Erdut


Erdut is a village and a municipality in eastern Croatia, located some 37 km east of the major city of Osijek, lying on the border with neighbouring Serbia. The village of Erdut administratively belongs to the eponymous municipality and is the third largest settlement in the municipality. The municipality contains three other villages: Aljmaš, Bijelo Brdo and Dalj and it is part of the Osijek-Baranja County in eastern Slavonia. Municipal institutions are physically located in the largest village of Dalj.

Name and languages

The name Erdut comes from the local Hungarian name meaning "forest road". In other languages, the village in German is known as Erdung and in Serbian as Ердут.
Due to the local minority population, the Erdut municipality prescribe the use of not only Croatian as the official language, but the Serbian language and Serbian Cyrillic alphabet as well.

Geography

The municipality has a total area of 158 km2 and is the largest member municipality of Joint Council of Municipalities. The Drava and Danube rivers flow through the municipality. The territory of the municipality is completely flat very fertile black soil. The elevation of the village of Erdut is 158 m. It is located at the end of the D213 road near border crossing with Serbia. The railway station is located in Novi Erdut hamlet, about 1 km south of the village, on the Vukovar-Erdut-Bogojevo railway
There are 4 villages in municipality:
Settlementpopulation
Aljmaš610
Bijelo Brdo1,976
Dalj3,952
Erdut818

History

The settlement was first mentioned in 1335 under the Hungarian name Erdöd and then as a city in 1472. It was successively ruled by Ottoman Empire, Austrian Empire, Austria-Hungary, Kingdom of Yugoslavia, Independent State of Croatia and Yugoslavia.

Croatian War of Independence

When Croatia declared independence from Yugoslavia in 1991, eastern Slavonia was soon overrun by the Yugoslav People's Army and Serb paramilitaries, led by the notorious warlord, Željko Ražnatović known by the name Arkan. The battle for Erdut quickly ended that summer as the entire Croatian population was expelled or killed along with other minorities including Czechs, Germans, Hungarians, Ruthenians and Ukrainians in an act of ethnic cleansing. Their homes were soon occupied by other Serbs. Many buildings and homes were destroyed, including the Roman Catholic Church.
Arkan soon set up a training camp for his Serb Volunteer Guard in Erdut, which became headquarters until the end of the war, when Croatian forces returned according to a peaceful Basic Agreement on the Region of Eastern Slavonia, Baranja and Western Sirmium.

Erdut Agreement

On November 12, 1995, officials signed what is commonly called the Erdut Agreement in which the part of eastern Slavonia still occupied by Serbs would be integrated back into Croatia, gradually allowing some of the exiled refugees to return to their homes. This agreement was the basis for the establishment of Joint Council of Municipalities. Erdut has been under Croatian control since 1998.

Demographics

Population

The municipality population is 7,308, with 805 people in Erdut itself, 3,937 in Dalj, 1,961 in Bijelo Brdo and 605 in Aljmaš. The municipality population consists of Serbs, Croats and Hungarians.

Religion

Dalj is seat of the Eparchy of Osječko polje and Baranja of the Serbian Orthodox Church.

Politics

Joint Council of Municipalities

The Municipality of Erdut is one of seven Serb majority member municipalities within the Joint Council of Municipalities, inter-municipal sui generis organization of ethnic Serb community in eastern Croatia established on the basis of Erdut Agreement. As Serb community constitute majority of the population of the municipality it is represented by 2 delegated Councillors at the Assembly of the Joint Council of Municipalities, double the number of Councilors to the number from Serb minority municipalities in Eastern Croatia.

Municipality government

The municipality assembly is composed of 13 representatives. As of 2009, the member parties/lists are:
PartyNumber of votesNumber of seats
Independent Democratic Serb Party1.6888
Croatian Democratic Alliance of Slavonia and Baranja8434
Croatian Democratic Union3801
Croatian Peasant Party1570
Social Democratic Party of Croatia1490
Independent list-Stevo Vujaklija1290
Independent list-Mijo Nemet670

Economy

Erdut development index is between 50-76% of the Croatian average, and is underdeveloped municipality which is statistically classified as the First Category Area of Special State Concern by the Government of Croatia.

Culture

Points of Interest

The municipality is home of Eparchy of Osječko polje and Baranja, and there is also Erdut Castle.

Notable natives and residents