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Golubac Fortress

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Golubac fortress

Golubac fortress (Serbian: Голубачки град or Golubački grad) is a medieval fortified town most likely built during the 14th century. It is located on the right side of the Danube river, 4km downstream from the modern-day town of Golubac, in the Braničevo District of north-eastern Serbia. The fortress, which is rather large and well-preserved considering its age and location, marks the entrance to the Đerdap national park.

Fort Golubac has had a tumultuous history. It was the site of many battles, and changed hands repeatedly until it was turned over to Serbian Knez Mihailo Obrenović III in 1867. Previously, it had passed between Turks, Hungarians, Serbs, and Austrians. Now, it is a popular tourist attraction in the region and a sightseeing point on Danube boat tours.

Location and history

Golubac, on the modern-day border with Romania, is strategically located on the embankment of the Danube river where it narrows to form the Iron Gate gorge,[1][2] allowing for the regulation and taxation of traffic across and along the river.[3][4] In the Middle Ages, this was done with the aid of a strong chain connected to Babakaj, a rock on the far side of the river.

Golubac's early history is uncertain. Inscriptions[5] and evidence of older defensive structures[6] in the area show the presence a Roman settlement, sometimes named "Columbaria,"[6] long before the creation of Golubac. It is also unclear whether the fortress was built by Serbs[5] or Hungarians,[3] or how many towers it started with. However, a Serbian Orthodox chapel built as part of one tower shows that it, at the least, was built by a Serbian noble. There is also uncertainty about when construction was started, though it is generally agreed that the majority of the fortress was built early in the 14th century.[1][2][4]

The first known record of Golubac is in Hungarian sources from 1335, at which point it was occupied by Hungarian military.[5] Between 1345 and 1355 Golubac, under the command of Castellan Toma, Voivode of Transylvania, received a visit from Serbian Tsar Stefan Dušan during a tour of the Braničevo region, which was part of Serbia.[5] After Dušan's death, the Rastislalić family gained influence in Braničevo, later winning independence. According to Serbian chroniclers, Knez Lazar evicted the last Rastislalić feudal lord Radic Banković in 1379, then gifted outlying villages to monasteries in Wallachia.[5] By the Battle of Kosovo in 1389, Golubac was held by Serbia. It is unclear when or how it changed hands, though one source puts it later than 1382.[5] After the battle, the fortress was lost to Sultan Bayezid I, marking the first possession by the Ottoman Empire. In 1391, Golubac switched hands twice. Hungarian Temesian Comes Peter Perényi won it, but only had a short period of command before losing it back to the Turks.[6] Later, it returned once again to the Kingdom of Hungary.

The first extended Serbian possession of Golubac began in 1403 when Sigismund, King of Hungary, ceded it as a personal fiefdom to Despot Stefan Lazarević after he became a Hungarian vassal. When the issue of Stefan's successor came up in 1426, he and Sigismund met in May in Tata to discuss it. A contract was written stating that Sigismund would accept Đurađ Branković as successor on the condition that Golubac, Belgrade, and Mačva were returned to Hungary when Stefan died.[7][8] After Stefan's death in 1427, Sigismund hurried to have the clauses of the Tata contract fulfilled, and Belgrade and Mačva were handed over without a problem. However, Golubac's commander Voivode Jeremija wouldn't return it without a compensation of 12,000 ducats.[7] When Sigismund refused to pay, Jeremija instead handed Golubac to the Turks,[7][8] who turned it into the pasha's residence.

Sultan Murad II was not pleased with the increased Hungarian influence elsewhere in Serbia, however, so he sent his army to attack. One squad came from Golubac and targeted nearby Serbian and Hungarian settlements in the Braničevo region.[7] In response, Đurađ personally traveled to Golubac, promising forgiveness to Jeremija and urging him to return the fortress by any means possible. Not only did the Voivode refuse, he also attacked the Despot when he and his escort attempted to enter the walls.[7] These betrayals were followed in 1428 by the Battle of Golubac.

Around April 1428, Sigismund amassed an army of 25,000 infantry, 6,000 Wallachian archers led by Prince Dan II,[9] 200 Italian artillery, and a number of Polish cavalry on the far side of the Danube, then attacked Golubac and the Turks.[6] He also had ships attacking from the river,[7] one of which was commanded by Cäcilie Rozgony, wife of Temesian Comes Stefan Rozgony.[6] Murad rushed to help the besieged Turks, and in late May he arrived.[7] Sigismund, who didn't wish to fight the bigger army, had finalized a treaty by early June.[7] Once part of the Hungarian army had withdrawn to the far side of the river, however, the Turkish commander Sinan Bey treacherously attacked their rear,[7] capturing and slaughtering those who remained,[6] among them the Polish knight Zawisza Czarny. Sigismund was nearly caught with the rest of his army;[7] the courageous intervention of Cäcilie Rozgony is solely responsible for his rescue.[6][10][11]

The Ottoman Empire retained control of Golubac throughout its occupation of the Serbian Despotate. After the Hungarian army had expelled the Ottomans, the peace of Szeged between King Vladislaus and Sultan Murad restored the Despotate in 1444, and included in the redefined territory was Golubac fortress.[12] However, the Turks once again conquered it after the death of Đurađ Branković in 1456.

The years 1481-1482 led to yet more fighting between the Hungarians and Turks. Iskender, pasha of Ottoman-held Smederevo, and his Turkish army invaded the Temes area. Temesian Comes Pál Kinizsi then crossed the Danube with 32,000 men, killing or taking prisoner a thousand Turkish cavalry and sinking 24 ships. Jaxics, one of Kinizsi's men, followed Iskender and beheaded him at Golubac's gate.[6] The fortress was once again under Hungarian control. In 1521, however, it was regained by the Ottoman Empire.[6]

Golubac was held by the Hapsburg Monarchy between 1688-1690 and 1718-1739. Serb rebels controlled it during Kočina Krajina in 1788-1791, and again from 1804-1813 during the First Serbian Uprising. After, it returned to the Ottoman Empire until 1867 when it, along with Kalemegdan and other towns in Serbia, was given to Knez Mihailo of Serbia.

Architecture

Golubac is comprised of three main compounds guarded by 10 towers and 2 portcullises, all connected by fortress walls 2-3 meters thick.[3][4] In front of the fortress, the forward wall (I) doubled as the outer wall of the moat,[4] which connected to the Danube and was likely filled with water. A settlement for common people was situated in front of the wall.[3]

As is the case with many fortresses, Golubac's structure received modifications over time. For years, there were only five towers. Later, four more were added.[3] The towers were all built as squares, a sign of the fortress' age, showing that battles were still fought with cold steel. Once firearms came into use, the Turks fortified the western towers with cannon ports and polygonal or cylindrical reinforcements up to two meters thick.[4] Around 1480 they added the final tower, complete with cannon embrasures and galleries.[3]

Upper compound

File:Golubacletters.jpg
Topographical sketch of Golubac fortress prior to 1972

The upper compound (A) is the oldest part of the fortress. It includes the citadel (tower 1) and the Serbian Orthodox chapel (tower 4). Although it remains uncertain, the chapel has led many to believe that this section was built by a Serbian noble.

Later, during either Serbian or Hungarian rule, the fortress was expanded to include the rear and forward compounds.

Rear compound

The rear compound (D) is separated from the upper compound by both a wall connecting towers 2 and 4, and a steep rock 3-4 meters high. Next to tower 5 is a building (VII) which was probably used as a military barracks and for ammunition storage.

Forward compound

The forward compound was split into lower (C) and upper (B) parts by a wall linking towers 4 and 7. The entrance (II) is in the lower part, guarded by towers 8 and 9. Tower 8 has, in turn, been fortified with a cannon port. Opposing the entrance was a second portcullis that led to the rear compound. Along the path was a ditch 0.5 meters wide and 0.75 meters deep which then became a steep decline. At the outer end of the lower part, and connected to the 9th tower with a low wall, is tower 10, which the Turks added to act as a lower artillery tower. It controlled passage along the Danube and guarded the entrance to the harbor, which was probably situated between towers 5 and 10. There are remains connected to tower 8 which probably formed a larger whole with it, but the lower part did not otherwise contain buildings.

In the wall that separated the upper and lower parts was a gate that led to the upper part. The upper part did not have buildings, but there remains a pathway to the stairs up to gate IV, which is 2 meters off the ground, right next to tower 3.

Towers

The first nine towers are 20-25 meters high.[3][4] In all ten towers, the floors and stairs inside were made of wood, while external stairs were made of stone. Half of the towers (1, 2, 4, 5, 10) have all four sides and are completely made of stone, while the other half (3, 6, 7, 8, 9) lack the side facing the interior of the fort.

The rear gate and tower 5 on the right, and tower 10 on the left.
  1. The dungeon tower. It has an eight-sided base with a circular spire rising from it. The interior is square.
  2. A circular tower.
  3. This tower has a square base, with the open side facing the dungeon tower. The top floor has a terrace that overlooks the Danube and the entrance to the Iron Gate gorge.
  4. This tower also has a square base. The ground floor has a Serbian Orthodox chapel that was built into the tower, rather than being added later.
  5. The only tower to remain completely square.
  6. The tower has a square base which was reinforced with a six-sided foundation.
  7. The tower has a square base with a circular reinforcement foundation.
  8. This tower has an irregular, but generally square, base. It is also the shortest of the first nine towers.
  9. The tower has a square base reinforced by an eight-sided foundation.
  10. The cannon tower, with only one floor, is the shortest of all ten towers. It was built with an eight-sided base and cannon ports to help control traffic on the Danube. It is almost identical to the three artillery towers added to the Smederevo fortress.

In recent years

From the late 1800's into the early-mid 1900's, bloodsucking flies sometimes referred to as "Golubac mosquitoes" thrived in the area. They were particularly dangerous to livestock, some years killing off entire herds of cattle.[6][10][11]

After World War I, a road was constructed that went through both the fort's portcullises. This road is the shortest link between Serbia and eastern parts of the Balkan peninsula.

Between 1964-72, a hydroelectric dam was built in the Iron Gate gorge, significantly elevating the river's water level. As a result, the lower parts of the fortress are now flooded.[6]

From the beginning of the 21st century, much of the fort has been overgrown, making most of the upper parts inaccessible. During the spring of 2005, a public project to restore the fort was started. Most of the plants were removed and certain parts, like the fountain in the moat raised in honor of knight Zawisza Czarny, were repaired. The walls, towers and stone stairs are in decent condition, but the wooden floors and steps have rotted out, making most of the upper floors impassable.

Golubac is now a highly visited site. Two key reasons are the major road that passes through it, and its proximity to Lepenski Vir, making the two locales a touristic whole.

See also

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Golubac Fortress.

Notes and references

  • The information in the Architecture and In recent years sections is from the Serbian page.
  • Uncited information in the remaining sections is from either the Serbian page or the German page, and much of it overlapped.
    • The main author of the Serbian page said it is based on Aleksandar Deroko, "Srednjevekovni gradovi u Srbiji, Crnoj Gori i Makedoniji", Belgrade 1950 and Aleksandar Deroko, "Medieval Castles on the Danube", Belgrade 1964.
    • The main author of the German page said it is based on Istorija srpskog naroda (u šest knjiga), druga knjiga; Srpska književna zadruga, drugo izdanje, Beograd 1994 (History of the Serbs (in six books), second book; Serbian authors society, second edition, Belgrade 1994), which is a different edition of the book in citation [7] below.


  1. ^ a b "Golubac". Retrieved 2007-01-28.
  2. ^ a b "Golubac". Association of Serbian and Montenegrian Travel Agencies. Retrieved 2007-03-23.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g Hitchcock, Don (13-12-2004). "Golubac". Retrieved 2007-01-28. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  4. ^ a b c d e f Belovukovic, Katarina. "Golubacki Grad - Festung aus dem 13. Jahrhundert" (in German). BEO-BOOKS: Bücher aus Serbien. Retrieved 2007-01-28.
  5. ^ a b c d e f Ranisavljević, Dejan. "Stari Grad Golubac" (in Serbian). Retrieved 2007-03-03.
  6. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Zollner, Anton (1991). "Die Burgen „Sankt Ladislaus" und „Golubatsch"". Mittelalterliche Burgen auf dem Gebiet des rumänischen Banats (in German). Retrieved 2007-03-23.
  7. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Ćorović, Vladimir (1997). "IV. Oporavljena Srbija - V. Despot Đurađ Branković". Istorija srpskog naroda (in Serbian). Banja Luka / Belgrade: Project Rastko. Retrieved 2007-03-23. {{cite book}}: External link in |chapterurl= (help); Unknown parameter |chapterurl= ignored (|chapter-url= suggested) (help)
  8. ^ a b "Historical Geography: Neighboring Countries and Provinces" (Reprint). Knight Kings: The Anjou- and Sigismund Age in Hungary (1301-1437). Encyclopaedia Humana Hungarica 03 / Magyar Elektronikus Könyvtár. 1997. Retrieved 2007-03-23.
  9. ^ Vladislav cel Inalt Tepelus. "Timeline of Romanian History, 900-1472". Romanian Knowledge Page. Retrieved 2007-03-23.
  10. ^ a b W. B. Forster Bovill (2006-03-27) [1908]. Hungary and the Hungarians. London: Methuen & Co. p. 293. Retrieved 2007-03-23.
  11. ^ a b Esterházy, Péter. The Glance of Countess Hahn-Hahn (Down the Danube). Translated by Richard Aczel. Evanston, Illinois: Northwestern University Press. p. 225. ISBN 0-810-11760-6. Retrieved 2007-03-23.
  12. ^ Perjes, Geza (1999). "Chapter I: Methodology". In Bela Kiraly (ed.), Peter Pastor (ed.) (ed.). The Fall of The Medieval Kingdom of Hungary: Mohacs 1526 - Buda 1541. Translated by Maria D. Fenyo. Columbia University Press / Corvinus Library - Hungarian History. ISBN 0-88033-152-6. LCCN 88-0 – 0. Retrieved 2007-03-23. {{cite book}}: |editor= has generic name (help); External link in |chapterurl= (help); Unknown parameter |chapterurl= ignored (|chapter-url= suggested) (help); Unknown parameter |origdate= ignored (|orig-date= suggested) (help)

44°39′11″N 21°37′36″E / 44.65306°N 21.62667°E / 44.65306; 21.62667

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