Podravka HeadquartersPagoda in the city parkChurch of Saint NicholasRailway station
Koprivnica (Croatian pronunciation:[kɔ̝̌priːv̞nit͡sa]) is a city inNorthern Croatia, located 70 kilometers northeast ofZagreb. It is the capital and the largest city ofKoprivnica-Križevci County. In 2021, the city's administrative area of 90.94 km2 had a total population of 28,580, with 22,262 in the city proper.[2]
Koprivnica has a history similar to that of nearbyVaraždin: it was first mentioned in 1272 in a document by princeLászló IV and declared a free royal town by kingLajos I in 1356, and flourished as a trading place and a military fortress since that time.
In the 14th century, the town settlement further developed due to increased trade under the influence of Varaždin. During the construction ofRenaissance fortification in the second half of the 16th century Koprivnica was the centre of the Slavonian military border. Koprivnica counted among its troops musketeers, German soldiers, hussars and infantry. At that time the Renaissance square emerged together with the Town hall which emphasized its Renaissance identity, so Koprivnica can today be legitimately considered a renaissance town.
The military aspect set it back somewhat when it was included in theMilitary Frontier in the 16th century during the wars with theOttoman Turks, but afterMaria Theresia's decree of 1765 it resumed life as a peaceful little merchant town which it was in reality.
Its position on the border ofHabsburg monarchy andOttoman Empire influenced the environment, economic, social and demographic changes, as well as everyday life. Koprivnica can therefore be considered a border town. In the second half of the 17th century Koprivnica was among the most developed royal towns in the Croatian-Slavonian Kingdom and its economic growth was initially based on strong trade activity. The fact that the three most significant churches (St. Nicholas,St. Anthony ofPadua with the Franciscan monastery and church of the Assumption of Virgin Mary in Mocile further illustrates the economic power of the town in the 17th century. Economic activity was moved outside the town fortifications and this resulted in the wide and spacious baroque squares – today's Zrinski square and Jelačić square. At the same time the oldest streets evolved and they established the development base for the town until the present day.
In the 19th century, the old Renaissance and Baroque housing and buildings associated with trade were replaced by the now historical architecture and the new town centre acquired its present appearance. In 1863, the main part of the future town park was planted, and the removal of the old fortification together with the construction of the railway determined the regional development of the town. Railway connections enabled the development of industry and further established Koprivnica as a leading centre of the Podravina region. TheKoprivnica Synagogue was built in 1875 in the centre of Koprivnica. Today it is listed as a cultural monument.
Koprivnica developed significantly in the 20th century with the advent of thePodravkafoodindustry, known worldwide for itsVegeta spice. They even have a museum devoted to the firm of Podravka.
Two separatevolunteer fire departments DVD "Podravka" and DVD "Željezničar" were founded in 1947, and the DVD "Bilokalnik" in 1963, together under theVZ grada Koprivnice.[6]
The annual "motifs ofPodravina" event is when the whole town becomes a gallery ofnaïve art. Many of the greatest Croatian naïve artists come from the villages along theDrava in this county, notablyIvan Generalić.
Koprivnica (German:Kopreinitz,Hungarian:Kapronca) is situated at a strategic location – on the slopes ofBilogora andKalnik to the south and river Drava to the north. Its position enabled it to develop numerous amenities for the wider area such as trade, crafts and administration, and in the 13thcentury Koprivnica became a town settlement. Koprivnica was named after the stream of the same name, which was first mentioned at the beginning of the 13th century during theHungarian Kingdom.
Since records began in 1949, the highest temperature recorded at the local weather station was 39.1 °C (102.4 °F), on 24 August 2012.[7] The coldest temperature was −26.1 °C (−15.0 °F), on 16 February 1956.[8]
The local chapter of theHPS isHPD "Bilo", which had 45 members in 1936 under the Pavao Orlović presidency.[10] Membership rose to 46 in 1937.[11]: 245 Membership fell to 20 in 1938.[12]: 245
^www.utilis.biz, Utilis d.o.o., Zagreb."JUSP Jasenovac – CAMPS IN THE INDEPENDENT STATE OF CROATIA".www.jusp-jasenovac.hr. Retrieved4 February 2017.The first Ustasha concentration camp in the Independent State of Croatia, Danica, was founded on 15 April 1941 near Koprivnica.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
^(Council 1991, p. 12): "April 20: The first concentration camp in Yugoslavia, Danica. near Virovitica, opens; "
