Croatia’s oldest department store hits the market 

NAMA (Photo: Roberta F./CC BY-SA 3.0)

The oldest and most famous department store in Croatia, once the pride of Zagreb residents, is up for sale.

Two NAMA buildings in the centre of Zagreb are up for sale due to massive debts. Danas.hr reports that the price will depend on various factors, and one of them is the condition of the building. The old Austro-Hungarian charm is still present, but new investments and refreshments are needed.

NAMA was the largest retail chain in the country and today there are still two stores operating, one on Kvaternikov square and the other right in the heart of downtown Zagreb just off the main square.

In the 1870s Austrian traders Carl Kastner and Herman Öhler decided to open a trading store in Zagreb. After operating from a number of addresses, they finally moved to the location next to the main square on Ilica in 1889.

Nama on Zagreb’s Ilica

In 1906 the building was used as a famous hotel. The hotel died out and after the first World War it concentrated on the retail business, growing in levels over the years.

The second World War bought some changes and immediately after the war, on 6 December 1945, the traders organisation “Narodni magazin” opened Nama in the iconic building.

Visiting the store on Ilica was an opportunity for shoppers to experience the feel of a traditional old Vienna department store. That atmosphere, and not to mention the impressive building and charm, is what made NAMA popular among Zagreb locals.

Many wonder what the new investor will do with the building. Will they renovate it or perhaps repurpose it into a hotel or something else… Whatever fate awaits it, this soulful department store has survived four different states. Whether it will endure a fifth, we will know very soon.