Capture of Jenin

The Capture of Jenin occurred on 20 September 1918, during the Battle of Sharon which together with the Battle of Nablus formed the set piece Battle of Megiddo fought between 19 and 25 September during the last months of the Sinai and Palestine Campaign of the First World War. During the cavalry phase of the Battle of Sharon carried out by the Desert Mounted Corps, the 3rd Light Horse Brigade, Australian Mounted Division attacked and captured the town of Jenin located on the southern edge of the Esdraelon Plain (also known as the Jezreel Valley and the plain of Armageddon) 40–50 miles (64–80 km) behind the front line in the Judean Hills. The Australian light horse captured about 2,000 prisoners, the main supply base and the ordnance depot of the Seventh and the Eighth Armies in and near the town. They also cut the main road from Nablus and a further 6,000 Ottoman Empire and German Empire prisoners, were subsequently captured as they attempted to retreat away from the Judean Hills.

The Egyptian Expeditionary Force (EEF) cavalry had ridden through a gap on the Mediterranean Sea coast, created by the infantry during the Battle of Tulkarm, to capture the two Ottoman armies' main lines of communication and supply north of the Judean Hills, while the infantry battles continued. On 20 September, the Desert Mounted Corps captured Afulah, Beisan and Jenin on the Esdrealon Plain. The next day the headquarters of the Seventh Army at Nablus, and the General Headquarters (GHQ) of the Yilderim Army Group at Nazareth, were both captured, while Haifa was captured two days later. During a subsequent early morning attack on 25 September, a German rearguard was captured during the Battle of Samakh, which ended the Battle of Sharon. During these operations the greater part of one Ottoman army was captured in the Judean Hills and at Jenin. These and other battles fought during the Battle of Megiddo including the Battle of Nablus and Third Transjordan attack, forced the retreating Ottoman Fourth, and remnants of the Seventh and the Eighth Armies, to the eastern side of the Jordan River. As they withdrew northwards towards Damascus they were pursued by the Desert Mounted Corps.

After the infantry established a gap in the Ottoman front line on the coast early on the morning of 19 September, the Australian Mounted Division's 3rd and 4th Light Horse Brigades (less the 5th Light Horse Brigade temporarily detached to the 60th Division) in reserve, followed the 4th Cavalry Division north on the Plain of Sharon and across the Mount Carmel Range, by the Musmus Pass, to Lejjun on the Esdrealon Plain. While the 4th Light Horse Brigade remained to garrison Lejjun and provide various guards for artillery, supplies, and corps headquarters before being ordered to capture Samakh, the 3rd Light Horse Brigade advanced to Jenin, where the 9th and 10th Light Horse captured the town after a brief fire fight. Subsequently, these two regiments captured some 8,000 Ottoman soldiers, who had been attempting to retreat northwards out of the Judean Hills, during the night of 20/21 September. The outnumbered Australian Light Horsemen were reinforced as quickly as possible, and the majority of the prisoners were marched back into holding camps, near Lejjun in the morning. The 3rd Light Horse Brigade remained in the area to garrison Jenin until they advanced to capture Tiberias on 25 September 1918, before participating in the pursuit to Damascus.

## Background

Following the Capture of Jericho in February, the commander of the Egyptian Expeditionary Force (EEF), General Edmund Allenby ordered the occupation of the Jordan Valley. In March–April and April–May 1918, the First and the Second Transjordan attacks took place, while the front line across the Judean Hills to the Mediterranean Sea was defended. During this time, three-quarters of the British infantry and yeomanry cavalry regiments were redeployed to the Western Front to counter Ludendorff's German spring offensive. They were replaced by British India Army infantry and cavalry which required a reorganisation. These newly arrived soldiers carried out a series of attacks on sections of the Ottoman front line in the Judean Hills during the summer months, as part of their training. These attacks including the Battle of Tell 'Asur and Action of Berukin in March and April, were aimed at pushing the front line to more advantageous positions in preparation for a major attack, and to acclimatise the newly arrived infantry. This fighting continued during the summer months. By the middle of September the consolidated EEF was once again ready for large-scale offensive operations.

On 19 September, the Battle of Megiddo commenced with the XXI Corps (commanded by Lieutenant General Edward Bulfin), under cover of a creeping barrage, broke through the Ottoman front line to begin the Battle of Sharon. In the afternoon the XX Corps commanded by Lieutenant General Philip Chetwode began the Battle of Nablus, also supported by an artillery barrage. This offensive by the XX and XXI Corps, continued until midday on 21 September, when a successful flanking attack by the XXI Corps, combined with the XX Corps assault, forced the Seventh and the Eighth Armies, to disengage. The Seventh Army retreated from the Nablus area towards the Jordan River, crossing at the Jisr ed Damieh bridge before a rearguard at Nablus was captured. While the EEF infantry were fighting the Seventh and Eighth Armies in the Judean Hills, the Desert Mounted Corps commanded by the Australian Lieutenant General Harry Chauvel advanced through the gap created by the XXI Corps infantry on the morning of 19 September, to ride northwards and virtually encircle the Ottoman forces before they disengaged. The cavalry divisions captured Nazareth, Haifa, Afulah, Beisan, and Jenin before and Samakh and the Capture of Tiberias ended the Battle of Megiddo. During this time, Chaytor's Force (temporarily detached from Desert Mounted Corps) commanded by Major General Edward Chaytor, captured part of the retreating Ottoman and German column at the Capture of Jisr ed Damieh bridge over the Jordan River to cut off this line of retreat, during the Third Transjordan attack. To the east of the river, as the Ottoman Fourth Army began its retreat, Chaytor's Force advanced to capture Es Salt on 23 September and Amman on 25 September. Units of Chaytor's Force captured Amman after defeating a strong Fourth Army rearguard during the Second Battle of Amman.

## Prelude

In preparation for the Battle of Megiddo, the Desert Mounted Corps, consisting of the 4th and 5th Cavalry Divisions, the Australian Mounted Division's 3rd and 4th Light Horse Brigades, concentrated near Ramleh, Ludd (Lydda), and Jaffa. Here dumps were formed of all surplus equipment, before the brigades and divisions moved up close behind the XXI Corps infantry divisions, near the Mediterranean coast.

Each mounted division of about 3,500 troopers, consisted of three brigades, each brigade being made up of three regiments. Five of the six brigades of the 4th and 5th Cavalry Divisions, most of which had recently arrived from France, consisted of one British yeomanry regiment and two British Indian Army cavalry regiments, one of which was usually lancers, including the Indian Princely States' 15th Imperial Service Cavalry Brigade of three lancer regiments. Some of the cavalry regiments were armed in addition to their Lee–Enfield rifles, bayonets and swords, with lances. The Australian Mounted Division consisting of three light horse brigades, each with three regiments, containing a headquarters and three squadrons. With 522 men and horses in each regiment, they were armed in addition to their rifles and bayonets with swords. The mounted divisions were supported by machine gun squadrons, three artillery batteries from the Royal Horse Artillery or the Honourable Artillery Company, and light armoured car units—two Light Armoured Motor Batteries, and two Light Car Patrols.

By 17 September the 5th Cavalry Division, which would lead the advance, was deployed north-west of Sarona, eight miles (13 km) from the front line, with the 4th Cavalry Division in orange groves to the east, ten miles (16 km) from the front, and the Australian Mounted Division in reserve near Ramleh and Ludd, 17 miles (27 km) from the front line. All movement, restricted to the night hours, culminated in a general move forward on the eve of battle during the night of 18/19 September, when the Australian Mounted Division moved up to Sarona. The supplies for the three divisions concentrated in the rear in divisional trains, in massed horse-drawn transport and on endless strings of camels, clogging every road in the area. One iron ration and two days' special emergency ration for each man, and 21 pounds (9.5 kg) of grain for each horse, was carried on the trooper's horse, with an additional day's grain for each horse, carried on the first-line transport limbered wagons.

### Advance to Lejjun

During the initial cavalry advance up the coastal Plain of Sharon to Litera on the Nahr el Mefjir, the Desert Mounted Corps was to advance, "strictly disregarding any enemy forces" which were not on the path of their advance. The mounted units were to cross the Mount Carmel Range from the coast to the Esdraelon Plain, through two passes. The 5th Cavalry Division took a northern and more difficult track from Sindiane to Abu Shusheh, 18 miles (29 km) south-east of Haifa, heading towards Nazareth, while the 4th Cavalry Division followed by the Australian Mounted Division in reserve crossed the mountain range by the historic southern Musmus Pass, (used by armies of the Egyptian Pharaoh Thothmes III in the 15th century BC, and the Roman Emperor Vespasian in the 1st century AD) to Lejjun before advancing to Afulah in the centre of the Esdrealon Plain. This southern pass was about 14 miles (23 km) long and about 300 yards (270 m) wide, as it followed the Wadi Ara up the side of the Samarian Hills to 1,200 feet (370 m) above sea level, before falling to the plain. During their advance, the Australian Mounted Division halted for ten minutes every hour, when saddle girths may have been loosened and a few minutes sleep snatched, with the reins looped around an arm jammed deeply into a pocket.

The Esdrealon Plain, also known as the Jezreel Valley, and the Plain of Armageddon, stretches to the white houses of Nazareth in the foothills of the Galilean Hills on its northern edge 10 miles (16 km) away, to Jenin on its southern edge at the foot of the Judean Hills, through Afulah to Beisan on its eastern edge, close to the Jordan River. On its western edge near Lejjun, at the mouth of the Musmus Pass, the ancient fortress of Megiddo on Tell al Mutesellim, dominates the Esdrealon Plain, across which Romans, Mongols, Arabs, Crusaders and the army of Napoleon had marched and fought. The road and railway network, on which the German and Ottoman forces in Palestine depended for supplies and communications, crossed this plain via the two important communication hubs of Afulah and Beisan. (See Falls Map 21 Cavalry advances detail) The railway passed from the plain into the Judean Hills south of Jenin, to wind through a narrow pass in the foothills before climbing to Messudieh Junction, where it again branched. One line ran westward to Tulkarm and Eighth Army headquarters, before turning south to the railhead to supply the Eight Army front line troops on the coastal plain, while the main railway line continued south-eastward to Nablus, and the Seventh Army headquarters.

No defensive works of any kind had been identified on the Esdrealon Plain, or covering the approaches to it during aerial reconnaissance flights, except German troops known to garrison the commander of the Yildirim Army Group, General Otto Liman von Sanders' headquarters in Nazareth. However, at 12:30 on 19 September, Liman von Sanders ordered the 13th Depot Regiment at Nazareth and military police, a total of six companies with 12 machine guns, to occupy Lejjun to defend the Musmus Pass against a possible attack. In reserve, the 3rd and 4th Light Horse Brigades, Australian Mounted Division rode 28 miles (45 km) from the south-east of Jaffa at 08:45 to arrive at 01:45 at the Nahr Iskanderun, still on the coast, on the Plain of Sharon. The 3rd Light Horse Brigade and divisional troops of the Australian Mounted Division resumed their advance, passing through Kerkuk at 05:00 on 20 September, to move through the Musmus Pass before rest between 07:30 and 08:30 for breakfast. They arrived on the Esdrealon Plain at Lejjun at 11:45 on 20 September. The 4th Light Horse Brigade had been detached to various escort and guard duties. The 4th Light Horse Regiment served as escort to the Desert Mounted Corps' headquarters, while the 11th Light Horse Regiment escorted divisional transport. The remainder of the brigade moved to Liktera at 03:00 on 20 September to organize and escort the transport convoy through the Musmus Pass. The transport of the Australian Mounted Division, and the Desert Mounted Corps, was consolidated by the brigade at Liktera, before moving at 14:00 to Kerkuk, where the 5th Cavalry Division's transport joined their column. At 16:30 the combined transport began moving through the Musmus Pass. 'A' echelon arrived at Lejjun at 21:00 on 20 September.

### Desert Mounted Corps objectives

According to Woodward, "[c]oncentration, surprise, and speed were key elements in the blitzkrieg warfare planned by Allenby." The question of whether or not it was Allenby's plan has been raised in the literature. According to Chauvel, Allenby had already decided on his plan before the Second Transjordan attack in April/May. Victory at the Battle of Megiddo depended on the intense British Empire artillery barrage successfully covering the front line infantry attacks, and to drive a gap in the line so the cavalry could advance quickly to the Esdraelon Plain 50 miles (80 km) away during the first day of battle. Control of the skies was achieved and maintained by destroying German aircraft or forcing them to retire. Constant bombing raids by the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) and Australian Flying Corps (AFC), were carried out on Afulah, Tulkarm and Nablus, which cut communications with the Yildirim Army Group commander, Liman von Sanders at Nazareth.

After entering the Esdraelon Plain the Desert Mounted Corps was to ride as far as the Jordan River to encircle the Seventh and Eighth Ottoman Armies in the Judean Hills, where they were still busy fighting the XXI and the XX Corps. If the Esdraelon Plain could be quickly captured, the railways cut, the roads controlled, the lines of communication and retreat cut, two Ottoman armies could be captured. The main objectives for 20 September were:

- The 5th Cavalry Division's attack on Nazareth and Liman von Sanders' Yildirim Army Group's headquarters 70 miles (110 km) from Asurf, before clearing the plain to Afulah.
- The 4th Cavalry Division's capture of Afulah and Beisan and occupation of the bridges over the Jordan River—in particular, they were to hold or destroy the Jisr Majami bridge 12 miles (19 km) north of Beisan, 97 miles (156 km) from the old front line.
- The Australian Mounted Division, in reserve, was to occupy Lejjun, while the 3rd Light Horse Brigade advanced to capture Jenin, 68 miles (109 km) from their starting point, cutting the main line of retreat for the German and Ottoman soldiers. Nazareth has been mentioned as the place where the brigade was to "await the retreating Turks beginning to stream back through the Dothan pass." Without communications, no combined action could be organized by the Ottoman forces, and the continuing EEF infantry attack forced the Ottoman Seventh and Eighth Armies to withdraw northwards from the Judean Hills. They withdrew along the main roads and railways from Tulkarm and Nablus through the Dothan Pass to Jenin. After capturing Jenin, the 3rd Light Horse Brigade was to wait for them.

## Battle

At 15:35 on 20 September, Major General Henry Hodgson, commanding the Australian Mounted Division, ordered Brigadier General Lachlan Wilson's 3rd Light Horse Brigade to capture Jenin. The 9th and 10th Light Horse Regiments, accompanied by the Nottinghamshire Battery (RHA), and four cars of the 11th Light Armoured Motor Battery moved out, leaving the 8th Light Horse Regiment for local protection at Lejjun. By 16:30, this force had left Lejjun to advancing at the fast rate of ten miles (16 km) per hour towards Jenin. As they were approaching Kufr Adan, three miles (4.8 km) north-west of Jenin, a detached troop "rode down an enemy outpost" of between 1,200 and 1,800 German and Ottoman soldiers in an olive grove on the right flank. They had "immediately deployed" with swords drawn before charging "right into the Turks." The whole force was captured including several wounded.

The 10th Light Horse Regiment with six machine guns of the 3rd Machine Gun Squadron formed the advanced guard. With the Afulah to Nazareth road already cut, one squadron of the advanced guard moved swiftly to control the road north from Jenin to Zir'in, on which a column of Ottoman soldiers was retiring. The remainder of the advanced guard rode directly towards Jenin, passing the railway station about 1⁄2 mile (0.80 km) on their right to cut the main road leading north, and the road east towards Beisan, with the 9th Light Horse Regiment following at the trot. Having cut the road and railway the 10th Light Horse Regiment turned south riding directly towards the village and railway station. They had galloped the 11 miles (18 km) from Lejjun in 70 minutes to arrive from the north-west. The Australian light horsemen charged into the town with drawn swords, to swiftly overwhelm all the German and Ottoman troops caught in the open. The 9th and the 10th Light Horse Regiments had attacked the town from two different directions, throwing the garrison into confusion. However, a "machine gun duel" between the 3rd Machine Gun Squadron and Germans, firing from windows and gardens on the light horsemen in the streets, developed. After about two hours of fighting, the Germans attempted to withdraw, when a number were killed and the remainder were captured. A total of about 4,000 prisoners were captured, along with what the General Staff Headquarters of the Australian Mounted Division's War Diary described as, an "enormous amount of booty."

Jenin had been the main supply and ordnance depot of the Ottoman Seventh and Eighth Armies, and huge quantities of war material, including guns, machine guns, and ammunition, were captured. In nearby caves, large stores of German beer, wine, and canned food were found. Jenin had also been the main German air base, and 24 burnt aircraft were found on two aerodromes. At the railway station, locomotives and rolling stock were captured, along with a number of well-equipped workshops. Three hospitals were also captured. An armed guard was placed on 120 cases of champagne (some of which was later distributed) and a "wagon load of bullion", worth nearly £20,000. Some of the gold was later used to buy food and forage for the Desert Mounted Corps, when they had outdistanced their lines of communication, and were forced to requisition supplies from the local population.

After securing the town, the 9th and 10th Light Horse Regiments were deployed across the main line of retreat from the Judean Hills, at the outlet of the Dothan Pass, about one mile (1.6 km) south of Jenin, to wait for the expected retreating columns. At 21:00 on 20 September, a burst of machine gun fire stopped a long column of retreating German and Ottoman soldiers, resulting in the capture of 2,800 prisoners and four guns. During the night the light horsemen were to capture 8,000 prisoners who had retreated, in the face of EEF infantry attacks in the Judean Hills, along the good quality road from Nablus and Tulkarm, north towards Jenin and Damascus.

## Aftermath

Outnumbered many times over, the 3rd Light Horse Brigade force patrolled 7,075 prisoners for the remainder of the night, with drawn swords until reinforcements began to arrive. The first were the 12th Light Armoured Motor Battery, which arrived at 04:15 on 21 September. The 4th Light Horse Brigade left Lejjun at 04:30 on 21 September, to reinforce the 3rd Light Horse Brigade at Jenin. The brigade moved out less one squadron, but with the 4th and 11th Light Horse Regiments and a section of the Nottinghamshire Battery RHA, and/or the 19th Brigade RHA (less one battery and one section) to arrive at 06:00. They found virtually the whole plain covered with prisoners, motor cars, lorries, wagons, animals, and stores "in an inextricable confusion." The headquarters of the Australian Mounted Division arrived Jenin at 06:30 and, half an hour later, the 14th Cavalry Brigade (5th Cavalry Division) also arrived at Jenin to help manage the thousands of prisoners, but were able to return to their division at Afulah at 16:15 that afternoon. Meanwhile, the 8th Light Horse Regiment (3rd Light Horse Brigade) also quickly followed after being relieved at Lejjun. They arrived at Jenin at 07:00 and two hours later departed, on their way back to Lejjun, escorting a convoy of about 7,000 prisoners. It took 10 hours to escort them to the prison compound, where a total of about 14,000 prisoners would eventually be held.

More than 40 hours after the offensive began, substantial columns of the Seventh Ottoman Army were seen withdrawing northeastwards from Nablus, in the direction of the Jordan River where many would be captured by the 11th Cavalry Brigade of the 4th Cavalry Division. Liman von Sanders, the commander of the Yildirim Army Group, had been surprised by the arrival of EEF cavalry at Nazareth in the early hours of 20 September. With no combat formations available to stop the EEF cavalry, he and his staff were forced to retire from Nazareth, driving via Tiberias, to reach Samakh in the late afternoon. Here he made arrangements to establish a strong rearguard garrison in what he planned would be the center of a rearguard line which was to stretch from Lake Hule to Irbid. Liman von Sanders drove on to Deraa on the morning of 21 September, where he received a report from the Ottoman Fourth Army, which he ordered to withdraw to the Deraa-to-Irbid line, without waiting for the southern Hejaz garrisons. He subsequently continued his journey back to Damascus.

As a result of the capture of Jenin, all the main direct northern routes across the Esdrealon Plain, which the retreating Ottoman Seventh and Eighth Armies could have used, were now held by the Desert Mounted Corps. The 4th Cavalry Division controlled the Beisan area on the eastern edge of the plain after they captured both Afulah and Beisan, while the 5th Cavalry Division garrisoned the Afulah and Nazareth areas in the center and to the north, with the Australian Mounted Division holding Jenin in the south and patrolling the surrounding area.

The 4th Cavalry Division had ridden 70 miles (110 km) (the first 20 miles (32 km) over sandy soil) and fought two actions, in 34 hours. The 13th Brigade of the 5th Cavalry Division covered 50 miles (80 km) in 22 hours. On its way to Jenin, the Australian Mounted Division rode 62 miles (100 km), with its 3rd Light Horse Brigade riding 51 miles (82 km) in less than 25 hours. These cavalry divisions had started the advance with three days rations, so they were on their last day's supplies when their brigade transport and supply companies arrived. These divisional trains had been supplied from motor lorry convoys, one of which arrived at Jenin during 21 September. The Australian Mounted Division motor ambulance transport, also rejoined their division at Jenin on 21 September, after the main road had been cleared.

The 5th Light Horse Brigade (Australian Mounted Division), which had been attached to the infantry in the Judean Hills, was ordered to rejoin their division at Jenin. The brigade doubled back to turn down the road to Jenin, arriving on dusk at 18:00 on 22 September to relieve the 3rd Light Horse Brigade, which then withdrew to Afulah. The 4th Light Horse Brigade remained at Jenin until 22 September, when it was ordered back to Afulah, where they arrived at midday on 23 September. The 5th Light Horse Brigade was still at Jenin on 25 September, the last day of the Battle of Megiddo, when it was ordered to send a regiment to reinforce the 4th Light Horse Brigade's pre-dawn attack on Samakh. They charged against a well prepared German and Ottoman rearguard during the Battle of Samakh. Later in the day, one squadron of the 8th Light Horse Regiment, 3rd Light Horse Brigade approached Tiberias along the road from Nazareth, while a squadron from the 12th Light Horse Regiment, advanced north from Samakh. Together they captured Tiberias and 56 prisoners, half of which were German. The next day Allenby held a corps commanders' conference at Jenin where he ordered the pursuit to Damascus. Infantry from the 7th Brigade of the 3rd (Lahore) Division were detached to the Desert Mounted Corps to relieve the mounted and cavalry divisions of their garrison duties. The infantry took over the captured areas, marching via Jenin, and Nazareth, to arrive at Samakh on 28 September.

Part of the Middle Eastern theatre of World War I

Aerial operations and battles of World War I

Battles of World War I involving Australia

Battles of World War I involving British India

Battles of World War I involving Germany

Battles of World War I involving New Zealand

Battles of World War I involving the Ottoman Empire

Battles of World War I involving the United Kingdom

Battles of the Sinai and Palestine Campaign

History of the Royal Air Force during World War I


Beacon Theatre (New York City)

The Beacon Theatre is an entertainment venue at 2124 Broadway, adjacent to the Hotel Beacon, on the Upper West Side of Manhattan in New York City. Opened in 1929, the Beacon Theatre was developed by Samuel "Roxy" Rothafel and built as a movie palace, with 2,894 seats across three levels. It was designed by Walter W. Ahlschlager with decorations inspired by the Renaissance, Ancient Roman, Ancient Greek, and Rococo styles. The theater is designated as a New York City interior landmark and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

The facade is relatively plain and is made of brick and stone, with a marquee above its entrance on Broadway. The outdoor ticket booth leads to a vestibule and a multi-story rotunda lobby under the hotel, with a mural by Danish artist Valdemar Kjoldgaard in the lobby. The auditorium is in an adjacent structure on the eastern part of the site, near 75th Street and Amsterdam Avenue. The auditorium's side walls have ornate arched doorways and murals, while the multicolored ceiling has a chandelier. The proscenium arch has Greek columns and is flanked by large statues. The orchestra pit has a Wurlitzer organ, one of three in a theater in Manhattan.

The theater was originally proposed in January 1927 as the Roxy Midway Theatre. Roxy severed his involvement and Warner Bros. took over the theater, opening it on December 24, 1929. The Central Amusement Corporation took over the Beacon in 1932, and Brandt Theatres assumed operation in 1944, running it for three decades. The theater started presenting live entertainment in 1966, and Steven Singer and Barry Kerr renovated it into a rock venue in 1974. After Singer's bankruptcy, Kazuko Hillyer turned the theater into a performing arts center in 1976. Following a failed attempt to convert the Beacon into a nightclub and restaurant in 1986, the theater remained in use as a live music and entertainment venue. Madison Square Garden Entertainment took over in 2006 and renovated the Beacon shortly afterward.

Over the years, the Beacon has hosted numerous concerts. Some acts have appeared for extended residencies, including the Allman Brothers Band. It has also hosted other types of live performances, including dance troupes and plays. The Beacon has additionally been used for broadcasts, tapings, films, and ceremonies such as the Tony Awards.

## Description

The Beacon Theatre is at 2124 Broadway, on the Upper West Side of Manhattan in New York City, along the east side of the avenue between West 74th and 75th Streets. The theater is part of the Hotel Beacon building and was designed by Walter W. Ahlschlager for Samuel L. "Roxy" Rothafel. The Beacon's auditorium is mostly along the rear of the hotel, facing Amsterdam Avenue to the east and 75th Street to the north, although the main entrance is on Broadway to the west. The theater and hotel are near several other buildings such as The Ansonia apartments to the southwest, The Astor apartments to the northwest, and the Central Savings Bank Building to the south.

The Beacon Theatre had been designed as a miniature version of the earlier Roxy Theatre in Midtown Manhattan, which Ahlschlager also designed. Whereas the Roxy Theatre had been designed with Moorish and Renaissance-inspired elements, the Beacon contains a variety of styles, including Renaissance, Ancient Roman, Ancient Greek, and Rococo-inspired elements. Danish artist Valdemar Kjoldgaard designed numerous murals for the Beacon as well. When the theater opened, Women's Wear Daily described Kjoldgaard's murals as being "themselves worth a king's ransom". A reporter described the theater in general as "a true bit of Bagdad on Broadway", while another critic called the theater's interior "like walking into an Arab sheik's tent".

### Facade

The Beacon Theatre's entrance and lobby are within the hotel building, while the auditorium is in its own structure to the east. The hotel's facade is plain in design, and the theater's entrance is on the southern section of the hotel's Broadway facade. Above the theater's marquee, the hotel building contains arched windows on the second floor and a brick facade on upper stories.

The facade of the auditorium faces 75th Street and Amsterdam Avenue, where the first floor is made of stone and the upper stories are made of brick. Both facades have blind openings without any windows. There are horizontal band courses above the first and fifth floors, corresponding to those on the hotel's facade, as well as an arcade near the auditorium's roof. On 75th Street, there is a large arch at the center of the facade, with a stone frame, along with three blind arches on the fifth-story band course above it. On Amsterdam Avenue, there is a large stone-framed ogee arch at the fifth story, along with four blind arches to the sides. A stepped gable rises atop the auditorium's Amsterdam Avenue facade.

### Interior

#### Lobbies

Under the theater's marquee is a semicircular outdoor ticket lobby with tile flooring, which is recessed from the sidewalk. There is a ticket booth in the middle of the outdoor ticket lobby. The ticket booth was originally gilded and was made of marble, glass, and metal. Prior to its renovation in 2009, the ticket booth had been painted over several times. East of the outdoor ticket booth are glass and metal doors, topped by transom windows, which lead to an indoor vestibule. This vestibule has a low ceiling with lamps and Renaissance-style molded bands. The north wall contains mirrors and signs, while the south wall has another ticket booth and an office. The doors to the west (leading from the street) and to the east (leading to the main lobby) both curve into the vestibule.

East of the vestibule is a circular rotunda with Rococo-inspired decorations. The rotunda ceiling is as high as the auditorium itself; it contains moldings of rosettes and coffers, as well as a large chandelier hanging from its center. The western wall of the rotunda, which leads from the entrance vestibule, contains fluted pilasters on either side. Above the doorways is a landscape mural by Valdemar Kjoldgaard. Some time before a renovation in 2008, the mural had been covered with wallpaper, though the artwork was restored during the renovation. On the eastern wall of the rotunda is a passageway flanked by Ionic-style pilasters, which reach from the floor to the ceiling. Above the passageway is a decorative panel, as well as an archway with full-height colonettes on the mezzanine and balcony levels.

On either side of the passageway on the rotunda's eastern wall are Rococo-style stairways. The lowest flight connects to the mezzanine level. Two more flights provide access to both the bottom and the top rows of the steeply raked balcony.

#### Auditorium

The auditorium has three levels of seating and a proscenium arch. The space is designed with both sculpted decorations and murals by Kjoldgaard. As of 2022, the Beacon Theatre has 2,894 seats. The theater's operator, MSG Entertainment, classifies the mezzanine level directly above the orchestra as a loge level. Two stories above the orchestra is the balcony level, which is divided into two sections: a lower balcony in the front and an upper balcony in the back. When the theater opened, there was a smoking-room balcony behind the auditorium, with ventilation ducts in the ceiling. There was also a fireproof projection booth in the rear. The original seats were characterized as "fully upholstered" folding seats with large amounts of legroom.

The side walls of the orchestra contain ornate arched doorways. Above each of the arches are theatrical masks, which are flanked by swags and cartouches. Above these arches are the balcony's side walls, which are divided into two bays by fluted pilasters. Each bay contains a piece of a mural by Kjoldgaard; according to the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission, these represent "oriental scenes with caravans of elephants, camels, and traders". The ceiling above the front of the auditorium contains a red, gold, green, and blue color scheme and is designed to resemble the draped roof of a tent. A Venetian-style chandelier hangs from the center of the ceiling.

The proscenium arch consists of Doric-style columns on either side, supporting the top of the proscenium. The latticework of the proscenium had openings for the sound coming from the theater's organ. Flanking the proscenium are bronze female figures, which measure 30 ft-tall (9.1 m) and depict Greek goddesses. Women's Wear Daily described these figures as "heroic-size bronzes of Amazons with spear and shield". Above the proscenium are green and gold plaster draperies. The theater originally had a curtain that contemporary media described as the only "contour curtain" in a movie theater in the United States.

The Beacon also retains its original Wurlitzer organ in its orchestra pit. The organ was manufactured in 1928 and contains four manuals and 19 ranks. The Beacon is one of three theaters in Manhattan that retains its original organ, along with Radio City Music Hall and the United Palace. The organ was abandoned by the early 1960s, but it was not removed because the removal cost was too high for the theater's operators. The organ was restored in 1967 and remained in use at the Beacon until it was sealed in 2009.

## History

Movie palaces became common in the 1920s, between the end of World War I and the beginning of the Great Depression. In the New York City area, only a small number of operators were involved in the construction of movie palaces. Relatively few architects were responsible for these theaters' designs, including Walter Ahlschlager, Thomas W. Lamb, C. Howard Crane, and John Eberson. Samuel "Roxy" Rothafel was a successful theater operator who was prominent in the city's movie theater industry, having built the 5,920-seat Roxy Theatre on 50th Street in midtown during 1927. The Chanin brothers also had some experience in theatrical development, having built six Broadway theaters in the mid-1920s.

### Movie palace

#### Development and opening

The Chanins acquired a site on 75th Street between Broadway and Amsterdam Avenue in 1925 for the construction of a hotel and an attached theater. Two years later, in January 1927, the Chanins sold the site to the Havemeyer Construction Company. Film producer Herbert Lubin negotiated the sale on behalf of Roxy, who would operate the theater on the site, known as the Roxy Midway Theatre. Roxy retained Ahlschlager to design the new hotel and theater, and the Chanins were hired as the consulting engineers for the project. The sale came one month after Lubin established the Roxy Circuit, which planned to operate numerous movie theaters in New York City, with the midtown Roxy Theatre as its flagship. In April 1928, S. W. Straus & Company underwrote a \$4.45 million loan on the Midway project, which at the time was nearly completed. An airway beacon was placed on top of the hotel, and the project was renamed the Midway Beacon, a name that was kept as late as June 1928.

The Roxy Circuit never operated the Midway Theatre because, in July 1928, the company sued to get out of its lease. None of the other planned theaters in the Roxy Circuit were ever built, in part because of the start of the Great Depression shortly afterward. The New York Herald Tribune was using the "Beacon" name exclusively by June 1929. At the time, Warner Theatres was considering acquiring the theater, which had been completed for a year but was unused. After RKO Pictures considered leasing the Beacon, Warner Theatres ultimately bought the theater in November 1929, turning it into a first-run showcase for Warner Bros. films on the Upper West Side. Warner Theatres then conducted changes to the acoustical properties of the auditorium to accommodate sound films. Warner Bros. unsuccessfully attempted to obtain the rights to screen First National Pictures films at the new Beacon. The renamed Warner's Beacon Theatre opened on December 24, 1929, with the talking picture Tiger Rose featuring Lupe Vélez.

#### Film screenings

Originally, the Beacon played one motion picture per week, which ran continuously from 11:30 a.m. to 11:30 p.m. Among the early films screened at the Beacon were Once a Gentleman (1930), A Soldier's Plaything (1931), and The Lawless Woman (1931). The Chanins took over the Beacon Hotel and Theatre in April 1930, four months after the theater had opened. Amid speculation that the Chanins might redevelop the site (in the past eleven years, the brothers had torn down every structure that they had bought), Irwin Chanin announced that the Beacon Hotel and Theatre would remain operational. The Beacon Enterprise Company, in which Warner Bros. owned 75 percent of the stock, was subsequently recorded as having leased the theater. The Beacon was one of several movie theaters that Warner Bros. operated along Broadway; the others included the Warners, Hollywood, Winter Garden, and Strand.

At the end of January 1932, Warner Bros.' operating lease on the Beacon Theatre expired, and the Central Amusement Corporation took over. The Chanins said the new management allowed the Beacon to show movies from more than one producer. The Beacon largely continued to produce straight pictures, but it also broadened its offerings to radio broadcasts, such as Tru Blu Beer's Broadway Bandwagon in 1935. To recruit soldiers during World War II, the United States Army exhibited a mortar and a machine gun in the Beacon's rotunda lobby while playing a short film in the auditorium. The theater also hosted bond-buying events during the war. Brandt Theatres acquired the Beacon in 1944 as the 120th theater in its chain. Two years later, the Beacon began presenting films and stage performances for children during Saturday matinees.

The Beacon implemented a policy of presenting only first runs at the end of 1948; the British picture Don't Take It to Heart was the first to be screened under this policy. During 1949, the films shown under this policy included double features such as Easy Money/My Brother's Keeper, as well as traditional single features like A Yank Comes Back and Temptation Harbour. The Beacon continued to show double features throughout the 1950s, such as The Frightened Bride/The Caretaker's Daughter in 1953. The Beacon also screened Warner Bros. films. This caused a dispute in 1959, when the owners of the nearby Embassy Theatre filed a lawsuit, alleging that Warner Bros. had showed favoritism by selling distribution rights for three films to the Beacon rather than to the high bidders, the Embassy. Starting in 1962, the Beacon also showed United Artists pictures through the UA's "Premiere Showcase"; the first film shown under this program was Hong Kong.

In January 1966, Brandt announced that the Beacon would present legitimate plays along with films. The first live show under this policy, a Yiddish vaudeville show, was canceled after two days. The next year, members of the American Association of Theatre Organ Enthusiasts restored the Beacon's long-unused organ. The Beacon then screened silent pictures accompanied by organ music, starting with The General. By then, Boxoffice magazine characterized the Beacon as one of the Upper West Side's few movie palaces that remained in theatrical use. The Beacon also continued to screen talking pictures such as Ulysses, as well as live shows including a ballet production in 1968. The Beacon implemented a "first second run" policy in 1971, showing reruns of films that had just premiered (as opposed to reruns that had already been shown at other theaters). Accordingly, the Beacon reduced its ticket prices to \$1.00–1.50, even as its competitors retained higher ticket prices. Though the reduced ticket prices increased the theater's income by 15 to 20 percent, the Beacon's owners were looking to sell the theater.

### Conversion into live venue

#### Early live shows

Following the closure of rock venue Fillmore East, Bow Wow Productions proposed hosting rock concerts at the Beacon in 1971. The concert series began later that year, and the theater charged ticket prices of up to \$7.50 on these shows. The Beacon's concerts in 1971 tended not to have long runs due to disagreements between promoters and the theater's operators. By the early 1970s, the theater was still showing movies but was dimly lit and deteriorating. In March 1974, the Beacon was leased by Vidicoth Systems, a company operated by Steven Singer and Barry Kerr. The new operators spent \$250,000 on renovations, including \$75,000 on a new sound system. The operators reupholstered the seats, installed new carpets, and repainted the ceiling and statues. The theater continued to show movies until the renovations were finished.

When the Beacon reopened in October 1974, Stephen Metz took over the theater's bookings, using the Beacon primarily for rock concerts. A writer for Newsday said of the Beacon: "A rock ballroom is not just what Manhattan needs, but that may be what it's getting." By the next year, the Beacon had gained a reputation as a rock venue. A New York Amsterdam News reporter said in 1976 that the Beacon "has transcended a galaxy of live-entertainment theaters" and had become a competitor to the Apollo Theater in Harlem. Some residents raised complaints about the noise and crowds at the rock concerts, though Singer and Metz addressed most of these complaints. Singer and Metz formed a firm in August 1976, Singmet, which produced some of its own shows for the Beacon. The theater was closed in 1976 after Singer and Metz went bankrupt, and it was planned to be replaced by a supermarket.

Kazuko Hillyer announced plans in February 1977 to convert the Beacon into a performing arts center. Hillyer, a Japanese-American, said she wanted to make the theater "a center for the two heritages we all have". Hillyer immediately booked dance shows for the Beacon, and she intended to spend \$75,000 on renovations. The same year, Concert Arts Society was recorded as having leased the theater for 15 years. The New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC) designated the Beacon Theatre as an interior landmark on December 11, 1979, citing the theater's "dramatic effects of rich ornamental details". 50/50 Productions, a company operated by Steve Martin, took over the Beacon's bookings in October 1981 and booked jazz and contemporary musicians for the theater. Martin wanted to stage Broadway shows at the theater, but he faced competition from the Shubert Organization and the Nederlander Organization, the two largest operators of Broadway theaters. The Beacon was renovated in 1982, and it was added to the National Register of Historic Places the same year. The theater was renovated again in 1985.

#### Failed conversion into nightclub

Andy Feltz became the Beacon's manager in 1986. That February, the theater's owners announced plans to convert the Beacon into a nightclub and restaurant with a discotheque. At the time, the Beacon was the only mid-sized live-concert venue in Manhattan; the two other similarly sized venues in the borough, Avery Fisher Hall and Carnegie Hall, were largely used for classical music. The operator of the planned nightclub, Olivier Coquelin, said he and his architect Charles A. Platt (a former LPC commissioner) had chosen the Beacon Theatre for conversion specifically because of its landmark status. Coquelin's company signed a seven-year lease for the theater that April. The nightclub would be built as a freestanding structure within the auditorium, thus reducing the need to modify the protected interior spaces. Area residents expressed concerns that the renovations would damage the landmarked design features. Preservationists and community groups, including the Committee to Save the Beacon Theatre, organized in opposition to the plans.

The LPC voted to approve the plan in July 1986. Afterward, Coquelin said he would need to spend \$3 million to renovate the theater because of its deteriorated condition. The city rejected the conversion proposal that December because the planned dance floor was too large under zoning regulations. The city government approved the plan after the dance floor's size was reduced. Two benefit concerts were hosted to fund the groups that opposed the theater's conversion. In September 1987, a New York Supreme Court judge overturned the LPC's approval of the conversion on the grounds that it would threaten the quality of the theater's architecture. During this time, the Beacon was still hosting concerts; along with the Apollo, it was one of two venues in Manhattan with frequent rock, pop, and soul concerts. The theater's operators filed an appeal of the Supreme Court's ruling in October 1988. The New York Court of Appeals overturned the Supreme Court decision, sending the plan back to the LPC.

#### Continued use as live venue

By 1989, the theater's operators no longer intended to turn the theater into a nightclub, having hired MSG Entertainment as the theater's exclusive booking agent for several years. The Committee to Save the Beacon Theatre expressed optimism but continued to monitor the theater's usage. Following the efforts of the Committee to Save the Beacon Theatre, Nanci Callahan founded the West Side Cultural Center, which was to stage children's programming, dances, and operas at the Beacon. In late 1991, the Beacon was temporarily converted into an IMAX theater; the IMAX format's large screen necessitated that most of the seats be closed off due to poor sightlines. The theater was then refurbished again in the early 1990s for rock concerts.

Feltz continued to manage the Beacon until 2006. That November, the theater was leased for 20 years to MSG Entertainment's parent company Cablevision, which also leased Radio City Music Hall and owned Madison Square Garden. Cablevision committed at least \$10 million toward a future restoration of the Beacon, which closed for a major renovation in August 2007. Beyer Blinder Belle was hired for the project, fixing longstanding issues such as a leaking roof and damage to original decorations. The restoration also involved replacing the electrical system, upholstering the seats, restoring decorations in the lobby and the auditorium, and upgrading backstage functions. The workers restored features such as the Broadway ticket booth, which had been painted over numerous times, and the chandelier above the auditorium, which had been hanging from a coffee tin. The project involved 1,000 workers and was completed in February 2009 for \$16 million.

MSG Entertainment split from Cablevision in mid-2009 but continued to operate the Beacon Theatre and its other venues. The Beacon's lighting system was upgraded in 2014 to accommodate the venue's events, which at the time included concerts, comedy, broadcasts, and film screenings. For over a year, from early 2020 to July 2021, the Beacon Theatre was temporarily closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. A new sound system was installed at the Beacon in August 2022.

## Entertainment

After the Beacon Theatre started presenting live performances, it became one of the most popular concert halls in New York City. In addition, it has hosted other types of live events such as comedy specials. By 2006, the theater hosted about 70 performances a year; box-office figures were available for 52 of these events, which collectively grossed \$8 million and had 136,000 total patrons. During the Beacon's 2008 renovation, The New York Times referred to the venue as the "Carnegie Hall of rock rooms".

### Concerts

The theater has long hosted R&B, pop, and jam bands and rock concerts. Early in the Beacon's history as a venue for live show, it hosted concert appearances such as those of rock band Steve Miller Band, blues singer Dr. John, soul singer Wilson Pickett, and pop singer Tina Turner. When the theater was briefly used as a rock venue in the mid-1970s, several rock bands had appearances at the Beacon, including Supertramp, Queen (as part of their A Night at the Opera Tour), Grateful Dead, and Return to Forever. Additional concerts in the 1970s included a three-night appearance by singer Carole King in 1976. After Kazuko Hillyer took over in 1977, she moved her Coffee Concerts to the Beacon from Alice Tully Hall. Under Hillyer's operation, the theater also hosted acts such as Canadian Brass and Peter Schickele in 1978.

Among the Beacon's concert bookings in the early 1980s were those by jazz trumpeter Miles Davis, R&B singer Millie Jackson, bluegrass acts Osborne Brothers and Jim & Jesse, and jazz musicians Sarah Vaughan and Zoot Sims. Other acts during the decade included gospel singers Al Green and Shirley Caesar, pop musician Laurie Anderson, pop/jazz guitarist Earl Klugh, juju singer King Sunny Adé, and jazz singer Cab Calloway. In the early 1990s, the Beacon hosted such musical offerings as folk-rock duo Indigo Girls, a rock-and-soul revue, a concert with several country performers, singer Tracy Chapman, pop rock band Crowded House, and gospel singers BeBe Winans and CeCe Winans. The latter half of the decade saw appearances by performers including rock musician Ian Anderson, jazz tenor Sonny Rollins, Italian blues singer Zucchero Fornaciari, as well as a classical music concert.

Concert performances continued in the early 2000s, including those by singer Liza Minnelli, the Wynton Marsalis Septet, singers Norah Jones and Gillian Welch, rock band Radiohead, and blues musician Bonnie Raitt. Paul Simon gave the first performances at the Beacon after it reopened in 2009, and Leonard Cohen performed the same year. Artists who performed at the Beacon in the 2010s included Goldfrapp, Fiona Apple, Cat Stevens, Nick Mason's Saucerful of Secrets, The Tragically Hip, and Coldplay.

#### Residencies

The rock band the Allman Brothers Band was at one point the most frequent performer at the Beacon, appearing there nearly every year from 1989 to 2014. After their first performance in 1989, the band returned in 1992 1994, and annually after 1996; a New York Times article in 2002 called the band's performances "as sure a sign of spring as the reappearance of robins and bellybuttons". The band recorded a live album at the theater in March 2000, releasing Peakin' at the Beacon that November. In 2009, the Allman Brothers Band celebrated its 40th anniversary at the Beacon with shows dedicated to the band's founder and original frontman, Duane Allman. The band could not perform at the Beacon in 2010 because the theater was hosting an extended run of a Cirque du Soleil production, but the band was invited back in 2011. The band played the final show of its career at the Beacon Theatre on October 28, 2014, after 238 total concerts at the theater.

Other bands and musicians have also had residencies at the Beacon. The band Hot Tuna performed annually through the 1990s and 2000s, and rock band Steely Dan has also had many residencies at the theater. From 2014 to 2017, singer Mariah Carey hosted her annual residency All I Want for Christmas Is You: A Night of Joy and Festivity at the Beacon, featuring songs from her Christmas albums Merry Christmas and Merry Christmas II You alongside some of her biggest hits. The first leg of Carey's residency commenced in December 2014, followed by performances in 2015, 2016, and 2017. Bob Dylan has also had numerous annual residencies at the Beacon Theatre, and guitarist Trey Anastasio performed an eight-week virtual residency called "The Beacon Jams" in late 2020.

### Other live appearances

The first live show in the Beacon's modern history was the Yiddish vaudeville Bagels & Yox, which closed after two days in 1967. The Beacon hosted a performance of Erik Satie's symphonic drama Socrate in 1967, in tribute to the mobile artist Alexander Calder, featuring a recreation of Calder's set for a 1936 production of the work. During the early 1970s, the Beacon featured weekly professional wrestling matches. When the Beacon operated as a performing arts center in the late 1970s, it hosted appearances by dance companies such as the Alwin Nikolais Dance Theatre, the Murray Louis Dance Company, the Grand Kabuki troupe of Japan, and a festival called "Ballet at the Beacon". During that era, the Beacon also hosted another performance of Socrate alongside the opera Four Saints in Three Acts, as well as an Elizabeth Swados musical with a cast composed entirely of children.

In the early 1980s, the Beacon continued to host dance and musical performances, including the National Dance Company of Senegal, an annual Hasidic Song Festival, the Guangdong Yue Opera, and a production of the opera cycle Der Ring des Nibelungen. Michaele Vollbracht held a fashion show at the Beacon in 1982, although the theater's stage was poorly equipped to host such events. Near the end of the decade, the theater also hosted the melodrama 1000 Airplanes on the Roof. Live performances in the 1990s included a production of the musical The Wiz with an all-Black cast in 1993 and a comedy routine by Sandra Bernhard in 1994. The 14th Dalai Lama also gave two series of lectures at the Beacon in 1999 and 2003.

The Beacon continued to host plays, musicals, and other live acts in the 21st century. These included the children's musical Questionable Quest in 2000; Tyler Perry's play Madea Goes to Jail in 2005; and Perry's off-Broadway drama The Marriage Counselor in 2009. Cirque du Soleil staged the short-lived vaudeville-based show Banana Shpeel at the Beacon in 2010, and the musical The Lightning Thief had performances at the Beacon before opening on Broadway in 2019. In addition, comedian Jerry Seinfeld started a residency at the Beacon in 2015, and comedian Ali Wong appeared at the theater in 2021.

### Recordings and broadcasts

The theater's stage has hosted a variety of broadcasts and films. For example, VH1 broadcast its popular production Divas Live from there in 1998 and 1999. Many of George Carlin's HBO comedy specials were broadcast from or filmed at the Beacon, including You Are All Diseased (1999). Conan O'Brien taped his Late Night 10th anniversary special at the theater in 2003, and O'Brien briefly returned in late 2011 to tape shows for his series Conan.

Some of the concerts at the Beacon have been taped as well. Duran Duran recorded a live concert at the Beacon on August 31, 1987, called Live at the Beacon Theatre. The theater was also used in late 2006 for the filming of Shine a Light, a film of a live concert by the Rolling Stones. Joan Baez celebrated her 75th birthday with a concert at the theater on January 27, 2016, which was broadcast on PBS's Great Performances and released on CD and DVD. She also included the theater in her worldwide Fare Thee Well tour with three concerts in September 2018 and in May 2019.

Even after being converted into a live-performance venue in the 1970s, the Beacon still occasionally hosted film screenings. These included a series of Cuban films in 1978, a marathon run of Russian films in 1979, and a "worst-film festival" in 1980. The theater also hosted a silent-film festival in 1985, accompanied by music from the organ, as well as the film Koyaanisqatsi with a live accompaniment in 1988. The Beacon was temporarily converted to an IMAX theater for the screening of the film Stones at the Max in 1991. Some film screenings continued at the Beacon through the 21st century, such as the film Walk the Line in 2005 and a premiere of the film Suicide Squad in 2016. The Beacon has also hosted some films for the annual Tribeca Film Festival, including Love, Gilda in 2018 and Apocalypse Now in 2019.

### Other events

The Beacon has hosted several tributes. These included a memorial to actor John Barrymore in 1982; a show in honor of jazz musician Duke Ellington in 1989; and the Zappa Plays Zappa concert in 2006, a tribute to musician Frank Zappa. The Beacon has also been used for parties, such as a 1988 event to celebrate the opening of the Broadway musical The Phantom of the Opera, as well as a birthday party for then-U.S. Senator Hillary Clinton in 2006.

The Beacon has also been used for benefits. For example, in 1975, the theater hosted a jazz concert to fund opposition to Riverside Church's planned sale of its radio station WRVR-FM. A concert was hosted in December 1986 to fund opposition to the Beacon Theatre's proposed conversion into a nightclub, followed by another concert in June 1987 for the same purpose. The biennial autism-awareness benefit "Night of Too Many Stars", hosted by Jon Stewart, has also been hosted at the Beacon several times, including in 2008, 2010, and 2015.

The Beacon Theatre started hosting the New York Music Awards in 1987, the year after the award had been founded. The awards were hosted annually at the Beacon until 1992. The Broadway League temporarily relocated the Tony Awards, the annual ceremony for Broadway theatre, to the Beacon in the early 2010s due to prior bookings at the ceremony's traditional home, Radio City Music Hall. The Beacon thus hosted the 65th Tony Awards in 2011; the theater also hosted the 66th Tony Awards in 2012 because the Beacon had a "multi-year contract" with the Tonys, Another extended run at the Music Hall forced the Tonys to again relocate to the Beacon in 2016, when the theater hosted the 70th Tony Awards.

## See also

- List of New York City Designated Landmarks in Manhattan from 59th to 110th Streets
- National Register of Historic Places listings in Manhattan from 59th to 110th Streets

Entertainment venue in Manhattan, New York

Theatres on the National Register of Historic Places in Manhattan


Demographics of Croatia

The demographic characteristics of the population of Croatia are known through censuses, normally conducted in ten-year intervals and analysed by various statistical bureaus since the 1850s. The Croatian Bureau of Statistics has performed this task since the 1990s. The latest census in Croatia was performed in autumn of 2021. According to final results published on 22 September 2022 the permanent population of Croatia at the 2021 census (31st Aug) had reached 3.87 million. The population density is 68.7 inhabitants per square kilometre, and the overall life expectancy in Croatia at birth was 78,2 years in 2018. The population rose steadily (with the exception of censuses taken following the two world wars) from 2.1 million in 1857 until 1991, when it peaked at 4.7 million. Since 1991, Croatia's death rate has continuously exceeded its birth rate; the natural growth rate of the population is negative. Croatia is in the fourth (or fifth) stage of the demographic transition. In terms of age structure, the population is dominated by the 15 to 64 year‐old segment. The median age of the population is 43.4, and the gender ratio of the total population is 0.93 males per 1 female.

Croatia is inhabited mostly by Croats (91.63%), while minorities include Serbs (3.2%), and 21 other ethnicities (less than 1% each). The demographic history of Croatia is marked by significant migrations, including the arrival of the Croats in the area growth of Hungarian and German-speaking population since the union of Croatia and Hungary, and joining of the Habsburg Empire, migrations set off by Ottoman conquests and growth of Italian speaking population in Istria and in Dalmatia during Venetian rule there. After the collapse of Austria-Hungary, the Hungarian population declined, while the German-speaking population was forced or compelled to leave after World War II and similar fate was suffered by the Italian population. Late 19th century and the 20th century were marked by large scale economic migrations abroad. The 1940s and the 1950s in Yugoslavia were marked by internal migrations in Yugoslavia, as well as by urbanisation. Recently, significant migrations came as a result of the Croatian War of Independence when hundreds of thousands were displaced, while the 2010s brought a new wave of emigration which strengthened after Croatia's accession to the EU in 2013.

Croatian is the official language, but minority languages are officially used in some local government units. Croatian is declared as the native language by 95.60% of the population. A 2009 survey revealed that 78% of Croatians claim knowledge of at least one foreign language—most often English. The main religions of Croatia are Roman Catholic (86.28%), Eastern Orthodoxy (4.44%) and Islam (1.47%). Literacy in Croatia stands at 98.1%. The proportion of the population aged 15 and over attaining academic degrees grew rapidly since 2001, doubling and reaching 16.7% by 2008. An estimated 4.5% of the GDP is spent for education. Primary and secondary education are available in Croatian and in languages of recognised minorities. Croatia has a universal health care system and in 2010, the nation spent 6.9% of its GDP on healthcare. Net monthly income in September 2011 averaged 5,397 kuna (c. 729 euro). The most significant sources of employment in 2008 were manufacturing industry, wholesale and retail trade and construction. In January 2020, the unemployment rate was 8.4%. Croatia's median equivalent household income tops average Purchasing Power Standard of the ten countries which joined the EU in 2004, while trailing the EU average. 2011 census recorded a total of 1.5 million private households, which predominantly owned their own housing. Average urbanisation rate in Croatia stands at 56%, with augmentation of urban population and reduction of rural population.

## Population

With a population of 3,871,833 in 2021, Croatia ranks 128th in the world by population. Its population density is 75.8 inhabitants per square kilometre. The overall life expectancy in Croatia at birth is 78 years.

The total fertility rate of 1.50 children per mother is one of the lowest in the world. Since 1991, Croatia's death rate has nearly continuously exceeded its birth rate. The Croatian Bureau of Statistics forecast that the population may even shrink to 3.1 million by 2051, depending on the actual birth rate and the level of net migration. The population of Croatia rose steadily from 2.1 million in 1857 until 1991, when it peaked at 4.7 million, with the exception of censuses taken in 1921 and 1948, i.e. following two world wars. The natural growth rate of the population is negative. Croatia started advancing from the first stage of the demographic transition in the late 18th and early 19th centuries (depending on where in Croatia is being discussed). Croatia is in the fourth or fifth stage of the demographic transition.

An explanation for the population decrease in the 1990s is the Croatian War of Independence. During the war, large sections of the population were displaced and emigration increased. In 1991, in predominantly Serb areas, more than 400,000 Croats and other non-Serbs were either removed from their homes by the Croatian Serb forces or fled the violence. In 1995, during the final days of the war, more than 120,000 and perhaps as many as 200,000 Serbs fled the country before the arrival of Croatian forces during Operation Storm. Within a decade following the end of the war, only 117,000 Serb refugees returned out of the 300,000 displaced during the entire war. According to 2001 Croatian census there were 201,631 Serbs in Croatia, compared to the census from 1991 when the number was 581,663. Most of Croatia's remaining Serbs never lived in areas occupied in the Croatian War of Independence. Serbs have been only partially re-settled in the regions they previously inhabited, while some of the settlements previously inhabited by Serbs were settled by Croat refugees from Bosnia and Herzegovina, mostly from Republika Srpska.

In 2014, there were 39,566 live births in Croatia, comprising 20,374 male and 19,192 female children. Virtually all of those were performed in medical facilities; only 19 births occurred elsewhere. Out of the total number, 32,677 children were born in wedlock or within 300 days after the end of the marriage, and the average age of mothers at the birth of their first child was 28.4 years. General fertility rate, i.e. number of births per 1,000 women aged 15–49 is 42.9, with the age specific rate peaking at 101.0 per million for women aged 25–29. In 2009, 52,414 persons died in Croatia, 48.5% of whom died in medical facilities and 90.0% of whom were receiving medical treatment at the time. Cardiovascular disease and cancer were the primary causes of death in the country, with 26,235 and 13,280 deaths respectively. In the same year, there were 2,986 violent deaths, including 2,121 due to accidents. The latter figure includes 616 deaths in traffic accidents. In 2014, the birth rate was 9.3 per mille, exceeded by the mortality rate of 12.0 per mille. The infant mortality rate was 5.0 per mille in 2014. In terms of age structure, the population of Croatia is dominated by the 15–64 year older segment (68.1%), while the size of the population younger than 15 and older than 64 is relatively small (15.1% and 16.9% respectively). The median age of the population is 41.4. The sex ratio of the population is 1.06 males per 1 female at birth and up to 14 years of age, and 0.99 males per 1 female between the ages of 15 and 64. But at ages over 64 the ratio is 0.64 males per 1 female. The ratio for the total population is 0.93 males per 1 female.

In contrast to the shrinking native population, since the late 1990s there has been a positive net migration into Croatia, reaching a level of more than 7,000 net immigrants in 2006. In accordance with its immigration policy, Croatia is also trying to entice emigrants to return. Croatian citizenship is acquired in a multitude of ways, based on origin, place of birth, naturalization and international treaties. In recent years, the Croatian government has been pressured each year to add 40% to work permit quotas for foreign workers.

There were 8,468 immigrants to Croatia in 2009, more than half of them (57.5%) coming from Bosnia and Herzegovina, a sharp decline from the previous year's 14,541. In the same year, there were 9,940 emigrants from the country, 44.8% of them leaving to Serbia. The number of emigrants represents a substantial increase compared to the figure of 7,488 recorded in 2008. In 2009, the net migration to and from abroad peaked in the Sisak-Moslavina County (−1,093 persons) and the city of Zagreb (+830 persons).

In 2009, a total of 22,382 marriages were performed in Croatia as well as 5,076 divorces. The 2001 census recorded 1.47 million households in the country.

### Census data

The first modern population census in the country was conducted in 1857, and 15 more have been performed since then. Since 1961 the censuses are conducted in regular ten-year intervals, with the latest one in 2011. The first institution set up in the country specifically for the purposes of maintaining population statistics was the State Statistical Office, founded in 1875. Since its founding, the office changed its name and structure several times and was alternately subordinated to other institutions and independent, until the most recent changes in 1992, when the institution became the Croatian Bureau of Statistics. The 2011 census was performed on 1–28 April 2011, recording situation as of 31 March 2011. The first census results, containing the number of the population by settlement, were published on 29 June 2011, and the final comprehensive set of data was published in December 2012. The 2011 census and processing of the data gathered by the census was expected to cost 171.9 million kuna (23.3 million euro). The 2011 census was performed using new methodology: the permanent population was determined as the enumerated population who lived in the census area for at least 12 months prior to the census, or plans to live in the same area for at least 12 months after the census. This method was also retroactively applied to the 2001 census data.

### Total Fertility Rate from 1880 to 1899

The total fertility rate is the number of children born per woman. It is based on fairly good data for the entire period. Sources: Our World in Data and Gapminder Foundation.

### Total Fertility Rate from 1915 to 1940

## Vital statistics

### Births and deaths before WWI

### Births and deaths after WWII

Source: Croatian Bureau of Statistics

### Current vital statistics

### Structure of the population

## Marriages and divorces

## Ethnic groups

Croatia is inhabited mostly by Croats (91.63%), while minority groups include:Serbs (3.2%), Bosniaks, Hungarians, Italians, Albanians, Slovenes, Germans, Czechs, Roma and others (less than 1% each). The Constitution of the Republic of Croatia explicitly identifies 22 minorities. Those are Serbs, Czechs, Slovaks, Italians, Istro-Romanians ("Vlachs"), Hungarians, Jews, Germans, Austrians, Ukrainians, Romanians, Ruthenians, Macedonians, Bosniaks, Slovenes, Montenegrins, Russians, Bulgarians, Poles, Roma, Turks and Albanians.

### 1900–1931

### 1948–2021

## Significant migrations

The demographic history of Croatia is characterised by significant migrations, starting with the arrival of the Croats in the area. According to the work De Administrando Imperio written by the 10th-century Byzantine Emperor Constantine VII, the Croats arrived in the area of modern-day Croatia in the early 7th century. However, that claim is disputed, and competing hypotheses date the event between the 6th and the 9th centuries. Following the establishment of a personal union of Croatia and Hungary in 1102, and the joining of the Habsburg Empire in 1527, the Hungarian and German-speaking population of Croatia began gradually increasing in number. The processes of Magyarization and Germanization varied in intensity but persisted to the 20th century. The Ottoman conquests initiated a westward migration of parts of the Croatian population; the Burgenland Croats are direct descendants of some of those settlers. To replace the fleeing Croats the Habsburgs called on the Orthodox populations of Bosnia and Serbia to provide military service in the Croatian Military Frontier. Serb migration into this region peaked during the Great Serb Migrations of 1690 and 1737–39. Similarly, Venetian Republic rule in Istria and in Dalmatia, following the Fifth and the Seventh Ottoman–Venetian Wars ushered gradual growth of Italian speaking population in those areas. Following the collapse of Austria-Hungary in 1918, the Hungarian population declined, especially in the areas north of the Drava river, where they represented the majority before World War I.

The period between 1890 and World War I was marked by large economic emigration from Croatia to the United States, and particularly to the areas of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Cleveland, Ohio, and Chicago, Illinois. Besides the United States, the main destination of the migrants was South America, especially Argentina, Chile, Bolivia and Peru. It is estimated that 500,000 people left Croatia during this period. After World War I, the main focus of emigration shifted to Canada, where about 15,000 people settled before the onset of World War II. During World War II and in the period immediately following the war, there were further significant demographic changes as the German-speaking population, the Volksdeutsche, were either forced or otherwise compelled to leave—reducing their number from the prewar German population of Yugoslavia of 500,000, living in parts of present-day Croatia and Serbia, to the figure of 62,000 recorded in the 1953 census. A similar fate was suffered by the Italian population in Yugoslavia populating parts of present-day Croatia and Slovenia, as 350,000 left for Italy. The 1940s and the 1950s in Yugoslavia were marked by colonisation of settlements where the displaced Germans used to live by people from the mountainous parts of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia and Montenegro, and migrations to larger cities spurred on by the development of industry. In the 1960s and 1970s, another wave of economic migrants left Croatia. They largely moved to Canada, Australia, New Zealand and Western Europe. During this period, 65,000 people left for Canada, and by the mid-1970s there were 150,000 Croats who moved to Australia. Particularly large European emigrant communities of Croats exist in Germany, Austria and Switzerland, which largely stem from the 1960s and 1970s migrations.

A series of significant migrations came as a result of the 1991–1995 Croatian War of Independence. In 1991, more than 400,000 Croats and other non-Serbs were displaced by the Croatian Serb forces or fled the violence in areas with significant Serb populations. During the final days of the war, in 1995, between 120,000 and 200,000 Serbs fled the country following the Operation Storm. Ten years after the war, only a small portion of Serb refugees returned out of the 400,000 displaced during the entire war. Most of the Serbs in Croatia who remained never lived in areas occupied during the Croatian War of Independence. Serbs have been only partially re-settled in the regions they previously inhabited; some of these areas were later settled by Croat refugees from Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Significant migrations have been happening after the accession of Croatia to the European Union, with a persistent growth since 2013, and the population leaving is largely younger and more educated.

### Demographic losses in the 20th century wars and pandemics

In addition to demographic losses through significant migrations, the population of Croatia suffered significant losses due to wars and epidemics. In the 20th century alone, there were several such events. The first was World War I, when the loss of the population of Croatia amounted to an estimated 190,000 persons, or about 5.5% of the total population recorded by the 1910 census. The 1918 flu pandemic started to take its toll in Croatia in July 1918, with peaks of the disease occurring in October and November. Available data is scarce, but it is estimated that the pandemic caused at least 15,000–20,000 deaths. Around 295,000 people were killed on the territory of present-day Croatia during World War II, according to the demographer Bogoljub Kočović. The demise of the armed forces of the Independent State of Croatia and of the civilians accompanying the troops at the end of World War II was followed by the Yugoslav death march of Nazi collaborators. A substantial number of people were executed, but the exact number is disputed. The claims range from 12,000–15,000 to as many as 80,000 killed in May 1945. Finally, approximately 20,000 were killed or went missing during the 1991–1995 Croatian War of Independence. The figure pertains only to those persons who would have been recorded by the 1991 census as living in Croatia.

## Other demographic statistics

Demographic statistics according to the World Population Review.

- One birth every 14 minutes
- One death every 10 minutes
- Net loss of one person every 22 minutes
- One net migrant every 72 minutes

The following demographic statistics are from the CIA World Factbook.

Population:
4,270,480 (July 2018 est.)

Age structure:

0-14 years: 14.21% (male 312,805 /female 293,931)

15-24 years: 11.09% (male 242,605 /female 230,853)

25-54 years: 40.15% (male 858,025 /female 856,455)

55-64 years: 14.65% (male 304,054 /female 321,543)

65 years and over: 19.91% (male 342,025 /female 508,184) (2018 est.)

Median age:
total: 43.3 years. Country comparison to the world: 20th

male: 41.4 years

female: 45.3 years (2018 est.)

Birth rate:
8.8 births/1,000 population (2018 est.) Country comparison to the world: 208th

Death rate:
12.4 deaths/1,000 population (2018 est.) Country comparison to the world: 16th

Total fertility rate:
1.41 children born/woman (2018 est.) Country comparison to the world: 212nd

Net migration rate:
-1.4 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2018 est.) Country comparison to the world: 150th

Population growth rate:
-0.51% (2018 est.) Country comparison to the world: 221st

Mother's mean age at first birth:
28 years (2014 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 76.3 years (2018 est.) Country comparison to the world: 87th

male: 73.2 years (2018 est.)

female: 79.6 years (2018 est.)

Ethnic groups:
Croat 90.4%, Serb 4.4%, other 4.4% (including Bosniak, Hungarian, Slovene, Czech, and Romani), unspecified 0.8% (2011 est.)

Languages:
Croatian (official) 95.6%, Serbian 1.2%, other 3% (including Hungarian, Czech, Slovak, and Albanian), unspecified 0.2% (2011 est.)

Religions:
Roman Catholic 86.3%, Orthodox 4.4%, Muslim 1.5%, other 1.5%, unspecified 2.5%, not religious or atheist 3.8% (2011 est.)

Nationality:
noun: Croat(s), Croatian(s)

adjective: Croatian

note: the French designation of "Croate" to Croatian mercenaries in the 17th century eventually became "Cravate" and later came to be applied to the soldiers' scarves – the cravat; Croatia celebrates Cravat Day every 18 October

Dependency ratios:
total dependency ratio: 50.9 (2015 est.)

youth dependency ratio: 22.4 (2015 est.)

elderly dependency ratio: 28.5 (2015 est.)

potential support ratio: 3.5 (2015 est.)

Urbanization:
urban population: 56.9% of total population (2018)

rate of urbanization: -0.08% annual rate of change (2015–20 est.)

Literacy:

definition: age 15 and over can read and write (2015 est.)

total population: 99.3%

male: 99.7%

female: 98.9% (2015 est.)

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education):
total: 15 years

male: 14 years

female: 16 years (2016)

Unemployment, youth ages 15–24:
total: 31.3% (2016 est.) Country comparison to the world: 26th

male: 31.2% (2016 est.)

female: 31.3% (2016 est.)

## Languages

Croatian is the official language of Croatia, and one of 24 official languages of the European Union since 2013. Minority languages are in official use in local government units where more than a third of the population consists of national minorities or where local legislation mandates their use. These languages are Czech, Hungarian, Italian, Ruthenian, Serbian and Slovak. Besides these, the following languages are also recognised: Albanian, Bosnian, Bulgarian, German, Hebrew, Macedonian, Montenegrin, Polish, Romanian, Romani, Russian, Rusyn, Slovenian, Turkish and Ukrainian. According to the 2021 Census, 95.25% of citizens of Croatia declared Croatian as their native language, 1.16% declared Serbian as their native language, while no other language is represented in Croatia by more than 0.5% of native speakers among the population of Croatia.

In the region of Dalmatia, each city historically spoke a variant of the Dalmatian language. It developed from Latin like all Romance languages, but became heavily influenced by Venetian and Croatian. The language fell out of use in the region by the 16th century and went extinct when the last speaker died in 1898.

Croatian replaced Latin as the official language of the Croatian government in 1847. The Croatian lect is generally viewed as one of the four standard varieties of the Shtokavian dialect of Serbo-Croatian, a South Slavic language. Croatian is written using the Latin alphabet and there are three major dialects spoken on the territory of Croatia, with the Shtokavian idiom used as the literary standard. The Chakavian and Kajkavian dialects are distinguished by their lexicon, phonology, and syntax.

From 1961 to 1991, the official language was formally designated as Serbo-Croatian or Croato-Serbian. Even during socialist rule, Croats often referred to their language as Croato-Serbian (instead of Serbo-Croatian) or as Croatian. Croatian and Serbian variants of the language were not officially recognised as separate at the time, but referred to as the "West" and "East" versions, and preferred different alphabets: the Gaj's Latin alphabet and Karadžić's Cyrillic alphabet. Croats are protective of their language from foreign influences, as the language was under constant change and threats imposed by previous rulers (i.e. Austrian German, Hungarian, Italian and Turkish words were changed and altered to "Slavic" looking/sounding ones).

A 2009 survey revealed that 78% of Croats claim knowledge of at least one foreign language. According to a survey ordered by the European commission in 2005, 49% of Croats speak English as their second language, 34% speak German, and 14% speak Italian. French and Russian are spoken by 4% each, and 2% of Croats speak Spanish. A substantial proportion of Slovenes (59%) have a certain level of knowledge of Croatian.

## Religions

The main religions of Croatia are Roman Catholicism 78.97%, no religion 6.39%, other Christianity 4.84%, undeclared 3.86%, Eastern Orthodoxy 3.32%, Islam 1.32%, Protestantism 0.26%, others 1.87%. In the Eurostat Eurobarometer Poll of 2005, 67% of the population of Croatia responded that "they believe there is a God" and 7% said they do not believe "there is any sort of spirit, God, or life force", while 25% expressed a belief in "some sort of spirit or life force". In a 2009 Gallup poll, 70% answered affirmatively when asked "Is religion an important part of your daily life?" Significantly, a 2008 Gallup survey of the Balkans indicated church and religious organisations as the most trusted institutions in the country. The survey revealed that 62% of the respondents assigned "a lot" or "some" trust to those institutions, ranking them ahead of all types of governmental, international or non-governmental institutions.

Public schools allow religious education, in cooperation with religious communities that have agreements with the government, but attendance is not mandatory. The classes are organized widely in public elementary and secondary schools. In 2009, 92% of elementary school pupils and 87% of secondary school students attended the religious education classes. Public holidays in Croatia also include the religious festivals of Epiphany, Easter Monday, Feast of Corpus Christi, Assumption Day, All Saints' Day, Christmas, and St. Stephen's or Boxing Day. The religious festival public holidays are based on the Catholic liturgical year, but citizens of the Republic of Croatia who celebrate different religious holidays have the right not to work on those dates. This includes Christians who celebrate Christmas on 7 January per the Julian calendar, Muslims on the days of Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha, and Jews on the days of Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. Marriages performed by the religious communities having agreements with the state are officially recognized, eliminating the need to register the marriages in a registrar office.

The legal position of religious communities is defined by special legislation, specifically regarding government funding, tax benefits, and religious education in schools. Other matters are left to each religious community to negotiate separately with the government. Registration of the communities is not mandatory, but registered communities become legal persons and enjoy tax and other benefits. The law stipulates that to be eligible for registration, a religious group must have at least 500 believers and be registered as a civil association for 5 years. Religious groups based abroad must submit written permission for registration from their country of origin.

## Education

Literacy in Croatia is 98.1 percent. The 2001 census reported that 15.7% of the population over the age of 14 has an incomplete elementary education, and 21.9% has only an elementary school education. 42.8% of the population over the age of 14 has a vocational education and 4.9% completed gymnasium. 4.2% of the same population received an undergraduate degree, while 7.5% received an academic degree, and 0.5% received a postgraduate or a doctoral degree. Croatia recorded a substantial growth of the population attaining academic degrees and by 2008, this population segment was estimated to encompass 16.7% of the total population of Croatians 15 and over. A worldwide study about the quality of living in different countries published by Newsweek in August 2010 ranked the Croatian education system at 22nd, a position shared with Austria. In 2004, it was estimated that 4.5% of the GDP is spent for education, while schooling expectancy was estimated to 14 years on average. Primary education in Croatia starts at the age of six or seven and consists of eight grades. In 2007 a law was passed to increase free, noncompulsory education until 18 years of age. Compulsory education consists of eight grades of elementary school. Secondary education is provided by gymnasiums and vocational schools. As of 2010, there are 2,131 elementary schools and 713 schools providing various forms of secondary education. Primary and secondary education are also available in languages of recognised minorities in Croatia, where classes are held in Czech, Hungarian, Italian, Serbian and German languages.

There are 84 elementary level and 47 secondary level music and art schools, as well as 92 schools for disabled children and youth and 74 schools for adults. Nationwide leaving exams (Croatian: državna matura) were introduced for secondary education students in the 2009–2010 school year. It comprises three compulsory subjects (Croatian language, mathematics, and a foreign language) and optional subjects and is a prerequisite for a university education.

Croatia has eight public universities, the University of Zagreb, University of Split, University of Rijeka, University of Osijek, University of Zadar, University of Dubrovnik, University of Pula and Dubrovnik International University. The University of Zadar, the first university in Croatia, was founded in 1396 and remained active until 1807, when other institutions of higher education took over. It was reopened in 2002. The University of Zagreb, founded in 1669, is the oldest continuously operating university in Southeast Europe. There are also 11 polytechnics and 23 higher education institutions, of which 19 are private. In total, there are 132 institutions of higher education in Croatia, attended by more than 145 thousand students.

There are 205 companies, government or education system institutions and non-profit organizations in Croatia pursuing scientific research and the development of technology. Combined, they spent more than 3 billion kuna (400 million euro) and employed 10,191 full-time research staff in 2008. Among the scientific institutes operating in Croatia, the largest is the Ruđer Bošković Institute in Zagreb. The Croatian Academy of Sciences and Arts in Zagreb is a learned society promoting language, culture, arts and science since its inception in 1866. Scientists from Croatia include inventors and Nobel Prize winners.

## Health

Croatia has a universal health care system, the roots of which can be traced back to the Hungarian-Croatian Parliament Act of 1891, providing a form of mandatory insurance for all factory workers and craftsmen. The population is covered by a basic health insurance plan provided by statute and optional insurance. In 2014, the annual compulsory healthcare related expenditures reached 21.8 billion kuna (2.9 billion euro). Healthcare expenditures comprise only 0.6% of private health insurance and public spending. In 2010, Croatia spent 6.9% of its GDP on healthcare, representing a decline from approximately 8% estimated in 2008, when 84% of healthcare spending came from public sources. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), Croatia ranks around the 50th in the world in terms of life expectancy.

There are hundreds of healthcare institutions in Croatia, including 79 hospitals and clinics with 23,967 beds. The hospitals and clinics care for more than 700 thousand patients per year and employ 5,205 medical doctors, including 3,929 specialists. There are 6,379 private practice offices, and a total of 41,271 health workers in the country. There are 63 emergency medical service units, responding to more than a million calls. The principal cause of death in 2008 was cardiovascular disease at 43.5% for men and 57.2% for women, followed by tumours, at 29.4% for men and 21.4% for women. Other significant causes of death are injuries, poisonings and other external causes (7.7% men/3.9% women), digestive system diseases (5.7% men/3.6% women), respiratory system diseases (5.1% men/3.5% women) and endocrine, nutritional and metabolic diseases (2.1% men/3.0% women). There is no other cause of disease affecting more than 3% of the population. In 2014 only 22 Croatians had been infected with HIV/AIDS and 4 had died from the disease. In 2008 it was estimated by the WHO that 27.4% of Croatians over age of 15 were smokers. According to 2003 WHO data, 22% of the Croatian adult population is obese.

## Economic indicators

### Personal income, jobs and unemployment

Net monthly income in September 2011 averaged 5,397 kuna (c. 729 euro), dropping 2.1% relative to the previous month. In the same month, gross monthly income averaged 7,740 kuna (c. 1,046 euro), and it includes the net salary along with income tax, retirement pension insurance, healthcare insurance, occupational safety and health insurance and employment promotion tax. The average net monthly income grew compared to 5,311 kuna (c. 717 euro) in 2009 or 3,326 kuna (c. 449 euro) in 2000. The highest net salaries were paid in financial services sector, and in April 2011 those averaged 10,041 kuna (c. 1,356 euro), while the lowest ones, paid in the same month, were in the manufacturing and leather processing industries, averaging at 2,811 kuna (c. 380 euro). Since January 2016, the minimum wage in Croatia is 3,120 kuna before tax (c. 400 euro).

Number of employed persons recorded steady growth between 2000 and 2008 when it peaked, followed by 4% decline in 2009. That year, there were 1.499 million employed persons, with 45% of that number pertaining to women. The total number of employed persons includes 252,000 employed in crafts and freelance professionals and 35,000 employed in agriculture. The most significant sources of employment in 2008 were manufacturing industry and wholesale and retail trade (including motor vehicle repair services) employing 278,640 and 243,640 respectively. Further significant employment sector was construction industry comprising 143,336 jobs that year. In the same year, more than 100,000 were employed in public administration, defence and compulsory social insurance sector as well as in education. Since 2009, negative trends persisted in Croatia with jobs in the industry declined further by 3.5%. Number of unemployed and retired persons combined exceeded number of employed in August 2010, as it fell to 1.474 million. In 2009, labour force consisted of 1.765 million persons out of 3.7 million working age population—aged 15 and over. In October 2011, unemployment rate stood at 17.4%. 7.2% of employed persons hold a second job.

In comparison with the member states of the European Union (EU), Croatia's median equivalent household income in terms of the Purchasing Power Standard (PPS) stands at 470, topping average PPS of the ten countries which joined the EU in 2004 (EU10), as well as Romania and Bulgaria, while significantly lagging behind the EU average. Within Croatia, the highest PPS is recorded in Istria County (769), the City of Zagreb (640) and the Primorje-Gorski Kotar County (576). The lowest PPS is observed in the Bjelovar-Bilogora County and the Virovitica-Podravina County (267).

### Urbanisation and housing

2011 census recorded a total of 1,534,148 private households in Croatia as well as 1,487 other residential communities such as retirement homes, convents etc. At the same time, there were 1,923,522 permanent housing units—houses and apartments. 2001 census recorded 1.66 million permanent housing units, including 196 thousand intermittently occupied and 42 thousand abandoned ones. Average size of a permanently used housing unit is 74.4 square metres (801 square feet). The intermittently used housing units include 182 thousand vacation houses and 8 thousand houses used during agricultural works. The same census also recorded 25 thousand housing units used for business purposes only. As of 2007, 71% of the households owned their own housing and had no mortgage or other loans to repay related to the housing, while further 9% were repaying loans for their housing. The households vary by type and include single households (13%), couples (15%), single parent households (4%), couples with children (27%) and extended family households (20%). There are approximately 500 homeless persons in Croatia, largely living in Zagreb.

Average urbanisation rate in Croatia stands at 56%, with the maximum rate recorded within the territory of the City of Zagreb, where it reached 94.5% and Zagreb metropolitan area comprising the City of Zagreb and the Zagreb County, where it stands at 76.4%. Very significant rate of urbanisation was observed in the second half of the 20th century. 1953 census recorded 57% of population which was active in agriculture, while a census performed in 1991 noted only 9.1% of population active in that field. This points to augmentation of urban population and reduction of rural population.

## See also

- Croats

- Croatian diaspora

- Croatian Bureau of Statistics

- - Demographics of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia
  - Demographics of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia

Characteristics of Croatian population