Knin

Template:Opcina Knin is a historical town in the Šibenik-Knin county of Croatia, located near the source of the river Krka at 44°02′18″N 16°11′59″E, in the Dalmatian hinterland, on the railroad Zagreb–Split. Knin briefly rose to prominence twice in history, as a one-time capital of both the medieval Croatian state and of the unrecognized, and now defunct Republic of Serbian Krajina.

Demography

In the 2001 census, the population of Knin was 11,128 in the city and 15,190 in the municipality, and the majority of its citizens were Croats with 76.45% and Serbs with 20.8%. Before the Croatian War of Independence 87% of the population of the municipality and 79% of the city were Serbs. During the war most of the non-Serb population left Knin, while in the last days of the war Serbs themselves left the city before it was retaken by the Croatian forces.

Knin's population is in more flux than that of other Croatian cities given that it has a major refugee problem: both with a large number of Croats who immigrated there and Serbs from Knin who are still refugees. By average resident age, Knin is the youngest city in Croatia. Although Croats now form majority in the city Serbs form majority in most villages around.

Position of Knin within Croatia

Position of Knin within Croatia

History

In the vicinity of today's Knin there was a town called Burnum which served as an Illirian and Roman military camp in the 1st century BC.

Knin is mentioned in the 10th century in the history of Constantine Porphyrogenitus as a center of parish. Croatian diocese was founded 1040 and its jurisdiction extended to the Drava river, with the "Croatian bishop" at its head.

Knin was also the capital of the Kingdom of Croatia around 1080 during the rule of King Dmitar Zvonimir. Between the 10th and the 13th century, Knin was a notable military fort.

Its strategic position played an important role in many wars and power changes — beginning with the Croatian rulers, then Hungarian kings of Croatia, the Venetians, Turks, to the Austrians and the French.

On May 29, 1522, the fort of Knin fell to the Ottoman Empire, and Croatian folk massivly left the town. The town was populated with Serb refugees by the Ottomans. Century and a half later, on September 11, 1688, it was captured by the Venetian Republic. Subsequently, the Croatian population partially returned and the Franciscans built a monastery and a church there in 1708.

Knin passed on to the Habsburgs together with Dalmatia in 1797 according to the Treaty of Campoformio. After the peace in Pozun in 1805, the French Empire gained the city and incorporated it into the Illyrian Provinces in 1809. By 1813, the Austrians regained the control over the town. By the end of the 19th century, as a part of the Habsburg domain of Dalmatia, Knin grew steadily becoming an important commercial as well as the road and railway center. In 1867, Knin became a part of Dalmatia - a territorial entity within Cisleithania. After the First World War Knin became a part of the State of Slovenes, Croats and Serbs in 1918, which subsequently became part of the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes (Kingdom of Yugoslavia since 1929). Over the ages, Knin became the cultural center of the Serbs in Croatia.

In the beginning of the Yugoslav wars of the 1990s, when Croatia gained independence after the dissolution of Yugoslavia, Croat politians wanted to make all Croatia only Croat land where only Craots live. They attacked Knin, town where Serbs lived in Operation called Storm and expelled more than 300.000 Serbs from Knin. The people was forsed to move to Serbia.

Croatian forces attacked and liberated the town on August 5, 1995 during Operation Storm, ending the Croatian War and expelling virtually all Serbs from the region where they were present for centuries. Croatian forces also conducted widespread actions against Serb civilians and property which were later condemned by prosecutors at the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia (ICTY). It was reported that Croatian forces undertook an extensive campaign of looting and destroying Krajina Serb property. The ICTY Prosecutors are claiming that the Croatian forces operated in "'arson squads' using inflammable fuels, incendiary bullets and explosives ... [leaving] some towns and numerous villages completely destroyed." The intention of this campaign, according to the ICTY, was to make it impossible for the Krajina Serb population to return. The ICTY has alleged that hundreds of Krajina Serbs were murdered or disappeared in the wake of Operation Storm. By November 1995 the UN peacekeeping force in Croatia, UNPROFOR, had documented the deaths of more than 200 people in the area. Across the entire region, Serbs were displaced en masse. However, no person was found guilty for these crimes.

The date is today marked as a national holiday (Victory day and Homeland thanksgiving day). Almost all Serbs fled city's before the arrival of Croatian army. Most Croats returned to their prewar residences. The town also saw an influx of Croat refugees from Bosnia.

Heritage

In Knin area there are plenty of cultural, historical and natural monuments.

The huge medieval fortress Spas (from 10th century dominates the centre of town, its present aspect dates back to the beginning of the 18th century. This is one of the largest fortification buildings in Dalmatia. It is divided into the upper, medium and lower town, connected by drawbridges.

Recently discovered Roman town Burnum is 18 km far from Knin in direction Kistanje. There are the remainings of the biggest amphitheater in Dalmatia build 77 BC, during the rule of Vespasian which could host 8000 people.

Nearby villages Biskupija and Kapitul are extremely interesting archeological sites from 10th century where the many remainings of the medieval Croatian culture are found: churches, graves, decorations, epigraphs...

In the near of Knin is the source of the river Krka (Krčić) and in the direction Šibenik and the Krka National Park.

Towns and Villages in Municipality

Golubić

Kninsko Polje

Kovačić

Ljubač

Oćestovo

Plavno

Polača

Radljevac

Strmica

Vrpolje

Žagrović

External links

• Knin
• Pictures of Knin and surrounding areas
• City map with street index Knin - CroMaps navigator-The portal will as it's main feature present information about city streets, cities, public facilities, and bussines subjects
• Photo of the Roman town Bunrum
• Touristical information about Knin area
• National Tourist Board about Knin