Vukovar
Vukovar, a hero city, is mostly known for its bitter time during the Croatian war of Independence in the 1990s. It is situated in eastern Croatia, at the confluence of Vuka into the Danube River. It was completely detroyed during the war and these days, years after the battles, it still struggles to become a modern city. Vukovar is a relevant center and a river port. Before the war, it had an ethnically mixed population — Croats lived in the city while Serbs seemed to live mostly in the suburbs.
It all started back in 1991 when Croatia declared independence from Yugoslavia, which resulted in war and numerous casualties. Poorly armed Croatian forces could not defend their country — half of the country was controlled by Serbs by the beginning of September. Truthfully, Serbs did not have any mercy — numerous civilians were killed, cultural monuments were bombed along with the hospitals. The bombing never seemed to stop and Vukovar fell in the arms of the enemy on November 18th. According to statistics, around 3,000 Croats were killed and 17,000 more were injured. Most of the deaths occured because of the siege of Vukovar. Let's try not to repeat the past.
The archeological sites provide evidence that the area around Vukovar has been populated since the Neolithic era. The most eminent site is in Vučedol, the so-called Vučedolska kultura, where a variety of pottery elements and copper had been found. Numerous Illyrian tombs present the evidence of a very populated area. Vučedol Dove is a symbol of this city. Vukovar's name was mentioned in the 13th century and the city itself represented a commercial spot.
Before the war occurred, Vukovar was an industrial center — viticulture, trade, textile, food industries. Now, this hero is trying to regain its beauty. Even though it has been damaged, its beauty can be seen — the building of the Eltz Manor, churches of Saint James and Saint Nicholas, Franciscan monastery, a number of buildings dated from baroque, Lavoslav Ružička birth house… The name of Lavoslav Ružička is connected to a Nobel Prize he won in chemistry.
Both rivers, Vuka and Danube are very popular for bathing and angling as well as a variety of recreational offers.