Vjekoslav Heinzel
Encyclopedia
Vjekoslav Heinzel was the Mayor of Zagreb from 1920 to 1928. He is best remembered for great development projects of the 1920s that significantly expanded the city.
Heinzel was born into an entrepreneurial family in Zagreb, and was sent to Graz
and Stuttgart
to become an architect, graduating in 1893. Licensed for standalone work as an architect in 1896, he designed numerous buildings in Zagreb. In 1910, he became a city councillor and in 1912, he became the head of the local Chamber of Trade and Crafts. He same year he ceased his professional activities and traveled across Europe, before he returned and organized the food supply of Zagreb during World War I
.
Heinzel was also an early automobilist, who along with Ferdinand Budicki drove the first car in Zagreb, and was one of the founders of the Croatian automobile club in 1906. He participated in many early car races, including winning the first race for the championship of the Kingdom of Croatia-Slavonia
in 1912.
During the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes, Heinzel was first elected mayor in 1920 and served until the August of 1921, when the city administration was temporarily disbanded. In 1922, he was elected as a member of the Croatian Bloc. In 1926 and 1927 he had a falling out with the Party of Rights and the Croatian Peasant Party
, but was re-elected in the subsequent election. His administration organized the construction of large sections of today's Peščenica, Trnje, Trešnjevka
, Maksimir
and other city neighborhoods. His contributions included the construction and expansion of numerous hospitals, the beginning of the Dolac Market, and the reconstruction of the Laščinska road, later Sajmišna, and today the Vjekoslav Heinzel Avenue, a prominent north-south avenue in the eastern part of the city that starts at the Eugen Kvaternik Square
and divides Trnje and Peščenica.
During Heinzel's term as mayor, Zagreb got its first 0.35 kW radio transmitter on June 15, 1926. On April 1 the same year, the city installed its first automatic switchboard, with the capacity of 7,000 telephone subscribers.
Heinzel's efforts came at a considerable cost, however, as the city had to take out a loan of 250 million Yugoslav dinar
s, a topic of much criticism at the time.
Heinzel was born into an entrepreneurial family in Zagreb, and was sent to Graz
Graz
The more recent population figures do not give the whole picture as only people with principal residence status are counted and people with secondary residence status are not. Most of the people with secondary residence status in Graz are students...
and Stuttgart
Stuttgart
Stuttgart is the capital of the state of Baden-Württemberg in southern Germany. The sixth-largest city in Germany, Stuttgart has a population of 600,038 while the metropolitan area has a population of 5.3 million ....
to become an architect, graduating in 1893. Licensed for standalone work as an architect in 1896, he designed numerous buildings in Zagreb. In 1910, he became a city councillor and in 1912, he became the head of the local Chamber of Trade and Crafts. He same year he ceased his professional activities and traveled across Europe, before he returned and organized the food supply of Zagreb during World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
.
Heinzel was also an early automobilist, who along with Ferdinand Budicki drove the first car in Zagreb, and was one of the founders of the Croatian automobile club in 1906. He participated in many early car races, including winning the first race for the championship of the Kingdom of Croatia-Slavonia
Kingdom of Croatia-Slavonia
The Kingdom of Croatia-Slavonia or Croatia Slavonia was an autonomous kingdom within the Austro-Hungarian Empire. It was part of the Hungarian Kingdom within the dual Austro-Hungarian state, being within the Lands of the Crown of St. Stephen or Transleithania...
in 1912.
During the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes, Heinzel was first elected mayor in 1920 and served until the August of 1921, when the city administration was temporarily disbanded. In 1922, he was elected as a member of the Croatian Bloc. In 1926 and 1927 he had a falling out with the Party of Rights and the Croatian Peasant Party
Croatian Peasant Party
The Croatian Peasant Party is a center and socially conservative political party in Croatia.-Austria-Hungary:The Croatian People's Peasant Party was formed on December 22, 1904 by Antun Radić along with his brother Stjepan Radić. The party contested elections for the first time in the Kingdom of...
, but was re-elected in the subsequent election. His administration organized the construction of large sections of today's Peščenica, Trnje, Trešnjevka
Trešnjevka
Trešnjevka is a large neighbourhood in the western part of the city of Zagreb, Croatia.It is administratively divided into two districts:* Trešnjevka - sjever...
, Maksimir
Maksimir
Maksimir is one of the neighborhoods of Zagreb, Croatia. Maksimir stadium and Maksimir Park are located in it. It was named after the bishop Maksimilijan Vrhovac....
and other city neighborhoods. His contributions included the construction and expansion of numerous hospitals, the beginning of the Dolac Market, and the reconstruction of the Laščinska road, later Sajmišna, and today the Vjekoslav Heinzel Avenue, a prominent north-south avenue in the eastern part of the city that starts at the Eugen Kvaternik Square
Eugen Kvaternik Square
Eugen Kvaternik Square is a square located on the border between Maksimir, Gornji Grad - Medveščak and Donji Grad city districts of Zagreb, Croatia. It marks the intersection of Vlaška Street, Dragutin Domjanić Street, Maksimirska Street, Vjekoslav Heinzel Avenue and Pavao Šubić Avenue...
and divides Trnje and Peščenica.
During Heinzel's term as mayor, Zagreb got its first 0.35 kW radio transmitter on June 15, 1926. On April 1 the same year, the city installed its first automatic switchboard, with the capacity of 7,000 telephone subscribers.
Heinzel's efforts came at a considerable cost, however, as the city had to take out a loan of 250 million Yugoslav dinar
Yugoslav dinar
The dinar was the currency of the three Yugoslav states: the Kingdom of Yugoslavia , the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia and the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia between 1918 and 2003. The dinar was subdivided into 100 para...
s, a topic of much criticism at the time.