We stopped briefly in Vukovar before continuing downriver to Novi Sad.
The small Croatian river town of Vukovar is also known as the Hero Town. In the early 1990s, 2000 self-organized Croatian civilians and volunteers heroically defended the town for three months against a heavily fortified Serbian army 40,000 strong.
Cross Memorial
For the defenders of Vukovar during the 1991 War of Independence.
Site of Croatia's largest river port,
Site of Croatia's largest river port,
located at the junction of the Vuka and Danube rivers.
Our ship docked here for our visit to Vukovar.
Some buildings still have bullet holes from the war in 1991.
During the 87-day siege in 1991,
the city was seriously damaged.
2,000 civilians died and 22,000 exiled.
Vukovar initially remained in Serb hands immediately after the war,
but it was eventually returned to Croatia in 1997.
Some of the exiled population have returned, but
"the population is still only just above half it had been before 1991."
Vokuvar Tower
The water tower with numerous holes from being bombed
by the Serbians in the "Croatian War."
Originally, the tower was to be rebuilt,
but instead it is being preserved as a symbol of the conflict
and a memorial to the suffering Vukovar endured.
A happier scene in Vokuvar
where homes have been rebuilt and flowers planted.
Eltz Castle Museum (Vukovar Municipal Museum)
The 18th-century Eltz Palace was reopened in 2014 as a museum
after being closed for several years following the war.
One of the displays in the museum
viewed behind glass for preservation.
This display in the museum features
Antun Bauer, museologist and collector.
A display featuring wearing apparel.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
A view of the landscape taken from our tour bus
after leaving Vukovar.
Ruins from the 1991 war.
The crops are being grown by corporations
who rent the land from the local owners
who did not have enough money or equipment after the war
to operate the land themselves.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
Memorial of the Republic of Croatia
While still in Croatia, by bus we traveled in the countryside
until we arrived at a memorial built
to remember the lives of Croatians detained by Serbians and
then taken to this remote area to be killed
during the time of the 1991 conflict in what was then Yugoslavia.
The war memorial with flags waving in the breeze.
This was not a happy place to visit.
It was dim as we entered the building
where our attention was first drawn here
where names of the deceased Croatians were in red lettering
that was spiraling down the hole toward the small light.
Around the room were somber displays of possessions
of the deceased with their names.
There were empty shell cartridges preserved in the floor.
The names and photos of those being remembered were displayed
along with the dates of their births.
The name in the top left corner is of
Tomislav (Franjo) Hegedus, 02.11.1953.
Online I found his name on a document along with 293 others
who were listed as missing.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
On our way to Serbia.
Bullet holes still visible in the light colored side of this building.
Farmer in the field.
Passing through a small village.
Side-by-side comparisons of before and after the war.
Back to our ship, the AMACERTO
Continuing on our way to Serbia.
Dunav, Serbia
During the 87-day siege in 1991,
the city was seriously damaged.
2,000 civilians died and 22,000 exiled.
but it was eventually returned to Croatia in 1997.
Some of the exiled population have returned, but
"the population is still only just above half it had been before 1991."
The water tower with numerous holes from being bombed
by the Serbians in the "Croatian War."
Originally, the tower was to be rebuilt,
but instead it is being preserved as a symbol of the conflict
and a memorial to the suffering Vukovar endured.
where homes have been rebuilt and flowers planted.
The 18th-century Eltz Palace was reopened in 2014 as a museum
after being closed for several years following the war.
viewed behind glass for preservation.
Antun Bauer, museologist and collector.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
after leaving Vukovar.
who rent the land from the local owners
who did not have enough money or equipment after the war
to operate the land themselves.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
Memorial of the Republic of Croatia
While still in Croatia, by bus we traveled in the countryside
until we arrived at a memorial built
to remember the lives of Croatians detained by Serbians and
then taken to this remote area to be killed
during the time of the 1991 conflict in what was then Yugoslavia.
This was not a happy place to visit.
where our attention was first drawn here
where names of the deceased Croatians were in red lettering
that was spiraling down the hole toward the small light.
of the deceased with their names.
There were empty shell cartridges preserved in the floor.
along with the dates of their births.
The name in the top left corner is of
Tomislav (Franjo) Hegedus, 02.11.1953.
Online I found his name on a document along with 293 others
who were listed as missing.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
