Basic facts about Vukovar

Vukovar is situated in the northeastern part of Croatia and is the seat of the Croatian Vukovarsko-Srijemska County. On East is the older part of town situated on the right bank of the Vuka river, on the slopes of Vukovar Plateau and the high bank of river Dunav. The western part of the city - Novi Vukovar with Borovo village in the valley's left bank of Vuka. Vukovar on Dunav has a marginal position to Vojvodina in the Republic of Serbia.

History about Vukovar

To this place it is especially important Vucedol culture is named after the site Vucedol, five miles downstream on the Dunav. Systematic study revealed the typical house (megaron), workshops for the processing of copper and beautiful pottery with a white stylized decoration on a black background. Vucedol dove found in year 1938th, became a symbol of the city, and equally great significance has Vucedol Orion, which is considered the oldest European calendar.

In Vukovar are founded numerous archaeological sites from the Bronze Age, the older and younger Iron Age, which witnessed the life of the Illyrians and Celts. Illyrian necropolis of tombs is on the left pond in Vukovar, proving that here was big village. The Romans in their conquests in the last decades before Christ broke Dunav. They built many forts as a border (limes) the barbarian tribes. At the end of the Vukovar important Roman sites Cornacum (Sotin) Cuccium (Ilok) and Ulmo (Tovarnik). Along the Danube led and important Roman road. Roman civilization in this region influenced the improvement of the economy, dry swamps and planted the first vineyards. After the fall of the Roman Empire great migration and the Avar-Slavic expansion from the sixth century onwards has led to major changes. Place in midle Danube and Sava was the scene of major conflicts and the interests of powerful states at that time. At that time, the Croats settled here.

The preserved written documents, Vukovar is mentioned in the early 13th century as a Volk, Walk, Wolkow, or Croatian Vukovo. From 14 century is increasingly being used hungarian name of Vukovar. At the time Croatia was in community with Hungary.

Among the first cities in the Croatian lands already in 1231. Duke Koloman granted to Vukovar the status of free royal town. In Vukovar, then the county seat of great Vukovske which stretched between the Danube and Sava.

After the Turkish rule (1526.-1687.) Nearly the whole Vukovar area is buyed from german Counts Eltz and the next two centuries through the influence on the economic and cultural development of the region.

After the II. World War Vukovar has developed into a powerful center of the textile and food industries, becoming one of the most developed cities in the former Yugoslavia.

Start of an armed attack on Vukovar area occurred 02. may 1991. when in Borovo Selo was killed 12 Croatian policemen. The attack on Vukovar began on 24 August 1991. On 18. november 1991st the city was occupied militarily. Non-Serb population (22,000 people) were expelled from the city, more than 6,000 croatians from Vukovar were taken in a number of camps in Serbia, where they suffered severe abuse, and many did not return. In 1991. Vukovar is totaly destroyed.
In 1997. began a process of peaceful reintegration. The City Administration has made the conditions for the return of displaced persons and institutions and from then City every day gets its former identity.