Vukovar water tower

Vukovar water tower
Vukovarski vodotoranj
Vukovar water tower after the Croatian War of Independence.
Location within Croatia
General information
Status	Heavily damaged
Type	Water tower
Location	Vukovar, Croatia
Completed	late 1960s
Height	50.3 m (165 ft)
Technical details
Floor area	2,200 m2 (24,000 sq ft)
Design and construction
Architect(s)	Plan d.o.o.
Main contractor	Hidrotehna Zagreb d.o.o.

Vukovar water tower (Croatian: Vukovarski vodotoranj) is a water tower in the Croatian city of Vukovar. It is one of the most famous symbols of Vukovar and the suffering of the city and the county in the Battle of Vukovar and the Croatian War of Independence, when the water tower and the city itself were largely destroyed by the Serb forces.

History

The water tower was designed by the company Plan and built by Hidrotehna Zagreb, in the late 1960s. It was built in a city park, popularly known as Najpar-bašća, in the district of Mitnica.

Until the war, the top of the tower was home to a restaurant with a view over Vukovar, Dunav and surrounding vineyards.

During the Serbian attack on Vukovar, the water tower was one of the most frequent targets of enemy artillery. It was hit more than 600 times and today it is a symbol of victory and new life.

Future

After the reintegration of Vukovar into the Republic of Croatia, reconstruction of water tower was initiated by Croatian President Franjo Tuđman, but that has since changed. The water tower will not be restored to its original state and will instead become a memorial area to the pain and suffering that Vukovar endured.

Water tower before the war.