In architectural history, Eugen Radovan is remembered above all for commissioning the first high-rise building in Zagreb. He was born into a Jewish family and originally bore the surname Rosenberg. It is unclear when he Croatianized his name to Radovan. In 1920 he converted to Catholicism, aligning himself with the majority population. Radovan worked in several industrial and chemical sectors. In 1941, his car was confiscated by the fascist Independent State of Croatia (Nezavisna Država Hrvatska). To what extent he was further restricted or humiliated remains unknown. He was also an avid art collector. In order to safeguard the collection, he transferred it to his non-Jewish wife. After Radovan’s death, she donated parts of the collection to the Yugoslav president, Tito.
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Buildings
Zagreb, Croatia
Eugen Radovan Tower