The Mayor of the City of Split (Croatian: Gradonačelnik Grada Splita), colloquially the Poteštat (derived from "podestà"), is the highest official of the Croatian city of Split. From 1990 to 2007 the mayor was elected by the city assembly. Since 2007 Croatian mayors have been elected directly by the citizens. The first such election in Split occurred in 2009.

List

Here follows a list of the 72 men who have thus far served as Mayor (or President of the City Council) of the City of Split. They were immediately preceded by the succession of podestà (city "princes" or "governors", kneževi) under the Venetian Republic. The latter were colloquially known as "poteštati", and usually also held the office of Captain of the city. The term "poteštat" has since remained as a local, traditional term for the mayor as well.

Kingdom of Italy

Independent

Coat of Arms of the noble House of Cindro
No.MayorLifespanTerm of officePartyNote
1Giacomo Cindro1755–181818061809IndependentPreceded by last Venetian Podestà (and City Captain) Nicolo Barozzi, who was removed in 1797. Stepped down amid political disputes in 1809.

French Empire

No.MayorLifespanTerm of officePartyNote
N/APietro Alberti18091810IndependentActing mayor. First term.
N/AAntonio Sarti18101810IndependentActing mayor.
N/ANicolò Ivulich18101810IndependentActing mayor.
N/APietro Alberti18101811IndependentActing mayor. Second term.
2Giuseppe Cindro18111813Independent

Austria

People's Party Autonomist Party

No.MayorLifespanTerm of officePartyNote
3Carlo Lanza1778–183418131814
4Pietro Nutrizio Grisogono1748–182318141818Autonomist Party
5Pietro Cambi18181823Autonomist Party
6Leonardo Kružević18231825Autonomist Party
7Giovanni Lorenzo Alberti1795–187918251831Autonomist Party
8Leonardo Dudan1798–186418321836Autonomist PartyFirst term.
9Jerko Capogrosso18411844Autonomist Party
10Michele Tartaglia1798–188618451848Autonomist Party
11Leonardo Dudan1798–186418481853Autonomist PartySecond term.
12Simone de Michieli-Vitturi1801–186818531859Autonomist PartyPresided over the start of the so-called "Split Renaissance".
13Antonio Bajamonti1822–189118601864Autonomist PartyFirst term. Held longest term in office as mayor of Split: headed city government almost continuously for 20 years (1860–1880).
14Francesco Lanza1808–189218641865Autonomist Party
15Antonio Bajamonti1822–189118651880Autonomist PartySecond term. This time representing the Liberal Union coalition. The longest term in office of any Mayor of Split.
16Alessandro Nallini18801882Autonomist Party
17Emilio Ragazzini18821882Autonomist Party
18Dujam Rendić-Miočević1834–191518821885People's PartyResigned due to conflict with Gajo Filomen Bulat.
19Gajo Filomen Bulat1836–190018851893People's Party
20Ivan Manger1840–191918931897
21Petar Katalinić1844–192218971899First mayor from the Katalinić family.
22Vinko Milić1833–191019001906
23Ante Trumbić1864–193819061907Croatian Party
24Vicko Mihaljević1861–191119071911Served as the inspiration for the mayor character in the Velo Misto series by Miljenko Smoje.
25Vicko Katalinić1857–191719111912First term. Second mayor from the Katalinić family.
26Teodor Šporn1879–195319121913First term.
27Vicko Katalinić1857–191719131914Second term.
28Frane Madirazza1885–192919141917
29Vicko Nišetić19171917
30Teodor Šporn1879–195319171918Second term.
31Josip Smodlaka1869–195619181918Croatian Democratic PartyFirst term. Previously a member of the Imperial Council of the Austrian Empire. Later became a member of the NKOJ and the first foreign minister of the second Yugoslavia.

Kingdom of Yugoslavia

Yugoslav National Party Yugoslav Radical Union Croatian Peasant Party

No.MayorLifespanTerm of officePartyNote
32Ivo Tartaglia1880–194919181928Held office for 10 years. His extensive art collection formed the core of the exhibitions in the future Gallery of Fine Arts in Split.
33Petar Bonetti1888–196719281928
34Josip Berković1885–196819281929
35Jakša Račić1868–194319291933Yugoslav National PartyMedical doctor, head of the city sanatorium. Modernized medical services in the city; began the forestation of Marjan hill. An ethnic Croat, he was a member of the Chetnik movement during World War II. He was executed by Dalmatian Partisans.
36Mihovil Kargotić19331938
37Mirko Buić1894–196719381938
38Vlado Matošić19381939Yugoslav Radical Union
39Ivan Zlatko Vrdoljak19391939
40Stjepan Spalatin19391940
41Josip Brkić1887–195919401941Croatian Peasant Party

World War II

National Liberation Front (resistance coalition) Communist Party of Yugoslavia

No.MayorLifespanTerm of officePartyNote
Civil Commissioners Italian occupation 1941–43
N/ABruno NardelliApril 194128 April 1941National Fascist Party
N/AAntonio Tacconi1880–196228 April 19411943National Fascist PartyCivil Commissioner (mayor) for Split after the city's formal annexation into fascist Italy.
No.MayorLifespanTerm of officePartyNote
Presidents of the National Liberation Committee Wartime resistance city government 1942–47
42Ivo Amulić1911–19736 April 194215 May 1942Unitary National Liberation Front (coalition)
43Ivo Tijardović1895–197615 May 1942July 1943Unitary National Liberation Front (coalition)
44Josip Smodlaka1869–1956September 1943October 1943Unitary National Liberation Front (coalition)Second term. Previously a member of the Imperial Council of the Austrian Empire. Later became a member of the NKOJ and the first foreign minister of the second Yugoslavia.
45Petar Vitezica1903–1970October 1943May 1944Unitary National Liberation Front (coalition)
46Umberto FabrisMay 194425 November 1944Unitary National Liberation Front (coalition)
47Ante Mrduljaš25 November 194425 June 1947Communist Party of Yugoslavia

Federal Yugoslavia

League of Communists of Yugoslavia Croatian Democratic Union

The current Coat of arms of Split is a modification of this one introduced during the Yugoslav period, which, in turn, was based on the Medieval (14th century) arms
No.MayorLifespanTerm of officePartyNote
48Marko Šore19471947Communist Party of Yugoslavia
49Ivo Raić19471949Communist Party of Yugoslavia
50Paško Ninčević19491952Communist Party of Yugoslavia (renamed in 1952)
51Ivo Senjanović19521955League of Communists of Yugoslavia (renamed)
52Rade Dumanić1918–200819551963League of Communists of YugoslaviaPresided over the start of large-scale urbanization and expansion of the city.
53Ante Zelić19631965League of Communists of YugoslaviaPaved the road network on Marjan hill.
54Ivo Perišin1925–200819651967League of Communists of YugoslaviaAlso at one time held the positions of President of the Executive Council (Prime Minister), and President of the Assembly (Head of State) of Croatia.
55Jakša Miličić1926–202419671974League of Communists of YugoslaviaPresided over major urban expansion projects and the construction of the Split 3 district.
56Vjekoslav Vidjak19741982League of Communists of YugoslaviaPresided, along with Ante Skataretiko, over the organization and preparations for the 1979 Mediterranean Games in Split.
57Dragutin Matošić19821983League of Communists of Yugoslavia
58Ante Kovač19831984League of Communists of Yugoslavia
59Božidar Papić19851986League of Communists of Yugoslavia
60Drago Urličić19861987League of Communists of Yugoslavia
61Gordana Kosanović19871990League of Communists of Yugoslavia
62Onesin Cvitan1939–19901991Croatian Democratic Union
1990

Since independence

Croatian Democratic Union (5) Social Democratic Party (2) Croatian Social Liberal Party (1) Liberal Party (1) Independent Croatian Civic Party (1) Centre (1)

No.MayorLifespanTerm of office — Electoral mandatePartyNote
63Petar Slapničar1932–19911993Croatian Democratic Union
—
Nikola Grabić1938–19931997Croatian Social Liberal PartySwitched political party mid-term.
64—Croatian Democratic Union
65Ivan Škarić1944–19972001Croatian Social Liberal PartyElected to the Croatian Parliament in 2003.
—
66Slobodan Beroš1945–202020022003Social Democratic Party
—
67Miroslav Buličić1952–20032005Liberal Party
—
68Zvonimir Puljić1947–200920052007Croatian Democratic UnionResigned after confrontations with the Velo Misto List coalition partner.
2005
69Ivan Kuret1971–17 July 20071 June 2009Croatian Democratic UnionContinuation of the previous term; appointed following the resignation of his predecessor.
—
Željko Kerum1960–1 June 20097 June 2013IndependentRan as an independent candidate. After the election, he founded the Croatian Civic Party (HGS). Elected Member of Parliament in 2011 (ran in coalition with the Croatian Democratic Union).
702009Croatian Civic Party
71Ivo Baldasar1958–7 June 201328 March 2017Social Democratic PartyRan as a candidate for the Social Democratic Party but was thrown out of the party in 2016. Founded The Split Party in 2017. Resigned as mayor after his budget proposals were voted against.
2013
—Branka Ramljak (Government Commissioner)1962–28 March 201714 June 2017Independent
—
72Andro Krstulović Opara1967–14 June 20177 June 2021Croatian Democratic Union
2017
73Ivica Puljak1969–7 June 20218 April 2022CentreResigned as mayor along with his deputies following allegations against the deputy for threats made to certain journalists.
2021
—Mirna Veža (Government Commissioner)8 April 202215 July 2022IndependentActing mayor until new is elected.
—
73Ivica Puljak1969–15 July 20229 June 2025CentreFirst mayor ever to win reelection in Split.
2022
74Tomislav Šuta1982–9 June 2025Croatian Democratic Union
2025

See also