The Monumental Cemetery Mirogoj was founded in 1876 on the property of Ljudevit Gaj, leader of the Croatian national revival.
The new cemetery substituted eight cemeteries active at that time. It was projected by Herman Bollé (1845-1926), a Friedrich von Schmidt's student.
Herman Bollé had a French origin and descended from a family of German architects. He lived in Croatia for half a century and with his works had a big impact in Zagreb (especially with the reconstruction of the Cathedral) and in the whole country.
In 1879 started in Mirogoj the construction of the magnificent arcades, with cupolas, central portals and the church.

The arcades were finished in 1917 while the central part in 1929.
The Neo-Renaissance style of the cemetery is characterized by symmetry, balance, clear perspectives, a right division of lights and shadows and almost modern expression.
According with the first statute all confessions were equal, so catholic and orthodox crosses and jewish stars equally form the cupolas’ sky-line.
Mirogoj can therefore be considered is a very significant cemetery as a landscape realisation, as a art gallery and as a book of Croatian history.