Glina Gets Croatia's First Square Named After the National Anthem
The new public space was opened on City Day and the 180th anniversary of the composition of 'Lijepa naša,' in the town where Josip Runjanin wrote the melody.
The new public space was opened on City Day and the 180th anniversary of the composition of 'Lijepa naša,' in the town where Josip Runjanin wrote the melody.
In Glina, on Thursday, August 7, 2026, the first Square of the Croatian National Anthem in the Republic of Croatia was ceremoniously opened. The opening took place on City Day and on the occasion of the 180th anniversary of the creation of the melody that has become one of the most important symbols of Croatian identity.
Glina Mayor Ivan Janković emphasized the symbolic importance of the new square, which was arranged in the courtyard of the former building of the Glina garrison, now the seat of the City Administration. "The anthem is a symbol of our statehood and the unity of all who stand under the Croatian flag and love our homeland. We feel this unity especially today, as we remember the day 31 years ago when we returned to Glina after Croatian defenders liberated it in the military-police operation Storm," Janković said.
He stated that the square will serve as a gathering place and a symbol of unity where Glina is being renewed and built, further emphasizing the town's historical connection to the creation of the anthem's melody. As he noted, this enriches the cultural and tourist offer of the town that proudly bears the title "Town of the Croatian Anthem."
It was in Glina in 1846 that Josip Runjanin, then an officer of the Glina garrison, set to music the poem "Horvatska domovina" by Antun Mihanović. This poem later became the Croatian national anthem "Lijepa naša domovino."
In the immediate vicinity of the new square is the House of the Croatian Anthem, a historic building where, according to historical records, Runjanin composed the melody. At the time, the house was owned by merchant Petar Peleš and served as a favorite gathering place for officers.
The historical context is further enriched by the fact that from 1841 to 1848, the commander of the First Ban's Regiment in Glina was Josip Jelačić, later the Croatian Ban. In the atmosphere of the strengthening Croatian national revival in the mid-19th century, members of the military and civilian strata met in the house of merchant Peleš, which fostered the creation of a work that would become a lasting national symbol.
The opening ceremony was attended by representatives of state, regional, and local authorities, cultural institutions, numerous guests, and citizens. The new square is conceived as a representative public space for cultural events, bringing visitors closer to the story of the creation of one of the most recognizable Croatian symbols.
