Ribnjak, Zagreb

Southern part of Ribnjak
The Ribnjak Park

Ribnjak (pronounced [rîbɲak]) is a neighborhood in the Gornji Grad - Medveščak district of Zagreb, Croatia, directly east of the Zagreb Cathedral. According to the 2001 census, the neighborhood has 2,956 inhabitants.[1] In 2009, the population was 1,770.[2] It is centered mainly around its main north-south thoroughfare, the Ribnjak Street.[3]

ZET tram tracks in the Ribnjak Road pass through the neighborhood, carrying lines 8 and 14. A tram station is located on the Grškovićeva and Ribnjak intersection in the northern part of the neighborhood. The southern part is served by the Draškovićeva Street tram transfer station.[4] The neighborhood is also served by bus routes 106, 201, 226 and 238. All routes pass through Zvonarnička and Degenova Street, delineating the north border of the neighborhood.[5]

Ribnjak Park

The Ribnjak Park is situated on the west side of Ribnjak Street at 45°49′01″N 15°58′48″E / 45.817°N 15.980°E / 45.817; 15.980 (Ribnjak Park). Located five minutes of walk away from Ban Jelačić Square, the park comprises the western part of the neighborhood. It is also the location of Youth Center Ribnjak and the Purgeraj club.[3][6]

The park had been a part of the city fortification since the 15th century, but it was projected in its current form and built in 1830 by Zagreb bishop Aleksandar Alagović and architect Leopold Klingspogle.[7] The park was named after the fishponds in the area (Croatian: ribnjak, pl. ribnjaci).[8] However, since late 19th century, parts of the park have been slowly chipped away to make way for new buildings and infrastructure, such as the widening of Ribnjak Street. From 14th century on, the size of ponds had continuously been artificially decreased, until the last pond (in the southern end) was filled and paved over to make way for Josip Lang Square in 1870. Until 1946 the park had been private property of the Zagreb archdiocese. After the World War II it was expanded and opened for public, becoming a prime location in the heart of Zagreb.[7]

Although a beautiful tourist attraction during the day, after dusk the park turns into a youth site for binge drinking and gang violence. After a murder of member of a violent football fan faction committed in April 2008, and an announced bloody retaliation by the murdered fan's gang, the City of Zagreb announced it will hire wardens to patrol the park 24 hours a day.[9][10]

The Ribnjak Park is also site of the yearly festival Park-in-Zagreb. In 2008, the festival lasted two weeks and hosted many well-known Croatian bands such as The Beat Fleet and Psihomodo Pop.[11]

References

  1. "Tabela 7. Stanovnici Grada Zagreba prema dobnim skupinama i spolu po (bivšim) mjesnim zajednicama" (PDF). Croatian Bureau of Statistics (in Croatian). Retrieved 2008-10-07.
  2. http://www.zagreb.hr/default.aspx?id=14353
  3. 1 2 "Lokacija". Centar Mladih Ribnjak (in Croatian). Retrieved 2008-10-07.
  4. "Mreža dnevnih tramvajskih linija". ZET (in Croatian). Retrieved 2008-10-07.
  5. "Mreža autobusnih linija". ZET (in Croatian). Archived from the original on 2008-04-18. Retrieved 2008-10-07.
  6. "INFO - About Purgeraj". Purgeraj. Retrieved 2008-10-07.
  7. 1 2 "Spatial and Functional Development of the Park "Ribnjak" in Zagreb". Croatian geographical society. Retrieved 2008-10-07.
  8. "Parkovi". Zagreb Tourist Board (in Croatian). Retrieved 2008-10-07.
  9. "Ribnjak Park the Scene of the Killing of a Youth Three Weeks ago To Get Round-the-Clock Wardens". Croatiapress. 2008-04-08. Retrieved 2008-10-07.
  10. "Zagreb's Mayor Protects Fans, Punks Panic". Javno.hr. 2008-03-21. Retrieved 2008-10-07.
  11. "Počinje treći Park-in-Zagreb". Metro (in Croatian). 2008-06-26. Retrieved 2008-10-07.

External links

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