Ban (Viceroy) Josip Jelacic is Croatia's greatest hero. He ruled in the 1840s-50s, gave the Croatian people about as much latitude as he could given that under the foreign rule of the (Austrian) Habsburgs, Croatia was more or less ruled from Hungary. A lot of layers of government.

During the 1848 Revolution, when Hungary revolted, he sided with the crown, but was not repaid for his loyalty after the Habsburgs prevailed. Emperor Franz Josef ignored national aspirations and cracked down on liberalism. Croatia was increasingly ruled by Hungary as time ran out for Austria-Hungary (it broke apart at the end of WW I).

The statue was erected in 1866 after his death, was removed by the Tito regime in 1947 (it's a symbol of Croatian nationalism) and was quickly put back up in 1990.

This square is the happening place in Zagreb, with the Upper Town (Kaptol and Gradec) to the north, the main shopping street, Ilica, to the west, and the lower town with businesses, parks and transit to the south and east.