However, in the late 19th century several European theaters struck a fire, and in all the cities of the Habsburg monarchy began to take safety precautions, and Adamich Theatre did not meet the necessary conditions for normal operation.

On that day, the first visitors, numerous guests and invitees could enjoy the impressive theater building, a masterpiece of architecture of his time, whose figural plastic and ornamental work contributed by the famous Venetian sculptor Augusto Benvenuti and ceiling paintings painter Franz Matsch in cooperation with even more famous brothers, Ernst and Gustav Klimt.

It was soon followed by the first performance of an opera and ballet, Zajc's Nikola Subic Zrinjski, conducted by Boris Papandopulo, and the title role sung Milan Pichler.

In the year 1953 the theater gets a new name after another one composer, but this time the biggest Croatian and a fellow citizen of Rijeka, Ivan Zajc.

From the historical 1946 to today, with its four artistic branches (Croatian Drama, Italian Drama, the Symphonic Opera and ballet) and more than 50 years of their continuous operation, with its quality performance HNK in Rijeka managed to set high theatrical and artistic criteria and placed itself on the rightful place of one of the by quality leading theaters in Croatia.

[1] All the major Croatian theaters were built in the second half of the 19th century, including the one in Rijeka - behind Osijek (1865), and before Split (1893) and Zagreb (1895).