Slavonski Brod
Encyclopedia
Slavonski Brod is a city in Croatia
, with a population of 59,507 in 2011. The city was known as Marsonia in the Roman Empire
, and as Brod na Savi 1244–1934. It is the sixth largest city in Croatia
, after Zagreb
, Split
, Rijeka
, Osijek
and Zadar
. Located in the region of Slavonia
, it is the centre of Brod-Posavina County
, and a river port on the Sava river. It is 197 km southeast of Zagreb
and at an elevation of 96 m. Although 'brod' is the word 'ship' in modern Croatian
, the city's name bears witness to an older meaning - 'water crossing', 'ford
'. In 2009, the city was awarded "The most beautiful city in Croatia" award, given annually by the Croatian National Tourist Board
. Across the Sava lies the city of Brod, Bosnia and Herzegovina
, also known as Bosanski Brod.
developed at the strategically important crossing over the Sava river towards Brod
in Bosnia and Herzegovina
. It is an important intersection of the Posavina
part of the highway and a railway junction, since it is located on the highway linking Zagreb
–Lipovac–Belgrade
(E70, A3) and the Zagreb
–Vinkovci
–Belgrade
railway. The ship port 'Brod' on the Sava river is under construction.
There is also new modern highway under construction, on the Pan-European Corridor Vc
, which will connect Northern Europe and Hungary with Croatia (region of Slavonia), Bosnia and Herzegovina
and again Croatia (coastal region of Dalmatia
). Alignment of this highway is some 19 km far away from the center of the town. With completion of this route, the area of the town Slavonski Brod will become one of the major highway intersections in this part of the Europe connecting directions west-east and north-south.
The following settlements
comprise the administrative area of Slavonski Brod:
The northeastern part of the city, at Galovo, recently revealed a rich deposit of the Starčevo culture, dating in the Early Stone Age. Besides the fact that this is the largest architectural finding in Northern Croatia, it confirms that the locality of Brod has been inhabited for at least 8,000 years.
The first historical settlement in Brod dates from Roman
times, the settlement being known as Marsonia.It is still disputed whether Marsonia was a postal station, lodging for the night or an actual settlement.
The famous Peutinger map refers to Marsonia as Marsonie, while the work "Notitia dignitatum" has Marsonia under the name of "Auxilia Ascaria Tauruno sive Marsonia". The issue of Marsonia becoming a city has been tackled by the publishers of Ptolemy's
geography, dating from the 16th century. The first geographer who located the position of Marsonia at the locality of Brod was Abraham Ortelius
, who, in his atlas Theatrum orbis terrarum
(Antwerpen 1590) published a map, the objective of which was to reconstruct and connect the antic names of Panonian and Illyric
settlements with the towns of that time. It was he who placed Marsonia at the today's locality of Brod.
The aforementioned Peutinger's table clearly shows that Marsonia initially existed next to the Sava river, at the place where the Roman road crossed the river. The first Croatian expert, claiming that the Roman MARSVNNIA was located where Brod is now is Matija Petar Katancic
, giving this assertion additional support.
The Slavs inhabited the city in the 6th century. The name of the town is mentioned for the first time in Be'la IV of Hungary's charter, dated 1224. The Middle Ages
and Modern Era saw the city being an important fortress in the Military Frontier
. The Ottoman Empire's
influence remains dominant until the territorial gains by Austria-Hungary. Next to its defending role, the city saw development of crafts and trade. The education
and culture
were strongly dominated by the Franciscan
s. The 20th century was a period of strong economic growth of the city, with the 1920s
being called "the Golden Age of Brod". The city's current name dates from 1934 when it was changed from Brod na Savi.
From 1941 to 1945 the city was part of the Independent State of Croatia
. The town was heavily bombed by the Allies in 1944 and 1945. The bombing resulted in damage to 80% of the buildings in Slavonski Brod. The bombing resulted in 897 civilian deaths, 244 military deaths, 208 wounded civilians, and 28 military wounded in Slavonski Brod and Bosanski Brod
. In the communist Yugoslav era, the list of victims was manipulated, with only 11 people being declared as dying from aerial bombing in the 1964 census.
In 1990, democratic reforms legalized the forming of political parties, other than the League of Communists of Croatia. In Slavonski Brod, the first parties formed were the Croatian Democratic Union
and the Croatian Democratic Party.
is based on farming, viticulture, fruit
growing, metal
-processing, timber
and (furniture
wood, parquetry
), textiles (ready-made), leather, foodstuffs (brewery), building material (lime
), and printing industries.
Slavonski Brod is also home to some of the most important metal companies in Southeastern Europe, the Djuro Djakovic consortium, consisting of a number of factories producing very diverse products, mainly for export. The consortium is capable of producing: locomotives, tramways, wagons, bridges, industrial plants, nuclear reactors, car parts, heavily armed vehicles, armoured fighting vehicles, including main battle tank
s and mine warfare
vehicles, agricultural machinery, etc.
Service industries are becoming rapidly important, especially tourism. The city has an important cultural heritage, including a fortress and a Franciscan
monastery with a rich library.
from the Baroque
period, was constructed during the Austro-Hungarian Empire to serve as a stronghold against the Ottoman Empire
, which was situated on the other bank of the Sava river. It is in the Vauban
style, named after one of the best European experts in the building of fortifications in 17th and 18th centuries. It is one of Europe
's best preserved fortresses, and also one of the biggest on the former Austro-Hungarian Military Frontier
. In a way, it is the continental obverse of Diocletian's Palace
in Split
, by its monumentality.
The city's Franciscan
monastery dates from the 18th century, and is also Baroque
in style, with exceptional architecture, especially of the church yard, and monastery church interior, with its beautiful altar and paintings. In 1720, a faculty of philosophy was opened here.
The most important annual cultural event in the town is the children's festival
'In the World of the Fairy Tales of Writer Ivana Brlić-Mažuranić
', in April and May. The Brod Circle Dance, an annual show of original folklore
, is held in mid-June, while the Festival of Patriotic Folk Songs takes place in May. The artistic 'Sava' colony\http://www.sbonline.net/sava/ cherishes the tradition of watercolour painting.
One of the attractions of Slavonski Brod is a beautiful central town square, one of the two or three biggest in all of Croatia, Ivana Brlić-Mažuranić
square, named after a popular children's writer, whose house is on the square. This square is also home to numerous cultural events and has a perfect view of the beautiful Sava river. The square is also dotted with galleries, book stores, cafes, night clubs, shops etc., which make it perfect place for entertainment. Close to the square, another attraction is the romantic promenade next to the Sava river - 'Kej' as it is called by citizens of town.
Slavonski Brod is home to monuments to bishop Josip Stadler
and Croatia
's first president Franjo Tuđman.
The city also hosts the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering of Osijek University
, and the Primary School Teacher Training College. Some other faculties are expected to be opened soon.
In October 2006. associate-degree college has been founded with several other faculties.
). There are pleasant orchards and vineyards, Dilj
mountain (or 'Dilj Gora'), and swimming opportunities.
Croatia
Croatia , officially the Republic of Croatia , is a unitary democratic parliamentary republic in Europe at the crossroads of the Mitteleuropa, the Balkans, and the Mediterranean. Its capital and largest city is Zagreb. The country is divided into 20 counties and the city of Zagreb. Croatia covers ...
, with a population of 59,507 in 2011. The city was known as Marsonia in the Roman Empire
Roman Empire
The Roman Empire was the post-Republican period of the ancient Roman civilization, characterised by an autocratic form of government and large territorial holdings in Europe and around the Mediterranean....
, and as Brod na Savi 1244–1934. It is the sixth largest city in Croatia
Croatia
Croatia , officially the Republic of Croatia , is a unitary democratic parliamentary republic in Europe at the crossroads of the Mitteleuropa, the Balkans, and the Mediterranean. Its capital and largest city is Zagreb. The country is divided into 20 counties and the city of Zagreb. Croatia covers ...
, after Zagreb
Zagreb
Zagreb is the capital and the largest city of the Republic of Croatia. It is in the northwest of the country, along the Sava river, at the southern slopes of the Medvednica mountain. Zagreb lies at an elevation of approximately above sea level. According to the last official census, Zagreb's city...
, Split
Split (city)
Split is a Mediterranean city on the eastern shores of the Adriatic Sea, centered around the ancient Roman Palace of the Emperor Diocletian and its wide port bay. With a population of 178,192 citizens, and a metropolitan area numbering up to 467,899, Split is by far the largest Dalmatian city and...
, Rijeka
Rijeka
Rijeka is the principal seaport and the third largest city in Croatia . It is located on Kvarner Bay, an inlet of the Adriatic Sea and has a population of 128,735 inhabitants...
, Osijek
Osijek
Osijek is the fourth largest city in Croatia with a population of 83,496 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...
and Zadar
Zadar
Zadar is a city in Croatia on the Adriatic Sea. It is the centre of Zadar county and the wider northern Dalmatian region. Population of the city is 75,082 citizens...
. Located in the region of Slavonia
Slavonia
Slavonia is a geographical and historical region in eastern Croatia...
, it is the centre of Brod-Posavina County
Brod-Posavina County
Brod-Posavina County is the southern Slavonian county in Croatia. Its center is the city of Slavonski Brod and it spreads along the left bank of the Sava river, hence the name Posavina...
, and a river port on the Sava river. It is 197 km southeast of Zagreb
Zagreb
Zagreb is the capital and the largest city of the Republic of Croatia. It is in the northwest of the country, along the Sava river, at the southern slopes of the Medvednica mountain. Zagreb lies at an elevation of approximately above sea level. According to the last official census, Zagreb's city...
and at an elevation of 96 m. Although 'brod' is the word 'ship' in modern Croatian
Croatian language
Croatian is the collective name for the standard language and dialects spoken by Croats, principally in Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Serbian province of Vojvodina and other neighbouring countries...
, the city's name bears witness to an older meaning - 'water crossing', 'ford
Ford (crossing)
A ford is a shallow place with good footing where a river or stream may be crossed by wading or in a vehicle. A ford is mostly a natural phenomenon, in contrast to a low water crossing, which is an artificial bridge that allows crossing a river or stream when water is low.The names of many towns...
'. In 2009, the city was awarded "The most beautiful city in Croatia" award, given annually by the Croatian National Tourist Board
Croatian National Tourist Board
The Croatian National Tourist Board is Croatia's national tourist organization founded with a view to promoting and creating the identity, and to enhance the reputation of, Croatian tourism...
. Across the Sava lies the city of Brod, Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina , sometimes called Bosnia-Herzegovina or simply Bosnia, is a country in Southern Europe, on the Balkan Peninsula. Bordered by Croatia to the north, west and south, Serbia to the east, and Montenegro to the southeast, Bosnia and Herzegovina is almost landlocked, except for the...
, also known as Bosanski Brod.
Geography
The cityCity
A city is a relatively large and permanent settlement. Although there is no agreement on how a city is distinguished from a town within general English language meanings, many cities have a particular administrative, legal, or historical status based on local law.For example, in the U.S...
developed at the strategically important crossing over the Sava river towards Brod
Bosanski Brod
Brod also known as Bosanski Brod is a town and municipality located on the south bank of the river Sava in the northern part of Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is situated in the north-western part of the Republika Srpska and the western part of the Posavina region.-Name:Prior to the Bosnian War it...
in Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina , sometimes called Bosnia-Herzegovina or simply Bosnia, is a country in Southern Europe, on the Balkan Peninsula. Bordered by Croatia to the north, west and south, Serbia to the east, and Montenegro to the southeast, Bosnia and Herzegovina is almost landlocked, except for the...
. It is an important intersection of the Posavina
Posavina
Posavina is a Slavic name for the region of the Sava river basin in Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Serbia that is adjacent or near the Sava river itself.-History:...
part of the highway and a railway junction, since it is located on the highway linking Zagreb
Zagreb
Zagreb is the capital and the largest city of the Republic of Croatia. It is in the northwest of the country, along the Sava river, at the southern slopes of the Medvednica mountain. Zagreb lies at an elevation of approximately above sea level. According to the last official census, Zagreb's city...
–Lipovac–Belgrade
Belgrade
Belgrade is the capital and largest city of Serbia. It is located at the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers, where the Pannonian Plain meets the Balkans. According to official results of Census 2011, the city has a population of 1,639,121. It is one of the 15 largest cities in Europe...
(E70, A3) and the Zagreb
Zagreb
Zagreb is the capital and the largest city of the Republic of Croatia. It is in the northwest of the country, along the Sava river, at the southern slopes of the Medvednica mountain. Zagreb lies at an elevation of approximately above sea level. According to the last official census, Zagreb's city...
–Vinkovci
Vinkovci
Vinkovci is a city in Croatia, in the Vukovar-Syrmia County. In the 2011 census, the total population of the city was 35,375, making it the largest town of the county...
–Belgrade
Belgrade
Belgrade is the capital and largest city of Serbia. It is located at the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers, where the Pannonian Plain meets the Balkans. According to official results of Census 2011, the city has a population of 1,639,121. It is one of the 15 largest cities in Europe...
railway. The ship port 'Brod' on the Sava river is under construction.
There is also new modern highway under construction, on the Pan-European Corridor Vc
Corridor Vc
The European route E 73 is a Class-A north-south European route that connects the central part of the continent, specifically Hungary and eastern Croatia to Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Adriatic Sea in the area of the port of Ploče. This route is also designated as the Pan-European Corridor...
, which will connect Northern Europe and Hungary with Croatia (region of Slavonia), Bosnia and Herzegovina
Herzegovina
Herzegovina is the southern region of Bosnia and Herzegovina. While there is no official border distinguishing it from the Bosnian region, it is generally accepted that the borders of the region are Croatia to the west, Montenegro to the south, the canton boundaries of the Herzegovina-Neretva...
and again Croatia (coastal region of Dalmatia
Dalmatia
Dalmatia is a historical region on the eastern coast of the Adriatic Sea. It stretches from the island of Rab in the northwest to the Bay of Kotor in the southeast. The hinterland, the Dalmatian Zagora, ranges from fifty kilometers in width in the north to just a few kilometers in the south....
). Alignment of this highway is some 19 km far away from the center of the town. With completion of this route, the area of the town Slavonski Brod will become one of the major highway intersections in this part of the Europe connecting directions west-east and north-south.
The following settlements
Naselje
Naselje is a settlement in Croatia, usually translated as settlement. It is the smallest unit of Croatian territory. Individual settlements are by and large referred to as selo , while naselje is a statistical and administrative category. The units of local government in Croatia, cities and...
comprise the administrative area of Slavonski Brod:
- Brodski Varoš, population 2,013
- PodvinjePodvinjePodvinje is a village to the north of Dobova in the Brežice Municipality in eastern Slovenia, close to the border with Croatia. The area was traditionally part of Styria. It is now included in the Spodnjeposavska statistical region....
, population 3,536 - Slavonski Brod, population 53,473
History
A favorable geographical location, pleasant continental climate, fertile soil and vicinity of the river Sava have all resulted with the city being inhabited since a prehistoric age. The city was given the name "Brod", historically first signifying the place where the river could be crossed, and only later the actual vessel to cross the river with.The northeastern part of the city, at Galovo, recently revealed a rich deposit of the Starčevo culture, dating in the Early Stone Age. Besides the fact that this is the largest architectural finding in Northern Croatia, it confirms that the locality of Brod has been inhabited for at least 8,000 years.
The first historical settlement in Brod dates from Roman
Roman Empire
The Roman Empire was the post-Republican period of the ancient Roman civilization, characterised by an autocratic form of government and large territorial holdings in Europe and around the Mediterranean....
times, the settlement being known as Marsonia.It is still disputed whether Marsonia was a postal station, lodging for the night or an actual settlement.
The famous Peutinger map refers to Marsonia as Marsonie, while the work "Notitia dignitatum" has Marsonia under the name of "Auxilia Ascaria Tauruno sive Marsonia". The issue of Marsonia becoming a city has been tackled by the publishers of Ptolemy's
Ptolemy
Claudius Ptolemy , was a Roman citizen of Egypt who wrote in Greek. He was a mathematician, astronomer, geographer, astrologer, and poet of a single epigram in the Greek Anthology. He lived in Egypt under Roman rule, and is believed to have been born in the town of Ptolemais Hermiou in the...
geography, dating from the 16th century. The first geographer who located the position of Marsonia at the locality of Brod was Abraham Ortelius
Abraham Ortelius
thumb|250px|Abraham Ortelius by [[Peter Paul Rubens]]Abraham Ortelius thumb|250px|Abraham Ortelius by [[Peter Paul Rubens]]Abraham Ortelius (Abraham Ortels) thumb|250px|Abraham Ortelius by [[Peter Paul Rubens]]Abraham Ortelius (Abraham Ortels) (April 14, 1527 – June 28,exile in England to take...
, who, in his atlas Theatrum orbis terrarum
Theatrum Orbis Terrarum
Theatrum Orbis Terrarum is considered to be the first true modern atlas. Written by Abraham Ortelius and originally printed on May 20, 1570, in Antwerp, it consisted of a collection of uniform map sheets and sustaining text bound to form a book for which copper printing plates were specifically...
(Antwerpen 1590) published a map, the objective of which was to reconstruct and connect the antic names of Panonian and Illyric
Illyria
In classical antiquity, Illyria was a region in the western part of the Balkan Peninsula inhabited by the Illyrians....
settlements with the towns of that time. It was he who placed Marsonia at the today's locality of Brod.
The aforementioned Peutinger's table clearly shows that Marsonia initially existed next to the Sava river, at the place where the Roman road crossed the river. The first Croatian expert, claiming that the Roman MARSVNNIA was located where Brod is now is Matija Petar Katancic
Matija Petar Katancic
Matija Petar Katančić was a Croatian writer, professor of aesthetics and archaeology, lexicographer, numismatist.-Biography:As a bootmaker's son from Valpovo, he received his initial education in his native town, to continue his further education in Pecz, Budim, Baia and Szegedin. He had begun his...
, giving this assertion additional support.
The Slavs inhabited the city in the 6th century. The name of the town is mentioned for the first time in Be'la IV of Hungary's charter, dated 1224. The Middle Ages
Middle Ages
The Middle Ages is a periodization of European history from the 5th century to the 15th century. The Middle Ages follows the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 and precedes the Early Modern Era. It is the middle period of a three-period division of Western history: Classic, Medieval and Modern...
and Modern Era saw the city being an important fortress in the Military Frontier
Military Frontier
The Military Frontier was a borderland of Habsburg Austria and later the Austro-Hungarian Monarchy, which acted as the cordon sanitaire against incursions from the Ottoman Empire...
. The Ottoman Empire's
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
influence remains dominant until the territorial gains by Austria-Hungary. Next to its defending role, the city saw development of crafts and trade. The education
Education
Education in its broadest, general sense is the means through which the aims and habits of a group of people lives on from one generation to the next. Generally, it occurs through any experience that has a formative effect on the way one thinks, feels, or acts...
and culture
Culture
Culture is a term that has many different inter-related meanings. For example, in 1952, Alfred Kroeber and Clyde Kluckhohn compiled a list of 164 definitions of "culture" in Culture: A Critical Review of Concepts and Definitions...
were strongly dominated by the Franciscan
Franciscan
Most Franciscans are members of Roman Catholic religious orders founded by Saint Francis of Assisi. Besides Roman Catholic communities, there are also Old Catholic, Anglican, Lutheran, ecumenical and Non-denominational Franciscan communities....
s. The 20th century was a period of strong economic growth of the city, with the 1920s
1920s
File:1920s decade montage.png|From left, clockwise: Third Tipperary Brigade Flying Column No. 2 under Sean Hogan during the Irish Civil War; Prohibition agents destroying barrels of alcohol in accordance to the 18th amendment, which made alcoholic beverages illegal throughout the entire decade; In...
being called "the Golden Age of Brod". The city's current name dates from 1934 when it was changed from Brod na Savi.
From 1941 to 1945 the city was part of the Independent State of Croatia
Independent State of Croatia
The Independent State of Croatia was a World War II puppet state of Nazi Germany, established on a part of Axis-occupied Yugoslavia. The NDH was founded on 10 April 1941, after the invasion of Yugoslavia by the Axis powers. All of Bosnia and Herzegovina was annexed to NDH, together with some parts...
. The town was heavily bombed by the Allies in 1944 and 1945. The bombing resulted in damage to 80% of the buildings in Slavonski Brod. The bombing resulted in 897 civilian deaths, 244 military deaths, 208 wounded civilians, and 28 military wounded in Slavonski Brod and Bosanski Brod
Bosanski Brod
Brod also known as Bosanski Brod is a town and municipality located on the south bank of the river Sava in the northern part of Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is situated in the north-western part of the Republika Srpska and the western part of the Posavina region.-Name:Prior to the Bosnian War it...
. In the communist Yugoslav era, the list of victims was manipulated, with only 11 people being declared as dying from aerial bombing in the 1964 census.
In 1990, democratic reforms legalized the forming of political parties, other than the League of Communists of Croatia. In Slavonski Brod, the first parties formed were the Croatian Democratic Union
Croatian Democratic Union
The Croatian Democratic Union is the main center-right political party in Croatia. It is the biggest and strongest individual Croatian party since independence of Croatia. The Christian democratic HDZ governed Croatia from 1990 to 2000 and, in partial coalition, from 2003...
and the Croatian Democratic Party.
Economy
The city's economyEconomics
Economics is the social science that analyzes the production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services. The term economics comes from the Ancient Greek from + , hence "rules of the house"...
is based on farming, viticulture, fruit
Fruit
In broad terms, a fruit is a structure of a plant that contains its seeds.The term has different meanings dependent on context. In non-technical usage, such as food preparation, fruit normally means the fleshy seed-associated structures of certain plants that are sweet and edible in the raw state,...
growing, metal
Metal
A metal , is an element, compound, or alloy that is a good conductor of both electricity and heat. Metals are usually malleable and shiny, that is they reflect most of incident light...
-processing, timber
Timber
Timber may refer to:* Timber, a term common in the United Kingdom and Australia for wood materials * Timber, Oregon, an unincorporated community in the U.S...
and (furniture
Furniture
Furniture is the mass noun for the movable objects intended to support various human activities such as seating and sleeping in beds, to hold objects at a convenient height for work using horizontal surfaces above the ground, or to store things...
wood, parquetry
Parquetry
Parquetry is a geometric mosaic of wood pieces used for decorative effect. The two main uses of parquetry are as veneer patterns on furniture and block patterns for flooring. Parquet patterns are entirely geometrical and angular—squares, triangles, lozenges. The most popular parquet flooring...
), textiles (ready-made), leather, foodstuffs (brewery), building material (lime
Lime (mineral)
Lime is a general term for calcium-containing inorganic materials, in which carbonates, oxides and hydroxides predominate. Strictly speaking, lime is calcium oxide or calcium hydroxide. It is also the name for a single mineral of the CaO composition, occurring very rarely...
), and printing industries.
Slavonski Brod is also home to some of the most important metal companies in Southeastern Europe, the Djuro Djakovic consortium, consisting of a number of factories producing very diverse products, mainly for export. The consortium is capable of producing: locomotives, tramways, wagons, bridges, industrial plants, nuclear reactors, car parts, heavily armed vehicles, armoured fighting vehicles, including main battle tank
Main battle tank
A main battle tank , also known as a battle tank or universal tank, is a tank that fills the heavy direct fire role of many modern armies. They were originally conceived to replace the light, medium, heavy and super-heavy tanks. Development was spurred onwards in the Cold War with the development...
s and mine warfare
Mine warfare
Mine warfare refers to the use of different types of explosive devices:*Land mine, a weight-triggered explosive device intended to maim or kill people or to destroy vehicles...
vehicles, agricultural machinery, etc.
Service industries are becoming rapidly important, especially tourism. The city has an important cultural heritage, including a fortress and a Franciscan
Franciscan
Most Franciscans are members of Roman Catholic religious orders founded by Saint Francis of Assisi. Besides Roman Catholic communities, there are also Old Catholic, Anglican, Lutheran, ecumenical and Non-denominational Franciscan communities....
monastery with a rich library.
Cultural heritage
The Brod FortressThe Brod Fortress
The Fortress of BrodThe cultural heritage of highest importance .-History:The city of Slavonski Brod, Croatia, which was an important strategic and traffic center controlling the border crossing towards Turkey and connecting main commercial trails at the time, in the period between 1715-1780...
from the Baroque
Baroque
The Baroque is a period and the style that used exaggerated motion and clear, easily interpreted detail to produce drama, tension, exuberance, and grandeur in sculpture, painting, literature, dance, and music...
period, was constructed during the Austro-Hungarian Empire to serve as a stronghold against the Ottoman Empire
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
, which was situated on the other bank of the Sava river. It is in the Vauban
Vauban
Sébastien Le Prestre, Seigneur de Vauban and later Marquis de Vauban , commonly referred to as Vauban, was a Marshal of France and the foremost military engineer of his age, famed for his skill in both designing fortifications and breaking through them...
style, named after one of the best European experts in the building of fortifications in 17th and 18th centuries. It is one of Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
's best preserved fortresses, and also one of the biggest on the former Austro-Hungarian Military Frontier
Military Frontier
The Military Frontier was a borderland of Habsburg Austria and later the Austro-Hungarian Monarchy, which acted as the cordon sanitaire against incursions from the Ottoman Empire...
. In a way, it is the continental obverse of Diocletian's Palace
Diocletian's Palace
Diocletian's Palace is a building in Split, Croatia, that was built by the Roman emperor Diocletian at the turn of the fourth century AD.Diocletian built the massive palace in preparation for his retirement on 1 May 305 AD. It lies in a bay on the south side of a short peninsula running out from...
in Split
Split (city)
Split is a Mediterranean city on the eastern shores of the Adriatic Sea, centered around the ancient Roman Palace of the Emperor Diocletian and its wide port bay. With a population of 178,192 citizens, and a metropolitan area numbering up to 467,899, Split is by far the largest Dalmatian city and...
, by its monumentality.
The city's Franciscan
Franciscan
Most Franciscans are members of Roman Catholic religious orders founded by Saint Francis of Assisi. Besides Roman Catholic communities, there are also Old Catholic, Anglican, Lutheran, ecumenical and Non-denominational Franciscan communities....
monastery dates from the 18th century, and is also Baroque
Baroque
The Baroque is a period and the style that used exaggerated motion and clear, easily interpreted detail to produce drama, tension, exuberance, and grandeur in sculpture, painting, literature, dance, and music...
in style, with exceptional architecture, especially of the church yard, and monastery church interior, with its beautiful altar and paintings. In 1720, a faculty of philosophy was opened here.
The most important annual cultural event in the town is the children's festival
Festival
A festival or gala is an event, usually and ordinarily staged by a local community, which centers on and celebrates some unique aspect of that community and the Festival....
'In the World of the Fairy Tales of Writer Ivana Brlić-Mažuranić
Ivana Brlic-Mažuranic
Ivana Brlić-Mažuranić was a Croatian writer. Within her native land, as well as internationally, she has been praised as the best Croatian writer for children.-Life:She was born on April 18, 1874 in Ogulin into a well-known Croatian family of Mažuranić...
', in April and May. The Brod Circle Dance, an annual show of original folklore
Folklore
Folklore consists of legends, music, oral history, proverbs, jokes, popular beliefs, fairy tales and customs that are the traditions of a culture, subculture, or group. It is also the set of practices through which those expressive genres are shared. The study of folklore is sometimes called...
, is held in mid-June, while the Festival of Patriotic Folk Songs takes place in May. The artistic 'Sava' colony\http://www.sbonline.net/sava/ cherishes the tradition of watercolour painting.
One of the attractions of Slavonski Brod is a beautiful central town square, one of the two or three biggest in all of Croatia, Ivana Brlić-Mažuranić
Ivana Brlic-Mažuranic
Ivana Brlić-Mažuranić was a Croatian writer. Within her native land, as well as internationally, she has been praised as the best Croatian writer for children.-Life:She was born on April 18, 1874 in Ogulin into a well-known Croatian family of Mažuranić...
square, named after a popular children's writer, whose house is on the square. This square is also home to numerous cultural events and has a perfect view of the beautiful Sava river. The square is also dotted with galleries, book stores, cafes, night clubs, shops etc., which make it perfect place for entertainment. Close to the square, another attraction is the romantic promenade next to the Sava river - 'Kej' as it is called by citizens of town.
Slavonski Brod is home to monuments to bishop Josip Stadler
Josip Stadler
Josip Stadler was a Croatian priest, the first modern archbishop of Vrhbosna and the founded of the religious order of the Servants of the Infant Jesus . He is a candidate for sainthood....
and Croatia
Croatia
Croatia , officially the Republic of Croatia , is a unitary democratic parliamentary republic in Europe at the crossroads of the Mitteleuropa, the Balkans, and the Mediterranean. Its capital and largest city is Zagreb. The country is divided into 20 counties and the city of Zagreb. Croatia covers ...
's first president Franjo Tuđman.
Education
Slavonski Brod has very developed educational institutions in pre-school, primary, secondary and high education.The city also hosts the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering of Osijek University
University of Osijek
The Josip Juraj Strossmayer University of Osijek is a university located in Osijek, Croatia. It was founded in 1975 and is organized in 11 faculties.-History:...
, and the Primary School Teacher Training College. Some other faculties are expected to be opened soon.
In October 2006. associate-degree college has been founded with several other faculties.
Surroundings
In the immediate surroundings of the town there are interesting hunting grounds (Migalovci), fishponds (Jelas Polje), and a lake (PetnjaPetnja
Petnja Lake is an artificial lake located 3.5 km from the municipality of Sibinj and 7 km north-west of the city of Slavonski Brod, Croatia....
). There are pleasant orchards and vineyards, Dilj
Dilj
Dilj is a mountain in south-central Slavonia, located in eastern Croatia. Of all the Slovanian mountains Dilj is lowest-lying at 471 meters. It is located north of Slavonski Brod and south of Krndija.-References:...
mountain (or 'Dilj Gora'), and swimming opportunities.
See also
- List of people from Slavonski Brod
- PetnjaPetnjaPetnja Lake is an artificial lake located 3.5 km from the municipality of Sibinj and 7 km north-west of the city of Slavonski Brod, Croatia....
External links
- Slavonski Brod online, city portal
- Slavonski Brod, city web directory
- Slavonski Brod, city government
- Slavonski Brod Photo Guide
- Roman Military Diploma from Slavonski Brod
- SlavonskiBrod.Info - new site in English
- Festung Brod (Fortress Brod)
- Slavonski-Brod @ Net
- Cravatten Statt
- Pictures of Slavonski Brod
- Brlog Predstavlja, Music Record Label from Slavonski Brod