Rijeka, Croatia - town's history in photography

Many parts of Rijeka, my town, has been changed, altered and even disappeared over the long course of time. The biggest challenge to a community was to preserve the parts of it that contained the town's identity and spirit.

With many names and faces ( Rika, Rijeka, Fiume, Sankt Veit am Fluß) a town preserved as much as possible of its unique history but like with everything else, teh changes happened fast building a town into what it is today.

The first mention of a town dates from 800 BC, when Pseudo-Skilaks ( ancient Greece anonymous geographer) is mentioning a town Idassu at the same place.

Wonderful representation of the world in the ancient maps made based on the ideas of old Greek scholars. Multiple sources. World in BC.
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The town itself, called Tarsatica, was founded by Romans, somewhere around 180 BC when Roman legions won a battle against local natives, the Illiryans.

The old graphics of Rijeka, show the town surrounded with the wall, a few suburban areas and a coastline that is closer to the old town than it is today.

Photo made by Mikasović 1949. Reproduction of town's plan from 1650.
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During the long history serving as a Roman port and place of trade and trading routes, a town is most inclined by Italian influences, language, and culture. Even today their influence is strong and they have lively community.

While the modern things and streams of thinking were changing the town's structure, adding parts, housing blocks, streets, and services some parts of the town remained the same but due to time and careless city fathers, these parts either wither and met silent death before they told a story to the next generations, or were violently removed to prevent telling us anything.
In the 1950s old parts of a town were nothing to brag about, especially the old town. It could only remind you of poverty, post-war scarcity of anything we take for granted today and most of all, an Old core of a town seemed to be lost at the spot.

Black and white photography of Rijeka in 1950s. Photograpy by Šerak. Multiple resources.
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I think that the biggest explosion in development a town marks during the 19 and 20th century when it gains all the structures we see today. But, even in the last 30-ish years- that long I live here, a town changed a lot right in front of my eyes.

During the 19th century town gain a paper factory, railroad, oil refinery, modern canalization, theater, roads towards Zagreb and Karlovac, Hotel Continental, water supply and electric tram.

So many things we see today are over 100 years old, for example a Hotel Continental is 130 years old and in 1888. after only 2 years of construction it was the biggest building in town.

A few wonderful pictures of Hotel Continental, once the biggest building ever made in Sušak ( east part of Rijeka), from the past and one recent photography. Multiple sources, archives.
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It would be really hard to pick just one thing to represent as a major representative of the town heart and spirit. For example, one of the most notable signature buildings is a Town's Clock. Once the centerpiece of a main town square, nowadays it is a decorative part of Korzo - that still carries a functional clock.

Gorgeous pictures of Town's Clock from the past including some old graphics.
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Another spectacular place that is a must, if you are taking a trip to Rijeka is a Trsat Fortress.
Most historians think that a fortress is built on a place of much older castle from the time of Illyrian kingdoms.
One of the Frankopans, a very famous Croatian historical family, is buried in one of the churches so it gives is a breath of mystery.
Stairs are not so bad if you take it slow, but if you want to spare yourself a trouble - you can easily got there by car.
The panoramic view form that place is spectacular, and if you are visiting you definitely have to go up there.

Some unique and rare images of the fortress. multiple sources, archives.
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Today I gave you a bit of a history, and tomorrow I again hope to give you as much of the present I can - because a present moment - it is so fleeting.