Petrinja

Petrinja
City
Park in Petrinja
Petrinja Location of Petrinja in Croatia
Coordinates:
Country	Croatia
County	Sisak-Moslavina
Government
• Mayor	Darinko Dumbović (NS)
Area
• City	41.64 km2 (16.08 sq mi)
Elevation	106 m (348 ft)
Population (2011)
• City	24,671
• Density	590/km2 (1,500/sq mi)
• Urban	15,683
Time zone	CET (UTC+1)
• Summer (DST)	CEST (UTC+2)
Postal code	44 250
Area code(s)	044
Vehicle registration	SK
Website	http://www.petrinja.hr/

Petrinja is a town in central Croatia near Sisak in the historic region of Banovina. The city belongs to Sisak-Moslavina County (Sisačko-moslavačka županija).

History

The Gavrilović house

Stjepan Radić monument

The name of Petrinja has its roots in Latin petrus, meaning "stone". It is said that the town existed in Roman era in the area of Zrinska Gora, which is very rich in stone.

West of Petrinja is Petrova gora (Peter's mountain), site of the 1097 Battle of Gvozd Mountain between King Petar Svačić of Croatia and Coloman of Hungary.

The first written trace of Petrinja as an inhabited settlement is the one about the benefits awarded to the inhabitants of Petrinja by the Slavonian duke Koloman in 1240. This old medieval Petrinja belongs to the time of warring with the Turks. In 1592, Petrinja was given a new location with the construction and building of a Turkish fortress at the confluence of the Petrinjčica and the Kupa rivers. The fortress was to serve the Turks in conquering Sisak, Turopolje and Zagreb.

On August 10, 1594, the fortress was first liberated by the Croatian army. Therefore, August 10 has become the day of gratitude towards God and St. Lawrence, and this saint has been chosen for the patron saint of the parish and the town of Petrinja. Over the time, Petrinja has increasingly become the place of the settlement for many craftsmen and merchants whose arrival marks the beginning of the town's development.

Petrinja was part of Napoleon's Illyria from 1809 till 1813 when the town became a significant trade and traffic center. In the same period, the French army planted the lindens that even today testify to the town's historical moment.

The first Catholic parish Church of St. Lawrence was first built in 1603, but due to the time and type of building, a new one was built in 1781, in late baroque—classicist style.

The foundations of the Prva hrvatska tvornica salame, sušena mesa i masti (first Croatian salami, cured meat and lard factory) were set in the year 1792, now developed into the "Gavrilović" factory, the principal factor of the area's economic development, well known for the quality of its gastronomical products.

The influence of Croatian national revival in the 19th century was felt in Petrinja. That was the time of the founding of the Town Orchestra (1808), Music Department (1841), Library and reading-room (1842), Teachers' Training School (1862), Croatian Choir "Slavulj" (1864), Town fire-brigade (1880), First printing-house (1881).

In the late 19th and early 20th century, Petrinja was a district capital in the Zagreb County of the Kingdom of Croatia-Slavonia.

From 1929 to 1939, Petrinja was part of the Sava Banovina and from 1939 to 1941 of the Banovina of Croatia within the Kingdom of Yugoslavia.

Recent history has witnessed the war in Croatia during which the people were exiled from their hometown of Petrinja in the period from September 1991 till May 1995. The town itself has been through a very grave destruction. On November 25, 1991 the Serb mayor of Petrinja Radovan Marković sent a message to Željko Ražnatović to have his troops enter the city as part of a "2. motorized battalion" of the 622. Motorized Brigade of the Yugoslav People's Army. Beholding Croatian identity, many monuments have been erected in memory of the Croatian war heroes and victims of the war.

In reconstructing and rebuilding their town, the inhabitants of Petrinja took great care of the town's urban tradition by keeping the old customs alive, celebrating Catholic holidays, and organizing numerous cultural, social and sports events.

There is a very lively tradition of the potting and ceramic crafts, which represent the main souvenir production of the items characteristic for this area, all made of high quality clay. The main souvenir is "stucka", an ornamented multi-use jar made of clay that has become a symbol of the town of Petrinja.

Culture

A statue of Croatian politician Stjepan Radić was made in Petrinja in 1929 by Mila Wood after his assassination the previous year. In 1936, the statue was placed in the city's central square, which was named after him. In 1963 the communist regime moved the statue to a city park. In 1991, the statue was damaged and thrown into an orchard in a nearby village. It was not found until 1998, when it was restored. In 1999, it was restored to Petrinja's central square, and was unveiled by Croatian minister of culture Božo Biškupić.

Demographics

The population of Petrinja is 24,671, of which 15,683 live in the urban settlement.

The municipal area includes the following settlements:

• Begovići, population 58
• Bijelnik, population 47
• Blinja, population 78
• Brest Pokupski, population 279
• Cepeliš, population 59
• Čuntić, population 27
• Deanovići, population 28
• Dodoši, population 76
• Donja Bačuga, population 142
• Donja Budičina, population 236
• Donja Mlinoga, population 96
• Donja Pastuša, population 11
• Donje Mokrice, population 57
• Dragotinci, population 63
• Dumače, population 272
• Glinska Poljana, population 121
• Gora, population 264
• Gornja Bačuga, population 79
• Gornja Mlinoga, population 33
• Gornja Pastuša, population 31
• Gornje Mokrice, population 105
• Graberje, population 155
• Grabovac Banski, population 200
• Hrastovica, population 464
• Hrvatski Čuntić, population 86
• Jabukovac, population 141
• Jošavica, population 84
• Klinac, population 27
• Kraljevčani, population 63
• Križ Hrastovački, population 141
• Luščani, population 163
• Mačkovo Selo, population 36
• Mala Gorica, population 510
• Međurače, population 36
• Miočinovići, population 43
• Moščenica, population 2,470
• Moštanica, population 93
• Nebojan, population 191
• Nova Drenčina, population 402
• Novi Farkašić, population 81
• Novo Selište, population 321
• Pecki, population 84
• Petkovac, population 15
• Petrinja, population 15,683
• Prnjavor Čuntićki, population 79
• Sibić, population 67
• Slana, population 92
• Srednje Mokrice, population 33
• Strašnik, population 202
• Stražbenica, population 9
• Taborište, population 227
• Tremušnjak, population 47
• Veliki Šušnjar, population 117
• Vratečko, population 60
• Župić, population 85

Historical population of Petrinja
Year	Pop.	±%
1857	18,448	—
1869	20,403	+10.6%
1880	21,091	+3.4%
1890	24,958	+18.3%
1900	27,873	+11.7%
1910	29,633	+6.3%
1921	28,383	−4.2%
1931	29,808	+5.0%
1948	24,293	−18.5%
1953	25,070	+3.2%
1961	27,465	+9.6%
1971	30,545	+11.2%
1981	33,124	+8.4%
1991	35,151	+6.1%
2001	23,413	−33.4%
2011	24,671	+5.4%
Source: Naselja i stanovništvo Republike Hrvatske 1857–2001, DZS, Zagreb, 2005 & Popis stanovništva 2011

Population by ethnicity
Year of census	total	Croats	Serbs	others
1961	27,517	14,942 (54.30%)	11,955 (43.45%)	620 (2.25%)
1981	33,570	14,621 (43.55%)	12,617(37.58%)	6,332 (18.86%)
1991	35,565	15,791 (44.40%)	15,969 (44.90%)	3,805 (10.70%)
2001	23,413	19,280 (82.35%)	2,809 (12.00%)	1,324 (5.65%)
2011	24,671	20,925 (84.82%)	2,710 (10.98%)	1,036 (4.20%)

Notable people

• Janko Grahor (1827-1906), architect
• Krsto Hegedušić (1901-1975), artist
• Branko Horvat (1928-2003), economist and politician
• Oton Kučera (1856-1931), astronomer
• Drago Roksandić (1948-), historian
• Vlado Lisjak (1962-), Greco-Roman wrestler
• Stevan Šupljikac, military commander
• Franjo Jelačić, a member of the House of Jelačić
• Milan Nenadić (1943-), wrestler
• Marijan Vlak (1955-), former football goalkeeper

External links

• Official website
• Petrinja.net (in Croatian)
• Petrinja Online (in Croatian)
• Petrinja Tourist Office