Čakovec

Čakovec

Čakovec Čakovec (Croatia)
Latitude	46.39°N
Longitude	16.42°E
Mayor	Branko Šalamon (SDP)
Surface (km²)	14,65
Population (2008)	17,500 [1]
Time zone (UTC)	UTC+1 Central European Time

Čakovec [ˈtʃǎkɔʋɛts] is a city located in northern part of Croatia and the second northernmost city of the country. Being located in the central part of the Međimurje County as well as being the largest of its three cities, Čakovec is also the county seat of this northernmost and smallest Croatian county, which is located between the rivers Mura and Drava and well known for its vineyards, agriculture and hunting grounds as well as for being the second most densely populated subnational entity in Croatia as of the 2001 census.

History

According to the geographer Strabo's reports in the 1st century, today's location of the city of Čakovec was the site of Aquama (wet town) in Roman times and at the time a marshland, a military post and a legionnaire camp.

The name Čakovec (Hungarian: Csáktornya, German: Csakathurn or Tschakathurn) comes from the surname of the count Dimitrius Csáky. With the beginning of the 13th century he erected the timber fortification which was later named Csák's tower (Čakov toranj in Serbian). It was mentioned for the first time in 1328 and the place appeared in the official books in 1333. The period of more significant economic and cultural growth of Čakovec is considered to have started in 1547, when Nikola Šubić Zrinski of Szigetvár became the owner of the area. At that time the castle was lavishly decorated, surrounded by a park and sculptures of famous army leaders and monarchs. Duke Juraj Zrinski granted privileges to the inhabitants of the Čakovec fortress and its suburbs on May 29, 1579. This was the starting point for Čakovec to become a free market town and the date is celebrated today as "City Day". The castle which was owned by the Zrinski family between the 16th and the 18th century is known today as the Old Town of the Zrinskis (Stari grad Zrinskih in Croatian) and considered as the landmark of the city. It is located in the Zrinski Park (Perivoj Zrinskih in Croatian) only a few steps from the downtown and the central square respectively.

In 1738 the city was devastated by an earthquake, in 1741 by a fire and an another earthquake hit it in 1880. At the end of the 18th century, the owners of the town became the counts Feštetić and it was turned into a big estate where industry, crafts and trade developed. In 1848 the ban Josip Jelačić liberated Čakovec from the Hungarians and joined it to Serbo-Croatia. The first railroad track was built here in 1860 and helped to connect Budapest with the ports Rijeka and Trieste. The town was connected by railroad with Mursko Središće and Lendava in 1889 and in 1893 electrical power was introduced. Čakovec was the seat of a district (Hungarian: járás) in Zala county of the Kingdom of Hungary until 1918.

Upon signing the treaty with the Third Reich on March 25, 1941 the Kingdom of Yugoslavia became the member of the Axis powers. On April 6, 1941 it was attacked by the same alliance soon to be conquered and divided. Between 1941 and 1945 Čakovec was under the occupation of Hungary, but was eventually liberated by the Soviet Red Army.

Recent years

In late 1990s and throughout the 2000s several modern buildings were built and opened to the public. In 1999 a brand new bathing resort including four indoor swimming pools and a jacuzzi was opened as a part of the city's center for sports and recreation. In 2003 a renovated sports hall, originally built in the 1970s and belonging to the constructional high school, was also opened as a part of the center for sports and recreation and hosted several group matches of the 2003 World Women's Handball Championship. Beginning in late 1990s and early 2000s several large shopping centers and automobile showrooms emerged in the city, mostly in its northwestern part.

Economy

The city of Čakovec has highly developed industry and it is the focal point for communication, business, trade and education in the Međimurje County. The economy of the city is based on textiles, footwear, food processing and metal plants. The Čakovec-based company TIZ Zrinski is the largest printing and publishing company in the county as well as one of the major such companies in northern Croatia and many books sold in the country are printed in this factory. The city is also a base for some companies engaged in building materials, construction and plastics. Some of the largest companies based in the city include the textile and clothing manufacturers Čateks and Međimurska Trikotaža Čakovec (MTČ) as well as the footwear manufacturer Jelen, while the companies Čakovečki mlinovi (bakery) and Vajda (meat products) are major fresh food suppliers in the city.

Education

The city of Čakovec currently has three elementary schools and several secondary schools including a Gymnasium and high schools that offer education for jobs in technology, crafts, economy and construction. The Teacher's Training College (Visoka učiteljska škola in Croatian) is the only institution for higher education in the city. The city is also known for its school of animated film ŠAF (standing for Škola animiranog filma in Croatian), which is also a host of an international animated film workshop in the summer.

Demographics

As of the 2001 census, the city of Čakovec had a population of 15,790 within its limits, which is a slight decrease from 1991 census in which it was populated by 15,999 people. With its surrounding suburbs included it had a population of 30,455 as of 2001 census. The city's present day population primarily consists of ethnic Croats at 93%, with the largest minority being Roma at 3.6% of the municipality.

Sights, facilities and events

File:Cakovec Old Town.jpg

The Old Town of the Zrinskis is the landmark of Čakovec

Most of the historical buildings in the city of Čakovec are located in its center or nearby park. The city's old core has been beautifully preserved and renovated. In the Zrinski castle there is a local museum protecting 17,000 valuable items. Another noteworthy building in the city is a palace built in the Vienna Secession style (Secesijska palača in Croatian) located at the central square as well as the Church of Saint Nicholas (Crkva Svetog Nikole in Croatian), which is located in the downtown about 100 meters from the central square. At the central square there is also the Zrinski monument. The Southern Čakovec (Čakovečki jug in Croatian) is a relatively new neighborhood and therefore it mostly has modern houses and buildings including the Church of Saint Anthony of Padua (Crkva Svetog Antuna Padovanskog in Croatian) and a new elementary school with a sports hall and outdoor basketball and handball grounds and a running track.

At the central square there is also a library, a theater, cinema, a large shopping center and a few confectioner's shops and restaurants. Other business objects in the downtown are mostly boutiques, bookshops, electronics stores and financial companies. A hospital and the central bus station are located only a few steps from the downtown. The largest hotel in the city is located across the park about 300-400 meters from the central square, but there's also a smaller one only a few steps away from the downtown.

From the cultural events several concerts and theatrical shows are held more than once a week. At the central square there is a theater building called Centar za kulturu (Cultural center) and projections of the new cinema movies are almost daily part of its program. The center also hosts theatrical shows Thursdays as a part of the show called Čakovec četvrtkom (Čakovec Thursdays), which became sort of a cultural trademark of the city. Several art exhibitions also take place in the building through the year. Throughout the summer, the central square hosts several cultural events and open air theatrical shows are also held in the atrium of the Zrinski castle. In late July and early August there's a large traditional fair at the central square and other streets in the downtown. Since 2002 the city also has its own annual outdoor auto show that takes place in May around the bathing resort at the premises of the city's center for sports and recreation. There's also an entertaining program and fireworks at the central square every year during the celebration of the New Year.

Transportation

The city of Čakovec is easily accessible by a road or a railroad track. The road infrastructure is good and includes a new expressway connecting the Hungary border-crossing point in Goričan with Zagreb, Karlovac and the coast of the Adriatic Sea. The city is connected to local municipalities with an efficient public transportation system and itself it has two train stations and a central bus station which also has a taxi service available and is located near to the central square. In the nearby village of Pribislavec there's also a small sports airport organizing an annual aeromeeting as well as panoramic flights over the city and county in the summer. The airport is located approximately three kilometers east from the downtown.

Sports

The sports-related activities in the city of Čakovec are mostly centered in its northwestern part, where the center for sports and recreation is located. The center includes a football and athletics stadium with an approximate capacity of 10,000, an indoor hall mostly used for handball, basketball and volleyball matches and a bathing resort, where several swimming schools are organized throughout the year.

Sports clubs

• KK Vajda, a basketball club
• NK Čakovec, a football club in the Croatian Second League
• NK Međimurje, a football club in the Prva HNL
• RK Perutnina Pipo IPC, a handball club in the Croatian First League of Handball, also played some matches at the international level
• TK Franjo Punčec, a tennis club

Twin towns

Čakovec is currently twinned with these three cities:

• Nagykanizsa, Hungary
• Płońsk, Poland
• Schramberg, Germany

Notable people

This list contains some of the notable people who were either born in Čakovec, lived in the city for a longer time or were in some significant way related to it.

• David Mihoci - photographer
• Lidija Bajuk - musician
• Lujo Bezeredi - sculptor and painter
• Joža Horvat - adventurer and writer
• Branko Ivanković - football manager
• Robert Jarni - football player/manager
• Srećko Bogdan - football player/manager
• Ladislav Kralj-Međimurec - artist
• Dražen Ladić - football goalkeeper
• Ivana Lisjak - WTA tennis player
• Ivan Novak - historian and politician
• Stjepan Patkai - musician
• Nikola Pavić - poet
• Fortunat Pintarić - franciscan monk, musician
• Ruža Pospiš-Baldani - opera singer
• Franjo Punčec - tennis player
• Rudolf Steiner - Philosopher
• Josip Štolcer-Slavenski - composer
• Nikola Zrinski - soldier, poet and philosopher
• Petar Zrinski - soldier and politician
• Vinko Žganec - folklorist

Galery

• The Southern part of Čakovec
  The Southern part of Čakovec
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  The Southern part of Čakovec
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  The Southern part of Čakovec
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  JUG in snow
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  JUG in snow
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  JUG in snow
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  JUG in snow
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  JUG in snow

External links

• Template:Hr icon Template:En icon Template:De icon Official site
• Template:Hr icon Čakovec Online - news, guide and events in the city
• Template:Hr icon Template:En icon Template:De icon The Tourist Community of the City of Čakovec
• Template:Hr icon Template:En icon Template:De icon The Čakovec Museum of Međimurje
• Template:Hr icon Template:En icon ŠAF - school of animated film

46°23′9.47″N 16°25′59.98″E