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Zagreb is situated at an altitude of 120 m on both sides of the Sava river at the foot of the Medvednica mountains and the southwestern edge of the Pannonian lowland. Zagreb is the capital of Croatia and has a population of about 779,000 (2005).

Zagreb was first mentioned in 1094 when Ladislaus (László) I, King of Hungary and Croatia, founded the bishopric of Zagreb. The name meant 'at the ditch', in German 'am Graben' which became the origin of the German name, Agram. The town emerged from two settlements, one on the Kaptol hill, which was the seat of the diocese, the other on the neighboring Gradec (Grič) hill, which became the home of the merchants and craftsmen. In the 13th century southeastern Europe was plagued by invasions of the Asian Tatars. King Béla IV had to take refuge in Gradec and in 1242 thanked the town by granting the Bulla Aurea, the charter by which Zagreb obtained the status of a free royal town. A document of 1554 for the first time mentions Zagreb as the capital of Croatia. During this period the lower town (donji grad) slowly became the new mercantile centre of the town. Between 1756 and 1776 Varaždin had the role as capital. In 1850 the Kaptol, Gradec and the lower town were incorporated to become the new municipality of Zagreb.

In October 1918 the Croatian parliament in Zagreb declared Croatia independent from Austria-Hungary. One month later the Croatia joined the Kingdom of the Serbs, Croats and Slovenes. During World War II, in 1941, German forces occupied the town. Croatian nationalist at that time declared the 'independent State of Croatia'. In May 1945 Croatia was incorporated into the Peoples Republic of Yugoslavia. In June 1991 the Croatian parliament declared the independence of the new Republic of Croatia with Zagreb as its capital.

The Art Pavilion (Umjetnički paviljon) [left, no.577: top left picture] on King Tomislav Square (Trg kralja Tomislava) is the oldest exhibition hall on the Slavic south and the only building that has been purposely built for major, representative exhibitions. In 1895 the painter Vlado Bukovac launched the initiative for the construction of the Art Pavilion. After the closing of the Millennium exhibition in Budapest, the iron construction frame of the Croatian pavilion was transported to Zagreb. The architects Ferdinand Fellner and Hermann Helmer were charged with designing the building while local constructors were in charge of the construction works. After two years of construction, the Pavilion was formally opened on December 15, 1898, with the representative exhibition 'Croatian Salon'.

(See also list of further buildings by Fellner and Helmer that are depicted on glasses of this collection.)

Glass no.047 [right] also shows a view of Trg kralja Tomislava with the Art Pavilion. The labeling of the picture refers to the historic name of the square, Trg Franje Josipa, named for Emperor Franz Joseph I of Austria. The modern name refers to Tomislav I, King of Croatia between 915 and 931 AD.

The picture on glass no.447 [left] shows a view of the square, Akademički trg (Academy Square), better known as Trg Josipa Jurja Strossmayera, named for Josip Juraj (Joseph Georg) Strossmayer, bishop of Đakovo (Djakovo) and Srijem, who in 1868 donated his extensive art collection to the Croatian people. Strossmayer also donated the sum of 50,000 florin for the foundation of the South Slavic Academy (approved by Emperor Franz Joseph I in 1866), now the Croatian Academy of Arts and Sciences.