Erdut

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Erdut
—  Municipality  —
Municipality of Erdut
Općina Erdut

Flag

Coat of arms
Erdut is located in Croatia
Erdut
Location of Erdut in Croatia
Erdut is located in Osijek-Baranja County
Erdut
Location of Erdut in Osijek-Baranja County
Coordinates: 45°32′N 19°04′E / 45.533°N 19.067°E / 45.533; 19.067
Country  Croatia
County Osijek-Baranja
Government
 • Municipal mayor Jovan Jelić
Area
 • Total 158 km2 (61 sq mi)
Elevation 158 m (518 ft)
Population (2011)
 • Total 7,372
 • Density Bad rounding here47/km2 (Bad rounding here120/sq mi)
Time zone CET (UTC+1)
 • Summer (DST) CEST (UTC+2)
Postal codes 31204 Bijelo Brdo
31205 Aljmaš
31206 Erdut
31226 Dalj
Area code(s) 031
Website www.opcina-erdut.hr
Map of Erdut municipality

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.

Contents

Name and languages [edit]

The name Erdut comes from the local Hungarian name (Erdőd) meaning "forest road".[1] In other languages, the village in German is known as Erdung and in Serbian as Ердут.

Due to the local minority population, the Erdut municipality prescribe the use of not only Croatian as the official language, but the Serbian language and Serbian Cyrillic alphabet as well.[2]

Geography [edit]

The municipality have total area of 158 km2[3] (61 sq mi) and is the largest member municipality of Joint Council of Municipalities. River Drava (5.6 km[3]) and Danube (34.825 km[3]) flows through the municipality. The territory of the municipality is completely flat very fertile black soil. Municipality of Erdut include following settlements:[3] It is connected by D213 road (Croatia) with rest of country.

There are 4 villages in municipality:

Settlement population
Erdut 818
Aljmaš 610
Bijelo Brdo 1,976
Dalj 3,952

History [edit]

The settlement was first mentioned in 1335 under the Hungarian name Erdöd and then as a city in 1472.[1]

Erdut During the 1991 War [edit]

When Croatia declared independence from Yugoslavia in 1991, eastern Slavonia was soon overrun by the Yugoslav National Army and Serb paramilitaries, led by the notorious warlord, Željko Ražnatović known by the name Arkan.[4] The battle for Erdut quickly ended that summer as the entire Croatian population was expelled or killed along with other minorities including Czechs, Germans, Hungarians, Ruthenians and Ukrainians in an act of ethnic cleansing.[5] Their homes were soon occupied by other Serbs.[5] Many buildings and homes were destroyed, including the Roman Catholic Church.[5]

Arkan soon set up a training camp for his Serb Volunteer Guard in Erdut, which became headquarters until the end of the war, when Croatian forces recaptured most of the land occupied by the Serb rebels.

Erdut Agreement [edit]

On November 12, 1995, officials signed what is commonly called the Erdut Agreement[6] in which the part of eastern Slavonia still occupied by Serbs would be integrated back into Croatia, gradually allowing some of the exiled refugees to return to their homes. This agreement was the basis for the establishment of Joint Council of Municipalities.[6] Erdut has been under Croatian control since 1998.[7]

Demographics [edit]

Population [edit]

The municipality population is 7,372 (census 2011), with 818 people in Erdut itself, 3,952 in Dalj, 1,976 in Bijelo Brdo and 610 in Aljmaš.[8] The majority of the population of municipality are Serbs (54%). The largest village, Dalj, is populated mostly by Serbs. Other ethnic groups are Croats (37%) and Hungarians (5%).[9]

Religion [edit]

Dalj is seat of the Eparchy of Osječko polje and Baranja of the Serb Orthodox Church.

Politics [edit]

Multilateral cooperation [edit]

Erdut municipality is one of seven member municipalities of Joint Council of Municipalities, inter-municipal sui generis organization of Serbian community in eastern Croatia.

Municipality government [edit]

The municipality assembly is composed of 13 representatives. As of 2009, the member parties/lists are:[10]

  Party Number of votes Number of seats
  Independent Democratic Serb Party 1.688 8
  Croatian Democratic Alliance of Slavonia and Baranja 843 4
  Croatian Democratic Union 380 1
  Croatian Peasant Party 157 0
  Social Democratic Party of Croatia 149 0
  Independent list-Stevo Vukajlija 129 0
  Independent list-Mijo Nemet 67 0

Economy [edit]

Erdut development index is between 50-76% of the Croatian average,[11] and therefore, the municipality is part of the Areas of Special State Concern.[12]

Education [edit]

Culture [edit]

Points of Interest [edit]

The supreme quality wines of the Erdut wine-cellars and large wooden casks are well-known among wine connoisseurs.[13] The largest cask, made of 150-year old oak-wood, with a content of 75,000 l, was included in the Guinness Record Book.[14]

The municipality is home of Eparchy of Osječko polje and Baranja, and there is also Erdut Castle.

The picturesque elevations rising above the Danube, between Aljmaš and Erdut, are protected as an important landscape. The loess deposits on the remains of old elevations have already grown, and the slopes toward the Danube are cut sharply and rise 70 m above the river

Associations and Institutions [edit]

Sport [edit]

Notable natives and residents [edit]

See also [edit]

References [edit]

External links [edit]