Suleiman the Magnificent built here his famous, 8 kilometers long wooden bridge, considered to be one of the wonders of the world.

After liberation from the Turks in 1687, Osijek was once again completely devastated. Between 1712 and 1721, new Austrian authorities built a new fortress (authored by the architect Maximilian de Gosseau), known as Tvrdja. It is a unique urban and military complex that lies in the heart of the town. Its main central Holy Trinity Square is closed on the north by the building of the Military Command, on the west there is the Main Guard building and on the east is the Magistrate building (presently Museum of Slavonia). In the middle there is a monument to the plague, erected in 1729 by general Petras' widow.

Holy Trinity Square in Tvrdja, with the "Plague pillar" on the left

Osijek town charter

Three parts of the town, the Lower Town, Tvrdja, and the Upper Town were united in 1786, and Osijek became the administrative center of Slavonia region. In 1779, new wooden bridge was built across the Drava river, connecting Osijek with Hungary and the rest of Central Europe. Upper Town became the new business center of the town.

Last time Osijek was heavily damaged during the Serbian aggression, 1991-1995. The process of peaceful reintegration of the Eastern Slavonia and Baranja region will give a new impact to the development of our city.