Pеtrоvаrаdin

It is in Novi sad, on the bank of the Danube river. The present shape of the fortress was built by the Austrians in the 18th century, because of constant Turkish attacks and the vicinity of the border with the Ottoman Empire

In 1526, Pеtrоvаrаdin was conquered by Suleiman The Magnificent and the fortress would remain under the Turks until the late 17th century. Then Austria started its complete restoration, which would greatly decide the outcome of the soon to come conflict with the Turks. Final works were done in  1790, when the Pеtrоvаrаdin Fortress became the most modern fortified point in the entire Austro-Hungarian Empire.

In 1694, on the other side of the Danube, the town of Novi Sad was founded, today one of the major Serbian cities and the centre of the Autonomous Province of Vојvоdina. From its first days, it was the centre of the Serbian culture, and more recently it has become a large industrial centre and a university town.

HISTORY

The first human settlement here was established some 4,500 years ago. After the Neolithic Period, various civilisations had their turns. Strengthening their border on the Danube, the Romans erected the ramparts which were destroyed by the Huns. In the mid-13th century, a Roman Catholic Cistercian monastery was built, which was fortified after a Tatar raid. The fortification gained on its significance with the coming of new conquerors – the Ottomans.

In the modern age, during the First Serbian Uprising, the Pеtrоvаrаdin fortress was a significant point of contact for the Serbs of either side of the Danube. In the WWI, it was an important hub where the Austro-Hungarian forces moved across the border. In the final WWII battles, almost the entire crew of the Independent State of Croatia Ustasha garrison that defended the fortress joined the Partisan army side.