Tkalčićeva Street
{{Short description|Street in Zagreb, Croatia}}
{{infobox street
| name = Tkalčić Street
| native_name = {{native name|hr|Тkalčićeva ulica}}
| image = Zagreb, Croatia July 2022 - Outside seating.jpg
| image_size = 270px
| caption = South view of the street in summer
| postal_code = 10000
| length_km = 0.5
| map = {{infobox mapframe | zoom = 13 }}
| coordinates = {{coord|45|49|02|N|15|58|38|E|region:HR-21_type:city(1591)|display=inline,title}}
}}
Tkalčićeva Street ({{langx|hr|Tkalčićeva ulica}}, formally: Ivan Tkalčić Street, {{lang|hr|Ulica Ivana Tkalčića}}) is a street in the Zagreb, Croatia city center.{{cite book |title=Proceedings of the 5th International Young Geotechnical Engineers' Conference: 5th IYGEC 2013 |date=2013 |publisher=IOS Press |isbn=9781614992974 |page=548 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=QfPAAQAAQBAJ&q=Tkal%C4%8Di%C4%87eva+Street&pg=PA548 |language=en}} Extending from the vicinity of the central Ban Jelačić Square to its northern end at the Little Street ({{langx|hr|Mala ulica}}), the street flows between the Gornji Grad in the west and Nova Ves in the east. The street is administratively within the Gornji Grad–Medveščak city district, constituting the former "August Cesarec" commune (abolished in 1994).
History
Centuries before the today's street emerged, the route of Tkalčićeva Street was covered by the Medveščak creek.{{cite web |last1=Nikšić |first1=Dragana |title=Tkalčićeva Street |url=https://www.total-croatia-news.com/see-in-zagreb/15738-tkalciceva-street |website=www.total-croatia-news.com |access-date=27 December 2018 |language=en-gb |date=11 January 2017 |archive-date=24 September 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210924130221/https://www.total-croatia-news.com/see-in-zagreb/15738-tkalciceva-street |url-status=dead }} Medveščak (at that time also called Crikvenik or Cirkvenik) had been the center of Zagreb industry since the early days of the city, spawning numerous watermills. The watermills caused the development of Zagreb industry, leading in turn to the construction of Zagreb's first cloth, soap, paper and liquor factories and, later, animal skin industry. The watermills were often the subject of feuds between the twin cities, Kaptol and Gradec.{{cite web |last1=Štefanac |first1=Maja |title=(FOTO) Znate li kako je Tkalča - duša starog Zagreba dobila ime? |url=https://www.zagrebacki.hr/2017/08/03/foto-znate-li-tkalca-dusa-starog-zagreba-dobila-ime/ |website=Zagrebački List |access-date=27 December 2018 |language=hr |date=3 August 2017 |archive-date=16 June 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180616204701/https://www.zagrebacki.hr/2017/08/03/foto-znate-li-tkalca-dusa-starog-zagreba-dobila-ime/ |url-status=dead }} A 1392 peace treaty forbade construction of new watermills along the shared city border, between today's southern end of Medvedgradska Street and Ban Jelačić Square, leaving only two mills within the city. Both mills were owned by a Cistercian monastery. However, they were both razed during the 1898 covering of the creek.{{cite web|url=http://www.monel.hr/povjest/tkalca.html|title=Tkalčićeva ulica|access-date=16 October 2008|work=Monel.hr|language=hr|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081018211638/http://www.monel.hr/povjest/tkalca.html|archive-date=18 October 2008}}
Although both sides of the creek had been inhabited before, the 1898 covering left a full-scale street, which was aptly named Ulica Potok ({{lit|Creek street}}).{{cite web |title=Tkalčićeva Street |url=http://www.explore-croatia.hr/information/europe/tkalciceva-street/ |website=Explore Croatia |access-date=27 December 2018 |language=en |archive-date=17 June 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180617043206/http://www.explore-croatia.hr/information/europe/tkalciceva-street/ |url-status=dead }} Most of the houses were dated to 18th or 19th century and the street was surfaced with gravel from Sava River excavated in Trnje. Around the middle of the 20th century it was modernized and paved with asphalt. The creek-based industry was quickly transformed into small businesses and stores and the skin industry stopped working in 1938.{{cn|date=October 2016}}
According to several records, the transformation of Medveščak creek valley was orchestrated in 1900 by Milan Lenucci, an architect. In 1908, Viktor Kovačić displayed some of his ideas about Ulica Potok in his studies of Gornji Grad, Kaptol and other city neighborhoods. In 1913, Ulica Potok's name is changed to Tkalčićeva Street in honor of the 19th century Zagreb historian Ivan Tkalčić, who was from nearby Nova Ves.
Red-light district
At the turn of the 20th century, prostitution was legal. In Zagreb it was advertised as a tourist attraction and contributed to the city's economy. Tkalčićeva Street was the main centre for brothels. At one stage, every other building was a bordello.{{cite web |last1=dizajn |first1=Virtus |title=TKALČIĆEVA ULICA I KRVAVI MOST |url=http://www.najboljeuhrvatskoj.info/ideje/tkalciceva-ulica-i-krvavi-most-1833.html |website=www.najboljeuhrvatskoj.info |access-date=27 December 2018 |language=hr-HR}} To open a brothel, the owner had to register at the town hall and received a licence. The licence required the brothel to be well run and provide a quality service. The women working in the brothels had to have a twice weekly medical examination. Brothels were not allowed to advertise their presence, but a discrete, uncommonly coloured lantern was allowed to be placed outside.{{cite web|title=Prostitution in Croatia: Weird Facts Revealed|url=http://www.croatia-times.com/the-zagreb-times/prostitution-croatia-weird-facts-revealed/|website=Croatia Times|access-date=17 February 2018|date=5 June 2014}}
The best known brothel, and most expensive, was the Kod Zelene Lampe ({{lit|By the Green Lantern}}). The street's brothels continued to operate until WW2.
Gallery
File:Early morning in the Tkalčićeva Street.jpg|South view of the street
File:Cafes at beginning of Tkalčićeva street.jpg|Cafes at beginning of Tkalčićeva street
File:Zagreb Tkalčićeva (33673439683).jpg|Restaurants
File:Tkalčićeva ulica - panoramio (1).jpg|Statue of Croatian writer Marija Jurić Zagorka
File:Zagreb Tkalčićeva (33688488404).jpg|Facades of buildings alongside street
File:Zagreb Tkalčićeva (34489946896).jpg|Restaurants & bars
References
{{reflist}}
Further reading
{{Commons category}}
- {{cite book|last=Szabo|first=Gjuro|author-link=Gjuro Szabo|title=Stari Zagreb (Old Zagreb)|year=1971|publisher=Spektar|location=Zagreb|language=hr}}
{{Zagreb}}
{{Gornji Grad-Medveščak district}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Tkalciceva Street}}
Category:Gornji Grad–Medveščak
Category:Shopping districts and streets in Croatia