Ilok

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Ilok
Country:	Croatia
County:	Vukovar-Srijem
Mayor:	Mladen Papak (HDZ)
Location:	45.222° N 19.377° E
Population:	8,351 (municipality) 5,897 (town) (2001)
Area code:	+ 385(0)32
Postal code:	HR-32236
Official site

Ilok is the easternmost town and municipality in Croatia. It lies on a hill above the Danube, which forms the border with the Vojvodina region of Serbia. The population of the town of Ilok is 5,897, while the total municipality population is 8,351 (census 2001). The town is home to a Franciscan monastery, which is a popular day trip for domestic tourists.

Contents 1 Name 2 Demographics 3 History 4 Tourism 5 See also 6 Gallery

[edit] Name

In Croatian, the town is known as Ilok, in German as Illok, and in Hungarian as Újlak.

[edit] Demographics

Ethnic groups in the Ilok municipality (2001 census): [1]

• 76.94% Croats
• 12.50% Slovaks
• 6.78% Serbs
• 1.17% Hungarians

[edit] History

The area of present-day Ilok was populated since the neolithic and Bronze Ages. The Romans settled there in the first or second century and built Cucium, the first border fortification on the Danube. The Slavs settled here in the 6th century, and the Croats arrived here probably after the collapse of the second Avar Khanate. The area was later ruled by the Bulgarian Empire, until it was included into the medieval Kingdom of Hungary.

In 12th and 13th century the market-town of Ilok was mentioned in documents under various names (Iwnlak, Vilak, Vylok, Wyhok, Wylak). At the end of the 13th century, Hungarian kings gave the Vylak castrum to the powerful Csák noble family. In the 13th/14th centuries, Ilok was a capital of the semi-independent medieval state of Upper Syrmia ruled by Ugrin Csák. These areas were vassal to the Kingdom of Lower Syrmia that had its seat in Debrc, in today's region of Mačva, Danubian Serbia.

After 1354, the town of Ilok belonged to Miklós and Pál Garay (in South Slavic references Gorjanski), and then to Miklós Kont. Later, the town belonged to Miklós and Lőrinc Újlaki, who were members of the powerful Újlaki (in South Slavic references Iločki) family. Miklós Újlaki was the Ban of the "whole Slavonia" from 1457 to 1463, and his son, Lőrinc (in South Slavic references Lovro), was a duke of Syrmia from 1477 to 1524.

Since 1526, the town was under Ottoman rule. During this time, it was mainly populated by Muslims. In 1566-9, Ilok had 238 Muslim and 27 Christian houses. In 1572, it had 386 Muslim, and 18 Christian houses. In 1669, the population of Ilok numbered 1,160 houses, and town possessed two mosques. In 1697, Habsburg army took Ilok from the Ottomans and Muslim population fled from the town.

During the Habsburg rule, Ilok belonged to the Kingdom of Slavonia, an Habsburg province that belonged to both, the Kingdom of Croatia, and the Kingdom of Hungary. Between 1849 and 1868, the Kingdom of Slavonia was completelly separate Habsburg crownland, and in 1868 it was joined with the Kingdom of Croatia to form the Kingdom of Croatia-Slavonia.

In 1918, Ilok first became part of the State of Slovenes, Croats, and Serbs, and then part of the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes (later known as the Kingdom of Yugoslavia). Between 1939 and 1941 it belonged to the Banovina of Croatia, one of the provinces of the Kingdom. Between 1941 and 1944, it belonged to the Independent State of Croatia, and since 1945, it was part of the People's Republic of Croatia within new Socialist Yugoslavia.

On October 17, 1991 during the beginning of the Croatian war of independence, the Croats and other non-Serbs of Ilok fled as the Yugoslav National Army led by Serbs paramilitaries occupied the area. Between 1991 and 1995, Ilok was part of the Republic of Serb Krajina. The area was peacefully reintegrated into Croatia in 1998.

[edit] Tourism

Ilok is a transit-tourist, port and border town on the Danube, known as the easternmost place in Croatia. The important cultural and historical heritage with Gothic churches being the most distinguished objects representing the borderline between the western and eastern art, as well as the relicts of Islamic architecture make Ilok a very interesting town of this part of Croatia.

Ilok is also the centre of the rich wine-growing region. The grape harvest of Ilok represents a traditional annual event in the town (end of September, beginning of October). The Ilok wines (Traminer, Burgundy, Grasevina) as well as the excellent Ilok cuisine are famous beyond the Croatian borders.

[edit] See also

• Vukovar-Srijem County

[edit] Gallery

Giovanni da Capistrano church in Ilok	Entrance on the fortress, sign in Croatian	Giovanni da Capistrano, a patriot saint of Ilok. Altar in towns main church.	Walls of Ilok fortress
View of Danube and Bačka Palanka (in Serbia) from Ilok fortress

edit	Towns and municipalities of Vukovar-Syrmia County
Towns: Ilok • Vinkovci • Vukovar* • Županja Municipalities: Andrijaševci • Babina Greda • Bogdanovci • Borovo • Bošnjaci • Cerna • Drenovci • Gradište • Gunja • Ivankovo • Jarmina • Lovas • Markušica • Negoslavci • Nijemci • Nuštar • Otok • Privlaka • Stari Jankovci • Stari Mikanovci • Tompojevci • Tordinci • Tovarnik • Trpinja • Vođinci • Vrbanja * - county seat