The water tower was built in 1968 and was used to store and reserve water within the water supply network. With a height of 50.33 meters and a reservoir of 2200 m, it was among the largest buildings of its kind in Europe.
In 1991, the Yugoslav People’s Army and Serb paramilitaries launched an open attack on Vukovar and Croatia.
The flag at the Vukovar Water Tower was the most frequent target of the aggressors during the siege of the city, but it proudly waved every morning thanks to Croatian defenders Ivica Ivanika and Hrvoje Džalta. Under the cover of night, they raised the flag again, giving the people of Vukovar hope and a sign that the defense of the city has not yet given way. The water tower suffered 640 direct hits in the Homeland War by the Greater Serbia aggressor, but despite that it remained upright and thus became a symbol of suffering, resistance and unity.
At the initiative of the City of Vukovar and the Mayor’s Office, in 2016 a donation campaign was launched “Vukovar Water Tower – a symbol of Croatian unity” for the reconstruction and conservation of the Water Tower in which over 5,000 individuals, over 1,000 legal entities, a large number of Croatian cities and municipalities 17 countries. The total number of registered donors is 6989, but anonymous donations were also collected via telephone calls.
Today, the Water Tower is a memorial protected as a cultural asset. The Vukovar Water Tower is a witness of a time that shows with its wounds the sacrifice and difficult path of all defenders who fought for a free and independent Croatia, and thus justifiably bears the name of a symbol of Croatian unity.
Vukovar Water Tower – a symbol of Croatian unity d.o.o. for the management of the memorial of the Homeland War
Ulica bana Josipa Jelačića 3, 32000 Vukovar
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