Vukovar water tower

📅 آخر تحديث: ٤ أغسطس ٢٠٢٦
✍️ نُشر في: ٤ أغسطس ٢٠٢٦
📷 يحتوي على 3 صور
الموسوعة الحرة

The Vukovar water tower (Croatian: Vukovarski vodotoranj) is a structure in Vukovar, Croatia. Built in 1968 in the Socialist Republic of Croatia in Yugoslavia, it became a symbol of the Croatian War of Independence. During the 1991 siege, Vukovar was attacked by the Yugoslav People's Army and Serbian paramilitary forces.[1]

History

Vukovar water tower before the war
The water tower after its preservation as a monument

The water tower was designed by the company Plan and built by Hidrotehna Zagreb. Construction started in 1962, and was completed in 1968. It was built in a city park, popularly known as Najpar-bašća, in the district of Mitnica.[2]

It is 50 meters tall and featured a water tank with a capacity of 2200 m3. With its water tank full, it weighed 9000 tons.

Until the war, the top of the tower was home to a restaurant with a view over Vukovar, Danube and surrounding vineyards.

During the Battle of Vukovar, the water tower was one of the most frequent targets of artillery. It was hit more than 600 times during the siege.[1][3]

Today, it has been converted into a museum with a restaurant. Traces of the war are still evident. Since 10 March 2021 it has been a Tower Member of the World Federation of Great Towers.[4]

Present

After the reintegration of Vukovar into the Republic of Croatia, reconstruction of the water tower was initiated by Croatian PresidentFranjo Tuđman, but the process was dropped and the tower instead became a memorial area to the pain and suffering that Vukovar endured. It was officially opened on 30 October 2020, with public access becoming available the following day.[5]

References

  1. 12Vladisavljevic, Anja (30 October 2020). "Iconic War-Damaged Tower Reopens in Croatia's Vukovar". Balkan Insight. Retrieved 27 June 2023.
  2. ↑Paun, Milan (16 July 2010). "Ne potkopavajte Vodotoranj da se ne sruši". Vukovarske novine (in Croatian). Retrieved 21 January 2012.
  3. ↑"International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia, page 2567".
  4. ↑World Federation of Great Towers
  5. ↑"Vukovar Water Tower – a symbol of Croatian unity officially opened". Croatia Week. 31 October 2020. Retrieved 3 January 2021.
  • Wikimedia Commons logo Media related to Vukovar Water Tower at Wikimedia Commons