Oktogon

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 Oktogon is the passage within the building of the former First Croatian Savings Bank which connects the longest street in Zagreb's center, Ilica, with the Peter Preradović's square, popularly called the Flower square, after the florists who have their stands there. The building was finished in 1890 (although the sign on the south entrance says it was built in 1889), and the passage,, which at its center has a three-level hall with a stained-glass dome, was named after its octagonal shape.

 Written by: Gordana Mijatovic

Manduševac Pt. 2

There are a lot of legends explaining the name Manduševac. One of them says that a knight asked a young woman named Manda to grab him some water. But the name Manduševac, which etimologically connects the name Manda and a noun 'ševac' which tranlates into 'lover' led historians and linguists to search further. The documents from the Zagreb diocese they discovered reveal the real truth. The incident described happened in 1291, when a knight returning from the latest Crusade passed by the spring, where he met a bautiful girl named Manda. When they surrendered to their passion, the angry mob swarmed them and burned Manda at the stake. The knight kept his head thanks to his status, but was chained and thrown into a dungeon for the rest of his life. After that, when passing by the spring, people would tell the story about Manda who was there grabbed by her 'ševac', and this is how the names Zagreb and Manduševac actually came to be.

 Written by: Gordana Mijatovic

Manduševac

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Manduševac, now a fountain on the Governor Josip Jelačić's square, was once a fresh water spring on the former town market Harmica. This spring is first mentioned in the 14^th century, and was an important water source for the citizens of Zagreb til the end of the 19^th century. Water from Manduševac was often attributed both healing and magical properties and was especially appreciated by bishops from Kaptol diocese, one of the two settlements (the other was called Gradec and was populated by commoners) which were in 1850 united with the surrounding settlements to form the town which would later become Zagreb.

 Written by: Gordana Mijatovic

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