History

The town of Karlovac was built in the 16th century in the area where four rivers flow, at the foot of the old town of Dubovac. It was founded as a fortress in the shape of a six-pointed star and its main task was the defense against the Turkish invaders. The exact date of the construction of Karlovac was the 13th of July in 1579. and the name Karlovac was given in honor of its founder – the Austrian archduke Karl Habsburg.

The last Turkish siege of Karlovac was in 1672. Throughout history, the city has experienced many disasters, from floods and fires to plague. The largest fire occurred in 1594. when the entire city was burned. The plague epidemic in 1773. was extremely severe and almost half of the population died as a result.

At the time, during the 16th and 17th centuries, Karlovac was under military rule. The citizens of Karlovac believed that the military administration was hampering the development of Karlovac’s economy and trade, and they fought to declare Karlovac a “Free Royal City”.

At its session of the 25th of February in 1770. the Croatian parliament demanded that the Croatian coast must be returned to Croatia and that the city of Karlovac is declared a “Free Royal City” and annexed to Civil Croatia. After seven years, Queen Mary Theresa, by her writing on August 9th, 1776. determined that the city of Karlovac should be given the position of a free city.

In the 18th and 19th century Karlovac experienced its first “Golden age” and became the main trading center between the Adriatic Sea and the Podunavlje region. At that time, the most famous roads were Karolina (connecting Karlovac and Rijeka), Jozefina (connecting Karlovac and Senj) and Lujzijana (Karlovac-Rijeka). The Lujzijana road was the shortest link between Karlovac and the city of Rijeka, and one of the most modern roads in the entire monarchy. With the development of shipbuilding on the river Kupa during the 19th century, Karlovac experienced its second “Golden age”.

Karlovac slowly grew and grew, so that in the early 20th century it was the third city in Croatia in terms of population and economy. During World War 2, from 1941. to 1945. the city experienced one of the most difficult periods of its history. During the 20th century, Karlovac changed a lot, so that it grew from a former industrial city into a true political, cultural and social center. More recently, during the Homeland War, Karlovac was a key point in Croatia’s defense. There were many casualties in the attacks on the city and the city itself suffered tremendous economic damage.