About Osijek(Croatia)
is the fourth largest city in Croatia with a population of 128,095 in 2011.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 county. Osijek is located on the right bank of the river Drava, 25 kilometres (16 mi) upstream of its confluence with the Danube, at an elevation of 94 metres (308 ft).
The name was given to the city due to its position on elevated ground which prevented the city being flooded by the local swamp waters. Its name Osijek comes from the Croatian word "oseka" which means "ebb tide".
Due to its past and its history within the Habsburg Monarchy and briefly in the Ottoman Empire and also due to the presence of German and Hungarian minorities throughout its history, Osijek also has (or had) its names in other languages, notably Hungarian: Eszék, German: Esseg or Essegg, Latin: Mursa, Turkish: Ösek. Also spelled Esgek[2]. All those names were adjusted variations to the original Croatian given name. In Roman times Osijek was called Mursa Maior, but its official Roman name was Colonia Aelia Mursa, as it was established by emperor Hadrian.
The origins of human habitation of Osijek dates back to Neolithic times, with the first known inhabitants belonging to the Illyrian tribes. Roman emperor Hadrian raised the old settlement of Mursa to a colony with special privileges in 131. After that, Mursa had a turbulent history, with several decisive battles taking place (among which the Battle of Mursa Major in 351 and the battle between Aureolus and Ingenuus in 260), deciding the destiny of the whole region. After their migration, the Croats made a settlement near the ruins of Mursa, giving it its present name, Osijek. After the Hungarian settlements in Carpat basin, the population in Osijek was mostly Hungarian to the time of Ottoman occupation. The first mention of Osijek was in 1196 (forum Ezek et portas name). The ovner of the settlements market was the Abbey of Cikádor (now Bataszék in Hungary). Later mentioned in 1335 villa Ezeek, in 1352 possesio Ezek, in 1353 tributum fori in Ezeek et tributum portas fluvii Draue, 1454 opidium Ezek,1469 opidium Ezeek. The first mention of the fortress in 1472. (castellum Ezeek). Life was thriving here in the Middle Ages, but only traces of that life can be found today because of the destruction in Ottoman–Hungarian Wars as well as architectural changes during the Ottoman period.
The earliest mentions of Osijek date to 1196. The town was a feudal property of the Korogyi family between 1353 and 1472. After the death the last Korogyi, King Mathias granted it to the Rozgonyi family. But in 1493 it's owner was the Chapter of Holy Virgin in Buda (now Budapest). The city was damaged by the Ottoman conquerors on 8 August 1526.[3] The Turks rebuilt it in oriental style and it was mentioned in the Turkish census of 1579. In 1566, Suleiman the Magnificent built a famous, 8 kilometer-long wooden bridge of boats in Osijek, considered to be one of the wonders of the world.[4] The town was officially promoted to a city by the end of the 17th century. It was a sanjak of Budin Eyalet.
Osijek remains a popular domestic tourist destination for its Baroque style, open spaces and ample recreational opportunities. The most important sights in the city include the main square, Trg Ante Starčevića, Tvrđa the 18th century Baroque citadel, the promenade along the Drava ("promenada"), and the suspension pedestrian bridge toward Baranja.
The Municipal Park of King Petar Krešimir IV and the Tomislav Park date from the beginning of the 20th century, and are protected national landmarks. Osijek is also home to one of the few Croatian zoological gardens, along the Drava river. The city is home to a monument to Ante Starčević.[30]
The Co-cathedral of St. Peter and Paul (Sv. Petar i Pavao) is a Neo-Gothic structure with the second highest tower in Croatia after the Zagreb Cathedral. The tower measure 90 m (295.28 ft) and can be seen from throughout Osijek. Because of its size most locals refer to it as the cathedral but it is only a parish church. The Church of St Peter and St Paul was designed by Franz Langenberg and contains 40 stained glass windows, although they are not all intact after the bombing in the 1990s. The church also contains sculptures by Eduard Hauser.
Famous people who were born or have lived in Osijek include Matija Petar Katančić, an 18th century Croatian writer, professor of archaeology, translator of the Bible into Croatian, and author of the first paper over the archaeology in Croatia), Josip Juraj Strossmayer, a Croatian Maecenas bishop, Franjo Šeper, Archbishop of Zagreb from 1960–1968, and Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith from 1968–1981, Francis, Duke of Teck, a German prince and father of Mary of Teck (later the Queen Consort of George V) hence the great grandfather of Queen Elizabeth II, painters Adolf Waldinger and Bela Čikoš Sesija, musicians Franjo Krežma, Miroslav Škoro, Branko Mihaljević and Krunoslav Slabinac, historian Ferdo Šišić, TV journalist Vladimir Herzog, Hollywood producer Branko Lustig, footballers Davor Šuker and Franjo Glaser, sport shooter Jasna Šekarić and tennis player Jelena Dokić. Nobel Prize winners Lavoslav (Leopold) Ružička and Vladimir Prelog also lived in the city, as did meteorologist and seismologist Andrija Mohorovičić, and world known mathematician and climatologist Milutin Milanković.
Transport links to and from Osijek include major railway and highway junctions, a river port, and Osijek Airport. International flights from the airport to Cologne/Bonn Airport in Germany commenced in March 2008.[31] A four-lane highway, part of the Pan-European Corridor Vc, linking Osijek to the rest of the Croatian modern highway network, was completed and opened in April 2009. From Osijek, it is possible to take the train to numerous destinations including Zagreb, Rijeka, Požega, Virovitica, Našice, Slavonski Brod, Slavonski Šamac, Erdut, Vrpolje, Dalj, Đakovo, and Beli Manastir, from where there are connections on to Hungary. There is also a daily service from Budapest to Sarajevo that stops in Osijek.
A small tram network runs through the city, which has been in continuous operation since 1884 and is the only tram network still in operation in Croatia outside of Zagreb. The network is currently being completely overhauled and more than doubled in length, and the city's old trams have been thoroughly modernized.
Numerous events take place in the city throughout the year. The most important of them are the Croatian Tambura Music Festival (in May), attended by tambura orchestras from all over Croatia and the Osijek Summer Nights (during June, July and August), a series of cultural and entertainment programs in the open, accompanied by excellent food and fairs. The Day of the City of Osijek is celebrated with a cultural and artistic activities and exhibitions.
The surroundings of Osijek provide opportunities for hunting and angling on the Drava river and its backwaters. Hunting in the area known as Kopački Rit (in Baranja) is famous beyond the borders of Croatia.
The abundance of game and agriculture has made Osijek the country's semi-official gastronomical capital. Local dishes include traditional Slavonian-style specialities (kulen, paprika-flavoured sausage, other kinds of sausages, ham, bacon, dairy products), as well as venison and fish dishes such as the famous riblji paprikaš (fish stew made with paprika). Two brands of beer are brewed in Osijek: Osječko and Esseker. There is also the Baranja wine offered in restaurants.
videos of Osijek