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Vukovar () ( sr-Cyrl, Вуковар, hu, Vukovár, german: Wukowar) is a city in Croatia, in the eastern region of 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.


Name

The name ''Vukovar'' means 'town on 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 was supplanted by the Hungarian ''Vukovár''. In the Middle Ages, Vukovar was the seat of the great
Vukovo County Vukovo ( bg, Вуково) is a village in the Boboshevo Municipality, Kyustendil Province, western Bulgaria. As of 2013 it has 58 inhabitants. Geography The village is located in western Bulgaria to the south-east of the city of Kyustendil ...
, 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, 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 the city.


Municipal area

The administrative municipal area of the city contains the following settlements: * Grabovo, population - * Lipovača, population 323 *
Sotin Sotin is a village in eastern Croatia, located a few kilometers southeast of Vukovar by the Danube. It is administratively part of the city of Vukovar, and its population is 782 (census 2011). The post code for Sotin is 32232 Sotin. History One ...
, population 597 * Vukovar, population 22,616 In
SFR Yugoslavia The Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, commonly referred to as SFR Yugoslavia or simply as Yugoslavia, was a country in Central and Southeast Europe. It emerged in 1945, following World War II, and lasted until 1992, with the breakup of Yug ...
, the municipalities were generally larger, and the Vukovar municipality spanned the region from
Vera Vera may refer to: Names *Vera (surname), a surname (including a list of people with the name) *Vera (given name), a given name (including a list of people and fictional characters with the name) **Vera (), archbishop of the archdiocese of Tarrag ...
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 The Bata Corporation (known as Bata, and in the Czech Republic and Slovakia, known as Baťa) is a multinational footwear, apparel and fashion accessories manufacturer and retailer of Moravian (Czech) origin, headquartered in Lausanne, Switzer ...
(now Borovo) factory, today known as the Vukovar suburb Borovo Naselje.


Geography

Vukovar is located in the Eastern part of Croatia and is the centre of the Vukovar-Syrmia County. Its location places it at the border of historical provinces Eastern Slavonia and Western
Syrmia Syrmia ( sh, Srem/Срем or sh, Srijem/Сријем, label=none) is a region of the southern Pannonian Plain, which lies between the Danube and Sava rivers. It is divided between Serbia and Croatia. Most of the region is flat, with the exce ...
. The city is positioned on important transport routes. Since time immemorial transport routes from the northwest to the southeast were active in 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 the world. Vukovar is located northeast of Vinkovci and southeast of
Osijek Osijek () is the fourth-largest city in Croatia, with a population of 96,848 in 2021. It is the largest city and the economic and cultural centre of the eastern Croatian region of Slavonia, as well as the administrative centre of Osijek-Baranja ...
, with an elevation of . Vukovar is located on the main road D2 Osijek—Vukovar— Ilok and on the Vinkovci—Vukovar railway (and road D55).


History


Prehistory

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.


Early history

The history of today's Vukovar begins very early, according to
archaeological Archaeology or archeology is the scientific study of human activity through the recovery and analysis of material culture. The archaeological record consists of artifacts, architecture, biofacts or ecofacts, sites, and cultural landscap ...
data. Slavic tribes settled in this area in 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 medieval history of Europe, Bulgaria's status as the Bulgarian Empire ( bg, Българско царство, ''Balgarsko tsarstvo'' ) occurred in two distinct periods: between the seventh and the eleventh centuries and again between the ...
. 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 was mentioned first in the 13th
century A century is a period of 100 years. Centuries are numbered ordinally in English and many other languages. The word ''century'' comes from the Latin ''centum'', meaning ''one hundred''. ''Century'' is sometimes abbreviated as c. A centennial or ...
as ''Volko'', ''Walk'', ''Wolkov'' (original Croatian/Slavic name of the town was ''Vukovo''). In 1231, Vukovo obtained its first privileges and later the right to levy taxes on passages along the Danube and the Vuka. In 1231, Vukovar received the status of a royal free city. The
charter A charter is the grant of authority or rights, stating that the granter formally recognizes the prerogative of the recipient to exercise the rights specified. It is implicit that the granter retains superiority (or sovereignty), and that the rec ...
of
Duke Koloman Duke is a male title either of a monarch ruling over a duchy, or of a member of royalty, or nobility. As rulers, dukes are ranked below emperors, kings, grand princes, grand dukes, and sovereign princes. As royalty or nobility, they are ranke ...
confirmed the privileges that protected the people of Vukovar. During administration of the medieval Kingdom of Hungary, the town was a seat of Valkó (Croatian: Vuka) county, which was located between the and Sava rivers, while during Ottoman administration it 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.


Habsburg Monarchy

After the Treaty of Karlowitz in 1699, Vukovar was part of the
Habsburg monarchy The Habsburg monarchy (german: Habsburgermonarchie, ), also known as the Danubian monarchy (german: Donaumonarchie, ), or Habsburg Empire (german: Habsburgerreich, ), was the collection of empires, kingdoms, duchies, counties and other polities ...
, Slavonia ( Transleithania after the compromise of 1867), and soon after in the
Kingdom of Croatia-Slavonia The Kingdom of Croatia-Slavonia ( hr, Kraljevina Hrvatska i Slavonija; hu, Horvát-Szlavónország or ; de-AT, Königreich Kroatien und Slawonien) was a nominally autonomous kingdom and constitutionally defined separate political nation with ...
, 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 the need for labor, Orthodox Serbs are settling. In the 18th and 19th centuries, a considerable number of Germans, Hungarians, Jews, Ruthenians,
Slovaks The Slovaks ( sk, Slováci, singular: ''Slovák'', feminine: ''Slovenka'', plural: ''Slovenky'') are a West Slavic ethnic group and nation native to Slovakia who share a common ancestry, culture, history and speak Slovak. In Slovakia, 4.4 mi ...
and Ukrainians arrived. Thus, Vukovar becomes a multinational city. 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 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 A grain is a small, hard, dry fruit (caryopsis) – with or without an attached hull layer – harvested for human or animal consumption. A grain crop is a grain-producing plant. The two main types of commercial grain crops are cereals and legum ...
production, viticulture is also important, and horse studs are also famous. Since 1840, Vukovar has had permanent
steamboat A steamboat is a boat that is marine propulsion, propelled primarily by marine steam engine, steam power, typically driving propellers or Paddle steamer, paddlewheels. Steamboats sometimes use the ship prefix, prefix designation SS, S.S. or S/S ...
lines on 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 the late 19th and early 20th century, Vukovar was the seat of
Syrmia County Syrmia County ( hr, Srijemska županija, sr, Сремска жупанија, hu, Szerém vármegye, german: Komitat Syrmien) was a historic administrative subdivision (''županija'') of the Kingdom of Croatia-Slavonia. Croatia-Slavonia was ...
of the Kingdom of Croatia-Slavonia.


Kingdom of Yugoslavia

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 Syrmia Oblast ( sr, Sremska oblast, script=Latn or ; hr, Srijemska oblast) was one of the oblasts of the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes from 1922 to 1929. Its administrative center was Vukovar. History The Kingdom of Serbs, Croa ...
. 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) (), where it was renamed the
Communist Party of Yugoslavia The League of Communists of Yugoslavia, mk, Сојуз на комунистите на Југославија, Sojuz na komunistite na Jugoslavija known until 1952 as the Communist Party of Yugoslavia, sl, Komunistična partija Jugoslavije mk ...
(). After 1929, Vukovar was part of the
Sava Banovina The Sava Banovina or Sava Banate ( hr, Savska banovina), was a province ( banovina) of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia between 1929 and 1939. It was named after the Sava River and consisted of much of the present-day Croatia (the areas of historical Croa ...
, and beginning in 1939 it was part of the
Banovina of Croatia The Banovina of Croatia or Banate of Croatia ( sh-Latn-Cyrl, separator=" / ", Banovina Hrvatska, Бановина Хрватска) was an autonomous province ( banovina) of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia between 1939 and 1941. It was formed by a merg ...
. Part of the Serb community in the town and neighbouring villages 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 the history of the 20th century, the interwar period lasted from 11 November 1918 to 1 September 1939 (20 years, 9 months, 21 days), the end of the World War I, First World War to the beginning of the World War II, Second World War. The in ...
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 the 1948 census, Vukovar had over 17,000 inhabitants.


World War II

Between 1941 and 1944, Vukovar was part of the Independent State of Croatia. During World War II the city was bombed by the Allies. The first Yugoslav Partisans uprising in the district () 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 the Independent State of Croatia during the World War II in Yugoslavia. In 2008 an unexploded bomb was found in the city from this period.


SFR Yugoslavia

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 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 Donji Miholjac ( hu, Alsómiholjác, german: Unter-Miholtz) is a town in the Slavonia region of Croatia, on the river Drava and the border with Hungary. Population In the 2011 census, there were 9,491 inhabitants in the area, 95% of whom were ...
, Odžak and
Lovas Lovas is an old and frequent Hungarian family name, meaning "horseback rider". Norwegian and French families also use this title. Lovas may refer to: Places * Lovas, Croatia * Lovas, Hungary * Lovaș, a tributary of the river Ciobănuș in Harg ...
with 622 shops all around the country. At its peak, the company contributed 3/4 of the municipal tax revenue. Following the
1970s energy crisis The 1970s energy crisis occurred when the Western world, particularly the United States, Canada, Western Europe, Australia, and New Zealand, faced substantial petroleum shortages as well as elevated prices. The two worst crises of this period wer ...
the company started producing for other companies in the world including for
Puma Puma or PUMA may refer to: Animals * ''Puma'' (genus), a genus in the family Felidae ** Puma (species) or cougar, a large cat Businesses and organisations * Puma (brand), a multinational shoe and sportswear company * Puma Energy, a mid- and d ...
in 1979. As the economic crisis in the country deepened workers from Borovo started their first
strike action Strike action, also called labor strike, labour strike, or simply strike, is a work stoppage caused by the mass refusal of employees to Labor (economics), work. A strike usually takes place in response to grievance (labour), employee grievance ...
, which lasted between 19 and 24 August 1987. The "''Large Strike''" ( sh, Veliki štrajk) started on 2 July 1988 with daily rallies at the Republic Square in front of the Workers’ Hall. On evening of 5 July 1988 a group of workers decided to travel to
Belgrade Belgrade ( , ;, ; Names of European cities in different languages: B, names in other languages) is the Capital city, capital and List of cities in Serbia, largest city in Serbia. It is located at the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers a ...
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 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 "'" (''Comrade Tito if only you could raise and see how the people suffer''). They stayed in the bulding until 5 PM meting with the President of the Presidency from SR Croatia
Ivo Latin Ivo is a masculine given name, in use in various European languages. The name used in western European languages originates as a Normannic name recorded since the High Middle Ages, and the French name Yves is a variant of it. The unrelated So ...
, president of the
Trade Union of Yugoslavia Trade involves the transfer of goods and services from one person or entity to another, often in exchange for money. Economists refer to a system or network that allows trade as a market (economics), market. An early form of trade, barter, s ...
Marjan Orožen Marjan may refer to: Places * Marjan, Croatia, Croatia, a hill on the peninsula of the city of Split * Marjan, Albania, a village in the Gorë municipality, Korçë District, Albania * Marjan, Alborz, a village in Iran * Marjan, Fars, a village i ...
and the President of the Assembly
Dušan Popovski Dušan ( sr-Cyrl, Душан) is a Slavic names, Slavic given name primarily used in countries of Yugoslavia; and among Slovaks and Czechs. The name is derived from the Slavic noun ''duša'' "soul". Occurrence In Serbia, it was the 29th most ...
. After that, they returned to Dom Sindikata from where they returned to Vukovar late at night.


Croatian War of Independence

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, a Serbian paramilitary group led by Vojislav Šešelj, moved into the Serb-populated village of Borovo Selo just north of Vukovar. Bassiouni, Annex III. 28 December 1994 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 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. ''Prosecutor v. Mrkšić, Radić & Šljivančanin – Judgement'', 27 September 2007, pp. 12–13. Serb paramilitaries expelled thousands of non-Serbs from their homes in the municipality. In the summer of 1991, Tomislav Merčep, at the time a leading official in the
Croatian Democratic Union The Croatian Democratic Union ( hr, Hrvatska demokratska zajednica, lit=Croatian Democratic Community, HDZ) is the major conservative, centre-right political party in Croatia. It is one of the two major contemporary political parties in Croa ...
(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 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 The Battle of Vukovar was an 87-day siege of Vukovar in eastern Croatia by the Yugoslav People's Army (JNA), supported by various paramilitary forces from Serbia, between August and November 1991. Before the Croatian War of Independence the Bar ...
began on 25 August 1991 and lasted until 18 November 1991. During 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 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. The damage to Vukovar during the siege has been called the worst in Europe since World War II, drawing comparisons with
Stalingrad Volgograd ( rus, Волгогра́д, a=ru-Volgograd.ogg, p=vəɫɡɐˈɡrat), geographical renaming, formerly Tsaritsyn (russian: Цари́цын, Tsarítsyn, label=none; ) (1589–1925), and Stalingrad (russian: Сталингра́д, Stal ...
. 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 The International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) was a body of the United Nations that was established to prosecute the war crimes that had been committed during the Yugoslav Wars and to try their perpetrators. The tribunal ...
convicted two former JNA officers,
Mile Mrkšić Mile Mrkšić ( sr-cyrl, Миле Мркшић; 1 May 1947 – 16 August 2015) was a colonel of the Yugoslav People's Army (JNA) in charge of the unit involved in the Battle of Vukovar during the Croatian War of Independence in 1991. He was conv ...
and Veselin Šljivančanin for their involvement in the
Vukovar massacre The Vukovar massacre, also known as the Vukovar hospital massacre or the Ovčara massacre, was the killing of Croatian prisoners of war and civilians by Serb paramilitaries, to whom they had been turned over by the Yugoslav People's Army (JNA), ...
. The International Criminal Tribunal for 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; the
forced labour Forced labour, or unfree labour, is any work relation, especially in modern or early modern history, in which people are employed against their will with the threat of destitution, detention, violence including death, or other forms of ex ...
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 A brain tumor occurs when abnormal cells form within the brain. There are two main types of tumors: malignant tumors and benign (non-cancerous) tumors. These can be further classified as primary tumors, which start within the brain, and secondar ...
; he died two years later at the age of 57.


Vukovar under Serb control and subsequent UNTAES administration

The battle exhausted the JNA and proved a turning point in the
Croatian War of Independence The Croatian War of Independence was fought from 1991 to 1995 between Croat forces loyal to the Government of Croatia—which had declared independence from the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (SFRY)—and the Serb-controlled Yugosl ...
. A ceasefire was declared a few weeks later. Vukovar served as de facto seat of the self-proclaimed
Serbian Autonomous Oblast From August 1990 to November 1991, during the breakup of Yugoslavia, several Serb Autonomous Regions, or Districts ( sr, Српска аутономна област (САО) / ) were proclaimed in the Yugoslav republics of SR Croatia and SR Bosnia ...
SAO Eastern Slavonia, Baranja and Western Syrmia The Serbian Autonomous Oblast of Eastern Slavonia, Baranja and Western Syrmia ( sh-Latn-Cyrl, Srpska autonomna oblast Istočna Slavonija, Baranja i Zapadni Srem, Српска аутономна област Источна Славонија, ...
, the entity which joined the separatist
Republic of Serbian Krajina The Republic of Serbian Krajina or Serb Republic of Krajina ( sh, Република Српска Крајина, italics=no / or РСК / ''RSK'', ), known as the Serbian Krajina ( / ) or simply Krajina, was a self-proclaimed Serb proto-state, ...
(RSK) in 1992 as an exclave. Vojislav Stanimirović served as 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 the Erdut Agreement. The agreement led to the establishment of the
United Nations Transitional Administration for Eastern Slavonia, Baranja and Western Sirmium The United Nations Transitional Administration for Eastern Slavonia, Baranja and Western Sirmium (UNTAES) was a UN peacebuilding transitional administration in the Eastern Slavonia, Baranja and Western Syrmia in the eastern parts of Croatia ...
(UNTAES) which effectively governed the region from its seat in Vukovar until 1998 when the region 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 Osijek () is the fourth-largest city in Croatia, with a population of 96,848 in 2021. It is the largest city and the economic and cultural centre of the eastern Croatian region of Slavonia, as well as the administrative centre of Osijek-Baranja ...
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 the process of reintegration where she was attacked 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 Franjo Tuđman (; 14 May 1922 – 10 December 1999), also written as Franjo Tudjman, was a Croatian politician and historian. Following the country's independence from Yugoslavia, he became the first president of Croatia and served as p ...
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 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 OSCE Mission to Croatia was the field mission of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe operating in Croatia in from July 1996 until the December 2007. The Mission become preeminent international organization in Croatia after the ...
was active in Vukovar and surrounding areas until 2007.


Demographics

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. 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 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 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 the services they offer but by the ethnicity of those who gather there. Even coffee shops are identified as Croat or Serb.Vukovar still divided 15 years on
B92, 27 November 2006. Retrieved 2 October 2007.
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.


Minority languages

According to the
2011 Croatian census A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses incl ...
, 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 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 the minority language protections with some commentators criticizing the abolition of already acquired rights including the President of the Constitutional Court of Croatia
Miroslav Šeparović Miroslav Šeparović (born 18 July 1958) is a Croatian lawyer who serves as the 5th President of the Constitutional Court of Croatia since 13 June 2016, had previously served as a 5th Minister of Justice in the Cabinet of Zlatko Mateša from 1995 ...
.


Cultural heritage

Among a number of notable buildings, severely damaged in the recent war, are the Eltz Manor of the Eltz noble family from the 18th century,
Baroque The Baroque (, ; ) is a style of architecture, music, dance, painting, sculpture, poetry, and other arts that flourished in Europe from the early 17th century until the 1750s. In the territories of the Spanish and Portuguese empires including t ...
buildings in the centre of the town, the Franciscan monastery with the parish church of Sts. Philip and James, the water tower, the birth house of Nobel prize winner Lavoslav Ružička, the Orthodox church of St Nicholas, the
palace of Syrmia County Palace of Syrmia County ( hr, Palača Srijemske županije, sr, Палата Сремске жупаније, german: Palast der Gespanschaft Syrmien, hu, Syrmia megyei palota) is located Vukovar, administrative seat of the Vukovar-Srijem County ...
etc. Since the peaceful reintegration under Croatian control in 1998, 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 Vučedol () is an archeological site, an elevated ground on the right bank of the river Danube near Vukovar that became the eponym of the eneolithic Vučedol culture. It is estimated that the site had once been home to about 3,000 inhabitants, mak ...
(''vučedolska golubica'') is considered the symbol of Vukovar. Vučedol is also an excursion destination, frequented by anglers and bathers, especially the sandy beach on ''Orlov Otok'' (Eagle's Island).
Vukovar Synagogue Vukovar Synagogue was the main synagogue of the Jewish community in Vukovar, Croatia, after the first smaller synagogue was sold to the Calvinist church in 1910. Filozofski fakultet odsjek za povijest umjetnosti; Dragan Damjanović; O gradnji i ...
was built in 1889, and was devastated by the Nazis in 1941. The ruins stood until they were demolished in 1958.


Politics


Local Government

Following the
2021 Croatian local elections The first round of the 2021 Croatian local elections were held on 16 May and the second round, where necessary, on 30 May. All seats of the county prefects, city and municipal mayors and members of county, municipal and city councils were up for el ...
the Assembly of the City of Vukovar is composed of 19 elected representatives. Out of a total of 23,138 eligible voters 11,160 or 48.23% participated in the elections and there were 10,808 or 96.85% valid ballots. Right wing Ivan Penava's Independent List got 4,516 or 41.78% ballots and 9 elected representatives,
Croatian Democratic Union The Croatian Democratic Union ( hr, Hrvatska demokratska zajednica, lit=Croatian Democratic Community, HDZ) is the major conservative, centre-right political party in Croatia. It is one of the two major contemporary political parties in Croa ...
got 2,347 or 21.71% ballots and 5 elected representatives, Independent Democratic Serb Party got 1,222 ballots or 11.30% and 2 elected representatives, former Social-Democrat major Želko Sabo's Independent List got 712 or 6.58% ballots and 1 elected representative,
Democratic Alliance of Serbs The Democratic Alliance of Serbs ( hr, Demokratski savez Srba or DSS, sr-cyr, Демократски савез Срба, ДСС) is a social democratic political party of Serbs in Croatia. History The party was founded on 27 June 2016 in Zagr ...
got 631 or 5.83% ballots and 1 elected representative, coalition of the Croatian People's Party – Liberal Democrats, Croatian Peasant Party, Croatian Social Liberal Party and Active Independent Pensioners got 599 or 5.54% ballots and 1 elected representative. Parties which failed to reach 5% of votes required for allocation of seats in the City Assembly were the
Social Democratic Party of Croatia The Social Democratic Party of Croatia ( hr, Socijaldemokratska partija Hrvatske, SDP) is a social-democratic political party in Croatia. The SDP is anti-fascist, progressive, and strongly pro-European. The SDP was formed in 1990 as the succe ...
with 3.91%, Serb politician Dragan Crnogorac's Independent List with 1.72% and Pavao Josić's Independent List with 1.59%. The mayor of Vukovar was elected in the second round of the elections after nobody among 5 candidates received over 50% of votes. In the second round right wing candidate Ivan Penava was elected with 5,392 votes, while losing candidate from the
Croatian Democratic Union The Croatian Democratic Union ( hr, Hrvatska demokratska zajednica, lit=Croatian Democratic Community, HDZ) is the major conservative, centre-right political party in Croatia. It is one of the two major contemporary political parties in Croa ...
Nikola Mažar got 4,529 votes. Deputy Mayor from the Serbs of Vukovar community was elected in the first round with Independent Democratic Serb Party's candidate Srđan Kolar receiving 1,128 votes and the losing candidate from the
Democratic Alliance of Serbs The Democratic Alliance of Serbs ( hr, Demokratski savez Srba or DSS, sr-cyr, Демократски савез Срба, ДСС) is a social democratic political party of Serbs in Croatia. History The party was founded on 27 June 2016 in Zagr ...
Srđan Milaković receiving 781 vote. , - style="background-color:#E9E9E9" align=center !colspan=2, Party !Votes !% !Seats , - , width=5px bgcolor=#36454F, , align=left valign=top, Ivan Penava's Independent List, , 4,516 , , 41.78, , 9 , - , bgcolor=#4D4DFF, , align=left valign=top,
Croatian Democratic Union The Croatian Democratic Union ( hr, Hrvatska demokratska zajednica, lit=Croatian Democratic Community, HDZ) is the major conservative, centre-right political party in Croatia. It is one of the two major contemporary political parties in Croa ...
, , 2,347, , 21.71, , 5 , - , bgcolor=#89CFF0, , align=left valign=top, Independent Democratic Serb Party, , 1,222, , 11.30, , 2 , - , bgcolor=#D44500, , align=left valign=top, Željko Sabo's Independent List, , 712, , 6.58, , 1 , - , bgcolor=#BF4F51, , align=left valign=top,
Democratic Alliance of Serbs The Democratic Alliance of Serbs ( hr, Demokratski savez Srba or DSS, sr-cyr, Демократски савез Срба, ДСС) is a social democratic political party of Serbs in Croatia. History The party was founded on 27 June 2016 in Zagr ...
, , 631, , 5.83, , 1 , - , bgcolor=#A7FC00, , align=left valign=top, Croatian People's Party – Liberal Democrats
Croatian Peasant Party
Croatian Social Liberal Party
Active Independent Pensioners, , 599, , 5.54, , 1 , - , bgcolor=#E60026, , align=left valign=top,
Social Democratic Party of Croatia The Social Democratic Party of Croatia ( hr, Socijaldemokratska partija Hrvatske, SDP) is a social-democratic political party in Croatia. The SDP is anti-fascist, progressive, and strongly pro-European. The SDP was formed in 1990 as the succe ...
, , 423, , 3.91, , 0 , - , bgcolor=#C3B091, , align=left valign=top, Independent politician Dragan Crnogorac's list, , 186, , 1.72, , 0 , - , bgcolor=#F4CA16, , align=left valign=top, Pavao Josić's List, , 172, , 1.59, , 0 , - , align=left colspan=2, Invalid/blank votes, , 352, , 3,15, , — , - , align=left colspan=2, Total, , 11,160, , 100, , — , - , align=left colspan=2, Registered voters/turnout, , 23,138, , 48,23, , — , - , align=left colspan=8, , - , align=left colspan=8, Source


Museums


Vukovar Municipal Museum

Vukovar Municipal Museum Vukovar () ( sr-Cyrl, Вуковар, hu, Vukovár, german: Wukowar) is a city in Croatia, in the eastern region of Slavonia. It contains Croatia's largest river port, located at the confluence of the Vuka and the Danube. Vukovar is the seat of ...
was founded in 1948 by a donation of Roman money, furniture, weapons, and paintings given to his city by Dr. Antun Bauer. The museum started in the Coach Post Building in the old
baroque The Baroque (, ; ) is a style of architecture, music, dance, painting, sculpture, poetry, and other arts that flourished in Europe from the early 17th century until the 1750s. In the territories of the Spanish and Portuguese empires including t ...
centre, but was moved to Castle Eltz in 1966. Up until 1991 the museum had about 50 thousand exhibits in four separate divisions: The Heritage Museum displayed the history of Vukovar from prehistory to modern times and some of its most important collections included the items excavated at the archaeological site Vučedol and the Culture and History Collection, which contained documents, furniture, and pieces of art, and provided an authentic display of the life of the citizens of Vukovar and the Eltz family. The Bauer Collection contained the most complete overview of modern Croatian art from the end of the 19th and the early 20th century with special emphasis on the period between the two world wars. Among more than one thousand pieces of art the Collection contained the works of Vlaho Bukovac,
Mato Celestin Medović Mato Celestin Medović (birth name Mato Medović; 17 November 1857 – 20 January 1920) was a Croatian painter. Best known for his large paintings depicting historical scenes, and his series of colourful landscapes and seascapes of his native ...
, Ico Kršnjavi, Ivan Meštrović, Fran Kršinić,
Emanuel Vidović Emanuel Božidar Vidović (24 December 1870 – 1 June 1953) was a Croatian painter and graphic artist from Split. Emanuel Vidović was instrumental in bringing the modern art ideas to Split. From 1900 he was an active member of the Literary-A ...
, and many others. Memorial Museum of the Nobel Prize Winner Lavoslav Ružička, located in the house where he was born, it displayed original documents and medals from the life and work of the Nobel Prize winner, who received this prestigious award in 1939 for
chemistry Chemistry is the science, scientific study of the properties and behavior of matter. It is a natural science that covers the Chemical element, elements that make up matter to the chemical compound, compounds made of atoms, molecules and ions ...
. Memorial Museum of the 2nd Congress of the Communist Party of Yugoslavia was located in the Workers' Hall building, former Grand Hotel, where the congress was held in 1920. The materials connected to the development of the labour movement and the founding of the
Communist Party of Yugoslavia The League of Communists of Yugoslavia, mk, Сојуз на комунистите на Југославија, Sojuz na komunistite na Jugoslavija known until 1952 as the Communist Party of Yugoslavia, sl, Komunistična partija Jugoslavije mk ...
was exhibited and presented here. During
Croatian War of Independence The Croatian War of Independence was fought from 1991 to 1995 between Croat forces loyal to the Government of Croatia—which had declared independence from the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (SFRY)—and the Serb-controlled Yugosl ...
, Castle Eltz suffered significant damage and the collections which were kept there were also damaged: some of the exhibits were completely destroyed, some have disappeared and cannot be recovered, and some of them were taken to Serbia. After years of effort and diplomatic activity by the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Croatia that part of the collection was returned to Vukovar on 13 December 2001. In the period from 1991 to 1997 the Vukovar City Museum was operating in the Mimara Museum in Zagreb. Near the end of 1992 a collection was founded with the name Vukovar Museum in Exile which began the creation of a collection of donations by Croatian, and soon after also European, artists for the City of Vukovar. To this day that collection has gathered over 1400 pieces of modern Croatian and European art. This collection represented the beginning of the cultural restoration of Vukovar and it is displayed at the restored Castle Eltz today, along with other museum collections which are part of the permanent collection of the museum. Now that it is renovated, the Castle Eltz complex represents a unique museum and gallery , science, and multimedia centre, which preserves and presents
cultural heritage Cultural heritage is the heritage of tangible and intangible heritage assets of a group or society that is inherited from past generations. Not all heritages of past generations are "heritage"; rather, heritage is a product of selection by soci ...
as an element of national identity and the continuity of life in this area. In 2013 the Vukovar City Museum won a prestigious Anton Štifanić Award for special contributions to the development of tourism in the Republic of Croatia and in 2014 won the Simply the Best award.


Vučedol Culture Museum

Vučedol Culture Museum is open on the tenth of June 2015. Is one of the most modern
museums in Croatia Osijek * Archaeological Museum Osijek * Gallery of Fine Arts, Osijek * Gallery Waldinger * Museum of Slavonia Split * Froggyland * Gallery of Fine Arts, Split * Ivan Meštrović Gallery * Split Archaeological Museum * Museum of Croatian A ...
. The museum is positioned on one side almost at the very Danube riverbank and on the other side, on four floors, in the hill, while its flat green roof is a promenade which leads to the archaeological site. As for the content, the permanent exhibition is displayed in 19 rooms on almost 1200 square metres. In addition to using state of the art technologies, multimedia and interactive content, the way of life on Vučedol culture localities, spreading through 12 European countries, is displayed.


Events

In Vukovar during the year there are many cultural events. Certainly the most important is the Danube region Vukovar Film Festival. *The Vukovar Film Festival is unique due to many things. It is the only film festival of the community of Danube region countries and the only one held literally on the Danube. It is designed to promote and spread the creative development of filmmakers from the region and it is organised with the intent to contribute to cultural restoration in the city destroyed in the
Homeland War The Croatian War of Independence was fought from 1991 to 1995 between Croat forces loyal to the Government of Croatia—which had declared independence from the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (SFRY)—and the Serb-controlled Yugosl ...
. The theme of the festival, the films from the Danube region countries, is logically connected to Vukovar as a centre of the Croatian part of the community of the Danube region. Cultural influences have always spread along the Danube. Since the Vukovar film festival is the only film festival focused on this region, on the international level it seeks to connect filmmakers from the Danube region countries, whose film making industries are some of the most vital in the world. *The Vukovar
Chamber music Chamber music is a form of classical music that is composed for a small group of instruments—traditionally a group that could fit in a palace chamber or a large room. Most broadly, it includes any art music that is performed by a small numb ...
Festival is held in the first half of June at the area of Castle Eltz, the Chapel of Saint Rok, and the Church of Saint Filip and Jakov in Vukovar, and it traditionally starts with a concert by the Zagreb Philharmonic Orchestra. The guests of the festival are solo performers and chamber ensembles from Croatia and Europe. *The Vukovar Puppet Spring Festival was founded in 1996 as a national theatre conference. There are around 15 puppet theatres performing every year and in the five days of the festival they give around 100 performances in the towns and municipalities of Vukovarsko-Srijemska County. The centre of the festival is the town of Vukovar where 16 performances are played and where various workshops and an awards ceremony are held (for the award for life achievement in contribution to Croatian puppetry). The festival is held at the same time every year, the week before the Holy Week before Easter. In 2011 there were 16 puppet theatres from Croatia and abroad ( Pecs, Mostar) that participated the festival. * Saint Vinko's Day in Vučedol is an event held traditionally every year on 22 January at the Goldschmidt farm grounds. This event marks the beginning of the year's work in the vineyards and it starts with a blessing of the vineyards. Sausages and other cured meat products are hung on the vines, because of a tradition that by hanging large sausages on the vines, the grape vines will be more fruitful and the grape clusters will be large. The same legend claims that if on that day, before noon, icicles or snow melts and creates puddles in which a sparrow can bathe, the year will be fruitful and there will be so much wine that people can bathe in it. Along with an accompanying culture and art programme, this event represents a true vineyard experience, with mulled wine and delicacies that the
visitors Visitor, in English and Welsh law, is an academic or ecclesiastical title. Visitor or Visitors may also refer to: Geography * Visitor (mountain), a mountain in eastern Montenegro * Lake Visitor, a mountain lake in eastern Montenegro Literature * ...
may taste or prepare for themselves, on the fire. *Bonofest is held every year in the middle of May. It is a festival of spiritual music held in the church of Saint Filip and Jakov. The two evenings of the festival feature musicians who were selected by a committee of professionals. *The Ethno fair is organised each year by the Vukovar City Tourist Board and takes place in September in the city centre in the "Hotel Grand" building. Various craftsmen, winemakers and other manufacturers sell their handmade products which represent the heritage of this part of Croatia. *The Vukovar Advent Festivities start four weeks during Advent during which a series of musical and performance events are organised. Each event is special as the traditional lighting of the candles is performed. *Silent night in Vukovar is a traditional Christmas concert of Croatian National Television. It is held during Vukovar's Advent Festivities in the Church of St. Philip and James *The Christmas Fair is held a couple of days before Christmas.


Institutions

Vukovar is the seat of several local organisations and institutions such as Vukovar-Syrmia County,
Polytechnic Lavoslav Ružička Vukovar Polytechnic is most commonly used to refer to schools, colleges, or universities that qualify as an institute of technology or vocational university also sometimes called universities of applied sciences. Polytechnic may also refer to: Educati ...
,
Gymnasium Vukovar Gymnasium Vukovar ( sh, Gimnazija Vukovar/Гимназија Вуковар) is a secondary school ( gymnasium) in Vukovar in eastern Croatia. Gymnasium Vukovar curriculum is divided into three specializations with the first one being general soci ...
, etc. It is also the seat of several organisations and institutions of the Serb minority in Croatia such as the Joint Council of Municipalities, the Association for Serbian language and literature in the Republic of Croatia, the Independent Democratic Serb Party, the
Party of Danube Serbs The Party of Danube Serbs ( hr, Partija podunavskih Srba, PPS, sr, Партија подунавских Срба) was a Serb minority political party in Croatia. It was formed as the Serbian Radical Party of the Republic of Serbian Krajina by R ...
as well as the seat of the
Consulate General of Republic of Serbia in Vukovar A consulate is the office of a consul. A type of diplomatic mission, it is usually subordinate to the state's main representation in the capital of that foreign country (host state), usually an embassy (or, only between two Commonwealth coun ...
.


Economy

Port of Vukovar Port of Vukovar ( hr, Luka Vukovar, sr, Лука Вуковар) is Danube River port in eastern Croatian town of Vukovar. As the only Croatian river port on Danube ''(excluding minor tourist and fishing ports in Vukovar, Batina, Ilok)'', Port ...
is situated on of the downstream flow of Danube river, on its right coast, and is the biggest official concessioner in the Vukovar region. The Company focuses its business on the transshipment of general and bulk cargo. The Port (850m long and 45m wide) is conveniently situated on the main current of the river, enabling navigation throughout the whole year regardless of water level. The Port recorded productivity growth and increase in cargo transshipment from 123,570 tons in 2009 to 295,199 tons in 2011. The majority of transshipment was in the category of bulk cargo (237,119 tons in 2011), while packaged goods and heavy cargo accounted for a total of 58,080 tons. The economy of Vukovar is based on agriculture, trade, viticulture,
food industry The food industry is a complex, global network of diverse businesses that supplies most of the food consumed by the world's population. The food industry today has become highly diversified, with manufacturing ranging from small, traditiona ...
, textile industry, building materials industry,
footwear Footwear refers to garments worn on the feet, which typically serves the purpose of protection against adversities of the environment such as wear from ground textures and temperature. Footwear in the manner of shoes therefore primarily serves th ...
industry and tourism. Vukovar is the largest Croatian town and river port on the Danube. Its economy is based on trade, farming, viticulture, livestock breeding, textiles, the food-processing industry, the footwear industry and tourism. However, the port infrastructure in Vukovar, only partly reconstructed, still does not meet the requirements of the market. The layout of the port area, particularly the access to railway tracks and the quay operational area, are technologically inappropriate and not compatible with market standards. There is also a lack of warehouse capacity. Altogether, it affects the quality of the service provided in the Port and thus decreases the port competitiveness. Borovo, a manufacturer of footwear located in Vukovar, ended up devastated and demolished in 1991 during the war. In its prime it employed 24,000 employees and tried to break into foreign markets with innovations in the manufacture of footwear, but today there are fewer than 1000 employees. On 7 June 1931, Borovo was founded by Czech industrialist Tomáš Baťa. Borovo Factory was one of the few Bata Shoes factories in the world. In 1933, the production of rubber and technical goods started, and Bata in the gum industry became one of the first companies in the then Kingdom of Yugoslavia. Between 1947 and the end of the 1980s, Borovo grew into the largest and most economically most powerful company in the production and sale of footwear and rubber in this part of Europe. Borovo Facory produced more than 20 million pair of shoes a year, thousands of tons of auto-rubber and rubber-technical goods, 22,000 people were employed at today's factories with more than 600 stores across the country. This time was marked by the significant export to European and other countries. The Business Innovation Centre BIC-Vukovar is a rounded concept for the support of innovative, technologically-oriented entrepreneurship independent of the size or maturity of the company. The goal of this centre is to attract or provide incentives for the creation and growth of technologically-oriented companies in all phases of their life-cycle and provide them with a complete package of services to support their businesses, from workspaces, support for innovations, growth and export, as well as various intellectual and administrative services Since the end of the war, much of the infrastructure in Vukovar has remained unrestored and unemployment is estimated to stand at 40 percent. Vukovar is underdeveloped municipality which is statistically classified as the First Category Area of Special State Concern by the
Government of Croatia The Government of Croatia ( hr, Vlada Hrvatske), formally the Government of the Republic of Croatia ( hr, Vlada Republike Hrvatske), commonly abbreviated to Croatian Government ( hr, hrvatska Vlada), is the main executive branch of government ...
.


Transport

Vukovar is located in the northeastern part of the Republic of Croatia (45 ° 20 'north latitude and 16 ° 40' east longitude) and is the seat of the Vukovar-Srijem County. It lies at the mouth of the River Vuka in the Danube River (Luka Vukovar - Rkm 1335) and has a border position on the Danube River towards Serbia in Vojvodina. Due to the particularity of its geographical position, primarily marked by the international waterway - Danube River, Vukovar represents a significant traffic hub of the main roads. There is a good traffic connection with the neighbouring countries of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Hungary and Serbia. Vukovar is 16 km away from the town of Vinkovci, the largest railway hub in Croatia. It is well connected by state road D55 via Vinkovci, 39 km away from the node of Županja on the A3 Zagreb-Lipovac motorway. The 33 km distant Osijek is connected by the state road D2, via which Vukovar is connected to Corridor Vc (motorway A6). With Osijek Airport, 20 km north–west of Vukovar this area is also included in air traffic. The city's position is very good for access to other markets within Central and South-Eastern Europe because it is located on or near the following trans-European corridors: *Pan-European Transport Corridor VII - River Danube (Luka Vukovar) * Osijek Airport -> 16 km away *Pan-European Transport Corridor X - railway -> 14 km from Vinkovci hub (largest regional railway hub) *Highway A3 -> 42 km away *The European route E73 - the A5 and the A5 motorway -> 31 km away


Education and media


History and today

In accordance with its position in the economic and administrative terms of Vukovar developed in educational, cultural and health centre. For the 1730th Vukovar has developed popular education. From the Franciscan School has developed
elementary school A primary school (in Ireland, the United Kingdom, Australia, Trinidad and Tobago, Jamaica, and South Africa), junior school (in Australia), elementary school or grade school (in North America and the Philippines) is a school for primary ed ...
in Old Vukovar. New Vukovar has its own school. They worked and denominational schools for children and Orthodox Jewish religion, and schools in the German ,
Serbian Serbian may refer to: * someone or something related to Serbia, a country in Southeastern Europe * someone or something related to the Serbs, a South Slavic people * Serbian language * Serbian names See also

* * * Old Serbian (disambiguat ...
orthodox and Hungarian. Apprentice school was established in 1886. year, a gymnasium 1891st. The first doctor with a diploma has been working in Vukovar since 1763, and the
pharmacy Pharmacy is the science and practice of discovering, producing, preparing, dispensing, reviewing and monitoring medications, aiming to ensure the safe, effective, and affordable use of medicines. It is a miscellaneous science as it links heal ...
was opened in 1791. The first small
hospital A hospital is a health care institution providing patient treatment with specialized health science and auxiliary healthcare staff and medical equipment. The best-known type of hospital is the general hospital, which typically has an emerge ...
was opened only in 1857. Printing was opened 1867th when they first came out and Vukovar in German newspaper "Der Syrmier-Bote". Vukovar has seven primary schools and five high schools, including one gymnasium (
Gymnasium Vukovar Gymnasium Vukovar ( sh, Gimnazija Vukovar/Гимназија Вуковар) is a secondary school ( gymnasium) in Vukovar in eastern Croatia. Gymnasium Vukovar curriculum is divided into three specializations with the first one being general soci ...
) 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 Kinesiotherapy or Kinesitherapy or kinesiatrics (kinēsis, "movement"), literally "movement therapy", is the therapeutic treatment of disease by passive and active muscular movements (as by massage) and of exercise Exercise is a body activit ...
. 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. In the period up to the First World War, about 30 societies were active in Vukovar. Singing, reading, sports and support societies had their own reading rooms, organized concerts and parties. Societies were often organized on a national basis. The first performance in the Croatian language was held in 1821, it was a dramatic work by the guardian of the Franciscan monastery Grga Cevapovic. The most influential Croatian society is the "
Dunav The Danube ( ; ) is a river that was once a long-standing frontier of the Roman Empire and today connects 10 European countries, running through their territories or being a border. Originating in Germany, the Danube flows southeast for , pa ...
" singing society. In 1922, the Croatian Home was opened in Vukovar, a place for all cultural events.


Sport

Major sports facilities in the city of Vukovar are: Borovo Sports Hall (capacity 3,000 spectators) opened for maintenance International Table Tennis Championship of Yugoslavia (Borovo 1978), stadium FC Vukovar '91, sport and recreation center "Lijeva Bara" with a hall for
martial arts Martial arts are codified systems and traditions of combat practiced for a number of reasons such as self-defense; military and law enforcement applications; combat sport, competition; physical, mental, and spiritual development; entertainment; a ...
, Borovo naselje Tennis Centre, Sports Centre "Hrgović", with tennis courts and horse riding, firing range, "Hill-7" as well as several football stadiums including Vukovar City Stadium and the FC Vuteks Sloga Stadium. Currently the most modern swimming pool complex in Croatia is open in March 2017 in Vukovar. Pool complex is located about 5 km from city centre of Vukovar. Available is indoor swimming pool 50 x 25 metres. Also there are two smaller outdoor pools 22x12 metres and 25x12 metres. Inside swimming complex is also fitness room, sauna, dressing rooms, restaurant. Inside same sport complex is also sport hall available for all indoor sports, boxing, gym, fitness, bowling.


Use in popular culture

*The
siege of Vukovar The Battle of Vukovar was an 87-day siege of Vukovar in eastern Croatia by the Yugoslav People's Army (JNA), supported by various paramilitary forces from Republic of Serbia (1990-2006), Serbia, between August and November 1991. Before the Croati ...
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 Oslo and play a major role in the murder mystery which Inspector Harry Hole must solve. * '' Harrison's Flowers'' is a French war drama from 2000, directed by Elie Chouraqui based on the novel "Diable à l' avantage" by
Isabel Ellsen Isabel is a female name of Spanish origin. Isabelle is a name that is similar, but it is of French origin. It originates as the medieval Spanish form of ''Elisabeth'' (ultimately Hebrew ''Elisheva''), Arising in the 12th century, it became popula ...
. The story takes place during the battle of Vukovar, in the middle of which an American woman ( Andie MacDowell) searches for her missing husband, a journalist named Harrison, who disappeared during the siege. The film was shot in the United States and the Czech Republic. Starring: Andie MacDowell, Elias Koteas, Brendan Gleeson, Adrien Brody and David Strathairn. *During the Republic of Serbian Krajina occupation of the city, Serbian director Boro Drašković filmed ''
Vukovar, jedna priča ''Vukovar, jedna priča'' ( sr-Cyrl, Вуковар, једна прича, English: ''Vukovar: A Story'') is a Serbian war film directed by Boro Drašković. It was released in 1994. It is also known as ''Vukovar poste restante''. The film was se ...
'' (''Vukovar: A Story'', also known as ''Vukovar poste restante''). The film was selected as the Serbian entry for the Best Foreign Language Film at the
67th Academy Awards The 67th Academy Awards ceremony, organized by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) took place on March 27, 1995, at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles beginning at 6:00 p.m. PST / 9:00 p.m. EST. During the cer ...
, but was not accepted as a nominee. It has been alternately characterised as an
anti-war film Anti-war films may criticize armed conflicts in a general sense to illustrate that war is futile and a loss for all sides involved, while others focus on acts within a specific war, such as poison gas use or genocidal killing of civilians. There a ...
and as war propaganda. *The 1991 siege and
hospital massacre ''Hospital Massacre'' (also known as ''X-Ray'', ''Be My Valentine, Or Else'', and ''Ward 13'') is a 1982 American slasher film directed by Boaz Davidson and starring Barbi Benton. Its plot follows a woman who becomes trapped on an empty floor ...
by JNA paramilitaries is remembered in Croatian singer-songwriter
Nenad Bach Nenad N. Bach (born 1954) is a Croatian American recording artist, composer, performer, producer and peace activist. He has performed with a wide range of artists, including Luciano Pavarotti, Bono & The Edge (U2), Brian Eno, Garth Hudson & Ric ...
's song "Vukovar." *Dr. Luka Kovač, the '' ER'' character played by Goran Višnjić, is supposedly from Vukovar.


Notable people

*
Nikola Andrić Nikola Andrić (5 July 1867 – 7 April 1942) was a Croatian writer, philologist, and translator. Biography Andrić was born in Vukovar in 1867. After obtaining a degree in Romance and Slavic studies in Vienna and Paris, he received his PhD i ...
, Croatian writer, philologist and translator * Károly Unkelhäusser, Hungarian politician * Marko Babić, Croatian soldier *
Franjo Benzinger Franjo Benzinger (November 26, 1899 – March 29, 1991) was a Croatian pharmacist. He was born in Vukovar and finished school at the university in Zagreb Zagreb ( , , , ) is the capital and largest city of Croatia. It is in the northwest of ...
, Croatian pharmacist * Damir Bičanić, Croatian handballer * Zoran Bognar, Serbian poet and writer *
Dražen Bošnjaković Dražen Bošnjaković (born 6 January 1961) is a Croatian politician who had served as the Minister of Justice in the cabinet of Andrej Plenković from 2017 to 2020. Early life and education Bošnjaković was born in Vukovar in 1961. He lived ...
, Croatian politician *
Aleksandar Čavrić Aleksandar Čavrić (; born 18 May 1994) is a Serbian-Slovak professional footballer who plays as a winger or forward for Kashima Antlers on loan from Slovak club Slovan Bratislava. Club career Serbia, Belgium and Danmark Čavrić made his se ...
, Serbian footballer * Saša Drakulić, Serbian footballer * Jakob Eltz, German nobleman and former member of Croatian parliament *
Milan Gajić Milan Gajić may refer to: * Milan Gajić (footballer, born 1986), Serbian football midfielder * Milan Gajić (footballer, born 1996) Milan Gajić ( sr-Cyrl, Милан Гајић; born 28 January 1996) is a Serbian professional footballer who pl ...
, Serbian footballer, U-20 World champion *
Jovan Gavrilović Jovan Gavrilović (Vukovar, Habsburg monarchy, 3 November 1796 – Belgrade, Principality of Serbia, 29 July 1877) was a Serbian historian, politician, statesman, and public figure. He was the first president of the Serbian Learned Society, the for ...
, politician and regent to adulthood of King Milan I of Serbia *
Siniša Glavašević Siniša Glavašević (4 November 1960 – 20 November 1991Dinko Jukić Dinko Jukić (born 9 January 1989 in Dubrovnik) is a retired medley and butterfly swimmer from Austria of Croatian origin. Biography He competed for Austria at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, China, finishing in tenth place in the men's ...
, Austrian swimmer, European champion *
Mirna Jukić Mirna Jukić (born 9 April 1986) is a retired Austrian swimmer who won a bronze medal in both short course and long course at the world championships in swimming. She is trained by her father Željko Jukić, a former basketball player. She has h ...
, Austrian swimmer, European champion and Olympic Games bronze medalist * Damir Kreilach, Croatian footballer * Milan Mačvan, Serbian basketball player, Olympic Games and Eurobasket silver medalist * Damir Martin, Croatian rower * Tomislav Merčep, Croatian politician and paramilitary leader * Predrag Matić, Croatian politician * Siniša Mihajlović, Serbian footballer,
European Cup The UEFA Champions League (abbreviated as UCL, or sometimes, UEFA CL) is an annual club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) and contested by top-division European clubs, deciding the competit ...
champion *
Tomislav Mikulić Tomislav Mikulić (born 4 January 1982 in Vukovar) is a retired Croatian football player who played as a defender. Club career Mikulić started his career with Croatia's NK Osijek before moving to K.R.C. Genk in 2005. On 18 December 2007 he ...
, Croatian footballer * Ante Miše, Croatian footballer *
Petar Mlinarić Petar Mlinarić (born 24 February 1944 near Bihać) is a Croatian politician from the Croatian Democratic Union party. Mlinarić was a member of the Croatian Parliament between 2003 and 2008. He was once a deputy mayor of the city of Vukovar ...
, Member of Croatian parliament *
Josip Mrzljak Josip Mrzljak (born 19 January 1944, in Vukovar) was the bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Varaždin from 2007 to 2019. His father Vladimir went missing in 1945, and is thought to have been killed by the Yugoslav Partisans. Mrzljak was ord ...
, Croatian prelate, bishop of Varaždin * Zaharije Orfelin, Serbian poet * Pavao Pavličić, Croatian novelist * Leopold Ružička, Nobel prize winner in
chemistry Chemistry is the science, scientific study of the properties and behavior of matter. It is a natural science that covers the Chemical element, elements that make up matter to the chemical compound, compounds made of atoms, molecules and ions ...
*
Vladimir Štengl Vladimir Štengl (born July 30, 1942 in Vukovar) is a Croatian politician. From 1997 to 2001 he was mayor of Vukovar Vukovar () ( sr-Cyrl, Вуковар, hu, Vukovár, german: Wukowar) is a city in Croatia, in the eastern region of Slavonia. ...
, Former Member of the Croatian Parliament and former mayor of Vukovar * Blago Zadro, Croatian Army general *
Dario Zahora Dario Zahora (born 21 March 1982 in Vukovar) is a Croatian football striker, who is currently a free agent. Zahora started his career from Croatian team Dinamo Zagreb. From there he was loaned out to Croatia Sesvete, Koper, Slaven Belupo, Domža ...
, Croatian footballer * Tezija Zararić, Croatian musician


International relations


Foreign representatives

* The Consulate General of Republic of Serbia in the city of Vukovar.


Twin towns – sister cities

Vukovar is
twinned Twinning (making a twin of) may refer to: * In biology and agriculture, producing two offspring (i.e., twins) at a time, or having a tendency to do so; * Twin towns and sister cities, towns and cities involved in town twinning * Twinning inst ...
with: * Bač, Serbia * Bački Petrovac, Serbia * Mostar, Bosnia and Herzegovina * Odžak, Bosnia and Herzegovina * Partizánske, Slovakia


Explanatory notes


Citations


General bibliography

* * *


External links


Official site

Tourist office Vukovar

Photo Gallery of Vukovar
{{Authority control 13th-century establishments in Croatia Cities and towns in Croatia Populated places in Syrmia Populated places in Vukovar-Syrmia County Populated places on the Danube Syrmia County