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Karlovac (German: Karlstadt or Carlstadt, Hungarian: Károlyváros or "Marinograd") is a city and municipality in central Croatia. The city proper has a population of 49,082, while the whole municipality has a population of 59,395 inhabitants (2001). The absolute majority (85.86%) of its citizens are Croats (2001 census).
Karlovac is the administrative centre of Karlovac county. The city is located on the Zagreb-Rijeka highway and railway line, 56 km south-west of Zagreb and 130 km from Rijeka.
History
Karlovac was built from scratch in 1579 in order to strengthen Austria's southern defences against Ottoman encroaches. It was founded as a six-pointed star fortress built on the Zrinski estate near the old town of Dubovac at the confluence of the Kupa, Korana, Mrežnica and Dobra rivers. The unique star shape can still be seen around the town. It was originally known as Karlstadt, Carlstadt, or Carlstatt ("Charles's Town" in German), after Archduke Charles II of Austria, upon whose orders construction began on July 13, 1579. The architect of the city was Matija Gambon.
The first church (of the Holy Trinity) was built in the central square in 1580, but all of the city buildings burned down in the fire of 1594. The forces of the Ottoman Empire laid siege to Karlovac seven times, the last time in 1672, but failed to occupy it. The plague epidemic of 1773 was also a notable threat to the city, decimating almost half the population at the time.
The fort was becoming too crowded for the city's expanding population and the Military Frontier government could not allow for its further growth. On December 6, 1693 the city received some limited self-government. Queen Maria Theresa, after long insistence from the Croatian Parliament, restored the towns of Karlovac and Rijeka to the Croatian crownland on August 9, 1776. King Joseph II reaffirmed it as a free town with an official charter in 1781, allowing the citizens to expand the city and exploit the potential of being at the crossroads of paths from the Pannonian plains to the Adriatic coast. The town blossomed in the 18th and 19th centuries with the development of roads to the seaside and waterways along the Kupa River.
The town's fortunes declined in the 20th century, though it is currently recovering.
Karlovac suffered much damage during the Croatian War of Independence (1991-1995). The southern sections of the city were close to the front lines between the Republic of Croatia and the rebel Serbs, and the neighbourhoods Turanj, Kamensko as well as parts of Mekušje and Logorišta were devastated by shelling. The city center, the city hall and numerous other buildings were also damaged. On the other hand, the Cathedral Church of Saint Nicholas of the Serb Orthodox Eparchy of upper Karlovac was destroyed in 1993, as was the Diocesan Residence.
Karlovac's main industry is now its beer "Karlovačko", produced by Karlovačka pivovara.
Karlovac is a sister city of Kragujevac. *
Pictures
External links
- Municipal website
- City map with street index Karlovac - CroMaps navigator - The portal will as it's main feature present information about city streets, cities, public facilities, and bussines subjects...
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"Karlovac"