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94-576: Syrmia County shared borders with other Croatian-Slavonian counties of Požega and Virovitica , the Austro-Hungarian land of Bosnia and Herzegovina , the Kingdom of Serbia , and the Hungarian counties of Bács-Bodrog and Torontál . The County stretched along the right (southern) bank of the river Danube and the left (northern) bank of the river Sava , down to their confluence. Its area

188-522: A Serbian paramilitary group led by Vojislav Šešelj , moved into the Serb-populated village of Borovo Selo just north of Vukovar. On 2 May in Battle of Borovo Selo , Serb paramilitaries ambushed two Croatian police buses in the centre of Borovo Selo, killing 12 policemen and injuring 22 more. One Serb paramilitary was also killed. On 19 May 1991, a Croatian nationwide referendum on sovereignty

282-582: A mayor of Vukovar at that time. Croat refugees from the town were located at refugee centers around the country and the community published the Vukovarske Novine (Vukovar Newspaper) outside of the town. When the main portion of the RSK was defeated in 1995 Operation Storm the new agreement was reached for peaceful settlement of the conflict in Vukovar and the rest of Croatian Podunavlje area known as

376-603: A speech asserting that Croatian ethnic songs were not only better than Serbian ones but also the best among all the world's cultures. After 1941 Yugoslav coup d'état Luka Puljiz, editor of Srijemski Hrvat , received advance instructions on the procedure of the town capture following the Invasion of Yugoslavia . When the Independent State of Croatia was declared on April 10, 1941, following morning Puljiz group took control of Vukovar by seizing key locations such as

470-474: A total of 8,000 Croatian civilians and POWs (many following the fall of Vukovar) went through Serb prison camps such as Sremska Mitrovica camp , Velepromet camp , Stajićevo camp , Begejci camp , Niš camp and many others where many were heavily abused and tortured. A total of 300 people never returned from them. A total of 4570 camp inmates have started legal action against the former Republic of Serbia and Montenegro (now Serbia ) for torture and abuse in

564-586: Is a city in Croatia , in the eastern regions of Syrmia and Slavonia . It contains Croatia's largest river port , located at the confluence of the Vuka and the Danube . Vukovar is the seat of Vukovar-Syrmia County and the second largest city in the county after Vinkovci . The city's registered population was 22,616 in the 2021 census, with a total of 23,536 in the municipality. The name Vukovar means 'town on

658-603: Is currently in Serbian region of Belgrade . Po%C5%BEega County Požega County ( Croatian : Požeška županija ; Hungarian : Pozsega vármegye ) was a historic administrative subdivision ( županija ) of the Kingdom of Croatia-Slavonia . Croatia-Slavonia was an autonomous kingdom within the Lands of the Crown of Saint Stephen ( Transleithania ), the Hungarian part of the dual Austro-Hungarian Empire . Its territory

752-622: Is now in eastern Croatia . The capital of the county was Požega (Croatian, in Hungarian: Pozsega ). Požega county shared borders with the Austrian land Bosnia-Herzegovina and the counties of Zagreb , Bjelovar-Križevci , Virovitica and Srijem (all in Croatia-Slavonia). The county stretched along the left (northern) bank of the river Sava . Its area was 4933 km around 1910. The territory of Požega County

846-604: The 2011 Croatian census , the Serb population of the city has exceeded one third, which is the legal prerequisite for the Serbian Cyrillic alphabet to gain constitutionally protected co-official status. In 2013, this re-ignited political discussion on the matter, which had already arisen in 2009 after the local promulgation of Serbian Cyrillic as available for public use. According to the 2021 census, Serbs make up less than one third which removes constitutional guarantees on

940-773: The Croatian Peasant Party (HSS), its editor, Luka Puljiz, was a committed Ustaša and leader in the movement's local cell. On 15 November 1939 Srijemski Hrvat discussed local Germans' support for the central government in Belgrade and invited them to back the Croatian Peasant Party-led regime in Zagreb instead. While it mentioned Germans, Hungarians, Czechs, Ukrainians, and Slovaks as relevant national minorities, Jews, Serbs, and Roma were notably excluded. On November 5, 1939 Nikola Andrić gave

1034-831: The Croatian nobility to revolt. A powerful Croatian baron, Paul Šubić , sent his brother, George , to Italy in early 1300 where he convinced Charles II of Naples to send his grandson Charles Robert to Hungary to claim the throne in person, setting up the dynastic struggle between the Capetian House of Anjou and the Árpád dynasty . After landing at Split in Dalmatia in August 1300, Paul Šubić escorted Charles Robert to Zagreb , where Ugrin III swore loyalty to Charles, who then granted him Požega Castle. When Andrew III died in 1301,

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1128-569: The Erdut Agreement . By 1996, Vukovar became demilitarised after local Serb units demobilised and transferred their heavy weapons across the border to Yugoslavia. The agreement led to the establishment of the United Nations Transitional Administration for Eastern Slavonia, Baranja and Western Sirmium (UNTAES) which effectively governed the region from its seat in Vukovar until 1998 when the region

1222-729: The Habsburg Kingdom of Hungary . This new county did not cover the whole of its later territory – the southern and furthest eastern parts instead passed to the Slavonian Military Frontier (and partially to the Banat Military Frontier 1849–60). The Kingdom of Slavonia was mainly inhabited by Serbs and Croats. In 1848 and 1849, the area of the county was part of the Serbian Voivodship , a Serbian autonomous region proclaimed at

1316-510: The Habsburg monarchy , Slavonia ( Transleithania after the compromise of 1867 ), and soon after in the Kingdom of Croatia-Slavonia , created when the Kingdom of Slavonia and the Kingdom of Croatia were merged in 1868. Vukovar was left with an almost empty town, with only about fifty houses. The indigenous population is returning to the devastated area, as well as new residents. Because of

1410-604: The Kingdom of Hungary , which had a certain level of autonomy and was ruled by its own ban . In 1881 the Slavonian Military Frontier was abolished; the Petrovaradin district and part of the Brod district would be merged into Syrmia County by 1886. After World War I , the area of Syrmia County became part of the newly formed Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes in 1918 and this was confirmed by

1504-532: The Ottomans in 1688, while the other part was taken by Habsburgs in 1718. The entire region was incorporated into the Military Frontier , which was then extended from Western Slavonia , where it stood in 1683, all the way to Transylvania . Syrmia County was re-established in 1745 as part of the Kingdom of Slavonia , a Habsburg province, which was part of both the Habsburg Kingdom of Croatia and

1598-769: The Palatine of Hungary Csépán Győr . The earliest surviving dated mention of the city of Požega (as castrum de Posega ) dates to 11 January 1227 in a document issued by Pope Honorius III . The pope confirmed the decision of Andrew II granting the Archbishop of Kalocsa Ugrin Csák authority over Požega. In 1232, Ugrin established a Cistercian abbey in Gotó (also referred to as the Honesta Vallis ) in present-day Kutjevo where monks first arrived from Zirc Abbey . In

1692-588: The Treaty of Saint-Germain in September 1919. The County of Syrmia was an official administrative division of the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes between 1918 and 1922, and then was transformed into the Province (Oblast) of Syrmia (de facto it was carried out in 1924). In 1900, the county had a population of 381,739 people and was composed of the following linguistic communities: Total: According to

1786-406: The Treaty of Trianon the county became part of the newly formed Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes (later renamed to Yugoslavia). Since 1991, when Croatia became independent from Yugoslavia , the county is part of Croatia. In 1900, the county had a population of 229,361 people and was composed of the following linguistic communities: Total: According to the census of 1900, the county

1880-571: The Vučedol locality, is particularly significant for the Vukovar area. In 1938, the Vučedol dove was found at that location, which later became a symbol of the town. The Vučedol Orion, also found on Vučedol, is equally important and is considered the oldest Indo-European calendar. In the area of Vukovar, there are numerous archaeological sites from the Bronze , Early and Younger Iron Ages , from which we can see

1974-425: The forced labour of detainees; the "extermination or murder of hundreds of Croat and other non-Serb civilians" in ten Croatian towns and villages including Vukovar; and the "torture, beatings and killings of detainees", including 264 victims seized from Vukovar Hospital. His trial was abandoned in 2014 after being diagnosed with terminal brain cancer ; he died two years later at the age of 57. The battle exhausted

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2068-529: The 12th century, Benedictine Rudina Abbey was established in the west of the valley containing the county seat by Ban Borić or one of his sons. According to historian Nada Klaić , Borić owned estates in the area, including the Orljava Fortress, at the time and was likely the first comes (appointed head) of Požega County. The Franciscans established an abbey in Požega itself in the second half of

2162-530: The 13th century. Since at least 1217, the Požega Capitulum of St. Peter ( Požeški kaptol sv. Petra ) was established as the place of authentication in present-day Kaptol likely by Ban of Croatia and Bishop of Pécs Kalán . Ugrin died in the Battle of Mohi in 1241. Then, the title of county comes was awarded to Klet Kórógyi. He was killed the same year in battle with Mongols at the Orljava Fortress (near present-day Orljavac ). The city of Požega

2256-488: The 1948 census, Vukovar had over 17,000 inhabitants. Croats and Serbs tensions in the town escalated during the latter half of the 1930s. An incident in 1937 involved a Serb student bringing a pistol to Vukovar High School and threatening to kill a Croat classmate. At the time of 1938 Yugoslavian parliamentary election , Vukovar's Ustaša used a slogans referencing an Ustaša paramilitary training camps in Hungary. After

2350-704: The 6th century. In the 9th century the region was part of the Slavic Principality of Lower Pannonia ruled by prince Pribina , and part of the Bulgarian Empire . In the first half of the 10th century, the Vukovo fortress was looted by the Hungarians . 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 between 1526 and 1687 under Ottoman rule. Vukovar

2444-533: The Croat-led coalition won the town election, a group of Croat high school students celebrated the victory by chanting pro-Croatian and anti-Yugoslav sentiments in the streets. The local newspaper Srijemski Hrvat , which was published in Vukovar from November 1939 to January 1941, showed a clear increase in Ustašist influence as the Kingdom of Yugoslavia approached its collapse. Although it was officially aligned with

2538-704: The Cuman died, Ugrin III Csák was granted the title of the comes of Požega County. In 1297, king Andrew III appointed his uncle and member of the Venetian noble Morosini family , Albertino Morosini the comes of the Požega County and the Duke of Slavonia . The king's mother Tomasina Morosini also stayed in Požega for an extended period, blocking Ugrin III's rule over Požega County. The Morosini's appointment led

2632-523: The Cyrillic Script was introduced on April 25, 1941. Ustaša regime spread its ideology in Vukovar through various means, including the weekly newspaper Hrvatski Borac (" Croat Fighter "), which circulated from December 1941 to June 1942. The paper was edited by Dr. Vilko Anderlić, a Catholic priest from a nearby village of Sotin . In the Vukovar area, Ustaša authorities did not immediately launch large-scale killings against Serb communities in

2726-472: The Danube Valley through the Vukovar area. After steam ships were introduced in the mid-19th century, and with the arrival of present-day tourist ships, Vukovar is connected with Budapest and Vienna upstream and all the way to Romania downstream. The Vukovar harbour is an important import and export station. The Danube has always been and remains the connection of the people of Vukovar with Europe and

2820-494: The Danube countries by ship. Numerous guild organizations were founded to protect craftsmen. Vukovar is the main center of trade for the entire western Srijem. The Vukovar area has very good conditions for agriculture. Almost 80% of the population lived from agriculture. In addition to basic grain production, viticulture is also important, and horse studs are also famous. Since 1840, Vukovar has had permanent steamboat lines on

2914-513: The Danube, and since 1878 it has been connected to the railway. The port of Vukovar is the largest port in Croatia. The industry developed slowly due to lack of capital. According to the population census from 1900, Vukovar has 10,400 inhabitants, including about 4,000 Croats, 3,500 Germans, about 1,600 Serbs, 950 Hungarians, etc. In 1905, the first major industrial enterprise, the spinning mill, began operating in Vukovar. In 1745, Vukovar became

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3008-557: The Fifth Vojvodina Strike Brigade and 62 Red Army soldiers. In 2008 an unexploded bomb was found in the city from this period. Between 1945 and 1991, Vukovar was part of the Socialist Republic of Croatia within the new Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia . During this period Vukovar developed into a multicultural community and an important industrial centre with a standard of living among

3102-816: The Independent State of Croatia during the World War II in Yugoslavia . The monument at the Dudik Memorial Park, built from 1978 to 1980, is designed by Bogdan Bogdanović , for which he won the International Piranesi Award . At least 1027 soldiers of the Bulgarian Armed Forces who fought on Syrmian Front died during the liberation of Vukovar and related fights and are today commemorated at

3196-524: The JNA and proved a turning point in the Croatian War of Independence . A ceasefire was declared a few weeks later. Vukovar served as de facto seat of the self-proclaimed Serbian Autonomous Oblast SAO Eastern Slavonia, Baranja and Western Syrmia , the entity which joined the separatist self-declared proto-state Republic of Serbian Krajina (RSK) in 1992 as an exclave. Vojislav Stanimirović served as

3290-678: The Kingdom of Slavonia, which was a completely separate Habsburg province at the time. In 1867, as a consequence of the Ausgleich between the Austrians and the Hungarians, the Kingdom of Slavonia was incorporated into Transleithania , the half of Austria-Hungary run from Budapest , and in the Hungarian-Croatian Settlement of 1868, it was incorporated into Croatia-Slavonia , a formally separate kingdom within

3384-792: The May Assembly in Karlovci . Between 1849 and 1860 the eastern part of the county was part of the Voivodeship of Serbia and Banat of Temeschwar , a separate crown land of the Austrian Empire , formally becoming part of the Neusatz District from 1854; the western part around Vukovar passed to the Slavonian Osijek County . After 1860, Syrmia County was established again, and was reincorporated into

3478-716: The Ottoman Empire – Zagreb, Varaždin , and Križevci  [ hr ] counties. Namely, the territory of the county was lost to the Ottoman conquests during the Hundred Years' Croatian–Ottoman War , and the city of Požega was captured by the Ottomans in 1537. The Požega County was re-established in 1745 after Ottoman territorial gains in the area were reversed during the Ottoman–Habsburg wars . In 1920, by

3572-738: The President of the Presidency from SR Croatia Ivo Latin , president of the Trade Union of Yugoslavia Marjan Orožen and the President of the Assembly Dušan Popovski . After that, they returned to Dom Sindikata from where they returned to Vukovar late at night. The conflict between Serbs and Croats spread to eastern Slavonia in early 1991. On 1 April, Serb villagers around Vukovar and other towns in eastern Slavonia began to erect barricades across main roads. The White Eagles ,

3666-489: The Republic Square in front of the Workers’ Hall . On evening of 5 July 1988 a group of workers decided to travel to Belgrade to share their dissatisfaction with the federal institutions, with formal union buses and trucks joining this action once the initial group already reached Tovarnik . At 3 am next day a group of 1,500 workers arrived at the Dom Sindikata where they kept trying to present their case until 9 am, to no avail. They decided to move their action to

3760-402: The Vuka River' ( Vuko from the Vuka River, and vár from the Hungarian word for 'fortress'). The river was called "Ulca" in antiquity, probably from an Illyrian language. Its name might be related to the name of the river "Volga". In other languages, the city in German is known as Wukowar and in Hungarian as Vukovár or Valkóvár . In the late 17th century, the medieval Croatian name Vukovo

3854-418: The Vukovar suburb Borovo Naselje. Vukovar is located in the Eastern part of Croatia and is the centre of the Vukovar-Syrmia County defined part of the Pannonian Plain . Its location places it at the border of historical provinces Eastern Slavonia and Western Syrmia . The city is positioned on important transport routes. Since time immemorial transport routes from the northwest to the southeast were active in

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3948-412: The battle for the town, 1,800 self-organised lightly armed defenders and civilian volunteers (the army of Croatia was still in its infancy at this time) defended the city for 87 days against approximately 36,000 troops of the Serb-dominated JNA equipped with heavy armour and artillery who lost 110 vehicles and tanks and dozens of planes during the battle. The city suffered heavy damage during the siege and

4042-416: The camps. The damage to Vukovar during the siege has been called the worst in Europe since World War II , drawing comparisons with 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

4136-695: The census of 1900, the county was composed of the following religious communities: Total: In 1910, the county had a population of 414,234 people and was composed of the following linguistic communities: Total: According to the census of 1910, the county was composed of the following religious communities: Total: In the early 20th century, the subdivisions of Syrmia county were: The towns of Vukovar , Ilok , Vinkovci , and Županja are currently in Croatia , in Vukovar-Syrmia county . The towns of Šid , Ruma , Irig , Mitrovica (Sremska Mitrovica), Stara Pazova , Sremski Karlovci and Petrovaradin are currently in Serbia ( Vojvodina province). Zemun

4230-414: The city was bombed by the Allies. The first Yugoslav Partisans uprising in the district ( kotar ) of Vukovar happened on 26 August 1941 in the village of Bobota with subsequent continued dominant role of ethnic Serbs in the uprising who will constitute 75% of Yugoslav Partisans in the area as of late 1943. Today, Dudik Memorial Park commemorates 455 individuals who were executed by the authorities of

4324-419: The city was recorded in documents as Walco, Vlcou, Volkow, Walko, Wlkoy, and then the Hungarian variant of the city's name – Wolcowar (for the first time in 1323) was mentioned more and more often. Since 1691, the town has been developing on the right bank of the Vuka, initially under the name Vukovarski otok (Insula Vukovariensis); since then, the Hungarian name Vukovar has supplanted the medieval Croatian name of

4418-513: The city. The administrative municipal area of the city contains the following settlements : 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 has since been divided into several municipalities. Historically, Vukovar was divided into the Old Vukovar, New Vukovar and former workers' Bata village with Bata Shoes (now Borovo) factory, today known as

4512-462: The country. At its peak, the company contributed 3/4 of the municipal tax revenue. Following the 1970s energy crisis the company started producing for other companies in the world including for Puma in 1979. As the economic crisis in the country deepened workers from Borovo started their first strike action, which lasted between 19 and 24 August 1987. The " Large Strike " ( Croatian : Veliki štrajk ) started on 2 July 1988 with daily rallies at

4606-470: The death of Louis I, Požega was the venue of an inconclusive meeting of supporters and opponents of Elizabeth's daughter, queen Mary with the two queens. The Hungarian and Croatian nobility largely objected to any possibility of succession in the female line and supported the claim to the throne by Charles III of Naples as the last surviving male member of the Capetian branch of the Anjou family. In 1409, Sigismund, Holy Roman Emperor , having prevailed in

4700-403: The deportation of Serb agricultural colonists. On April 19, 1941 the regime appointed commissioners to Jewish and Serb firms. Additionally local Ustašas executed several individuals suspected of anti-Croat activities. More decrees suspended judiciary staff and public employees, giving the state the power to dismiss Jews, Serbs, and Croats with Yugoslav affiliations. Decree on the Prohibition of

4794-488: The early 16th century saw the first incursions of the Ottoman Empire in the Požega County. Periods of fighting were broken with stable periods of peacetime, each associated with a powerful comes of the county. Those were the Ladislaus of Ilok , Lawrence of Ilok , and Franjo Dessewffy. By the time of 1527 election in Cetin and the start of rule of the House of Habsburg , the Požega County became defunct as only three Croatian counties remained due to territorial losses to

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4888-456: 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 JNA officers, Mile Mrkšić and Veselin Šljivančanin , for their involvement in the Vukovar massacre . The International Criminal Tribunal for

4982-439: The fight for the Hungarian crown, gave Hrvoje Vukčić Hrvatinić , in return for his support in dynastic struggle for the Hungarian throne with the Capetian House of Anjou, various estates and titles including the city of Požega and appointed him the comes of the Požega County. The decision was reversed in 1413 when he fell out of the king's favour. In 1432–1437, Ladislaus Tamási was the comes of Požega County. His son Henrik held

5076-421: The first mass killing phase from April to May 1941 which targeted area that lacked significant economic value. Wealthier regions such as Vukovar saw a more restrained approach, as peace and order were crucial for the continuity of industry and agriculture. Mass shootings in town began in late July 1941 after the first act of resistance in the Serb village of Bobota . The following day, the Ustaša forces encircled

5170-418: The former Yugoslavia's last remaining fugitive, Goran Hadžić, was captured by Serbian authorities in 2011. Hadžić was indicted on 14 counts, including multiple related to Vukovar. The charges included criminal involvement in the "deportation or forcible transfer of tens of thousands of Croat and other non-Serb civilians" from Croatian territory between June 1991 and December 1993, including 20,000 from Vukovar;

5264-411: The further development of the city. The citizens of Vukovar received privileges from King Ludovik of Anjou, which included the holding of weekly fairs, which led to further stronger economic growth. Due to trade levies, the city's income also increases. The county was densely populated, and according to written sources, it had 33 forts, 34 shops and 1,182 villages, settlements and inhabited estates. Vukovar

5358-529: The highest in Yugoslavia. One of the symbols of this industrialization was the Borovo company with over 22,000 employees in late 1980s. The company already reached its prewar employment levels in 1949, with the number of employees growing to 5,215 in 1955 and 10,572 in 1965, many of whom were from surrounding villages as well as from the rest of Slavonia, Vojvodina and other parts of Yugoslavia. Separate production sites were open in Prijedor , Sombor , Donji Miholjac , Odžak and Lovas with 622 shops all around

5452-443: The local Bulgarian Military Cemetery . An additional monument was erected in Borovo Naselje to commemorate the soldiers of the Yugoslav and the Soviet Red Army who lost their lives in the liberation of the region between April 8 and 12 of 1944. The monument was built by workers from the Borovo factory. Vukovar's memorial ossuary contains the remains of 388 victims transferred from the Dudik memorial area, including 155 soldiers from

5546-409: The majority in most villages and in the region's eastern part, whereas the Serbs dominated in the 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 1961 and 1971, and 1991 and 2001. Particularly since the war in Croatia, much of

5640-672: 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 showed equal percentages of Croat and Serb 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

5734-412: The nearby building of the Parliament of Yugoslavia afterwards. After nobody addressed them for hours the group decided to push through the police cordons and to enter the building of parliament while singing " Druže Tito, da ti je ustati, pa da vidiš kako narod pati " ( Comrade Tito if only you could raise and see how the people suffer ). They stayed in the building until 5 pm, meeting with

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5828-432: The need for labor, Orthodox Serbs are settling. In the 18th and 19th centuries, a considerable number of Germans , Hungarians , Jews, Ruthenians , Slovaks and Ukrainians arrived. Thus, Vukovar becomes a multinational city. After the end of the Ottoman domination (in the 16th and 17th centuries), the German Counts of Eltz bought a large part of the Vukovar area which was known as the Lordship of Vukovar and for

5922-459: The next two centuries they would have a great influence on the economy and culture of Vukovar. Counts Eltz , German nobility, come into possession of the manor in Vukovar. Philip Karl Eltz, Archbishop of Mainz , in 1736 buys this huge property with more than 30 inhabited places. At the beginning of this period, almost half of the inhabitants of Vukovar were craftsmen and merchants. Crafts, trade, shipbuilding are developing. Goods are shipped to

6016-492: The official status of Serbian Cyrillic in the town. Croatian law, however, explicitly permits local authorities to introduce co-official languages even when there is less than one third of minority population (notably, but not exclusively, Istria County ) with domestic and internal stakeholders calling upon the town of Vukovar to consider this option even before 2011 census. Following the publication of 2021 census results, mayor of Vukovar nevertheless announced intention to scrap

6110-409: The people of Vukovar. From the contents of the charter, it can be seen that at that moment, an ethnically diverse population was already living in Vukovar. The inhabitants of Vukovar were engaged in trade and crafts. Vukovo County was quite densely populated in the Middle Ages. Vukovar entered the Middle Ages as a suburb with roads, and then a fortress was built. The royal administration is important for

6204-507: The post office, police station, and town hall. The Ustaša authorities across the NDH began issuing anti-Jewish and anti-Serb laws, effectively placing both groups outside the law. On April 10, 1941, a decree barred Serbs and Jews from serving in the NDH army. A subsequent decree on April 17, 1941 allowed for arrests based on "anti-Croat" activities without specifying exact crimes. Further decrees on April 18, 1941 targeted Serbs and Jews, nullifying legal contracts involving Jews and preparing for

6298-442: The process of reintegration where she was attacked by the Serbian population with eggs and stones at the local market. UNTAES facilitated reintegration by gradual transition and invitation of Croatian officials so that in late 1996 President of Croatia Franjo Tuđman visited Vukovar for the first time where he participated in the meeting between Serb and Croat delegation. President Tuđman visited Vukovar again on 8 June 1997 in what

6392-419: The right to levy taxes on passages along the Danube and the Vuka. In 1231, Vukovar received the status of a royal free city . Duke Koloman gave Vukovar the status of a free royal city, in order to encourage further development of the city. His charter meant that the residents of Vukovar were directly subject to the king, not the landowner. The charter of Duke Koloman confirmed the privileges that protected

6486-451: The same office in 1443 and 1444 – when he also held equivalent posts in Virovitica and Somogy counties. In 1445–1447, the position of comes of Požega County (along with possession of the castrum and patronage of the Rudina abbey) was granted by the royal court to Palatine Lőrinc Hédervári. He was succeeded by his son Henrik, the Duke of Macsó . Henrik was the comes of Požega County in 1447–1450 and 1464–1472. The late 15th century and

6580-400: The seat of the Syrmia County of the Kingdom of Slavonia and from 1868 Kingdom of Croatia-Slavonia . In 1918, Vukovar became part of the newly formed Kingdom of Serbs, Croats, and Slovenes ( Yugoslavia in 1929). Between 1918 and 1922, Vukovar was the administrative seat of the county of Syrmia (Srijem), and between 1922 and 1929 it was the administrative seat of Syrmia Oblast . Despite

6674-469: The services they offer but by the ethnicity of those who gather there. Even coffee shops are identified as Croat or Serb. In 2013, the government's intention to implement in Vukovar the Constitutional Law on the Rights of Ethnic Minorities in Croatia that allowed for minorities, where they made up more than a third of a city's population, to be entitled to have their language used for official purposes, provoked considerable popular opposition. According to

6768-546: The status of administrative center the settlement will get the city status only on 23 November 1919 by the decision of regent of the new state Peter I of Serbia . After the creation of the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes and in the wake of communism gaining popularity throughout Europe, Vukovar became the location of the 2nd congress of the Socialist Labor Party of Yugoslavia (Communists) ( Socijalistička radnička partija Jugoslavije – komunista ), where it

6862-513: The summer of 1991, Tomislav Merčep , at the time a leading official in the Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) and Secretary of People's Defense, was put in charge of the town. Ethnic Serbs in Vukovar were subjected to forced interrogations, kidnappings and summary executions in addition to having their homes and cafes blown up. NGOs in the city state that a total of 86 Serbs were killed or disappeared during Merčep's control of

6956-414: The swamps. One Scordisci archaeological site in Vukovar dating back to late La Tène culture was excavated in the 1970s and 1980s as a part of rescue excavations in eastern Croatia. Archaeological site was a part of the settlement network of Scordisci in the area of Vinkovci. The history of today's Vukovar begins very early, according to archaeological data. Slavic tribes settled in this area in

7050-480: The town particularly. The region's population distribution changed notably too when the town of Ilok became the second largest town in the region. The most significant change was the forced displacement and internment of the German civilian population after World War II . The confiscated houses and properties were given to Croat and Serb colonists during the years of Socialist Yugoslavia . The Croats were in

7144-577: The town. Serbs have long voiced their concerns about the crimes committed against them in the months before the JNA took over the town after its fall in November of that year and the lack of accountability for the perpetrators. The matter has remained unresolved, with Merčep only being sentenced in 2017 for crimes committed by his units elsewhere. He died in November 2020. The Battle of Vukovar began on 25 August 1991 and lasted until 18 November 1991. During

7238-726: The village, interrogated and terrorized the inhabitants, and arrested 45 people. Thirty of them were sent to the Jadovno concentration camp , while 15 were sentenced to death by a hastily convened traveling summary court and execution being carried at the Dudik site. Over 500 people will be executed at the site during the war with the place being turned into the Dudik Memorial Park subsequently. Represion led to further resistance and imprisonment of 500 residents of Bobota, Trpinja and Vera in September 1941. During World War II

7332-516: The way of life of the Illyrians and Celts , the original inhabitants of the Vukovar area. During the last decades of BC, the Romans reached the Danube in their conquests and built many forts on the border (the so-called Danube limes ) as a protection against the barbarian tribes . The Romans influenced the economy of the Vukovar region because they planted the first vineyards and drained

7426-524: The world. Vukovar is located 20 km (12 mi) northeast of Vinkovci and 36 km (22 mi) southeast of Osijek , with an 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 area of Vukovar has been continuously inhabited for five thousand years, which we know based on numerous archaeological sites. The Vučedol culture, which developed in

7520-501: The Árpád dynasty became extinct and Ugrin III successfully claimed Požega County as his domain by 1303 – along with Syrmia , Vuka , and Bács counties – and until his death in 1311. In early 14th century, Dujam II Frankopan became the comes of Požega County as the supporter of Charles Robert. In 1385, king Louis I summoned Tvrtko I of Bosnia to Požega where he turned over the western parts of Zachumlia to Louis I as dowry for his marriage with Elizabeth of Bosnia . Following

7614-576: Was 6,866 km² around 1910. By the 13th century, two counties were formed in this region: Syrmia (in the east) and Vukovar (in the west). Syrmia County was an administrative division of the Kingdom of Hungary in the Middle Ages . This area was taken by the Ottoman Empire in 1521 and the two counties were abolished. The territory was then (in 1544) included into Ottoman Sanjak of Syrmia . The Habsburg monarchy took one part of Syrmia from

7708-510: Was an important church seat and a fortified city. The city occupied between 20 and 25 hectares of the city area. At the end of the 14th century, Vukovar was one of the largest medieval Slavonic towns with 350 houses and 2,000 to 2,500 inhabitants. During administration of the medieval Kingdom of Hungary , the town was a seat of Valkó (Croatian: Vuka) county, which was located between the Drava and Sava rivers, while during Ottoman administration it

7802-521: Was composed of the following religious communities: Total: In 1910, the county had a population of 265,272 people and was composed of the following linguistic communities: Total: According to the census of 1910, the county was composed of the following religious communities: Total: In the early 20th century, the subdivisions of Pozsega county were: Vukovar Vukovar ( pronounced [ʋûkoʋaːr] ; Serbian Cyrillic : Вуковар , Hungarian : Vukovár , German: Wukowar )

7896-415: Was dissatisfied with the inclusion in the new autonomous Banovina leading them to present their disagreement in the 1939 Vukovar resolution . The interwar period in Vukovar was marked with a significant growth of the shoe and textile industry that began operating in the town, including the shoe factory Bata in 1931, which was later renamed Borovo . This consequently led to a population growth–according to

7990-634: Was eventually overrun. It is estimated that 1,800 defenders of Vukovar and civilians were killed, 800 went missing and 22,000 civilians were forced into exile. Several war crimes were committed by Serb forces after the battle, including the Vukovar massacre of up to 264 wounded patients and medical staff, taken from the Vukovar hospital. According to the Croatian Association of Prisoners in Serbian Concentration Camps ,

8084-670: Was fully reintegrated into Croatia. UNTAES headquarters were initially located at the United Nations Protection Force headquarters in Zagreb but the idea of priority of the administration was to move it to eastern Croatia . Croatian Government offered Osijek for that purpose but the administration refused it since it wanted to locate it on the territory under its control leading to selection of Vukovar. United States Secretary of State Madeleine Albright visited Vukovar in early 1996 to express her support to

8178-518: Was held in which 94% voted in favor. Violence in and around Vukovar worsened after the independence referendum, with gun and bomb attacks reported in the town and surrounding villages in June 1991. Borovo Naselje , the Croatian-held northern suburb of Vukovar, sustained a significant shelling on 4 July. Serb paramilitaries expelled thousands of non-Serbs from their homes in the municipality. In

8272-502: Was known as the Train of Peace . As a result of the conflict, a deep ethnic divide exists between the Croat and Serb populations. OSCE Mission to Croatia was active in Vukovar and surrounding areas until 2007. 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

8366-490: Was mentioned first in the 13th century as Volko , Walk , Wolkov, Wolcou, Walkov and numerous other versions (original Croatian/Slavic name of the town was Vukovo ). All these different forms of the city's name were used until the 14th century, when the name Vukovar began to be used more and more, to which the Hungarian suffix -var was added, which denotes a fortress. In 1231, Vukovo obtained its first privileges and later

8460-445: Was nonetheless held, and king Béla IV left ruling of Požega to his wife Maria Laskarina who ruled it for the rest of her life, until 1270. In the same period, it was recorded that the county comes is Philip, appointed judge by queen Maria in 1244–1266. Béla IV was succeeded by his son Stephen V who died two years later. His wife, queen consort Elizabeth the Cuman moved to Požega in 1272. In 1293, three years after Elizabeth

8554-541: Was part of the Kingdom of Croatia , a realm in personal union with the Kingdom of Hungary since 1102. Požega County was likely formed in the 12th century through partition of the Baranya County . The earliest historical record of Požega County as the comitatus de Posega survives from the a deed issued by king Andrew II of Hungary in 1210, confirming ownership of land left to the Knights Templar by

8648-508: Was part of the Sanjak of Syrmia . The Turkish rule brought great changes to the Vukovar region. On their campaign in 1526, the Turks occupied Ilok and Vukovar. Vukovar lost its significance, but still remained an important trade center on an important trade route. Before liberation from the Turks, Vukovar had close to 3,000 inhabitants. After the Treaty of Karlowitz in 1699, Vukovar was part of

8742-700: Was renamed the Communist Party of Yugoslavia ( Komunistička partija Jugoslavije ). In 1920, ahead of the local elections, the Jewish Party was established in the town while Zionist Association was founded in 1926. After 1929, Vukovar was part of the Sava Banovina , and beginning in 1939 it was part of the Banovina of Croatia . Part of the Serb community in the town and neighbouring villages

8836-635: Was supplanted by the Hungarian Vukovár . In the Middle Ages , Vukovar was the seat of the great Vukovo County , which was first mentioned in 1220 as "Comitatus de Wolcou". On the right bank of the Vuka was the royal fortress castrum Walkow. A settlement developed in its suburb (suburbium), which was granted the privileges of a free royal city in 1231 by Duke Slavonia Koloman. Until the XIV century,

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