Slavonski Brod is a city in Croatia, the industrial, cultural,
administrative, judicial and financial center of Brod-Posavina
County, the second largest city in Slavonia in size, population and
importance, and the sixth largest in the Republic of Croatia, after
Zagreb, Split, Rijeka, Osijek , and Zadar. It was declared the most
beautiful city in Croatia, chosen by the "Croatian Tourist Board"
for 2009.
Name
During the Roman Empire, the city was
called Marsonia, and from 1244 to 1934 Brod na Savi. Traces from
Roman times show that there has always been a crossing over the
river here, which is why Brod is sometimes called the "northern gate
of Bosnia". This fact is indicated by the very name of the city,
which once bore the name "Brood on the Sava" ("Brood" - corrupted by
"passage", "crossing" ...). Other names of the place were given the
same name: Brodarevo on the river Lim, Danjski Brod on the Drim,
formerly Brod Zrinjski on the Una, Brod Moravice near Kupa, Brod na
Kupi, Brodjani and Stari Brod na Kupi, Brodarica near Morinj Bay,
Brod and Stari Brod on the Drina, Kokin Brod on the river Uvac,
Brodac Gornji and Brodac Donji by the river Sava ... Towards
Slovenia and Slovenia there are similar names: Bregana and Obrežje
(in Srijem there is a place Obrež on the Sava), Breg pri Litiji,
Breg, Brege , Dolnje Brezovo, Breg ob Savi, Brezje.
Settlements in this part of Croatia have existed since
prehistoric times, which is due to the favorable geographical
position, pleasant continental climate, fertile soil and proximity
to the river. The city was given the name "Brod", which at first
symbolized the place where the river was allowed to be crossed, and
later the means for its realization.
In the northeastern part
of the town, at the Galovo site, a rich site of the Starčevo culture
from the early Stone Age was discovered relatively recently. Apart
from the fact that this is the largest site from the Stone Age in
the area of Northern Croatia, it is extremely important to
emphasize that the found material remains confirm the 8000-year-old
settlement of Brod.
Scientists estimate that this is not only
the oldest evidence of settlement of the city, but, in general,
traces of the oldest settlement in the whole of Croatia. The site is
characterized by several features, which attract the attention of
experts. One of them is the first burial pit found in Europe,
specially built. It is surrounded by a wooden fence with an altar
and over 20 stone axes. Also interesting are the remains of
skeletons found here, where one is buried without a head, while the
other lacks a face on the skull, which leads scientists to the
existence of a "skull cult" and sacrificial rites. According to the
findings from some other localities, experts believe that there was
probably a rather large prehistoric settlement in the city area.
Throughout history, the location of the town of Slavonski Brod
has been well inhabited, and the first historical settlement in that
place dates back to Roman times, as evidenced by archaeological
finds from that time, called Marsonia. To this day, it has not been
determined whether Marsonia was just a post office and lodging, or
an entire settlement.
On the famous Peutinger board, Marsonia
is marked as Marsonie, and in the work Notitia dignitatum it is
written as Auxilia Ascaria Tauruno gray Marsonia.
The issue
of the location of Marsonia was already dealt with by the publishers
of Ptolemy's Geography in the 16th century. There were different
opinions in that regard. The first 16th-century geographer to
determine the position of Marsonia at the Brod site was Abraham
Ortelius, who published a map in his atlas "Theatrum orbis terrarum"
(Antwerp 1590) on which he tried to reconstruct and locate all the
ancient names of Pannonian and Illyrian settlements. He placed
Marsonia on the Sava exactly where Brod is today.
On the
already mentioned Peutinger's board, it is best seen that Marsonia
lay directly next to the river Sava, at the place where the Roman
road crossed the mentioned river. Matija Petar Katančić was the
first of our experts to determine that Marsonia (originally
MARSVNNIA) was at the location of Brod. After that, this fact is
generally accepted in science.
After Marsonia, Slavs settled
on the site of the city in the 6th century AD. The name of the town
itself is first mentioned in the charter of the Hungarian-Croatian
King Bela IV. 1224. Throughout the late Middle Ages and the bulk of
the New Age, Slavonski Brod was an important fortress in the
Military Border, a series of fortifications on the border of Austria
with the Turkish Empire. The influence of the Turks in this area was
dominant until the end of the 17th century when the situation
changed with the conquest of territories by the Austro-Hungarian
monarchy. In addition to the defensive role, small crafts and trade
also developed in the city at that time, and from the earliest times
the spiritual service was performed by the Franciscans, under whose
influence education and culture developed. In the 20th century,
Slavonski Brod experienced several periods of rapid growth, as a
traffic and industrial center. Due to the rapid economic development
of the 20th century, they are called the "golden age of Brod".
During the Kingdom of Yugoslavia, the town changed its name from
Brod na Savi to Slavonski Brod.
World War II
Slavonski
Brod was badly damaged in the Second World War. Some citizens did
not support the Ustasha government, but joined the anti-fascist
partisan movement. The city was badly damaged in the relentless
Allied devastation of 1945, which can be compared to the devastation
of Dresden. Slavonski Brod (for the NDH it was called "Brod na
Savi") was very important as a strategic and traffic place for the
NDH and the Axis Powers. Of the Croatian cities, only Zadar suffered
so much in the final actions of the Allies. More than 80% of the
buildings were destroyed in the Allied bombing, and buildings from
the time of Austro-Hungary of exceptional cultural, historical and
urban value were also destroyed.
A difficult fate befell him during the Homeland War for the
independence of the Republic of Croatia, when he suffered terrible
destruction from neighboring Bosnia and Herzegovina by the JNA.
Slavonski Brod was also very important to the Serbian aggressor
because of its geopolitical position. According to some experts,
Brod is the second worst-hit Croatian city after Vukovar. On
average, five people died daily in Slavonski Brod as a result of the
Greater Serbia aggression alone. A total of 29 children were killed
in the attacks. A Greater Serbia terrorist artillery attack has been
known since July 16, 1991, when Bosnian Serbs fired a grenade at a
Slavonski Brod refugee center, killing 12 people and wounding about
60.
During the almost daily shelling of Slavonski Brod, 182
people were killed by enemy shells, 28 of them children. From
May 1992 to 1995, 969 Croatian children were injured. The main
causes of injuries were explosions or gunshots during artillery or
air strikes. There are 90 severely disabled children.
It is
interesting that the war in Slavonski Brod lasted at a time when
there were no JNA military actions in other cities in eastern
Croatia. During the post-1990s, the city gradually recovered and
rebuilt and tried to connect well, economically and traffic-wise
with other parts of Croatia, which was always primary for Brod, and
work was done on rebuilding industrial plants, which once employed
most of the population.
Slavonski Brod and its surroundings
contributed to the defense and liberation of other parts of Croatia.
In Operation Maslenica, they bore a heavy burden, defending the
newly liberated Kašić, a key place for the defense of Zadar. In just
one night (February 1-2), 23 members of the 3rd Cobra Battalion from
the 3rd Kuna Guards Brigade were killed in the area of the village
of Kašić or its surroundings.
Today
Today, Slavonski Brod
is a busy city on the highway that connects Central Europe with Asia
Minor. As the administrative center of the County and the industrial
center, Slavonski Brod continues to grow and develop, especially in
the last ten years. the future lies precisely in this sector and
further modernization of shipyards and industry is needed.
Rafting Street
Splavarska Street in Slavonski Brod is the only
one of its kind in Croatia. It consists of about eighty rafts lined
up next to each other on the Sava River, from the city center to the
city beach "Poloj".
City swimming pool "Poloj"
City beach
"Poloj", a sandy beach located 2.5 km from the city pools on the
river Sava. It is one of the most beautiful river beaches in Europe,
and every year thousands of people from Brod seek refuge from the
summer heat. In addition to the beach, there is also a sports and
recreation center that includes basketball, volleyball and football
courts, table tennis tables, a chessboard and a badminton court.
Every year, numerous events are organized on "Poloj", such as the
Motorijada and Pečenkijada.
Promenade along the Sava
The
promenade along the Sava River or the popular Brod Quay is one of
the longest and most beautiful river promenades in Croatia. Its
length is 2.5 km and stretches from the mouth of the river Mrsunja
to the Sava to the city pools. During the construction of the new
600 m, numerous archeological remains were found. The promenade that
follows Sava along Splavarska Street all the way to "Poloj"
continues on the promenade, which gives a 5 km long uninterrupted
promenade that is enjoyed by many people from Brod. The promenade is
decorated with numerous graffiti, and there is also a statue of
Potjeha lika from Ivana's fairy tale "How Potjeha sought the truth".
Church of St. Anthony of Padua in Podvinje
One of the most
beautiful churches in Slavonski Brod is certainly the parish church
of the parish of St. Antun Padovanski located in the village of
Podvinje on the slopes of Dilj gora. Next to the church is a statue
of St. Anthony and the park. Every year, many citizens of Brod, but
also believers from the surrounding areas visit the parish, on 13.6.
to attend the largest Kirwai celebration in the city.
Cultural and historical ensemble of Slavonski Brod
Slavonski Brod
is a city with a rich history. In its center, but also in other
parts, there are a handful of numerous historical, cultural and
architectural monuments. It is for this reason that the Ministry of
Culture has placed the historically urban ensemble of Slavonski Brod
under protection. Numerous Baroque, Art Nouveau and Classicist
buildings can be seen in the protected area.
Industrial park
It is located in the contact zone of the Brod Fortress, in Hanibala
Lucića Street. Vehicles and machinery manufactured in the "Đuro
Đaković" factory are installed in the park.
The building of the State Archives in Slavonski Brod
The building
of the State Archives in Sl. The ship is located in Augusta Cesarca
Street and on January 12, 1989, it was declared a cultural monument.
The building was built in 1910 in the spirit of Art Nouveau. The
artistic treatment of the façade cladding, and the stucco-decorative
applications on the façade speak of the high artistic level of the
builders. In terms of appearance, it is one of the quality Art
Nouveau architecture in Northern Croatia. Due to the above and the
presented documentation, a decision was made on the registration and
entry of the building in the Register of Cultural Monuments of the
IV category.
Vijuš Sports Hall The Vijuš multipurpose sports
hall, with a capacity of 2,150 spectators, was opened on November
27, 2009, after 20 years of construction.
Fire climbing tower
It was built from 1903 to 1904 by the Board of the Ship Fire
Brigade. Using water from the Sava, it was used for firefighting,
watering and cleaning city streets. It was renovated and lit in
2003.
Bunker at the train station
In Brodski Vinogorje, on
the slopes of Dilj gora, there is a mountain lodge "Đuro Pilar".
"Djurin" bridge
A pedestrian bridge built above the railway
for the needs of workers in the Đuro Đaković factory. During the
golden age of Đuro Đaković, when about 20,000 people worked in its
plants, the bridge was used daily by tens of thousands of workers
and people. Due to the large flow of people in a short period of
time (when one shift ends and the second shift begins), this bridge
belongs to the group of large engineering solutions. Of particular
importance is the fact that it was designed by naval engineers. The
author of the conceptual architectural solution is Duško Medaković,
B.Sc.