The Institute for the Restoration of Dubrovnik was founded in 1979. The year of its foundation coincided with two events that denoted not only the further activities of the institution, but also the general relations in regard of restoration and maintenance of the monumental unity: the earthquake on Easter Day of 1979, and the decision for Dubrovnik to enter UNESCO's list of World Heritage from the same year. The initial assignment of the Institute for the restoration of Dubrovnik was a complete restoration of the monuments most affected by the earthquake and an establishment of a system of budgeting that would merge the restoration and the tourist trade.

The end of the Homeland War imposed new tasks to the Institute - those of taking up the restoration of historical monuments in Dubrovnik and its wider area that were damaged by the aggression of Serbs, Montenegrins and the Yugoslav People's Army in 1991 and 1992, based on the Action plan 'Dubrovnik 91/92', published by UNESCO in February of 1993. Enclosed is an excerpt from the Action Plan ( a chart of impacts and the list of damaged monuments in the historical unity of Dubrovnik ).
From 2001 we continue with our regular work, ordinary maintenance and aseismic programme, which will be our main task again after 2003, year in which the post-war restoration should be completed.

The Institute for the Restoration of Dubrovnik was founded by the decree of the then Commune of Dubrovnik. It operates now as a public institution founded by three partners: the Government of the Republic of Croatia, the City of Dubrovnik, and the Dubrovnik- Neretva County. Its basic aims will remain unchanged, comprising preparation work (surveys of the existing state of monuments, archaeological and other researches, tender documentation, consents and permits delivered by authorised institutions), supervision (bidding, technical supervision), financial engineering (budget funding, other funding like joint ventures, concessions, donations, etc.), promotion (architectural heritage, methods and results of restoration, public relations) and the administrative and technical issues in function of the programmes and the institution itself.

The mandate of the restoration of the historic centre of Dubrovnik is fully regulated by the Law on Protection of Monuments from 1996 and by separate Law on Restoration of the Architectural Heritage of Dubrovnik from 1999.

Expert supervision covers the entire rehabilitation process and its legal frame, authorised to act at any phase when necessary.