Osijek
Encyclopedia
Osijek is the fourth largest city in Croatia
with a population of 83,496 in 2011. It is the largest city and the economic and cultural centre of the eastern Croatian region of Slavonia
, as well as the administrative centre of Osijek-Baranja county
. Osijek is located on the right bank of the river Drava
, 25 kilometres (15.5 mi) upstream of its confluence
with the Danube
, at an elevation of 94 metres (308.4 ft).
word "oseka" which means "ebb tide
".
Due to its past and its history within the Habsburg Monarchy
and briefly in the Ottoman Empire
and also due to the presence of German and Hungarian minorities throughout its history, Osijek also has (or had) its names in other languages, notably Hungarian
: Eszék, , , . All those names were adjusted variations to the original Croatian given name. In Roman times Osijek was called Mursa Maior, but its official Roman name was Colonia Aelia Mursa, as it was established by emperor Hadrian
.
The origins of human habitation of Osijek dates back to Neolithic
times, with the first known inhabitants belonging to the Illyrian tribes
. Roman emperor
Hadrian
raised the old settlement of Mursa to a colony with special privileges in 131. After that, Mursa had a turbulent history, with several decisive battles taking place (among which the Battle of Mursa Major
in 351 and the battle between Aureolus
and Ingenuus
in 260), deciding the destiny of the whole region. After their migration, the Croats made a settlement near the ruins of Mursa, giving it its present name, Osijek. After the Hungarian settlements in Carpat basin, the population in Osijek mostly was Hungarian to the time of Ottoman occupation. The first mentioned of Osijek was in 1196 (forum Ezek et portas name). The ovner of the settlements market was the Abbey of Cikádor (now Bataszék in Hungary). Later mentioned in 1335 villa Ezeek, in 1352 possesio Ezek, in 1353 tributum fori in Ezeek et tributum portas fluvii Draue, 1454 opidium Ezek,1469 opidium Ezeek. The first mentioned of the fortress in 1472. (castellum Ezeek). Life was thriving here in the Middle Ages
, but only traces of that life can be found today because of destruction in Ottoman–Hungarian Wars as well as architectural changes during the Ottoman period.
The earliest mentions of Osijek date to 1196. The town was a feudal property of the Korogyi family between 1353 and 1472. After the died the last Korogyi, king Mathias grant it to the Rozgonyi family. But in 1493 his ovner is the Chapter of Holy Virgin in Buda (now Budapest).The city was damaged by the Ottoman
conquerors on 8 August 1526. The Turks rebuilt it in oriental style and it was mentioned in the Turkish census
of 1579. In 1566, Suleiman the Magnificent
built a famous, 8 kilometer-long wooden bridge of boats in Osijek, considered to be one of the wonders of the world. The town was officially promoted to a city by the end of the 17th century. It was a sanjak of Budin Eyalet
.
as the centre of the Verőce
county.
The Habsburg
empire also facilitated the migration and settlement of German
immigrants into the town and region.
In 1809, Osijek was granted the title of a Free Royal City and during the early 19th century it was the largest city in Croatia. The city developed along the lines of other central Europe
an cities, with cultural, architectural and socio-economic influences filtering down from Vienna
and Buda
.
During the 19th century, cultural life mostly revolved around the theatre
, museums (the first museum
, Museum of Slavonia
was opened in 1877 by private donations), collections and printing houses (the Franciscans). City society, whose development was accompanied by a prosperous economy
and developed trade
relations, was related to religious festivals, public events (fairs), entertainment and sports. The Novi Grad (New Town) section of the city was built in the 19th century, as well as Retfala to the west.
Tvrđa, one of the most immediately recognizable structures in the region — facilitated the development of tourism
. The Osijek oil refinery was a strategic bombing
target of the Oil Campaign of World War II
.
Immediately after the war, the daily newspaper Glas Slavonije
has been relocated to Osijek and has printed there ever since. A history archive was established in the city in 1947 and city library in 1949. The Children's theatre and the art gallery
were open in 1950.
As a continuation of the reach tradition of promoting national heritage, especially in music, society of culture and art "Pajo Kolarić
" was established on 21 March 1954.
Osijek has been connected with the Croatian republic's capital Zagreb
and the previous federal capital Belgrade
by a modern paved road since 1958. The new Drava bridge to the north was built in 1962.
The first faculty opened in Osijek was Faculty of Economy
(in 1959 as Centre for economic studies of the Faculty of Economy in Zagreb), followed immediately by a high school of agriculture, later renamed as Faculty of Agriculture
and Faculty of Philosophy
. The Faculty of Law
was established in 1975. thus becoming the first new member of newly established University of Osijek
.
As part of further development as a regional food industry and agricultural centre, a major (working) collective for agriculture and industry was established in 1962.
During 1980s, a new pedestrian
suspension bridge
over the Drava was built. A regional centre of JRT was also opened.
During the war in Croatia
, from 1991 to 1995, the city avoided heavy destruction (unlike nearby Vukovar
, for example) and sustained moderate damage, especially to the centre and Co-cathedral
of St. Peter and St. Paul and to the periphery. More than a thousand (over 1200) civilians also died in the daily shelling of the town. On the other hand, at least five Croatian officials were condemned for war crimes against Serb civilians in Osijek, including General Branimir Glavaš. While some buildings still have mild damage, most often the occasional superficial pockmark
from artillery and mortar fire, the city's façades are generally in good shape, due to extensive restoration in recent times, preserving the charm of its intricate Austro-Hungarian Baroque
architecture in the older quarters of town.
According to the 1910 census, the city had 31,388 inhabitants. One source lists 12,625 as Croats
, 11,269 as Germans
or Danube Swabians
, 7,500 as Jews
, and 3,729 as Magyars, but note that these figures sum to more than the total population. After World War II
a large part of the Danube Swabian population were expelled as a revenge for their participation in German occupation of Yugoslavia. Their property has become publicly owned and redistributed to the World War II victims.
According to the 1981 census, the total population had reached 158,790, including 90,770 (57.16%) Croats and 28,536 (17.97%) Serbs
.
Prior to the Croatian War of Independence, the 1991 census recorded a total population of 165,253, composed of 110,934 (67.1%) Croats, 33,146 (20.0%) Serbs, 3,156 (1.9%) Hungarians, 276 (0.16%) Germans
, and 17,741 (10.7%) people categorised as Yugoslavs or 'others'.
According to the census of 2001, total population of Osijek dropped to 114,616. Croats made up the majority of Osijek's citizens, comprising 86.58 per cent of the city's population. Other ethnicities include 8,767 (7.65%) Serbs, 1,154 (1.01%) Hungarians, 480 (0.42%) Albanians
, 211 (0.18%) Bosniaks
, 175 (0.15%) Montenegrins, 178 (0.16%) ethnic Macedonians
, 124 (0.11%) Roma, and others including 24 Jews.
Osijek's population includes 96,600 (84.28%) Roman Catholics, 78 (0.07%) Eastern-rite Catholics
, 8,619 (7.52%) Orthodox Christians, and 966 (0.84%) Muslims and others.
In the census of 2011, the following settlement
s were recorded:
University of Osijek
(established in 1975), the Croatian National Theatre
, the Museum of Slavonia
(established in 1877), and the printing house dating to 1735. The city also has several gymnasiums
, the oldest of which dates to 1729, a drawing school from the 19th century, a zoological garden
, a centre for the promotion of livestock breeding, and an institute for sugar beet
farming.
The Saponia chemical factory is the largest factory located in the Osijek area. It is a major producer of detergents, soap and cosmetics whose products are recognized throughout the region as being of quality. It is by far the largest exporter in the city area. Other industries include a regional brewery
, the Pivovara Osijek (first Croatian beer), and a sugar processing plant.
The Osijek area used to be much more industrialised and a broad range of goods and products were being manufactured there. One of the earliest factories was the Drava match
factory, established in 1856, which no longer exists. Other industries included production of synthetic materials, agricultural machinery, metal furniture
, wood
and timber
, textiles, footwear, and silk
, as well as metal processing and printing
. However, the 1990s saw most of these industries decline and in some cases close completely. However, the city remains at the centre of an important agricultural
region.
. However, the three mathematically possible coalitions had political problems that made coalition building unusually difficult. The November elections were early (izvanredne) elections caused by the breakdown of the coalition of the two main parties, the Croatian Party of Rights
(HSP) and the Croatian Democratic Assembly of Slavonia and Baranja (HDSSB). The cause of the breakdown was disagreement over the building of a new sports stadium.
At the elections held on the 25 November 2007, the Croatian Party of Rights
(HSP) and the Croatian Democratic Assembly of Slavonia and Baranja (HDSSB) gained 7 seats each, the Social Democratic Party
(SDP) 6 seats, the Croatian Democratic Union
(HDZ) 4, and the Croatian People's Party – Liberal Democrats (HNS) 1. A possible coalition between HDSSB and SDP provoked criticism of the Social Democrats for lack of principle such as from Damir Kajin
, who called it a 'sellotape coalition', alluding to the charges of war crimes that the HDSSB leader Branimir Glavaš
is facing.
After the parties failed to agree a coalition, the Croatian government called new elections for the city. These elections took place on 9 March 2008 and gave the Croatian Party of Rights 9 councilors, the Croatian Democratic Assembly of Slavonia and Baranja 6, HDZ, 5, SDP, 3 and a coalition of HNS and two smaller parties 2. Anto Đapić has expressed his hope for a coalition with the HDZ.
Festival (in May), attended by tambura orchestra
s from all over Croatia and the Osijek Summer Nights (during June, July and August), a series of cultural and entertainment programs in the open, accompanied by excellent food and fairs. The Day of the City of Osijek is celebrated with a cultural and artistic activities and exhibitions.
The surroundings of Osijek provide opportunities for hunting
and angling
on the Drava river and its backwaters. Hunting in the area known as Kopački Rit
(in Baranja) is famous beyond the borders of Croatia.
, paprika-flavoured sausage, other kinds of sausages, ham, bacon, dairy
products), as well as venison
and fish
dishes such as the famous riblji paprikaš
(fish stew made with paprika
). Two brands of beer
are brewed in Osijek: Osječko and Esseker. There is also the Baranja wine
offered in restaurants.
, handball
, basketball
, tennis
courts, etc. NK Osijek
are the city's main football team,which are followed by their supporters group called Kohorta Osijek
, playing in the Croatian First League at Gradski vrt
stadium. The city is also home to a number of smaller teams including NK Grafičar Vodovod
and NK Metalac
. Before the Second World War, the city's most successful club was Slavija Osijek
, which collapsed in 1941. A new sports hall (Dvorana Gradski vrt) was built as the 2009 World Men's Handball Championship
venue. Osijek also hosts an extreme sports contest Pannonian challenge which features competitions in skateboarding
, inline skating
, freestyle BMX
and MTB dirt racing
.
style, open spaces and ample recreational opportunities. The most important sights in the city include the main square, Trg Ante Starčević
a, Tvrđa the 18th century Baroque citadel, the promenade along the Drava ("promenada"), and the suspension pedestrian bridge
toward Baranja.
The Municipal Park of King Petar Krešimir IV
and the Tomislav
Park date from the beginning of the 20th century, and are protected national landmarks. Osijek is also home to one of the few Croatian zoological gardens, along the Drava river. The city is home to a monument to Ante Starčević
.
The Co-cathedral of St. Peter and Paul (Sv. Petar i Pavao) is a Neo-Gothic structure with the second highest tower in Croatia after the Zagreb Cathedral
. The tower measure 90 m (295.28 ft) and can be seen from throughout Osijek. Because of its size most locals refer to it as the cathedral but it is only a parish church. The Church of St Peter and St Paul was designed by Franz Langenberg and contains 40 stained glass windows, although they are not all intact after the bombing in the 1990s. The church also contains sculptures by Eduard Hauser.
Transport links to and from Osijek include major railway and highway
junctions, a river port, and Osijek Airport
. International flights from the airport to Cologne/Bonn Airport in Germany
commenced in March 2008. A four-lane highway, part of the Pan-European Corridor Vc
, linking Osijek to the rest of the Croatian modern highway network, was completed and opened in April 2009. From Osijek, it is possible to take the train to numerous destinations including Zagreb
, Rijeka
, Požega
, Virovitica
, Našice
, Slavonski Brod
, Slavonski Šamac
, Erdut
, Vrpolje
, Dalj
, Đakovo, and Beli Manastir
, from where there are connections on to Hungary
. There is also a daily service from Budapest
to Sarajevo
that stops in Osijek.
A small tram
network runs through the city, which has been in continuous operation since 1884 and is the only tram network still in operation in Croatia outside of Zagreb. The network is currently being completely overhauled and more than doubled in length, and the city's old trams have been thoroughly modernized.
, an 18th century Croatian writer, professor of archaeology, translator of the Bible into Croatian, and author of the first paper over the archaeology in Croatia), Josip Juraj Strossmayer
, a Croatian Maecenas bishop, Franjo Šeper
, Archbishop of Zagreb from 1960–1968, and Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith from 1968–1981, Francis, Duke of Teck
, a German prince and father of Mary of Teck
(later the Queen Consort
of George V
) hence the great grandfather of Queen Elizabeth II, painters Adolf Waldinger
and Bela Čikoš Sesija
, musicians Franjo Krežma
, Miroslav Škoro
, Branko Mihaljević
and Krunoslav Slabinac, historian Ferdo Šišić
, TV journalist Vladimir Herzog
, Hollywood producer Branko Lustig
, footballers Davor Šuker
and Franjo Glaser
, sport shooter Jasna Šekarić
and tennis player Jelena Dokić
. Nobel Prize winners Lavoslav (Leopold) Ružička
and Vladimir Prelog
also lived in the city, as did meteorologist and seismologist Andrija Mohorovičić
, and world known mathematician and climatologist Milutin Milanković
.
with:
Croatia
Croatia , officially the Republic of Croatia , is a unitary democratic parliamentary republic in Europe at the crossroads of the Mitteleuropa, the Balkans, and the Mediterranean. Its capital and largest city is Zagreb. The country is divided into 20 counties and the city of Zagreb. Croatia covers ...
with a population of 83,496 in 2011. It is the largest city and the economic and cultural centre of the eastern Croatian region of Slavonia
Slavonia
Slavonia is a geographical and historical region in eastern Croatia...
, as well as the administrative centre of Osijek-Baranja county
Osijek-Baranja County
Osijek-Baranja county is a county in Croatia, located in northeastern Slavonia and Baranja. Its center is Osijek; other cities include Đakovo, Našice, Valpovo, Belišće, Beli Manastir.-Administrative divisions:Osijek-Baranja county is divided into:...
. Osijek is located on the right bank of the river Drava
Drava
Drava or Drave is a river in southern Central Europe, a tributary of the Danube. It sources in Toblach/Dobbiaco, Italy, and flows east through East Tirol and Carinthia in Austria, into Slovenia , and then southeast, passing through Croatia and forming most of the border between Croatia and...
, 25 kilometres (15.5 mi) upstream of its confluence
Confluence (geography)
In geography, a confluence is the meeting of two or more bodies of water. It usually refers to the point where two streams flow together, merging into a single stream...
with the Danube
Danube
The Danube is a river in the Central Europe and the Europe's second longest river after the Volga. It is classified as an international waterway....
, at an elevation of 94 metres (308.4 ft).
Name
The name was given to the city due to its position on elevated ground which prevented the city being flooded by the local swamp waters. Its name Osijek comes from the CroatianCroatian language
Croatian is the collective name for the standard language and dialects spoken by Croats, principally in Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Serbian province of Vojvodina and other neighbouring countries...
word "oseka" which means "ebb tide
Ebb Tide
"Ebb Tide" is a popular song, written in 1953 by the lyricist Carl Sigman and composer Robert Maxwell.-Recordings:* The best-known versions are by Frank Chacksfield & His Orchestra , Vic Damone , Roy Hamilton , Frank Sinatra , The Platters , Lenny Welch and the Righteous Brothers...
".
Due to its past and its history within the Habsburg Monarchy
Habsburg Monarchy
The Habsburg Monarchy covered the territories ruled by the junior Austrian branch of the House of Habsburg , and then by the successor House of Habsburg-Lorraine , between 1526 and 1867/1918. The Imperial capital was Vienna, except from 1583 to 1611, when it was moved to Prague...
and briefly in the Ottoman Empire
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
and also due to the presence of German and Hungarian minorities throughout its history, Osijek also has (or had) its names in other languages, notably Hungarian
Hungarian language
Hungarian is a Uralic language, part of the Ugric group. With some 14 million speakers, it is one of the most widely spoken non-Indo-European languages in Europe....
: Eszék, , , . All those names were adjusted variations to the original Croatian given name. In Roman times Osijek was called Mursa Maior, but its official Roman name was Colonia Aelia Mursa, as it was established by emperor Hadrian
Hadrian
Hadrian , was Roman Emperor from 117 to 138. He is best known for building Hadrian's Wall, which marked the northern limit of Roman Britain. In Rome, he re-built the Pantheon and constructed the Temple of Venus and Roma. In addition to being emperor, Hadrian was a humanist and was philhellene in...
.
Origins
Neolithic
The Neolithic Age, Era, or Period, or New Stone Age, was a period in the development of human technology, beginning about 9500 BC in some parts of the Middle East, and later in other parts of the world. It is traditionally considered as the last part of the Stone Age...
times, with the first known inhabitants belonging to the Illyrian tribes
Illyrians
The Illyrians were a group of tribes who inhabited part of the western Balkans in antiquity and the south-eastern coasts of the Italian peninsula...
. Roman emperor
Roman Emperor
The Roman emperor was the ruler of the Roman State during the imperial period . The Romans had no single term for the office although at any given time, a given title was associated with the emperor...
Hadrian
Hadrian
Hadrian , was Roman Emperor from 117 to 138. He is best known for building Hadrian's Wall, which marked the northern limit of Roman Britain. In Rome, he re-built the Pantheon and constructed the Temple of Venus and Roma. In addition to being emperor, Hadrian was a humanist and was philhellene in...
raised the old settlement of Mursa to a colony with special privileges in 131. After that, Mursa had a turbulent history, with several decisive battles taking place (among which the Battle of Mursa Major
Battle of Mursa Major
The Battle of Mursa Major was fought in 351 between the Eastern Roman army led by Constantius II and the western forces supporting the usurper Magnentius.The action took place along the valley of the Drava River, a Danube tributary in present day Croatia....
in 351 and the battle between Aureolus
Aureolus
For the Frankish ruler of Aragon, see Aureolus of Aragon.Manius Acilius Aureolus was a Roman military commander and would-be usurper. He was one of the so-called Thirty Tyrants who populated the reign of the Emperor Gallienus...
and Ingenuus
Ingenuus
Ingenuus was a Roman military commander, the imperial legate in Pannonia, who became a usurper to the throne of the emperor Gallienus when he led a brief and unsuccessful revolt in the year 260. Appointed by Gallienus himself, Ingenuus served him well by repulsing a Sarmatian invasion and securing...
in 260), deciding the destiny of the whole region. After their migration, the Croats made a settlement near the ruins of Mursa, giving it its present name, Osijek. After the Hungarian settlements in Carpat basin, the population in Osijek mostly was Hungarian to the time of Ottoman occupation. The first mentioned of Osijek was in 1196 (forum Ezek et portas name). The ovner of the settlements market was the Abbey of Cikádor (now Bataszék in Hungary). Later mentioned in 1335 villa Ezeek, in 1352 possesio Ezek, in 1353 tributum fori in Ezeek et tributum portas fluvii Draue, 1454 opidium Ezek,1469 opidium Ezeek. The first mentioned of the fortress in 1472. (castellum Ezeek). Life was thriving here in the Middle Ages
Middle Ages
The Middle Ages is a periodization of European history from the 5th century to the 15th century. The Middle Ages follows the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 and precedes the Early Modern Era. It is the middle period of a three-period division of Western history: Classic, Medieval and Modern...
, but only traces of that life can be found today because of destruction in Ottoman–Hungarian Wars as well as architectural changes during the Ottoman period.
The earliest mentions of Osijek date to 1196. The town was a feudal property of the Korogyi family between 1353 and 1472. After the died the last Korogyi, king Mathias grant it to the Rozgonyi family. But in 1493 his ovner is the Chapter of Holy Virgin in Buda (now Budapest).The city was damaged by the Ottoman
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
conquerors on 8 August 1526. The Turks rebuilt it in oriental style and it was mentioned in the Turkish census
Census
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of 1579. In 1566, Suleiman the Magnificent
Suleiman the Magnificent
Suleiman I was the tenth and longest-reigning Sultan of the Ottoman Empire, from 1520 to his death in 1566. He is known in the West as Suleiman the Magnificent and in the East, as "The Lawgiver" , for his complete reconstruction of the Ottoman legal system...
built a famous, 8 kilometer-long wooden bridge of boats in Osijek, considered to be one of the wonders of the world. The town was officially promoted to a city by the end of the 17th century. It was a sanjak of Budin Eyalet
Budin Province, Ottoman Empire
Budin Eyalet was an administrative unit of the Ottoman Empire in Central Europe and the Balkans...
.
Habsburg Empire
Osijek was restored to western rule when on 29 September 1687 the Turks were kicked out and it became occupied by the Habsburg Empire. Between 1712 and 1721, new Austrian authorities built a new fortress (authored by the architect Maximilian de Gosseau), known as Tvrđa. It is a unique urban and military complex that lies in the heart of the town. Its main central Holy Trinity Square is closed on the north by the building of the Military Command, on the west there is the Main Guard building and on the east is the Magistrate building (presently Museum of Slavonia). In the middle there is a monument to the plague, erected in 1729 by general Petras' widow. The Gornji Grad (Upper Town) was founded in 1692 and Donji Grad (Lower Town) followed on 1698. Tvrđa, Gornji, and Donji grad continued as separate municipalities until 1786. In late 18th century it took over from ViroviticaVirovitica
Virovitica is a Croatian town near the Croatian-Hungarian border. It is situated near the Drava river and belongs to the historic region of Slavonia. Virovitica has a population of 14,663, with 21,327 people in the municipality...
as the centre of the Verőce
Veröce
Veröce may refer to*Virovitica*Veröce, Hungary, in Pest County, Hungary...
county.
The Habsburg
Habsburg
The House of Habsburg , also found as Hapsburg, and also known as House of Austria is one of the most important royal houses of Europe and is best known for being an origin of all of the formally elected Holy Roman Emperors between 1438 and 1740, as well as rulers of the Austrian Empire and...
empire also facilitated the migration and settlement of German
Germans
The Germans are a Germanic ethnic group native to Central Europe. The English term Germans has referred to the German-speaking population of the Holy Roman Empire since the Late Middle Ages....
immigrants into the town and region.
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
an cities, with cultural, architectural and socio-economic influences filtering down from Vienna
Vienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
and Buda
Buda
For detailed information see: History of Buda CastleBuda is the western part of the Hungarian capital Budapest on the west bank of the Danube. The name Buda takes its name from the name of Bleda the Hun ruler, whose name is also Buda in Hungarian.Buda comprises about one-third of Budapest's...
.
Theatre
Theatre is a collaborative form of fine art that uses live performers to present the experience of a real or imagined event before a live audience in a specific place. The performers may communicate this experience to the audience through combinations of gesture, speech, song, music or dance...
, museums (the first museum
Museum
A museum is an institution that cares for a collection of artifacts and other objects of scientific, artistic, cultural, or historical importance and makes them available for public viewing through exhibits that may be permanent or temporary. Most large museums are located in major cities...
, Museum of Slavonia
Museum of Slavonia
Museum of Slavonia is the largest general-type museum in Croatia.Museum of Slavonia was established in 1877 in Osijek. Since 1946, it is located in the City Magistracy building, constructed in 1702 for the purposes of the Vienna Chamber, town government and police. Today, among museums numerous...
was opened in 1877 by private donations), collections and printing houses (the Franciscans). City society, whose development was accompanied by a prosperous economy
Economics
Economics is the social science that analyzes the production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services. The term economics comes from the Ancient Greek from + , hence "rules of the house"...
and developed trade
Trade
Trade is the transfer of ownership of goods and services from one person or entity to another. Trade is sometimes loosely called commerce or financial transaction or barter. A network that allows trade is called a market. The original form of trade was barter, the direct exchange of goods and...
relations, was related to religious festivals, public events (fairs), entertainment and sports. The Novi Grad (New Town) section of the city was built in the 19th century, as well as Retfala to the west.
20th century
The newest additions to the city include Sjenjak, Vijenac, Jug and Jug II, which were built in the 20th century. The city's geographical riverside location, and noted cultural and historical heritage — particularly the baroqueBaroque
The Baroque is a period and the style that used exaggerated motion and clear, easily interpreted detail to produce drama, tension, exuberance, and grandeur in sculpture, painting, literature, dance, and music...
Tvrđa, one of the most immediately recognizable structures in the region — facilitated the development of tourism
Tourism
Tourism is travel for recreational, leisure or business purposes. The World Tourism Organization defines tourists as people "traveling to and staying in places outside their usual environment for not more than one consecutive year for leisure, business and other purposes".Tourism has become a...
. The Osijek oil refinery was a strategic bombing
Strategic bombing during World War II
Strategic bombing during World War II is a term which refers to all aerial bombardment of a strategic nature between 1939 and 1945 involving any nations engaged in World War II...
target of the Oil Campaign of World War II
Oil Campaign chronology of World War II
The Oil Campaign chronology of World War II lists bombing missions and related events regarding the petroleum/oil/lubrication facilities that supplied Nazi Germany.-Legend:...
.
Immediately after the war, the daily newspaper Glas Slavonije
Glas Slavonije
Glas Slavonije is a local daily newspaper in Slavonia, Croatia. , its average daily circulation is c. 9000, making it the 7th largest daily newspaper in Croatia.-External links:**...
has been relocated to Osijek and has printed there ever since. A history archive was established in the city in 1947 and city library in 1949. The Children's theatre and the art gallery
Art gallery
An art gallery or art museum is a building or space for the exhibition of art, usually visual art.Museums can be public or private, but what distinguishes a museum is the ownership of a collection...
were open in 1950.
As a continuation of the reach tradition of promoting national heritage, especially in music, society of culture and art "Pajo Kolarić
Pajo Kolaric
Pajo Kolarić was an early Croatian composer for tamburitza. Kolari formed the first amateur tamburitza orchestra in Osijek in 1847. He was a teacher of Mijo Majer.- External links :*http://www.croatianhistory.net/etf/folk.html...
" was established on 21 March 1954.
Osijek has been connected with the Croatian republic's capital Zagreb
Zagreb
Zagreb is the capital and the largest city of the Republic of Croatia. It is in the northwest of the country, along the Sava river, at the southern slopes of the Medvednica mountain. Zagreb lies at an elevation of approximately above sea level. According to the last official census, Zagreb's city...
and the previous federal capital Belgrade
Belgrade
Belgrade is the capital and largest city of Serbia. It is located at the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers, where the Pannonian Plain meets the Balkans. According to official results of Census 2011, the city has a population of 1,639,121. It is one of the 15 largest cities in Europe...
by a modern paved road since 1958. The new Drava bridge to the north was built in 1962.
The first faculty opened in Osijek was Faculty of Economy
Economy
An economy consists of the economic system of a country or other area; the labor, capital and land resources; and the manufacturing, trade, distribution, and consumption of goods and services of that area...
(in 1959 as Centre for economic studies of the Faculty of Economy in Zagreb), followed immediately by a high school of agriculture, later renamed as Faculty of Agriculture
Agriculture
Agriculture is the cultivation of animals, plants, fungi and other life forms for food, fiber, and other products used to sustain life. Agriculture was the key implement in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that nurtured the...
and Faculty of Philosophy
Philosophy
Philosophy is the study of general and fundamental problems, such as those connected with existence, knowledge, values, reason, mind, and language. Philosophy is distinguished from other ways of addressing such problems by its critical, generally systematic approach and its reliance on rational...
. The Faculty of Law
Law
Law is a system of rules and guidelines which are enforced through social institutions to govern behavior, wherever possible. It shapes politics, economics and society in numerous ways and serves as a social mediator of relations between people. Contract law regulates everything from buying a bus...
was established in 1975. thus becoming the first new member of newly established University of Osijek
University of Osijek
The Josip Juraj Strossmayer University of Osijek is a university located in Osijek, Croatia. It was founded in 1975 and is organized in 11 faculties.-History:...
.
As part of further development as a regional food industry and agricultural centre, a major (working) collective for agriculture and industry was established in 1962.
During 1980s, a new pedestrian
Pedestrian
A pedestrian is a person traveling on foot, whether walking or running. In some communities, those traveling using roller skates or skateboards are also considered to be pedestrians. In modern times, the term mostly refers to someone walking on a road or footpath, but this was not the case...
suspension bridge
Suspension bridge
A suspension bridge is a type of bridge in which the deck is hung below suspension cables on vertical suspenders. Outside Tibet and Bhutan, where the first examples of this type of bridge were built in the 15th century, this type of bridge dates from the early 19th century...
over the Drava was built. A regional centre of JRT was also opened.
During the war in Croatia
Croatian War of Independence
The Croatian War of Independence was fought from 1991 to 1995 between forces loyal to the government of Croatia—which had declared independence from the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia —and the Serb-controlled Yugoslav People's Army and local Serb forces, with the JNA ending its combat...
, from 1991 to 1995, the city avoided heavy destruction (unlike nearby Vukovar
Vukovar
Vukovar is a city in eastern Croatia, and the biggest river port in Croatia located at the confluence of the Vuka river and the Danube. Vukovar is the center of the Vukovar-Syrmia County...
, for example) and sustained moderate damage, especially to the centre and Co-cathedral
Co-cathedral
A co-cathedral is a cathedral church which shares the function of being a bishop's seat, or cathedra, with another cathedral. Instances of this occurred in England before the Protestant Reformation in the dioceses of Bath and Wells, and of Coventry and Lichfield, hence the names of these dioceses...
of St. Peter and St. Paul and to the periphery. More than a thousand (over 1200) civilians also died in the daily shelling of the town. On the other hand, at least five Croatian officials were condemned for war crimes against Serb civilians in Osijek, including General Branimir Glavaš. While some buildings still have mild damage, most often the occasional superficial pockmark
Pockmark
Pockmark may refer to:*acne scarring — resulting from acne or infections such as chicken pox* the scarring of smallpox*Pockmark — a geological formation...
from artillery and mortar fire, the city's façades are generally in good shape, due to extensive restoration in recent times, preserving the charm of its intricate Austro-Hungarian Baroque
Baroque
The Baroque is a period and the style that used exaggerated motion and clear, easily interpreted detail to produce drama, tension, exuberance, and grandeur in sculpture, painting, literature, dance, and music...
architecture in the older quarters of town.
Climate
Population
Croats
Croats are a South Slavic ethnic group mostly living in Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and nearby countries. There are around 4 million Croats living inside Croatia and up to 4.5 million throughout the rest of the world. Responding to political, social and economic pressure, many Croats have...
, 11,269 as Germans
Germans
The Germans are a Germanic ethnic group native to Central Europe. The English term Germans has referred to the German-speaking population of the Holy Roman Empire since the Late Middle Ages....
or Danube Swabians
Danube Swabians
The Danube Swabians is a collective term for the German-speaking population who lived in the former Kingdom of Hungary, especially alongside the Danube River valley. Because of different developments within the territory settled, the Danube Swabians cannot be seen as a unified people...
, 7,500 as Jews
Jews
The Jews , also known as the Jewish people, are a nation and ethnoreligious group originating in the Israelites or Hebrews of the Ancient Near East. The Jewish ethnicity, nationality, and religion are strongly interrelated, as Judaism is the traditional faith of the Jewish nation...
, and 3,729 as Magyars, but note that these figures sum to more than the total population. After World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
a large part of the Danube Swabian population were expelled as a revenge for their participation in German occupation of Yugoslavia. Their property has become publicly owned and redistributed to the World War II victims.
According to the 1981 census, the total population had reached 158,790, including 90,770 (57.16%) Croats and 28,536 (17.97%) Serbs
Serbs
The Serbs are a South Slavic ethnic group of the Balkans and southern Central Europe. Serbs are located mainly in Serbia, Montenegro and Bosnia and Herzegovina, and form a sizable minority in Croatia, the Republic of Macedonia and Slovenia. Likewise, Serbs are an officially recognized minority in...
.
Prior to the Croatian War of Independence, the 1991 census recorded a total population of 165,253, composed of 110,934 (67.1%) Croats, 33,146 (20.0%) Serbs, 3,156 (1.9%) Hungarians, 276 (0.16%) Germans
Germans
The Germans are a Germanic ethnic group native to Central Europe. The English term Germans has referred to the German-speaking population of the Holy Roman Empire since the Late Middle Ages....
, and 17,741 (10.7%) people categorised as Yugoslavs or 'others'.
According to the census of 2001, total population of Osijek dropped to 114,616. Croats made up the majority of Osijek's citizens, comprising 86.58 per cent of the city's population. Other ethnicities include 8,767 (7.65%) Serbs, 1,154 (1.01%) Hungarians, 480 (0.42%) Albanians
Albanians
Albanians are a nation and ethnic group native to Albania and neighbouring countries. They speak the Albanian language. More than half of all Albanians live in Albania and Kosovo...
, 211 (0.18%) Bosniaks
Bosniaks
The Bosniaks or Bosniacs are a South Slavic ethnic group, living mainly in Bosnia and Herzegovina, with a smaller minority also present in other lands of the Balkan Peninsula especially in Serbia, Montenegro and Croatia...
, 175 (0.15%) Montenegrins, 178 (0.16%) ethnic Macedonians
Macedonians (ethnic group)
The Macedonians also referred to as Macedonian Slavs: "... the term Slavomacedonian was introduced and was accepted by the community itself, which at the time had a much more widespread non-Greek Macedonian ethnic consciousness...
, 124 (0.11%) Roma, and others including 24 Jews.
Osijek's population includes 96,600 (84.28%) Roman Catholics, 78 (0.07%) Eastern-rite Catholics
Eastern Rite Catholic Churches
The Eastern Catholic Churches are autonomous, self-governing particular churches in full communion with the Bishop of Rome, the Pope. Together with the Latin Church, they compose the worldwide Catholic Church...
, 8,619 (7.52%) Orthodox Christians, and 966 (0.84%) Muslims and others.
In the census of 2011, the following settlement
Naselje
Naselje is a settlement in Croatia, usually translated as settlement. It is the smallest unit of Croatian territory. Individual settlements are by and large referred to as selo , while naselje is a statistical and administrative category. The units of local government in Croatia, cities and...
s were recorded:
- Brijest, population 1,183
- Briješće, population 1,327
- JosipovacJosipovacJosipovac is a village in Croatia. It is connected by the D2 highway....
, population 4,119 - KlisaKlisaKlisa is a neighborhood of the city of Novi Sad in Serbia.-Name:Its name derived from Latin word "ecclesia", meaning "church place"...
, population 324 - NemetinNemetinNemetin is a village in eastern Slavonia, Croatia, located near Osijek. It has a population of 177 . It is administratively located within the area of the city of Osijek....
, population 133 - Osijek, population 83,496
- Podravlje, population 345
- SarvašSarvašSarvaš is a village in eastern Slavonia, Croatia, located east of Osijek. It has a population of 1,539 . It is administratively located within the area of the city of Osijek....
, population 1,875 - TenjaTenjaTenja is a village in eastern Slavonia, Croatia, located just southeast of Osijek. The population is 7,401.-References:...
, population 7,401 - Tvrđavica, population 570
- VišnjevacVišnjevacVišnjevac is a village located in the Subotica municipality, in the North Bačka District of Serbia. It is situated in the autonomous province of Vojvodina...
, population 6,712
Institutions and industries
Major institutions in the city include the Josip Juraj StrossmayerJosip Juraj Strossmayer
Josip Juraj Strossmayer was a Croatian politician, Roman Catholic bishop and benefactor.-Early life and rise as a cleric:...
University of Osijek
University of Osijek
The Josip Juraj Strossmayer University of Osijek is a university located in Osijek, Croatia. It was founded in 1975 and is organized in 11 faculties.-History:...
(established in 1975), the Croatian National Theatre
Croatian National Theatre
The Croatian National Theatre in Zagreb , commonly referred to as HNK Zagreb, is a theatre located in Zagreb, owned and operated by the Ministry of Culture. The theatre evolved out of the first city theatre built in 1836 housed in the present-day Old City Hall...
, the Museum of Slavonia
Museum of Slavonia
Museum of Slavonia is the largest general-type museum in Croatia.Museum of Slavonia was established in 1877 in Osijek. Since 1946, it is located in the City Magistracy building, constructed in 1702 for the purposes of the Vienna Chamber, town government and police. Today, among museums numerous...
(established in 1877), and the printing house dating to 1735. The city also has several gymnasiums
Gymnasium (school)
A gymnasium is a type of school providing secondary education in some parts of Europe, comparable to English grammar schools or sixth form colleges and U.S. college preparatory high schools. The word γυμνάσιον was used in Ancient Greece, meaning a locality for both physical and intellectual...
, the oldest of which dates to 1729, a drawing school from the 19th century, a zoological garden
Zoo
A zoological garden, zoological park, menagerie, or zoo is a facility in which animals are confined within enclosures, displayed to the public, and in which they may also be bred....
, a centre for the promotion of livestock breeding, and an institute for sugar beet
Sugar beet
Sugar beet, a cultivated plant of Beta vulgaris, is a plant whose tuber contains a high concentration of sucrose. It is grown commercially for sugar production. Sugar beets and other B...
farming.
The Saponia chemical factory is the largest factory located in the Osijek area. It is a major producer of detergents, soap and cosmetics whose products are recognized throughout the region as being of quality. It is by far the largest exporter in the city area. Other industries include a regional brewery
Brewery
A brewery is a dedicated building for the making of beer, though beer can be made at home, and has been for much of beer's history. A company which makes beer is called either a brewery or a brewing company....
, the Pivovara Osijek (first Croatian beer), and a sugar processing plant.
The Osijek area used to be much more industrialised and a broad range of goods and products were being manufactured there. One of the earliest factories was the Drava match
Match
A match is a tool for starting a fire under controlled conditions. A typical modern match is made of a small wooden stick or stiff paper. One end is coated with a material that can be ignited by frictional heat generated by striking the match against a suitable surface...
factory, established in 1856, which no longer exists. Other industries included production of synthetic materials, agricultural machinery, metal furniture
Furniture
Furniture is the mass noun for the movable objects intended to support various human activities such as seating and sleeping in beds, to hold objects at a convenient height for work using horizontal surfaces above the ground, or to store things...
, wood
Wood
Wood is a hard, fibrous tissue found in many trees. It has been used for hundreds of thousands of years for both fuel and as a construction material. It is an organic material, a natural composite of cellulose fibers embedded in a matrix of lignin which resists compression...
and timber
Timber
Timber may refer to:* Timber, a term common in the United Kingdom and Australia for wood materials * Timber, Oregon, an unincorporated community in the U.S...
, textiles, footwear, and silk
Silk
Silk is a natural protein fiber, some forms of which can be woven into textiles. The best-known type of silk is obtained from the cocoons of the larvae of the mulberry silkworm Bombyx mori reared in captivity...
, as well as metal processing and printing
Printing
Printing is a process for reproducing text and image, typically with ink on paper using a printing press. It is often carried out as a large-scale industrial process, and is an essential part of publishing and transaction printing....
. However, the 1990s saw most of these industries decline and in some cases close completely. However, the city remains at the centre of an important agricultural
Agriculture
Agriculture is the cultivation of animals, plants, fungi and other life forms for food, fiber, and other products used to sustain life. Agriculture was the key implement in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that nurtured the...
region.
Politics
At the November 2007 elections, no party held a majority, which is not unusual for Croatia as local elections have proportional representationProportional representation
Proportional representation is a concept in voting systems used to elect an assembly or council. PR means that the number of seats won by a party or group of candidates is proportionate to the number of votes received. For example, under a PR voting system if 30% of voters support a particular...
. However, the three mathematically possible coalitions had political problems that made coalition building unusually difficult. The November elections were early (izvanredne) elections caused by the breakdown of the coalition of the two main parties, the Croatian Party of Rights
Croatian Party of Rights
The Croatian Party of Rights is a right-wing political party in Croatia. The "right" in the party's name refer to the idea of Croatian national and ethnic rights that the party has vowed to protect since its founding in the 19th century...
(HSP) and the Croatian Democratic Assembly of Slavonia and Baranja (HDSSB). The cause of the breakdown was disagreement over the building of a new sports stadium.
At the elections held on the 25 November 2007, the Croatian Party of Rights
Croatian Party of Rights
The Croatian Party of Rights is a right-wing political party in Croatia. The "right" in the party's name refer to the idea of Croatian national and ethnic rights that the party has vowed to protect since its founding in the 19th century...
(HSP) and the Croatian Democratic Assembly of Slavonia and Baranja (HDSSB) gained 7 seats each, the Social Democratic Party
Social Democratic Party of Croatia
Social Democratic Party of Croatia , commonly referred to in Croatia as simply Social Democratic Party , is the largest centre-left political party in Croatia...
(SDP) 6 seats, the Croatian Democratic Union
Croatian Democratic Union
The Croatian Democratic Union is the main center-right political party in Croatia. It is the biggest and strongest individual Croatian party since independence of Croatia. The Christian democratic HDZ governed Croatia from 1990 to 2000 and, in partial coalition, from 2003...
(HDZ) 4, and the Croatian People's Party – Liberal Democrats (HNS) 1. A possible coalition between HDSSB and SDP provoked criticism of the Social Democrats for lack of principle such as from Damir Kajin
Damir Kajin
Damir Kajin is a Croatian politician. He is a representative in the Croatian Parliament with the Istrian Democratic Assembly.He lives in Buje....
, who called it a 'sellotape coalition', alluding to the charges of war crimes that the HDSSB leader Branimir Glavaš
Branimir Glavaš
Branimir Glavaš is a controversial Croatian right-wing politician and a convicted war criminal.Glavaš came to prominence in his home city of Osijek during the Croatian war of independence, when he led its defense and became a major general in the Croatian Army...
is facing.
After the parties failed to agree a coalition, the Croatian government called new elections for the city. These elections took place on 9 March 2008 and gave the Croatian Party of Rights 9 councilors, the Croatian Democratic Assembly of Slavonia and Baranja 6, HDZ, 5, SDP, 3 and a coalition of HNS and two smaller parties 2. Anto Đapić has expressed his hope for a coalition with the HDZ.
Society and culture
Cultural events
Numerous events take place in the city throughout the year. The most important of them are the Croatian Tambura MusicMusic
Music is an art form whose medium is sound and silence. Its common elements are pitch , rhythm , dynamics, and the sonic qualities of timbre and texture...
Festival (in May), attended by tambura orchestra
Orchestra
An orchestra is a sizable instrumental ensemble that contains sections of string, brass, woodwind, and percussion instruments. The term orchestra derives from the Greek ορχήστρα, the name for the area in front of an ancient Greek stage reserved for the Greek chorus...
s from all over Croatia and the Osijek Summer Nights (during June, July and August), a series of cultural and entertainment programs in the open, accompanied by excellent food and fairs. The Day of the City of Osijek is celebrated with a cultural and artistic activities and exhibitions.
The surroundings of Osijek provide opportunities for hunting
Hunting
Hunting is the practice of pursuing any living thing, usually wildlife, for food, recreation, or trade. In present-day use, the term refers to lawful hunting, as distinguished from poaching, which is the killing, trapping or capture of the hunted species contrary to applicable law...
and angling
Angling
Angling is a method of fishing by means of an "angle" . The hook is usually attached to a fishing line and the line is often attached to a fishing rod. Fishing rods are usually fitted with a fishing reel that functions as a mechanism for storing, retrieving and paying out the line. The hook itself...
on the Drava river and its backwaters. Hunting in the area known as Kopački Rit
Kopacki Rit
Kopački Rit , is a nature park in eastern Croatia. It is located northwest of the confluence of the Drava and the Danube, situated at the border with Serbia. It comprises many backwaters and ponds along the Danube...
(in Baranja) is famous beyond the borders of Croatia.
Cuisine
The abundance of game and agriculture has made Osijek the country's semi-official gastronomical capital. Local dishes include traditional Slavonian-style specialities (kulenKulen
Kulen is a type of flavored sausage made of minced pork that is traditionally produced in Croatia and Serbia , and its designation of origin has been protected. In parts of Slavonia, kulen is called kulin due to Ikavian speech.The meat is low-fat, rather brittle and dense, and the flavor is spicy...
, paprika-flavoured sausage, other kinds of sausages, ham, bacon, dairy
Dairy
A dairy is a business enterprise established for the harvesting of animal milk—mostly from cows or goats, but also from buffalo, sheep, horses or camels —for human consumption. A dairy is typically located on a dedicated dairy farm or section of a multi-purpose farm that is concerned...
products), as well as venison
Venison
Venison is the meat of a game animal, especially a deer but also other animals such as antelope, wild boar, etc.-Etymology:The word derives from the Latin vēnor...
and fish
Fish
Fish are a paraphyletic group of organisms that consist of all gill-bearing aquatic vertebrate animals that lack limbs with digits. Included in this definition are the living hagfish, lampreys, and cartilaginous and bony fish, as well as various extinct related groups...
dishes such as the famous riblji paprikaš
Fish soup
Fisherman's Soup or halászlé ; , ribena chorba; , ribina čorba) is a hot, spicy paprika-based river fish soup, originating as a dish of Hungarian cuisine, a bright red hot soup prepared with generous amounts of hot paprika and carp or mixed river fish, characteristic for the cuisines of the...
(fish stew made with paprika
Paprika
Paprika is a spice made from the grinding of dried fruits of Capsicum annuum . In many European languages, the word paprika refers to bell peppers themselves. The seasoning is used in many cuisines to add color and flavor to dishes. Paprika can range from mild to hot...
). Two brands of beer
Beer
Beer is the world's most widely consumed andprobably oldest alcoholic beverage; it is the third most popular drink overall, after water and tea. It is produced by the brewing and fermentation of sugars, mainly derived from malted cereal grains, most commonly malted barley and malted wheat...
are brewed in Osijek: Osječko and Esseker. There is also the Baranja wine
Wine
Wine is an alcoholic beverage, made of fermented fruit juice, usually from grapes. The natural chemical balance of grapes lets them ferment without the addition of sugars, acids, enzymes, or other nutrients. Grape wine is produced by fermenting crushed grapes using various types of yeast. Yeast...
offered in restaurants.
Sports
The recreational and sports centre Copacabana, opened in 1980, located on the left bank of the Drava river, provides opportunities for various water sports (outdoor swimming pools and a sand beach with various facilities) during the summer months. The city offers various playgrounds: footballFootball (soccer)
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
, handball
Team handball
Handball is a team sport in which two teams of seven players each pass a ball to throw it into the goal of the other team...
, basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
, tennis
Tennis
Tennis is a sport usually played between two players or between two teams of two players each . Each player uses a racket that is strung to strike a hollow rubber ball covered with felt over a net into the opponent's court. Tennis is an Olympic sport and is played at all levels of society at all...
courts, etc. NK Osijek
NK Osijek
NK Osijek is a Croatian football club, from Osijek in eastern Croatia.- History :NK Osijek's early roots are found in club called NK Udarnik that was formed in 1945 under FPR Yugoslavia's new communist authorities on the ashes of dissolved HŠK Slavija...
are the city's main football team,which are followed by their supporters group called Kohorta Osijek
Kohorta Osijek
Kohorta Osijek is a group of supporters of Croatian FC NK Osijek . The group was founded in 1988 and cluster in the southeast stands of stadium Gradski Vrt....
, playing in the Croatian First League at Gradski vrt
Gradski vrt
Gradski vrt is a multi-use stadium in the Croatian city of Osijek. It is home to two Croatian football clubs, NK Osijek and Fortuna VNO Osijek.It has a capacity of 22,050 .- History :...
stadium. The city is also home to a number of smaller teams including NK Grafičar Vodovod
NK Grafičar Vodovod
NK Grafičar Vodovod is a football club from Osijek, Croatia....
and NK Metalac
NK Metalac
NK Metalac is a Croatian football club based in the town of Osijek....
. Before the Second World War, the city's most successful club was Slavija Osijek
Slavija Osijek
Slavija Osijek was a Croatian football club formed in Osijek. The club was founded in 1916. It was the most influential club from the city in the period prior to World War II....
, which collapsed in 1941. A new sports hall (Dvorana Gradski vrt) was built as the 2009 World Men's Handball Championship
2009 World Men's Handball Championship
The 2009 World Men's Handball Championship took place in Croatia from 16 January–1 February, in the cities of Split, Zadar, Osijek, Varaždin, Poreč, Zagreb and Pula. Croatia was selected from a group of four potential hosts which included the Czech Republic, Greece and Romania.The opening game and...
venue. Osijek also hosts an extreme sports contest Pannonian challenge which features competitions in skateboarding
Skateboarding
Skateboarding is an action sport which involves riding and performing tricks using a skateboard.Skateboarding can be a recreational activity, an art form, a job, or a method of transportation. Skateboarding has been shaped and influenced by many skateboarders throughout the years. A 2002 report...
, inline skating
Aggressive inline skating
Aggressive inline skating is a form of inline skating, performed on specially designed inline skates with focus on sliding stances known as grinds with a focus on new tricks, stunts and personal style. Participants refer to the activity as "'rollerblading'", "blading", "skating" or "rolling"...
, freestyle BMX
Freestyle BMX
Freestyle BMX is a synonym for BMX stunt riding, a sport branch that hails from extreme sports. It consists of six disciplines: street, park, vert, trails, dirt and flatland .-History:...
and MTB dirt racing
Mountain bike racing
The Union Cycliste Internationale recognised the sport of mountain bike racing relatively late in 1990, when it sanctioned the world championships in Purgatory, Colorado. The first mountain biking world cup series took place in 1991. Its nine-race circuit covered two continents—Europe and North...
.
Tourism, sights and attractions
Osijek remains a popular domestic tourist destination for its BaroqueBaroque
The Baroque is a period and the style that used exaggerated motion and clear, easily interpreted detail to produce drama, tension, exuberance, and grandeur in sculpture, painting, literature, dance, and music...
style, open spaces and ample recreational opportunities. The most important sights in the city include the main square, Trg Ante Starčević
Ante Starcevic
Ante Starčević , was a Croatian politician and writer whose activities and works laid the foundations for the modern Croatian state.His works are base for Croatian nationalism, he is often referred to as Father of the Fatherland by Croats.-Life:...
a, Tvrđa the 18th century Baroque citadel, the promenade along the Drava ("promenada"), and the suspension pedestrian bridge
Bridge
A bridge is a structure built to span physical obstacles such as a body of water, valley, or road, for the purpose of providing passage over the obstacle...
toward Baranja.
The Municipal Park of King Petar Krešimir IV
Petar Krešimir IV of Croatia
Peter Krešimir IV, called the Great , was a notably energetic King of Croatia from 1059 to his death in 1074/1075. He was the last great ruler of the Krešimirović branch of the House of Trpimirović....
and the Tomislav
Tomislav
King Tomislav was a ruler of Croatia in the Middle Ages. He reigned from 910 until 928, first as Duke of Dalmatian Croatia in 910–925, and then became first King of the Croatian Kingdom in 925–928....
Park date from the beginning of the 20th century, and are protected national landmarks. Osijek is also home to one of the few Croatian zoological gardens, along the Drava river. The city is home to a monument to Ante Starčević
Ante Starcevic
Ante Starčević , was a Croatian politician and writer whose activities and works laid the foundations for the modern Croatian state.His works are base for Croatian nationalism, he is often referred to as Father of the Fatherland by Croats.-Life:...
.
The Co-cathedral of St. Peter and Paul (Sv. Petar i Pavao) is a Neo-Gothic structure with the second highest tower in Croatia after the Zagreb Cathedral
Zagreb cathedral
Zagreb Cathedral on Kaptol is the most famous building in Zagreb, and the tallest building in Croatia. It is dedicated to the Holy Virgin's Ascension and to St. Stephen and St. Ladislaus. The cathedral is typically Gothic, as is its sacristy, which is of great architectonic value...
. The tower measure 90 m (295.28 ft) and can be seen from throughout Osijek. Because of its size most locals refer to it as the cathedral but it is only a parish church. The Church of St Peter and St Paul was designed by Franz Langenberg and contains 40 stained glass windows, although they are not all intact after the bombing in the 1990s. The church also contains sculptures by Eduard Hauser.
Transport
Transport links to and from Osijek include major railway and highway
Highway
A highway is any public road. In American English, the term is common and almost always designates major roads. In British English, the term designates any road open to the public. Any interconnected set of highways can be variously referred to as a "highway system", a "highway network", or a...
junctions, a river port, and Osijek Airport
Osijek Airport
Osijek Airport is the airport serving Osijek, Croatia. The airport is located 20 km east southeast of Osijek and is situated near the Osijek - Vukovar regional road, southwest of the eponymous village of Klisa.-Passenger Services:...
. International flights from the airport to Cologne/Bonn Airport in Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
commenced in March 2008. A four-lane highway, part of the Pan-European Corridor Vc
Corridor Vc
The European route E 73 is a Class-A north-south European route that connects the central part of the continent, specifically Hungary and eastern Croatia to Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Adriatic Sea in the area of the port of Ploče. This route is also designated as the Pan-European Corridor...
, linking Osijek to the rest of the Croatian modern highway network, was completed and opened in April 2009. From Osijek, it is possible to take the train to numerous destinations including Zagreb
Zagreb
Zagreb is the capital and the largest city of the Republic of Croatia. It is in the northwest of the country, along the Sava river, at the southern slopes of the Medvednica mountain. Zagreb lies at an elevation of approximately above sea level. According to the last official census, Zagreb's city...
, Rijeka
Rijeka
Rijeka is the principal seaport and the third largest city in Croatia . It is located on Kvarner Bay, an inlet of the Adriatic Sea and has a population of 128,735 inhabitants...
, Požega
Požega, Croatia
Požega is a city in western Slavonia, eastern Croatia, with a total population of 26,403 . It is the administrative center of the Požega-Slavonia County.-Geography:...
, Virovitica
Virovitica
Virovitica is a Croatian town near the Croatian-Hungarian border. It is situated near the Drava river and belongs to the historic region of Slavonia. Virovitica has a population of 14,663, with 21,327 people in the municipality...
, Našice
Našice
Našice is a town in the Osijek-Baranja county of Croatia, population 7,894 , total municipality population 16,228 . It is located on the northern slopes of Krndija Mountain in eastern Slavonia, 51 km southwest of Osijek; elevation 157 m....
, Slavonski Brod
Slavonski Brod
Slavonski Brod is a city in Croatia, with a population of 59,507 in 2011. The city was known as Marsonia in the Roman Empire, and as Brod na Savi 1244–1934. It is the sixth largest city in Croatia, after Zagreb, Split, Rijeka, Osijek and Zadar. Located in the region of Slavonia, it is the...
, Slavonski Šamac
Slavonski Šamac
Slavonski Šamac is a village and a port on the river Sava in Croatia. The town is located in Brod-Posavina county in the region of Slavonia. The population of Slavonski Šamac itself is 1,256 ; the municipality, which includes the village of Kruševica, has a total population of 2,649.On the opposite...
, Erdut
Erdut
Erdut is a village and a municipality in eastern Croatia. It is located in the Osijek-Baranja County, eastern Slavonia, 37 km east of Osijek. The elevation of the village of Erdut is 158 m...
, Vrpolje
Vrpolje
Vrpolje is a village and a municipality in Brod-Posavina County, Croatia. It is located 10 km south of Đakovo; elevation 90 m. The population of the village is 2,110, while the total municipality population is 4,023. Chief occupations are farming and livestock breeding...
, Dalj
Dalj
Dalj is a village on the Danube in eastern Croatia, near the confluence of the Drava and Danube, on the border with Serbia. It is connected with the D519 highway and administratively located in the municipality of Erdut, Osijek-Baranja County.-References:...
, Đakovo, and Beli Manastir
Beli Manastir
Beli Manastir is a town and municipality in eastern Croatia, the principal town of the Croatian part of Baranja, in the Osijek-Baranja county.-Name:...
, from where there are connections on to Hungary
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
. There is also a daily service from Budapest
Budapest
Budapest is the capital of Hungary. As the largest city of Hungary, it is the country's principal political, cultural, commercial, industrial, and transportation centre. In 2011, Budapest had 1,733,685 inhabitants, down from its 1989 peak of 2,113,645 due to suburbanization. The Budapest Commuter...
to Sarajevo
Sarajevo
Sarajevo |Bosnia]], surrounded by the Dinaric Alps and situated along the Miljacka River in the heart of Southeastern Europe and the Balkans....
that stops in Osijek.
A small tram
Tram
A tram is a passenger rail vehicle which runs on tracks along public urban streets and also sometimes on separate rights of way. It may also run between cities and/or towns , and/or partially grade separated even in the cities...
network runs through the city, which has been in continuous operation since 1884 and is the only tram network still in operation in Croatia outside of Zagreb. The network is currently being completely overhauled and more than doubled in length, and the city's old trams have been thoroughly modernized.
Famous people from Osijek
Famous people who were born or have lived in Osijek include Matija Petar KatančićMatija Petar Katancic
Matija Petar Katančić was a Croatian writer, professor of aesthetics and archaeology, lexicographer, numismatist.-Biography:As a bootmaker's son from Valpovo, he received his initial education in his native town, to continue his further education in Pecz, Budim, Baia and Szegedin. He had begun his...
, an 18th century Croatian writer, professor of archaeology, translator of the Bible into Croatian, and author of the first paper over the archaeology in Croatia), Josip Juraj Strossmayer
Josip Juraj Strossmayer
Josip Juraj Strossmayer was a Croatian politician, Roman Catholic bishop and benefactor.-Early life and rise as a cleric:...
, a Croatian Maecenas bishop, Franjo Šeper
Franjo Šeper
Franjo Šeper was a Croatian Cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith from 1968 to 1981, and was elevated to the cardinalate in 1965....
, Archbishop of Zagreb from 1960–1968, and Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith from 1968–1981, Francis, Duke of Teck
Francis, Duke of Teck
Francis, Duke of Teck , was a member of the German nobility, and later of the British Royal Family. He was the father of Queen Mary, the wife of King George V...
, a German prince and father of Mary of Teck
Mary of Teck
Mary of Teck was the queen consort of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Empress of India, as the wife of King-Emperor George V....
(later the Queen Consort
Queen consort
A queen consort is the wife of a reigning king. A queen consort usually shares her husband's rank and holds the feminine equivalent of the king's monarchical titles. Historically, queens consort do not share the king regnant's political and military powers. Most queens in history were queens consort...
of George V
George V of the United Kingdom
George V was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Emperor of India, from 6 May 1910 through the First World War until his death in 1936....
) hence the great grandfather of Queen Elizabeth II, painters Adolf Waldinger
Adolf Waldinger
Adolf Ignjo Waldinger was a painter from Osijek, Croatia. He was a member of Osijek's Bürgerliche Zeichenschule drawing school.-Biography:...
and Bela Čikoš Sesija
Bela Cikoš Sesija
Bela Čikoš Sesija ; was a Croatian painter of historical and allegorical scenes at the turn of the 20th century...
, musicians Franjo Krežma
Franjo Krežma
Franjo Krežma , also known as Franz Krezma in German-speaking countries, was a Croatian violinist and composer....
, Miroslav Škoro
Miroslav Škoro
Miroslav Škoro is a Croatian musician. Škoro's music is characterized by its traditional tamburitza sound, updated to appeal to a contemporary pop audience.-Biography:...
, Branko Mihaljević
Branko Mihaljevic
Branko Mihaljević was a composer, writer, journalist and radio editor.He spent his career, starting in 1952, in Osijek as editor of music and music-documentary programs of Radio-Osijek, and as head of the Center of Culture University, which provided adult education...
and Krunoslav Slabinac, historian Ferdo Šišić
Ferdo Šišic
Ferdo Šišić was a Croatian historian, the founding figure of the Croatian historiography of the 20th century. He made his most important contributions in the area of Croatian early Middle Ages.- Life :...
, TV journalist Vladimir Herzog
Vladimir Herzog
Vladimir Herzog nicknamed Vlado, was a Brazilian journalist, university professor and playwright of Yugoslavian origin. He also developed a taste for photography, because of his film projects...
, Hollywood producer Branko Lustig
Branko Lustig
Branko Lustig is a prominent Croatian Jewish film producer. He is the only person born in Croatia to have won two Academy Awards.-Early life:...
, footballers Davor Šuker
Davor Šuker
Davor Šuker , is a retired Croatian footballer. He played as a striker for a number of European clubs as well as the Croatian national team, where he is the all-time top goal scorer with 45 goals....
and Franjo Glaser
Franjo Glaser
Franjo Glaser was a Croatian football goalkeeper and football manager...
, sport shooter Jasna Šekarić
Jasna Šekaric
|- bgcolor="#eeeeee" align=center! colspan="4" | Competed as an Jasna Šekarić |- bgcolor="#eeeeee" align=center! colspan="4" | Competed as an Jasna Šekarić |- bgcolor="#eeeeee" align=center! colspan="4" | Competed as an Jasna Šekarić (Cyrillic: Јасна Шекарић, née Brajković (Брајковић) (born...
and tennis player Jelena Dokić
Jelena Dokic
Jelena Dokić is an Australian female professional tennis player.During the height of her career, she played for Serbia and Montenegro and reached a career-high ranking of World No. 4 on 19 August 2002. After several family-related difficulties , she slowly slipped down the rankings in 2006...
. Nobel Prize winners Lavoslav (Leopold) Ružička
Lavoslav Ružicka
Lavoslav Ružička FRS born as Lavoslav Ružička was a Croatian scientist and winner of the 1939 Nobel Prize in Chemistry who worked most of his life in Switzerland...
and Vladimir Prelog
Vladimir Prelog
Vladimir Prelog FRS was a Croatian chemist and Nobel Prize winner in chemistry. Prelog lived and worked in Prague, Zagreb and Zürich during his lifetime.-Biography:...
also lived in the city, as did meteorologist and seismologist Andrija Mohorovičić
Andrija Mohorovicic
Andrija Mohorovičić was a Croatian meteorologist and seismologist. He is best known for the eponymous Mohorovičić discontinuity and is considered a founder of modern seismology.-Early years:...
, and world known mathematician and climatologist Milutin Milanković
Milutin Milankovic
Milutin Milanković was a Serbian geophysicist and civil engineer, best known for his theory of ice ages, suggesting a relationship between Earth's long-term climate changes and periodic changes in its orbit, now known as Milankovitch cycles. Milanković gave two fundamental contributions to global...
.
International relations
Twin towns - sister cities
Osijek is twinnedTown twinning
Twin towns and sister cities are two of many terms used to describe the cooperative agreements between towns, cities, and even counties in geographically and politically distinct areas to promote cultural and commercial ties.- Terminology :...
with:
| Pécs Pécs Pécs is the fifth largest city of Hungary, located on the slopes of the Mecsek mountains in the south-west of the country, close to its border with Croatia. It is the administrative and economical centre of Baranya county... , Hungary Hungary Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The... , since 1972 Maribor Maribor Maribor is the second largest city in Slovenia with 157,947 inhabitants . Maribor is also the largest and the capital city of Slovenian region Lower Styria and the seat of the Municipality of Maribor.... , Slovenia Slovenia Slovenia , officially the Republic of Slovenia , is a country in Central and Southeastern Europe touching the Alps and bordering the Mediterranean. Slovenia borders Italy to the west, Croatia to the south and east, Hungary to the northeast, and Austria to the north, and also has a small portion of... , since 1995 Pforzheim Pforzheim Pforzheim is a town of nearly 119,000 inhabitants in the state of Baden-Württemberg, southwest Germany at the gate to the Black Forest. It is world-famous for its jewelry and watch-making industry. Until 1565 it was the home to the Margraves of Baden. Because of that it gained the nickname... , Germany Germany Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate... , since 1994 Ploieşti Ploiesti Ploiești is the county seat of Prahova County and lies in the historical region of Wallachia in Romania. The city is located north of Bucharest.... , Romania Romania Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea... , since 1996 Tuzla Tuzla Tuzla is a city and municipality in Bosnia and Herzegovina. At the time of the 1991 census, it had 83,770 inhabitants, while the municipality 131,318. Taking the influx of refugees into account, the city is currently estimated to have 174,558 inhabitants... , Bosnia and Herzegovina Bosnia and Herzegovina Bosnia and Herzegovina , sometimes called Bosnia-Herzegovina or simply Bosnia, is a country in Southern Europe, on the Balkan Peninsula. Bordered by Croatia to the north, west and south, Serbia to the east, and Montenegro to the southeast, Bosnia and Herzegovina is almost landlocked, except for the... , since 1996 |
Lausanne Lausanne Lausanne is a city in Romandy, the French-speaking part of Switzerland, and is the capital of the canton of Vaud. The seat of the district of Lausanne, the city is situated on the shores of Lake Geneva . It faces the French town of Évian-les-Bains, with the Jura mountains to its north-west... , Switzerland Switzerland Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition.... , since 1997 Nitra Nitra Nitra is a city in western Slovakia, situated at the foot of Zobor Mountain in the valley of the river Nitra. With a population of about 83,572, it is the fifth largest city in Slovakia. Nitra is also one of the oldest cities in Slovakia and the country's earliest political and cultural center... , Slovakia Slovakia The Slovak Republic is a landlocked state in Central Europe. It has a population of over five million and an area of about . Slovakia is bordered by the Czech Republic and Austria to the west, Poland to the north, Ukraine to the east and Hungary to the south... , since 1997 Budapest Budapest Budapest is the capital of Hungary. As the largest city of Hungary, it is the country's principal political, cultural, commercial, industrial, and transportation centre. In 2011, Budapest had 1,733,685 inhabitants, down from its 1989 peak of 2,113,645 due to suburbanization. The Budapest Commuter... , XIII district, Hungary Hungary Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The... , since 2001 Subotica Subotica Subotica is a city and municipality in northern Serbia, in the Autonomous Province of Vojvodina... , Serbia Serbia Serbia , officially the Republic of Serbia , is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeast Europe, covering the southern part of the Carpathian basin and the central part of the Balkans... , since 2004 Prizren Prizren Prizren is a historical city located in southern Kosovo. It is the administrative center of the eponymous municipality and district.The city has a population of around 131,247 , mostly Albanians... , Kosovo Kosovo Kosovo is a region in southeastern Europe. Part of the Ottoman Empire for more than five centuries, later the Autonomous Province of Kosovo and Metohija within Serbia... , since 2010 |