One hundred years ago, on 14 May 1922, under the Workers' Insurance Act, the Central Office for Workers' Insurance was established in Zagreb, an institution that preceded the Croatian Pension Insurance Institute (HZMO), as a public institution for workers' pension insurance (then social insurance). The Workers' Insurance Act, for the first time in the entire Monarchy, uniquely established and regulated health and social insurance for workers in these areas, including the already existing insurance for accidents at work. At that time, the Central Office was the provider of social insurance for workers across the whole country, with 137,404 insured persons in Croatia in 1922. It was first chaired by Vilim Bukšeg, who was a prominent figure in Croatian social policy at the time.
The pension insurance established by that Act covered the risks of old age, disability, and death, however, it was delayed until 1 September 1937, because of a series of circumstances; since then, it has been implemented continuously to the present day. At that time, this Act was regarded as one of the most progressive of its kind in Europe. Moreover, under the provisions of Article 119 of the aforementioned Act, the Central Office for Workers' Insurance was also founded with its headquarters in Zagreb – the forerunner of today's Croatian Pension Insurance Institute. From then on until today, the pension insurance (then social security) institutions have changed their names and internal organization, but always with the same purpose of insuring workers and taking care of the insured persons and beneficiaries.
The site of the building of the Central Office for Workers' Insurance in Antuna Mihanovića Street 3 was once used for the recreation of the people of Zagreb: in summer as a tennis court and in winter for ice skating. In a tender procedure for the concept design of the actual building, the first prize was awarded to architect Rudolf Lubynski from Zagreb. The construction of the building commenced on 28 August 1925, and it was completed in February 1928.
Nowadays, the Croatian Pension Insurance Institute, a public institution and the cornerstone of the national pension system, which continuously provides services to more than 1.5 million insured persons, 1.2 million pension beneficiaries, 150 thousand child beneficiaries (for more than 300 thousand children), is headquartered in the building of the former Central Office in Zagreb, just like its predecessors – in Antuna Mihanovića Street 3. Throughout history, the Croatian Pension Insurance Institute has provided care for insured persons and beneficiaries, and the principles and experiences that have been acquired over the past 100 years, woven into the vision and mission of a modern public institution, will continue to guide us in the years to come – Always at your service.
Ivan Serdar,
General Director of the Croatian
Pension Insurance Institute
