Devastation and restoration of roofs
The roofs of Dubrovnik, the most recognizable urban feature of the Old City, were the most exposed to bombardment and the damage inflicted on them was the most serious threat to maintaining living conditions inside the Old City. During the assaults which took place from October 1991 until June 1992, the soft roofing structure lying underneath the Dubrovnik roofs, made of wood and terra cotta tiles, suffered the greatest damage. More than 70 percent of roofs were damaged and in more than 50 percent of those cases, it was not only the roof covering that was damaged, but also the construction beneath it.
As roofs were of extreme importance for life in Dubrovnik – in most cases it was precisely under the roofs that kitchens and living rooms were located – they were the first ones to be repaired and restored.
Minor repairs were carried out by homeowners themselves right after the shelling ended, whereas comprehensive restoration projects started already in 1993 when, thanks to Croatian and international donations, emergency construction works were carried out in order to protect the buildings from the rain and to prevent further damage.
From 1994 onwards, systematic restoration of roofs was under way – damaged roofing systems and terra cotta tiles were removed and replaced, and new gutters and downpipes were installed.
Besides the funding from the Croatian national budget, the restoration of roofs was also backed by donations, including the most significant one made by the UNESCO which amounted to $160,000. The UNESCO donation was used to purchase terra cotta tiles and beams. Besides UNESCO’s support, roof restoration was also backed by Kunstler helfen and Dusseldorfer helfen Dubrovnik (Germany), Associazione Mecenate 90 (Italy) and The Rebuild Dubrovnik Fund which was founded by the Atlas Travel Agency from Dubrovnik and the American Society of Travel Advisors.