Vukovar

Vukovar
—  Town  —
Nickname(s): Grad Heroj (Hero City)
Vukovar Location of Vukovar within Croatia
Coordinates: 45°21′N 19°00′E
Country	Croatia
County	Vukovar-Srijem
Government
• Mayor	Željko Sabo (SDP)
Elevation	108 m (354 ft)
Population (2011)
• Town	28,016
• Urban	26,716
Time zone	CET (UTC+1)
• Summer (DST)	CEST (UTC+2)
Postal code	32 000
Area code(s)	032
Website	vukovar.hr

Vukovar's main street with obvious damage from the shellings during the war

Vukovar

Vukovar (pronounced [v̞ûkɔv̞aːr]) 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. The city's registered population was 26,716 in the 2011 census, with a total of 28,016 in the municipality.

Name

The name Vukovar means "the town on the river Vuka" ('Vuko' from the river Vuka, and 'vár' from the Hungarian word for 'castle'). The name of the river Vuka itself originates from the Slavic word 'vuk', meaning 'wolf'. In Serbian Cyrillic, the town is known as Вуковар, in Hungarian as Vukovár or Valkóvár, in German as Wukowar, and in Turkish as Vukovar.

Geography

It is located 20 km (12 mi) northeast of Vinkovci, 36 km (22 mi) southeast of Osijek with the elevation of 108 m (354 ft). Vukovar is located on the main road D2 Osijek—Vukovar—Ilok and on the Vinkovci—Vukovar railway (and road D55).

The city is spread out along the Danube river, and Vukovar proper is in the southeast while Borovo Naselje forms a distinct unit in the northwest.

Municipal area

The administrative municipal area of the city contains following settlements:

• Grabovo, population 46
• Lipovača, population 388
• Sotin, population 783
• Vukovar, population 26,716

In SFR Yugoslavia, the municipalities were generally larger, and the Vukovar municipality spanned the region from Vera and Borovo in the north, Ilok in the east and Tovarnik in the south, but it was since divided into several municipalities.

History

Early history

Slavic tribes settled in this area in the 6th century. In the 9th century the region was part of the Slavic Balaton Principality ruled by prince Pribina, part of the Principality of Pannonian Croatia ruled by prince Ljudevit, and part of the Bulgarian Empire. In the 11th-12th century, the region was part of the Kingdom of Croatia; from the 13th to 16th century part of the Kingdom of Hungary; and in 16th-17th century part of the Ottoman Empire.

Vukovar was mentioned first in the 13th century as Volko, Walk, Wolkov (original Croatian/Slavic name of the town was Vukovo). Since the 14th century, the most common name used for the town was Vukovár (Vukovar). During administration of the medieval Kingdom of Hungary, the town was a seat of the Valkó (Croatian: Vuka) county, which was located between rivers Drava and Sava, while during Ottoman administration it was part of the Sanjak of Syrmia. At the end of the Ottoman administration, the town's population numbered about 3,000 inhabitants.

Habsburg Monarchy and Yugoslavia

Since the end of the 17th century, Vukovar was part of the Habsburg Monarchy and was subsequently included into Kingdom of Slavonia, a Habsburg province that formally was part of both the Kingdom of Croatia and the Kingdom of Hungary. During this time, Vukovar was a seat of the Syrmia County. Later, Vukovar was part of the Kingdom of Croatia-Slavonia, created when the Kingdom of Slavonia and the Kingdom of Croatia were merged in 1868.

In 1918, Vukovar became part of the newly formed Kingdom of Serbs, Croats, and Slovenes (later known as Yugoslavia). Between 1918 and 1922, Vukovar was administrative seat of Syrmia (Srijem, Srem) county, and between 1922 and 1929 it was the administrative seat of Syrmia oblast. Since 1929, it was part of the Sava Banovina, and beginning in 1939 it was part of the Banovina of Croatia. Between 1941 and 1944, Vukovar was part of the Independent State of Croatia. During World War II the city was bombed by the Allies. In 2008 an unexploded bomb was found in the city from this period. From 1945, it was part of the People's Republic of Croatia within new socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia.

Croatian War of Independence

Main articles: Battle of Vukovar and Vukovar massacre

The water tower in Vukovar, 2005. Heavily damaged in the battle, it has been preserved as a symbol of the town's suffering.

Vukovar was heavily damaged during the Croatian War of Independence. Approximately 2,000 self-organised defenders (the army of Croatia was still in an embryonic stage at that time) defended the city for 87 days against approximately 36,000 JNA troops supplemented with 110 vehicles and tanks and dozens of planes. The city suffered heavy damage during the siege and was eventually overrun. It is estimated that 2,000 defenders of Vukovar and civilians were killed, 800 went missing and 22,000 civilians were killed or forced into exile.^{[citation needed]}

The damage to Vukovar during the siege has been called the worst in Europe since World War II, drawing comparisons with the World War II–era Stalingrad. The city's water tower, riddled with bullet holes, was retained by city planners to serve as a testimony to the events of the early 1990s.

On 18 November 2006 approximately 25,000 people from all over the country gathered in Vukovar for the 15th anniversary of the fall of the city to commemorate those who were killed during the siege. A museum dedicated to the siege was opened in the basement of a now rebuilt hospital that had been damaged during the battle. On 27 September 2007 the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia convicted two former Yugoslav Army officers and acquitted a third of involvement in the hospital massacre.

As a result of the conflict, today the local Croat and Serb populations live separate lives side by side.

Demographics

Vukovar municipality within Vukovar-Syrmia County, 2001

In the years from 1948 until 1991 Vukovar's population increased quickly due to industrial development. Primarily it was immigration that fed the growth in the Vukovar region and in the town particularly. The region's population distribution changed notably too when the town of Ilok became the second largest town in the region.

National structure of the population of Vukovar:

Year	Total	Croats		Serbs		Germans		Hungarians		Others
2001	31.670	18.199	57,5%	10.412	32,9%	58	0,2%	387	1,2%	2.614	8,3%
1990	44.639	21.065	47,2%	14.425	32,3%	94	0,2%	694	1,5%	8.361	18,8%
1971	30.222	14.694	48,6%	9.132	30,2%	60	0,2%	835	2,8%	5.501	18,2%
1948	17.223	10.943	63,5%	4.390	25,5%	54	0,3%	913	5,3%	923	5,3%
1931	10.242	5.048	49,6%	1.702	16,6%	2.670	26,1%	571	5,6%	215	2,0%
1910	10.359	4.092	39,5%	1.628	15,7%	3.503	33,8%	954	9,2%	183	1,8%

The most significant change is the disappearing of the Germans after World War II. The empty place was filled with Croat and Serb colonists during Yugoslavia.

National structure of the population in the municipality of Vukovar:

Year of census	total	Croats	Serbs	Others
2001	31,670	18,199 (57.46%)	10,412 (32.88%)	3,059 (9.66%)
1991	84,024	36,910 (43.93%)	31,910 (37.98%)	15,204 (18.09%)
1981	81,203	30,157 (37.14%)	25,146 (30.97%)	25,903 (31.89%)
1971	76,602	34,629 (45.21%)	28,470 (37.17%)	13,593 (17.09%)
1961	54,707	24,527 (44.83%)	22,774 (41.63%)	7,406 (13.54%)

The Croats were in the majority in most villages and in the region's eastern part, whereas the Serbs dominated in northwest. Vukovar's population was ethnically mixed and had 28 ethnic groups before the war.

Since the boundaries of the municipality have changed a few times, there are significant differences in the population census between '61 and '71, and '91 and '01.

Particularly since the war in Croatia, much of the native Croat population has moved to other areas of Croatia or emigrated to Western Europe (notably Germany) or Austria and many Serbs have either moved to Serbia or to Canada and Western Europe.

Fifteen years after the war, in 2006, the city's ethnic makeup shows equal percentages of Serb and Croat residents. The city remains very divided, as a deeper sense of reconciliation has failed to take root. The ethnic communities remain separated by mistrust, divided institutions and disappointment. Separate schooling for Croat and Serb children remains in place. Incidents involving Croats and Serbs occur regularly, and public spaces have become identified not by the services they offer but by the ethnicity of those who gather there. Even coffee shops are identified as Serb or Croat.

Economy

Vukovar is the largest Croatian town and river port on the Danube. Its economy is based on trade, farming, viticulture, livestock breeding, textile and food-processing industry, footwear industry and tourism.

Following the end of the war, much of the infrastructure in Vukovar remains unrestored and unemployment is estimated to stand at 40 per cent.

Cultural heritage

The newly restored Eltz Manor, an example of the local architecture

Among a number of attractive buildings, severely damaged in the recent war, the most interesting are the Eltz Manor of the Eltz noble family from 18th century, Baroque buildings in the centre of the town, the Franciscan monastery, the parish church of St. James, the Serbian Orthodox church of St Nicholas, the birth house of the Nobel prize winner Lavoslav Ružička, etc. Since 1998 and peaceful reintegration under Croatian control, many buildings have been rebuilt, but there are many ruins still in the town.

Outside the town, on the banks of the Danube toward Ilok, lies a notable archaeological site, Vučedol. The ritual vessel called the Vučedol Dove (vučedolska golubica) is considered the symbol of Vukovar. Vučedol is also a well-known excursion destination, frequented by anglers and bathers, especially the beautiful sand beach on Orlov Otok (Eagle's Island).

Sports and recreational opportunities are provided at the attractive confluence of the Vuka river into the Danube, on the promenades along the Danube and maintained beaches. Bathing is possible in the summer months. Angling is very popular both on the Vuka and the Danube (catfish, European perch, carp, pike, sterlet).

The siege of Vukovar is an important part in the background of the novel The Redeemer by popular Norwegian crime-writer Jo Nesbø, in whose plot traumatized survivors of the siege arrive in Olso and play a major role in the murder mystery which Inspector Harry Hole must solve.

Institutions

Vukovar is the seat of several local organizations and institutions such as Vukovar-Syrmia County, Polytechnic Lavoslav Ružička Vukovar, Gymnasium Vukovar, etc. It is also the seat of several organizations and institutions of Serb minority in Croatia such as Joint Council of Municipalities, Association for Serbian language and literature in the Republic of Croatia, Independent Democratic Serb Party, Party of Danube Serbs as well as the seat of the Consulate General of Republic of Serbia in Vukovar.

Education

Vukovar has seven primary schools and five high schools, including one gymnasium (Gymnasium Vukovar) and one music school. The city is also home to the Lavoslav Ružička polytechnic, which offers study opportunities in the fields of economics and trade, law and kinesitherapy. Additionally, the University of Split runs dislocated studies in information technology, economics and law in Vukovar. Similarly, the University of Osijek offers programmes in economics and law.

Notable people from Vukovar

• Franjo Benzinger - Croatian pharmacist
• Siniša Glavašević - Croatian reporter
• Jakob Eltz - German nobleman and former member of Croatian parliament
• Mirna Jukić - Croatian and Austrian swimmer
• Tomislav Merčep - Croatian politician
• Tomislav Mikulić - Croatian footballer
• Siniša Mihajlović - Serbian footballer
• Ante Miše - Croatian footballer
• Petar Mlinarić - Member of Croatian parliament
• Zaharije Orfelin - Serbian poet
• Pavao Pavličić - Croatian novelist
• Leopold Ružička - Nobel prize winner in chemistry
• Vladimir Štengl - Former Member of the Parliament of Croatia and former mayor of Vukovar
• Blago Zadro - Croatian army general
• Dario Zahora - Croatian footballer
• Milan Mačvan - basketball player

International relations

See also: List of twin towns and sister cities in Croatia

In the city is located Consulate General of Republic of Serbia.

Twin towns - Sister cities

Vukovar is twinned with:

• Bač (Serbia), Serbia
• Dubrovnik, Croatia

References

Bibliography

• Cresswell, Peterjon; Atkins, Ismay; Dunn, Lily (10 July 2006). Time Out Croatia (First ed.). London, Berkeley & Toronto: Time Out Group Ltd & Ebury Publishing, Random House Ltd. 20 Vauxhall Bridge Road, London SV1V 2SA. ISBN 978-1-904978-70-1. http://books.google.com/books?id=VZweAAAACAAJ. Retrieved 10 March 2010. 

External links

• Official site
• Tourist office Vukovar
• Vukovar Wikitravel page