In the last several years, the Old Military Hospital served as a venue for several significant cultural events.
On the very edge of this city quarter, at the crossing of Bauerova and Vlaška Street, one of the most intriguing buildings in Zagreb can be found, known today only as the ‘Old Military Hospital’, whose origin is shrouded in a veil of history. The first buildings of the former Austro-Hungarian military and medical complex had been built in accordance with the design of architect Anton Steidl in 1833, only to be extended in 1862, primarily for the purposes of the medical centre. The rather large hospital building is located in the courtyard of the entire complex, whereas the former military garrisons overlook the Vlaška Street. These were later converted into rooms for the staff and patients, and today they remain unutilized. The ground-floor of the almost derelict complex features the premises of a war veteran association and the atelier of a sculptor, the rest is often used for shooting films and television shows.
In the last couple of years several high-profile cultural events were held in the premises of the Old Military Hospital, such as the Museum of Street Art in 2013, when artists painted the entire interior of the courtyard building, and for two consecutive years the international festival of design, D-Day, in 2014 and 2015. The D-Day event filled the entire yard and premises of the buildings overlooking the street with various creative content, demonstrating what the future could hold for Vlaška Street 87. As a historical tidbit, while the hospital was still a military garrison, in 1840-1841, it was home to Sándor Petófi, the great Hungarian poet and revolutionist, before he left for Pest to incite the people to a rebellion against the Habsburg Monarchy.