Vukovar water tower ( hr, Vukovarski vodotoranj) is a

water tower A water tower is an elevated structure supporting a water tank constructed at a height sufficient to pressurize a water distribution system, distribution system for potable water, and to provide emergency storage for fire protection. Water towe ...

in the

Croatia , image_flag = Flag of Croatia.svg , image_coat = Coat of arms of Croatia.svg , anthem = "Lijepa naša domovino"("Our Beautiful Homeland") , image_map = , map_caption = , capit ...

n city of

Vukovar 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 ...

. It is one of the most famous symbols of Vukovar and the suffering of the city and the country in 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 ...

and 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 ...

, when the water tower and the city itself were largely destroyed by the Yugoslav forces.

History

The water tower was designed by the company ''Plan'' and built by ''Hidrotehna Zagreb'', in the late 1960s. It was built in a city park, popularly known as ''Najpar-bašća'', in the district of Mitnica. Until the war, the top of the tower was home to a restaurant with a view over Vukovar, Dunav and surrounding vineyards. During the

, the water tower was one of the most frequent targets of artillery. It was hit more than 600 times during the siege. Today, it has been converted into a museum with a restaurant. Traces of the war are still evident. Since 10 March 2021 it has been a Tower Member of the

World Federation of Great Towers In its most general sense, the term "world" refers to the totality of entities, to the whole of reality or to everything that is. The nature of the world has been conceptualized differently in different fields. Some conceptions see the worl ...

Present

After the reintegration of Vukovar into the

Republic of Croatia , image_flag = Flag of Croatia.svg , image_coat = Coat of arms of Croatia.svg , anthem = "Lijepa naša domovino"("Our Beautiful Homeland") , image_map = , map_caption = , capit ...

, reconstruction of the water tower was initiated by

Croatian President The president of Croatia, officially the President of the Republic of Croatia ( hr, Predsjednik Republike Hrvatske), is the head of state, commander-in-chief of the military and chief representative of the Republic of Croatia both within the ...

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 ...

, but the process was dropped and the tower instead become a memorial area to the pain and suffering that Vukovar endured. It was officially opened on 30 October 2020, with public access becoming available the following day.

References

External links

* {{Vukovar Towers completed in 1968 Water towers Buildings and structures in Vukovar Croatian War of Independence