‘to dig in’, indicating a settlement surrounded by earthworks; or, possibly, from za grebom ‘behind the cliff’ from greben ‘cliff’ or ‘mountain range’, referring to the range of wooded hills to the north. The city was developed from two rival settlements: Gradec ‘fortress’ and Kaptol ‘bishopric’. Gradec was accorded the rights and privileges of a royal and free city by Bela IV (1206–70), King of Hungary (1235–70), after Kaptol had been sacked by the Tatars in 1242. New building in the 19th century filled the narrow gap between them which resulted in their merger in 1850. The German name Agram was in use in 1526–1918. The city has been the capital of Croatia, possibly from 1557, except in 1756–76.