Ostaci protuturskih utvrda u Hrvatskoj
Remains of the anti-Ottoman strongholds in Croatia

Author(s): Mira Kolar-Dimitrijević
Subject(s): Military history, Security and defense, The Ottoman Empire, Peace and Conflict Studies
Published by: Hrvatski institut za povijest
Keywords: Ottomans; strongholds; cities; ruins; Croatia; Slavonia;
Summary/Abstract: It is very likely that there is no other country in Europe with so many historical ruins as there are in Croatia. Constant raids on Croatian territory of the foreign forces and long lasting belonging of Croatian lands to the foreign states which governments did not take care for its historical heritage, has left many ruins as well as the remains of the old cities, strongholds and other objects from the Antiquity to the present day in very bed condition. Although there is no integral atlas of the medieval and early modern ruins, nevertheless, the various defensive constructions used in anti-Ottoman wars had invoked up significant attention in the recent years. Therefore, in limitation of financial possibilities these objects are researched as well as restored in the recent years as a very important part of the Croatian heritage. Today it is possible to distinguish several types of these anti-Ottoman strongholds. First group are strongholds which has never been conquered by Ottomans, while the second group are strongholds destroyed during the anti-Ottoman wars. Final group are those strongholds constructed by the Viennese court or by the Estates of Carniola and Styria with the aim of stopping the Ottoman advance further to the West. These strongholds finally managed to stop Ottoman advance making thus these parts of Croatian lands the final reach of the Ottoman conquest in the Europe. Finally, the cordon of these strongholds was created and it vividly depicts the efforts of the nobility and the local inhabitants in stopping the Ottoman advance. The remains of these strongholds are in the main focus of this paper which is dedicated to the great researcher of these strongholds – Milan Kruhek.

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