Ogulin

Toponomy

There are several proposed etymologies for the name of Ogulin. Firstly that the surrounding woods needed to be cleared for a better defence of the town, so Ogulin received its name because of the resulting bare area ("ogolio" in Croatian) around it. There were a lot of lime-trees along the road from Ogulin towards Oštarije, and the people used to peel the bark, in order to get bass. It is suggested that Ogulin got its name from the verb to peel ("guliti" in Croatian). Neither proposal is historically confirmed.

History

Ogulin's history dates back to the fifteenth century, when it struggled against the Ottoman Turks. The exact timing of the building of the Ogulin tower has not been established. However, a document issued by Bernardin Frankopan in his town of Modruš at around 1500 AD marked off the boundaries of new castle between Modruš and Vitunj, and this is, at the same time, the first historical mention of Ogulin. Ogulin is known for the legend of Đula (also Zuleika or Zula) who threw herself into the abyss of the River Dobra because of an unhappy love affair. In the sixteenth century, it became a military stronghold against the Ottomans.

For a brief time, between 1809 and 1813, Ogulin was a part of the Illyrian Provinces.

Until 1918, Ogulin was part of the Austrian monarchy (Kingdom of Croatia-Slavonia, Modruš-Rijeka County, after the compromise of 1867), in the Croatian Military Frontier. It was administered by the Oguliner Grenz-Infanterie-Regiment N°III before 1881.

Geography

The town of Ogulin is situated in the very centre of mainland Croatia, between Zagreb and Rijeka. It was founded in a large valley formed by two rivers: the Dobra and Zagorska Mrežnica. The administrative constitution of the town of Ogulin covers the area of 543.32 km², and has about 14,000 inhabitants according to 2011 census.

This is a kind of transitional micro-region neighbouring the larger regions of Croatia - Gorski Kotar, Lika, Kordun and Gornje Pokuplje. The Ogulin-Modruš valley finishes towards the south where the Modruš hills pass into the second largest field of the area under Kapela-Plaški Polje. This comprises a completed geographical whole border on the western side by the mountain massif of Velika Kapela dominated by Klek (1181 m). Its eastern edges are bordered by the mounts of Krpel (511 m (1,677 ft)), Brezovica (565 m (1,854 ft)) and Hum (863 m (2,831 ft)). The valley then passes to the hilly are dominated by Klekinja (504 m (1,654 ft)) and Trojvrh (599 m (1,965 ft)). This valley is also called Ogulin's Plain (in Croatian: Ogulinsko Polje). This is the fifth largest karst valley in Croatia (60 km² (23 sq mi)), and it lies 320 metres (1,050 feet) above sea level. Its elongated form lies in the direction northwest-southeast, and it is 16 km (10 mi) long (Ogulin-Trojvrh) and 9 km (6 mi) wide (Desmerice-Skradnik).

According to the territorial divide laid down by the Roman Catholic Church, the Ogulin-Modruš valley is part of the Ogulin's deanery, within the Diocese of Gospić-Senj. The area of Ogulin - Modruš valley belongs to the Karlovac County. The Dobra River runs through the town.

Population

According to the 2011 census, Croats comprise 80.2% and Serbs 17.7% of the municipality population. Serbs form a majority in many villages, most of them are upland.

The settlements in the municipality are:

Parish Church of the Extolling Saint Cross

This church was built in 1781 in the middle of the town, in the Park of King Tomislav. Consecrated on June 1, 179, it reflects the spirit of the time with its pleasing external appearance and the richness of various sculptural decorations. The town of Ogulin celebrates September 14 as the fest day of its patron Saint of Extolling of the Cross.

Saint Bernard Chapel

Bernardin Frankopan, the son of Stjepan, and the founder of the town of Ogulin, erected a chapel in 16th century both for nobleman and ordinary people within the castle. It is devoted to St Bernardin. This chapel was the parish church from 1521 until the building of the church of St Cross in 1781. Today, only the altar has been preserved.

Saint Rocco Chapel

This chapel was built at the entrance to the town in the first half of 19th century as a votive church against cholera.

Frankopan Castle

The Castle was built between 1493 and 1500 above the gorge of the River Dobra - Đula's abyss. The founder of the town was Bernardin Frankopan, one of the mightiest people of his time, and the feudal master of Modruš, Plaški, Vitunj, Tounj, Zvečaj, Bosiljevo, Novigrad and Dubovac. The Frankopans resided in the castle until 1533, when it was relinquished to the soldiers of the Military Frontier.

It belongs to the period of Renaissance castles. The town walls surrounded the courtyard area on three sides, while on the fourth there was a three-storey building with towers at the sides. Today, in the Castle houses, is The County Museum which was opened in 1968. It owns a several collections showing exhibits of various kinds: archaeology, ethnology, old armaments, the memorial room of Ivana Brlić-Mažuranić (a renowned Croatian fairy-tale author), mountaineering, and an exhibition of the academic painter Stjepan Galetić born in Ogulin.

King Tomislav Monument

The monument was erected in 1925, for the 1000th anniversary of the founding of the Croatian kingdom. It stands in the Park of King Tomislav which was planned and arranged in the 18th century. The monument was made according to the design of the Slovenian architect Vitburg Meck, and was repaired in 1990.

Cesarovac Fountain

This classic building is also erected in the Park. It represents a memorial to the Ogulin aqueduct and was built by colonel Stevan Šuplikac from Ogulin in 1847. Water flowed from the spring through wooden tubes which were lately replaced by the clay, and in 1882 by the iron tubes. For Cesarovac source is connected and a legend. Water flows into the source, comes from a source located at the foot of the mountain Klek. And as on the mountain Klek lived a witch, so the water is magical. Legend says, that women who drink the water from the springs, will remain forever young. And men who drink water from springs, water will be captured to forever remain in this city, who you will fall in love with a woman from Ogulin, and by the end of life remain to live in Ogulin.

Notable people