The 1895 Earthquake That Made the Square
If you want to understand why Prešeren Square looks the way it does, the key date is not 1905 (the monument) but 1895 (the earthquake). The quake damaged much of Ljubljana and the rapid rebuild in the modern Secession style is the reason the square reads as fin-de-siècle Europe rather than medieval town.
- Date
- Easter Sunday, 14 April 1895
- Magnitude
- About 6.1; felt across the region
- Epicentre
- Near Janče, east of the city
- Result
- Widespread damage, then rapid rebuild
- Style of rebuild
- Vienna Secession (Art Nouveau)
- Key architects
- Maks Fabiani, Ciril Metod Koch
The morning of 14 April
The earthquake struck on Easter Sunday morning in 1895 and damaged or destroyed a large part of Ljubljana, including buildings around what is now Prešeren Square. Because it happened on a holiday morning, casualties were lower than they might have been.
The shock pushed the city into a forced modernisation: instead of patching old structures, Ljubljana rebuilt in the contemporary style.
A decade of Secession building
Through the late 1890s and early 1900s the centre was rebuilt in the Vienna Secession manner. Architects such as Maks Fabiani and Ciril Metod Koch shaped the new façades you see on the square’s north and east sides.
This is why, standing on the square, you are surrounded by curved ornament and tall windows that post-date the earthquake by only a few years — while the pink Franciscan church, built in the 1600s, survived it.
The legacy you can still read
- The square’s north and east buildings are post-1895 Secession work.
- The contrast with the baroque church makes the timeline visible at a glance.
- The rebuild set the stage for Plečnik’s later 20th-century redesign of the bridge and riverfront.
Frequently asked questions
When was the Ljubljana earthquake?
14 April 1895, on Easter Sunday morning. It caused widespread damage and triggered the city’s rapid modern rebuild.
How strong was it?
Estimated around magnitude 6.1, with the epicentre near Janče east of the city. It was strong enough to damage much of the historic centre.
Why does the square look Art Nouveau?
Because the buildings damaged in 1895 were rebuilt in the Vienna Secession (Art Nouveau) style during the following decade. The style you photograph is mostly post-earthquake.
What survived the earthquake?
The 17th-century Franciscan Church of the Annunciation survived and still faces the square from the north, making it the oldest visible element there.
Sources: Slovenian Academy of Sciences historical records, Visit Ljubljana. Facts checked October 2026.