NSK celebrating three decades of its modern home

On 28 May 2025, the National and University Library in Zagreb (NSK) hosted a special programme marking the 30^th anniversary of relocating to its current building. Bringing together many distinguished figures from Croatia’s academic and cultural circles, the programme included the opening of the exhibition thematising the three decades of the Library’s work in its modern home and NSK’s importance as Croatia’s national knowledge, culture and heritage hub.

In their addresses, the NSK Director General Dr Ivanka Stričević, President of the Croatian Academy of Sciences and Arts (HAZU), one of NSK’s current building’s architects and head of the building’s construction Vladimir Neidhardt and Croatian Minister of Culture and Media Dr Nina Obuljen Koržinek went back to the key moments in the Library’s history, providing an overview of the challenges and achievements which marked the period between NSK’s relocation to its current building in 1995 and the present day and emphasising the Library’s pivotal role in the preservation and promotion of Croatia’s cultural heritage.

Special exhibition – how the treasury of Croatia’s written heritage was built

Apart from a performance in which stage and screen actor Boris Svrtan interpreted the texts of the charter which was built into the foundations of the Library’s current building at the laying of its cornerstone, the programme also featured a performance by the Zagreb Soloists Ensemble, which performed at the opening of the Library’s building in 1995.

The celebration’s central event was the opening of Passing on Ideas through Time: Three Decades of the Glass Treasure Trove of Heritage, the exhibition presenting the most important stages in the construction of the Library’s current building and how it has advanced the Library’s work since the relocation. Authored by the Head of the NSK Print Collection Tamara Ilić Olujić and remaining on view by 18 June 2025, it features valuable archival material, including photographs, blueprints and audiovisual content.

Giving its visitors an overview of NSK’s development over the last three decades, the exhibition brings many interesting details of the current building’s construction under the difficult circumstances of the Croatian Homeland War, the building’s opening in 1995 and of the growth of its collections to almost 3,7 million items which it presently holds.

The story behind the building

NSK is among only few national libraries in the world which in the same century operated in two buildings that were specially designed and constructed to house their holdings. After having being located since 1913 at the art nouveau beauty in Marko Marulić Square, which today houses the Croatian State Archives, in 1995 it was moved to its current location.

Also known as “the glass treasure trove of heritage”, NSK’s present building was designed by architects Velimir Neidhardt, Marijan Hržić, Zvonimir Krznarić and Davor Mance. Its greater part was erected during Croatia’s Homeland War and its construction was finally completed in 2019, after which the Library acted as the seat of first, 2020 Croatia’s presidency of the Council of the European Union.

Today, on more than 130,000 metres of shelving, NSK offers access to nearly 3,7 million items in its collections – books, manuscripts, newspapers, journals, magazines, maps, prints, drawings, musical scores, music recordings and other library resources. Also, through its services, cultural events, educational programmes, projects and cooperation initiatives it greatly contributes to the promotion and popularisation of Croatia’s cultural heritage and the accomplishments of Croatian scholars and researchers.

Proud of its significance for the preservation, visibility and passing on to future generations of Croatian overall heritage and determined to keep advancing Croatia’s national library system, the National and University Library in Zagreb stands ready for the upcoming challenges.