History of Osijek and its area as the basics for the development of tourist potentials in the Osijek-Baranja County

The purpose of this work is to explain the development of Osijek and its area, as much as it is to emphasize its historical and cultural potentials. Due to the numerous layers of history, this area indeed possesses such potentials. The core of the work is Osijek’s history in the context of the Austro-Hungarian history, so that the historical context, in which Osijek became a macro-regional centre of the Slavonia region with its current potentials, can be understood in a better manner. These potentials put Osijek not only on the national, but also on the regional tourist map level, so it is crucial to understand how they occurred. Bearing in mind also the potentials of its corresponding county as a whole, the work assumes the presentation of the history of the area as a micro-region. This analysis, due to the limitations of the proposed work, does not strive to present minor aspects of its history, but it is rather presented in an understandable and meaningful manner of the historical circumstances in which the most relevant historical facilities in the Osijek region, were erected, namely castles, churches and a plethora of monuments. As each of the aspects is considered individually, none of these facilities were popular enough to attract larger numbers of people (receptive tourism) so far, but perceived as a whole, Osijek and its surrounding area do possess substantial contents to become a well-known and elaborate tourist destination. Therefore, it is rather substantial to conduct a historical analysis of the region which can enable a better understanding of the development of the spaces in the 18th and the 19th centuries. Furthermore, the once geographically united space can thus be merged and united in culture and history using the means of tourism. The work consists of two main chapters: the history of Osijek as a city, and the history of its surrounding and corresponding geo-political area. It is written in the manner that chronologically follows the development of Osijek and its area, so that the origins of the current state could be understood in an easier fashion. The literature referred to in the analysis is limited to the contemporary sources in the Croatian language, and it encompasses relevant titles in the area of history and economics.