Mayor of Split facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Mayor of the City of Split
Coat of arms of Split
Incumbent Ivica Puljak since 15 July 2022
Term length	4 years, unlimited number of renewals
Inaugural holder	Jakov Cindro
Formation	1806

The Mayor of the City of Split (in Croatian, Gradonačelnik Grada Splita) is the most important leader of the city of Split in Croatia. People in Split sometimes call the mayor the Poteštat. This old word comes from "podestà", which was a title for city governors a long time ago.

From 1990 to 2007, the mayor was chosen by the city's main group of leaders, called the city assembly. But since 2007, people in Croatia get to vote directly for their mayors. The first time this happened in Split was in 2009.

Who Has Been Mayor of Split?

Here is a list of the people who have served as the Mayor (or leader of the City Council) of Split. Before these mayors, the city was led by "podestà" (governors) when it was part of the Venetian Republic. These old governors were also known as "poteštati", and that's why the word is still used for the mayor today!

Mayors During the Kingdom of Italy (Napoleonic Era)

      Independent

The Coat of Arms of the noble House of Cindro

No.	Mayor		Lifespan	Term of office		Party	What they did
1		Giacomo Cindro	1755–1818	1806	1809	Independent	The first mayor of Split.

Mayors During the French Empire

No.	Mayor		Lifespan	Term of office		Party	What they did
N/A		Pietro Alberti		1809	1810	Independent	Served as acting mayor.
N/A		Antonio Sarti		1810	1810	Independent	Served as acting mayor.
N/A		Nicolò Ivulich		1810	1810	Independent	Served as acting mayor.
N/A		Pietro Alberti		1810	1811	Independent	Served a second term as acting mayor.
2		Giuseppe Cindro		1811	1813	Independent

Mayors During Austrian Rule

      People's Party       Autonomist Party

No.	Mayor		Lifespan	Term of office		Party	What they did
3		Carlo Lanza	1778–1834	1813	1814
4		Pietro Nutrizio Grisogono	1748–1823	1814	1818	Autonomist Party
5		Pietro Cambi		1818	1823	Autonomist Party
6		Leonardo Kružević		1823	1825	Autonomist Party
7		Giovanni Lorenzo Alberti	1795–1879	1825	1831	Autonomist Party
8		Leonardo Dudan	1798–1864	1832	1836	Autonomist Party	Served his first term.
9		Jerko Capogrosso		1841	1844	Autonomist Party
10		Michele Tartaglia	1798–1886	1845	1848	Autonomist Party
11		Leonardo Dudan	1798–1864	1848	1853	Autonomist Party	Served his second term.
12		Simone de Michieli-Vitturi	1801–1868	1853	1859	Autonomist Party	Was mayor at the start of the "Split Renaissance," a time of new ideas and growth.
13		Antonio Bajamonti	1822–1891	1860	1864	Autonomist Party	Served the longest time as mayor of Split, almost 20 years!
14		Francesco Lanza	1808–1892	1864	1865	Autonomist Party
15		Antonio Bajamonti	1822–1891	1865	1880	Autonomist Party	His second and longest term as mayor.
16		Alessandro Nallini		1880	1882	Autonomist Party
17		Emilio Ragazzini		1882	1882	Autonomist Party
18		Dujam Rendić-Miočević	1834–1915	1882	1885	People's Party	Resigned from his position.
19		Gajo Filomen Bulat	1836–1900	1885	1893	People's Party
20		Ivan Manger	1840–1919	1893	1897
21		Petar Katalinić	1844–1922	1897	1899		The first mayor from the Katalinić family.
22		Vinko Milić	1833–1910	1900	1906
23		Ante Trumbić	1864–1938	1906	1907	Croatian Party
24		Vicko Mihaljević	1861–1911	1907	1911		Inspired a character in the Velo Misto TV series.
25		Vicko Katalinić	1857–1917	1911	1912		The second mayor from the Katalinić family.
26		Teodor Šporn	1879–1953	1912	1913		Served his first term.
27		Vicko Katalinić	1857–1917	1913	1914		Served his second term.
28		Frane Madirazza	1885–1929	1914	1917
29		Vicko Nišetić		1917	1917
30		Teodor Šporn	1879–1953	1917	1918		Served his second term.
31		Josip Smodlaka	1869–1956	1918	1918	Croatian Democratic Party	Served his first term.

Mayors During the Kingdom of Yugoslavia

      Yugoslav National Party       Yugoslav Radical Union       Croatian Peasant Party

No.	Mayor		Lifespan	Term of office		Party	What they did
32		Ivo Tartaglia	1880–1949	1918	1928		Was mayor for 10 years. His art collection became the start of the Gallery of Fine Arts in Split.
33		Petar Bonetti	1888–1967	1928	1928
34		Josip Berković	1885–1968	1928	1929
35		Jakša Račić	1868–1943	1929	1933	Yugoslav National Party	A doctor who improved medical services and started planting trees on Marjan hill.
36		Mihovil Kargotić		1933	1938
37		Mirko Buić	1894-1967	1938	1938
38		Vlado Matošić		1938	1939	Yugoslav Radical Union
39		Ivan Zlatko Vrdoljak		1939	1939
40		Stjepan Spalatin		1939	1940
41		Josip Brkić	1887–1959	1940	1941	Croatian Peasant Party

Mayors During World War II

      National Liberation Front (resistance coalition)       Communist Party of Yugoslavia

No.	Mayor		Lifespan	Term of office		Party	What they did
Civil Commissioners During Italian occupation (1941–43)
N/A		Bruno Nardelli		April 1941	28 April 1941	National Fascist Party
N/A		Antonio Tacconi	1880–1962	28 April 1941	1943	National Fascist Party	Served as the Civil Commissioner (mayor) after Split became part of fascist Italy.

No.	Mayor		Lifespan	Term of office		Party	What they did
Leaders of the National Liberation Committee Wartime resistance city government (1942–47)
42		Ivo Amulić	1911–1973	6 April 1942	15 May 1942	Unitary National Liberation Front (coalition)
43		Ivo Tijardović	1895–1976	15 May 1942	July 1943	Unitary National Liberation Front (coalition)
44		Josip Smodlaka	1869–1956	September 1943	October 1943	Unitary National Liberation Front (coalition)	Served his second term.
45		Petar Vitezica	1903–1970	October 1943	May 1944	Unitary National Liberation Front (coalition)
46		Umberto Fabris		May 1944	25 November 1944	Unitary National Liberation Front (coalition)
47		Ante Mrduljaš		25 November 1944	25 June 1947	Communist Party of Yugoslavia

Mayors During Federal Yugoslavia

      League of Communists of Yugoslavia       Croatian Democratic Union

The current Coat of arms of Split is similar to this one, used during the Yugoslav period.

No.	Mayor		Lifespan	Term of office		Party	What they did
48		Marko Šore		1947	1947	Communist Party of Yugoslavia
49		Ivo Raić		1947	1949	Communist Party of Yugoslavia
50		Paško Ninčević		1949	1952	Communist Party of Yugoslavia (renamed in 1952)
51		Ivo Senjanović		1952	1955	League of Communists of Yugoslavia (renamed)
52		Rade Dumanić	1918–2008	1955	1963	League of Communists of Yugoslavia	Led the start of big city growth and building projects.
53		Ante Zelić		1963	1965	League of Communists of Yugoslavia	Helped build roads on Marjan hill.
54		Ivo Perišin	1925–2008	1965	1967	League of Communists of Yugoslavia	Also held important roles in Croatia's government.
55		Jakša Miličić	1926–	1967	1974	League of Communists of Yugoslavia	Oversaw big city expansion, including the "Split 3" area.
56		Vjekoslav Vidjak		1974	1982	League of Communists of Yugoslavia	Helped organize the 1979 Mediterranean Games in Split.
57		Dragutin Matošić		1982	1983	League of Communists of Yugoslavia
58		Ante Kovač		1983	1984	League of Communists of Yugoslavia
59		Božidar Papić		1985	1986	League of Communists of Yugoslavia
60		Drago Urličić		1986	1987	League of Communists of Yugoslavia
61		Gordana Kosanović		1987	1990	League of Communists of Yugoslavia
62		Onesin Cvitan	1939–	1990	1991	Croatian Democratic Union
				1990

Mayors Since Croatia's Independence

      Croatian Democratic Union (4)       Social Democratic Party (2)       Croatian Social Liberal Party (1)       Liberal Party (1)       Independent       Croatian Civic Party (1)       Centre (1)

No.	Mayor		Lifespan	Term of office — Electoral mandate		Party	What they did
63		Petar Slapničar	1932–	1991	1993	Croatian Democratic Union
				—
		Nikola Grabić	1938–	1993	1997	Croatian Social Liberal Party	Changed political parties during his term.
64				—		Croatian Democratic Union
65		Ivan Škarić	1944–	1997	2001	Croatian Social Liberal Party	Later elected to the Croatian Parliament.
				—
66		Slobodan Beroš	1945–	2002	2003	Social Democratic Party
				—
67		Miroslav Buličić	1952–	2003	2005	Liberal Party
				—
68		Zvonimir Puljić	1947–2009	2005	2007	Croatian Democratic Union	Resigned from his position.
				2005
69		Ivan Kuret	1971–	17 July 2007	1 June 2009	Croatian Democratic Union	Continued the previous term after the former mayor resigned.
				—
		Željko Kerum	1960–	1 June 2009	7 June 2013	Independent	Ran as an independent. Later started the Croatian Civic Party.
70				2009		Croatian Civic Party
71		Ivo Baldasar	1958–	7 June 2013	28 March 2017	Social Democratic Party	Resigned after his budget plans were not approved.
				2013
—		Branka Ramljak (Government Commissioner)	1962–	28 March 2017	14 June 2017	Independent	Served as a temporary leader.
				—
72		Andro Krstulović Opara	1967–	14 June 2017	7 June 2021	Croatian Democratic Union
				2017
73		Ivica Puljak	1969–	7 June 2021	8 April 2022	Centre	Stepped down early.
				2021
—		Mirna Veža (Government Commissioner)		8 April 2022	15 July 2022	Independent	Served as a temporary mayor until a new one was elected.
				—
73		Ivica Puljak	1969–	15 July 2022		Centre	The first mayor to be re-elected in Split.
				2022

See also

• Split
• Dalmatia
• Split-Dalmatia County
• Elections in Croatia

Images for kids

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