Sisak

For the Romanian village of Şuşca, called Sisak in Hungarian, see Pojejena.
Grad Sisak
Town of Sisak
—  Town  —
Gymnasium in Sisak

Flag
Map of Sisak within Sisak-Moslavina County
Grad Sisak
Location of Sisak within Croatia
Coordinates:
Country Croatia
County Sisak-Moslavina County
Government
 • Mayor Dinko Pintarić (CDU)
Area
 • Total 422.75 km2 (163.2 sq mi)
Elevation 98 m (321.52 ft)
Population (2011)[1]
 • Total 47,699
 • Density 112.8/km2 (292.2/sq mi)
 • City itself 33,049
Time zone CET (UTC+1)
 • Summer (DST) CEST (UTC+2)
Postal code 44000
Area code(s) 044
Patron saints Quirinus of Sescia
Website sisak.hr

Sisak (pronounced [sǐːsak]) is a city in central Croatia. The city's population in 2011 was 33,049, with a total of 49,699 in the administrative region[1] and it is also the administrative centre of the Sisak-Moslavina county. Sisak is located at the confluence of the Kupa, Sava, and Odra rivers, 57 km (35 mi) southeast of the Croatian capital Zagreb.

Contents

Name

Prior to the invasion by the Roman Empire, the region was Celtic and the city there was named Segestica.[2]

In German the town is known as Sissek, in Hungarian as Sziszek, Latin as Siscia, in Serbian Cyrillic as Сисак, and in Slovene as Sisek

Geography

Sisak is usually considered to be where the Posavina (Sava basin) begins, with an elevation of 99 m.

Sisak is Croatia's biggest river port and a centre of river shipping industry (Dunavski Lloyd). Sisak lies on the main road Zagreb-Sisak-Petrinja (M12.2) and the railroad Zagreb-Sisak-Sunja.

History

The long history of urban life here (around 2,500 years) as well the extremely favourable position on the confluence of three rivers, (the Sava, the Kupa and the Odra), have made Sisak an important town in the history of Croatia.

During the Roman Empire when Sisak was known as Siscia, Christian martyr Quirinus of Sescia was tortured and nearly killed during Diocletian's persecution of Christians. Legend has it that they tied him to a millstone and threw him into a river, but he freed himself from the weight, escaped and continued to preach his faith. Today he is the patron saint of Sisak.

Braslav of Pannonia reigned from Sisak until this last bastion of the Pannonians was invaded.[3] According to Historia Salonitana maior, Duke Tomislav reclaimed it soon after.[4][5]

The 16th century triangular fortress of the Old Town, well-preserved and turned into the Native Museum, is the main destination of every tourist. The fortress is famous for the victory of the joint forces of Croats and Carniolans (Slovenes) over the Turks in 1593, known as the Battle of Sisak. It was one of the early significant defeats of the up-to-then invincible Turkish army on European territory. The Croatian Ban Toma Bakač Erdedi who led the defense in this battle became famous throughout Europe.

The Baroque palace of Mali Kaptol, the classicist Veliki Kaptol, the brick Stari most ("Old Bridge") over the Kupa, and the ethnological park are the most frequently visited landmarks.

During World War II, Sisak was the site of the Sisak Children's Concentration Camp which was part of the large Jasenovac cluster.

Sisak suffered much damage during the Croatian War of Independence starting in 1991. While Sisak remained within Croatian hands, the territory immediately south of the city was controlled by Serbs. The threat to Sisak was removed in 1995 following Operation Storm.

Demographics

The city administrative area is composed of the following settlements:[1]

  • Blinjski Kut, population 278
  • Budaševo, population 1,660
  • Bukovsko, population 89
  • Crnac, population 553
  • Čigoč, population 97
  • Donje Komarevo, population 322
  • Gornje Komarevo, population 508
  • Greda, population 861
  • Gušće, population 387
  • Hrastelnica, population 898
  • Jazvenik, population 142
  • Klobučak, population 68
  • Kratečko, population 200
  • Letovanci, population 52
  • Lonja, population 111
  • Lukavec Posavski, population 127
  • Madžari, population 235
  • Mužilovčica, population 74
  • Novo Pračno, population 444
  • Novo Selo, population 624
  • Novo Selo Palanječko, population 517
  • Odra Sisačka, population 814
  • Palanjek, population 318
  • Prelošćica, population 528
  • Sela, population 969
  • Sisak, population 33,049
  • Stara Drenčina, population 223
  • Staro Pračno, population 896
  • Staro Selo, population 110
  • Stupno, population 480
  • Suvoj, population 42
  • Topolovac, population 894
  • Veliko Svinjičko, population 271
  • Vurot, population 102
  • Žabno, population 509

In the 2001 census, of the total population of 52,236, there were 43,402 Croats (83.09%), 3,897 Serbs (7.46%), 795 Bosniaks (1.52%), 436 Roma (0.83%), 149 Albanians (0.29%), 40 Montenegrins (0.08%), and the rest were other ethnicities.

In the 2001 census, the population by religion was 41,204 Roman Catholics (78.88%), 3,801 Orthodox Christians (7.28%), 2,537 Muslims (4.86%), and others.

Education

The city hosts University of Zagreb's Faculty of Metallurgy.

Miscellaneous

Chief occupations are farming, ferrous metallurgy (iron works), chemicals, leather (footwear), textiles and food processing plants (dairy products, alcoholic beverages), building material, crude oil refinery, and thermal power.

Sisak features the largest Croatian metallurgic factory and the largest oil refinery in Croatia

Sisak has many rich mineral springs (spas) with healing properties in the temperature range from 42 to 54 °C.

Sports and recreation facilities in the town and the surroundings include mainly the waters and alluvial plains a public beach on the Kupa. All rivers (Kupa, Odra, Sava) with their backwaters offer fishing opportunities. There are hunting grounds in the regions of Turopolje and Posavina. Sisak is the starting point for sightseeing tours into Lonjsko Polje (Field of Lonja river) nature park.

The local football club is HNK Segesta.

Sisak is a popular destination in the summer and many people from the surrounding cities visit the cafés situated along the river Kupa. As of recently, numerous clubs have opened and their popularity has been bolstered through nights sponsored by various beer manufacturers.

International relations

See also: List of twin towns and sister cities in Croatia

Twin towns — Sister cities

Sisak is twinned with:

See also

References

Bibliography

Notes

  1. ^ a b c "Census of Population, Households and Dwellings 2011, First Results by Settlements - Sisak" (in Croatian and English) (HTML). Statistical Reports (Zagreb: Croatian Bureau of Statistics) (1441). June 2011. ISSN 1332-0297. http://www.dzs.hr/Eng/censuses/census2011/htm/E11_Zup28_3913.html. Retrieved 2011-08-22. 
  2. ^ John T. Koch (2006). Celtic Culture. p. 1662. ISBN 1851094407. 
  3. ^ John Van Antwerp Fine, John V. A. Fine, Jr. (2006). When Ethnicity Did Not Matter in the Balkans. University of Michigan Press. p. 28. ISBN 047211414X. 
  4. ^ John Van Antwerp Fine, John V. A. Fine, Jr. (2006). When Ethnicity Did Not Matter in the Balkans. University of Michigan Press. p. 178. ISBN 047211414X. 
  5. ^ Stanko Guldescu (1964). History of Medieval Croatia. Mouton. p. 113. 

External links

Wikisource has the text of the 1913 Catholic Encyclopedia article Croatia.
Cities and major settlements of Croatia by population
100,000+
35,000+
10,000+
Subdivisions of Sisak-Moslavina County
Cities and towns
Glina · Hrvatska Kostajnica · Kutina · Novska · Petrinja · Sisak (seat)
Municipalities