Branka Šulc / Jasen Mesic

(Ministry of Culture, Zagreb, Croatia)

The position of Vukovarsko-srijemska County in the Danubian region, its connectedness to the Danube, the cultural-historic and traditional diversity of its sub-regions are the foundations underlying the basic guidelines of the continued activities on the project Research, Reconstruction and Revitalization of the Cultural Heritage of Ilok – Vukovar – Vucedol.
The project which is to be financed in a four-year period, starting from 2005, by the Government of the Republic of Croatia (25%) and the Council of Europe Development Bank (75%), in the total amount of 30,215,654.00 mil. EUR, is a component part of the new multi-discipline programme of sustainable development in this region aimed at development based on the principle of cultural landscape protection and promotion as one of the building blocks of the economic development project and of promoting the development of this region which has suffered severe war damages owing to which the infrastructure, economy, agriculture and cultural heritage have as yet not been fully reconstructed. In particular, the project continues or opens up areas of partner co-operation between states, regions and cities of all the countries in the Danubian region.
The aim of the project is to research, reconstruct and present cultural heritage and thereby enrich the cultural landscape, raise the awareness of the population, improve the tourist supply, increase employment and promote development of the region.
The project will be carried out and implemented by the Ministry of Culture, Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Water Management., Ministry of the Sea, Tourism, Transport and Development, Ministry of Environmental Protection, Phyisical Planning and Construction the head executive of the Vukovarsko-srijemska County and the mayors of the cities of Vukovar and Ilok, with the participation of experts from museums in Vukovar and Ilok, the Osijek Conservation department, Croatian Restoration Institute, Faculty of Philosophy of the University in Zagreb and a number of other Croatian and European experts who are already engaged in a number of smaller projects in this region.
The Project comprises of the following parts:

  • Vukovar – the protected historic baroque city centre which suffered extreme war damages and which has been included in the 100 most endangered cultural monuments within the World Monuments Fund Programme, New York, USA; three models of reconstruction are planned – the reconstruction of historic buildings as found, facsimile reconstruction and interpolation; the Eltz manor complex as a museum-gallery and multicultural centre;
  • Archaeological site Vucedol, the eponym site of the Vucedol culture, one of the most significant prehistoric sites in
  • The City of Ilok, the reconstruction of the historic centre – the most significant medieval urban centre in the Croatian part of Danubian region; completion of archaeological research.

This Project is a potentially new model for other planned projects in Croatia – in its year-long expert preparations for implementation and presents a new model of financing.