A castle in a sensitive Croatian military zone has its ownership issues resolved, resulting in the erection of protective fence.
In the courtyard of the Honour Guard barracks, a wire fence about two meters in height has recently been put up which now separates the barracks and until recently a government residential facility, the Werner Mansion, which had been used by the Ministry of Defence and Croatian Armed Forces. The mansion, also known as the Tuškanac Castle, has been returned to Gabriela Kamnatnik after 15 years of legal battles, reports Jutarnji List on October 31, 2015.
The castle, where the Croatian Army and its General Staff were officially founded in 1991, was fenced off about a month ago. Although there was a possibility that the castle would remain in state ownership, that has not happened.
The value of the castle is estimated at 3,050,000 euros, and Kamnatnik was willing to sell it to the state for 500,000 euros less. In exchange, she asked for several business premises in the centre of Zagreb. When that idea fell through, her legal representative proposed a monthly rent of 16,000 euros, but the Ministry of Defence declined.
In the end, the Office for State Property Management decided to return the property to the owner. Thus, the main entrance to the castle has been completely surrounded by wire which passes over the entrance steps. Three steps have remained within the barracks, while two steps belong to the castle.
The question is how the military and future inhabitants of the castle could live side by side. The Tuškanac barracks, where an elite unit of the Croatian Army is housed, is an important facility for the Armed Forces. The mansion is located in the special purpose zone, which means that the owner of the mansion would not be able to make any changes without the permission of the military. She will not be able to sell it without future owners receiving a security clearance. The question is whether the main entrance will ever be used since it faces the barracks. The army will for its own safety surely set additional monitoring devices and the mansion will become one of the best protected civilian buildings in the country. The castle has 530 square metres and comes with 2,051 square metres of land.
The ownership was first claimed by Mario Marić, a son and successor to Milan Marić, who became the owner of the castle in summer of 1929. Mario Marić died several years after filing his claim, followed soon by his wife. After her death, the mansion was inherited by Gabriela Kamnatnik, a niece of Mario Marić, and she now lives in South America.
