Donji Miholjac – the Hilleprand-Mailáth Castle There are two castles in Donji Miholjac, one next to the other. The older one is a ground floor, long, late-baroque building from 1818 and the newer one is one storey historicist building of picturesque facades built between 1905 and 1914 according to the project of the Budapest architect István Möhler. The old castle is a modest building, 82 meters long and 9 meters wide. It included also several outbuildings. The new castle, built next to the old, is among the last Slavonic castles and among just a few built in Slavonia at the beginning of the 20th century. The ground-plan size of the castle is 44x20 meters. The castle has neoromanesque characteristics of the English Tudor Style. Also numerous stork’s nests on chimneys, apart from all other things, remind one of the castles from children’s picture-books or cartoon movies by Disney. Such look and a good preservation of the castle classify it among the most picturesque in Croatia. Donji Miholjac is situated northwest from Osijek, five kilometres from the river Drava and the border with Hungary. Newer history of Donji Miholjac is connected with the nobleman’s estate of the baron family Hilleprandt von Prandau, with the seat in nearby Valpovo. The Austrian emperor and Croatian king Karl VI, father of Maria Teresia, donated 1721 to Peter Antun baron Hilleprand (1676 – 1737) the estate of Valpovo with about forty settlements, among which was also Donji Miholjac. In the next 110 years Donji Miholjac will be part of the great noble estate of Valpovo. The estate Donji Miholjac dates from 1831 when the great Valpovo estate - formed after the death of Josip Ignac baron Hilleprandt von Prandau (1749 – 1816), split in two parts, for the two Joseph’s sons: Gustav (1807– 1885) who gets the south part with the seat in Valpovo and Karl (1792 – 1865) who gets the north part with the seat in Donji Miholjac. Later the Gustav’s daughter Stefanija, married to Georg, earl of Mailáth von Székhely inherits Donji Miholjac. The new castle was built by the family Mailáth, whose descendents live today in Hungary. They originate from Transilvania, they owned castles Perbenyik Zavar in Slovakia and Gordany in Hungary and were given Hungarian earl title in 1885. Ladislav, the son of Stefanija and Georg (1862 – 1927) was the last owner of the castle; he sold the estate in 1923 to the business company «Podravina». Ladislav was close with the Austrian hair to the throne, Franz Ferdinand, who frequently visited Donji Miholjac. Last time he was there for hunt, three months before his assassination in Sarajevo in 1914. The castles are surrounded by vast landscape gardens and are protected as a monument of park architecture. The new castle was erected in the first half of the 19th century, next to the old castle and at the end of the 19th and the beginning of the 20th century was enlarged and partly reshaped. In the gardens there grow about hundred sorts of trees and bushes, about twenty sorts of conifers and the majority of broad-leaved treas. By its age and a magnificent look especially impressive is Pterocaria (Caucasian Wingnut) as well as the marsh cypresses. From sometimes numerous park constructions there remain preserved to our days - though in a very bad condition - the octagonal pavilion, three decorative gardens between the pavilion and the castle terrace, a greenhouse (orangerie) and a part of the built fence of the park. By its town-forming power the park strongly influences the prospect of the community and contributes to its uniqueness, together with the castle dominating by its size the small town and the plain landscape.
Našice – the small and the big castle of Pejačević family The noble family Pejačević built in Našice, in a large park, two castles – the small and the big castle. The family spent in Našice 211 years, until 1945, since when numerous members of the family have lived in many different parts of the world. The castle was formally returned to the heirs in 2009, but this has not solved the question of the lasting purpose of the two constructions. In the big castle there is a county museum, and the small one is being used by several users. The Pejačević family came into possession of the Našice estate by acquisition in 1734. Thanks to great efforts of numerous generations the estate was elevated to the level of the best and richest Slavonic nobleman estates of the 19th century. The building of the big castle was begun in 1811 by Vincencije Pejačević (1780 – 1820). Before that time the Pejačević family used to live in a castle in Virovitica and on their other estates. The castle was considerably changed in 1865 when Ferdinand Karlo Rajner (1800 – 1878) upgraded it, and thus a modest early baroque building was restored into a representative late baroque castle. Because of the slopped terrain on which it was built the castle is a one-storey building at the side of the main entrance and the village and a two-storey building toward the park. The castle was inhabited until 1943 when it accommodated the German army. From 1945 to the 21st century the castle was used for different purposes: from barrack, school and kindergarten, to the seat of state administration and different organisations. In 2011 the county museum and gallery were situated in the castle. The small castle is a ground-floor neo-classicist building, about hundred meters west of the big castle. Its building began in 1904/1905, and finished in 1907. The new castle is important for the history of Croatian building for its original technical solution to the problem of moisture and underground water protection by use of reinforced tub, and at the beginning of the 20th century it was a novelty not only in Croatia but also in the Austro-Hungarian Monarchy. Next to the castles a large park was erected, with today’s surface of about 35 hectars 8/č.p. Natural groves and coppices were starting points of a park that began to be cultivated in 1812 and was finished as a romantic landscape park about 1850. In the second half of the 19th century it was enlarged toward north, where a small lake with an island was arranged and thus the park assumed features of a romanticist park. The park got its final shape and was regularly maintained from the end of the 19th century to 1930-ies, in the time of the Count Theodore Pejačević (1855 – 1928). From all the castles in their possession the noble family Pejačević was most attached to Našice, though in front of their name the adjective denoting "from Virovitica“, was used. The family gave two Croatian vice-roys (banus) – Ladislav, the older one (1824 – 1901, a viceroy from 1880 to 1883) and Dr.Theodor (1855 – 1928, a viceroy from 1903 to 1907). In 1913 Theodor was appointed Minister for Croatia in a Hungarian government of the Count Tisza and was also a secret counsellor to the King Franz Joseph I; he was the bearer of many decorations and performed many other functions. Love for music in the family Pejačević was especially nourished in the castles in Našice by Gabrijela, Ladislav’s wife, and Lila, Theodore’s wife, who were also protectoresses of the Croatian Music Institute in Zagreb. In such strong music atmosphere also Theodora - Dora grew up, the oldest daughter of Dr. Theodor Count Pejačević. Dora Pejačević (1885 – 1923) lived for music and with music. She laid the foundations to newer Croatian chamber and concert music. Her works were at the repertoire of many famous musicians, and her name was on the programmes and on concert posters together with the names of the greatest world composers.
Bilje – the Palace of Prince Eugen of Savoy The palace in Bilje (Hungarian Béllye), about ten kilometres north from Osijek was built in the first half of the 18th century by Prince Franz Eugen of Savoy and Piemont (1663 – 1736). History remembers him as one of the most famous Austrian army generals whose victories marked the final end of Turkish conquests in Europe (by the Treaty in Srijemski Karlovci in 1699 the Turks were forced south of the River Sava into today’s Bosnia and Herzegovina). Bilje (Billie) is mentioned in old documents for the first time in 1212. By 1918 Bilje was in the County of Baranja, within the Pecz diocese. The Palace of the Prince Eugen of Savoy is the best known palace of the Baranja valley, recognisable for its endless wheat fields, lowland woods and gentle wine-reach slopes. It is situated at the edge of the huge marsh flooded areas, known as Kopački rit and protected as Nature Park. It was the first palace in Slavonia region after its liberation from the century and a half long period of Turkish rule. It was built as a hunt-palace on the estate given to Prince Eugen of Savoy as a present from the Austrian emperor Leopold I (1640 – 1705). Prince rarely stayed in the palace because of the somewhat difficult access to it due to marsh land. It is believed that the author of the palace was Austrian Architect Johan Lucas von Hildebrandt (1668 – 1745), who for the Prince of Savoy built a famous castle Belvedere in Vienna. The palace in Bilje together with the outbuildings was shaped mostly as a ground floor unit - the so called four-winged palace with inner courtyard. As concerns its style characteristics it has a late renaissance square ground-plan, with outer measures of about 56x56 meters. Early baroque facades have no fortification features, but those can be seen in shallow pits around the palace which remain partly preserved to date. In the middle of the 19th century next to the palace a landscape park was erected, covering today an area of eight hectares. In a varied flora of the gardens there grow predominantly autochthon sorts of trees, though also imported sorts can be found. The park is protected as a monument of park architecture. The palace used to be a seat of the vast king’s and duke’s estate. The administration of the estate was in Bilje until 1827 when it was moved to the village of Kneževo, situated to the north. In the middle and in the second half of the 19th century the manor covered an area of about 100 000 acres of land (approximately 57 600 hectares) of the 28 granges. Since Prince Eugen of Savoy did not have any heirs, after his death in 1736 the property came into ownership of the court chamber in Vienna. Only in 1780 the Queen Maria Theresia assigned the huge estate to her daughter Maria Christina (1742 – 1798), married to Prince Albrecht of Saxony and Teschen (1732 – 1822). Since they did not have children the estate inherited the Archduke Karl Ludwig (1771 – 1847), who proclaimed Bilje a majorat estate i.e. indefeasible estate of the Teschen line of the Habsburg family tree. Karl’s son Albrecht (1817 – 1895) inherited Bilje and after his death the nephew Friedrich (1856 – 1936), the son of Albrecht’s brother Karl Ferdinand (1818 – 1874). Friedrich was the last owner of Bilje until the end of the World War I. By the Treaty of Saint Germain, to the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes, i.e. the later Kingdom of Yugoslavia was given about 78% of ownership, while about 22% within Hungarian borders remained the property of Archduke Friedrich. Yugoslav part was proclaimed state property in 1920 and had that status until 1990-ies.
Valpovo – the Hilleprand-Prandau Normann-Ehrenfels Castle The castle in Valpovo, built into a medieval fortress is a recognisable medieval architectural baroque complex which gives to the town of Valpovo its specific and recognisable identity. Valpovo castle with the fortress and a vast garden is one of the most important cultural treasures of the profane architecture in north Croatia. Medieval feudal property in Valpovo exists from the 14th century. Medieval fortress of Valpovo– the fortified town (Castrum Walpo) was first mentioned in 1438. At the end of the 17th century it was already considerably damaged. In the ground plan it had a shape of an irregular elongated triangle with the high tower on its north point. The fort was surrounded by a ditch filled with water from the nearby river, and there was a wooden bridge leading to the entrance. After liberation from Turks, Valpovo came into possession of the Court in Vienna. In 1721 the Emperor Karl VI confers the property of Valpovo to Petar Antun Count Hilleprandtu von Prandau (1676 – 1767). Since then until 1945 the estate is the property of the male and female heirs of two families – Hilleprandt von Prandau (Petar Antun, Josip Ignac and Gustav) and Normann-Ehrenfels (Rudolf I and Rudolf II). By the marriage of Marijana Hilleprand, Gustav’s daughter, to Heinrich Normann-Ehrenfels Valpovo passes into possession of the family Normann. This family lives in the castle until 1945 when the nobility is abolished and the members of the family move to Austria where its heirs live also today. The castle in Valpovo was built on the remains of the south wing of the medieval fort (fortified town). That first castle was similar to today’s castle, but has not been preserved to our days since it disappeared in the fire on Old Year’s Day in 1802. The renewal of the castle already the following year meant a lively building activity since apart from the castle also many new outhouses were built south-west of it. No significant changes on the castle and economic buildings have been done since. At the end of the 19th century the castle had 62 rooms and a ground-plan surface of 4000 square meters, together with the court. Noticeable among the buildings is the storage for arms in which old and precious arms had been stored, a library with about 6000 books, a small theatre, court chapel etc. The Valpovo Castle is among rare castles whose inventory has bee mostly preserved, though not in the castle itself, but in museums and archives in Zagreb and Osijek. In the Valpovo castle and fort complex different building styles are noticeable - medieval, renaissance, baroque and classicist. The south (main entrance) facade of the castle is characterised by the central risalyth of baroque-classicist features which in the form of square spire protrudes from the truss. About 25 hectares large park with the park-forest next to Valpovo Castle is among the most precious examples of the park architecture of Croatian castles. There are two particular values of the park: first, the baroque idea of shaping the landscape of the 18th century with the star-shaped crossways in the hunter’s park (menagerie), the traces of which are still noticeable today and second - in its original form preserved landscape-park with large meadows and outlooks. The park does not show the traces of major changes and has very well preserved its original and historic look that in spite of smaller changes and inadequate maintenance has not been essentially changed. In decades after the Second World War the castle housed various institutions: the community of Valpovo, elementary school, public open college, a youth correctional facility, children’s home, museum of Valpovo region, music school and many other institutions. In 2009 the castle was given back to the heirs of the family Normann-Ehrenfels. Its future lasting purpose is still unknown. In spite of that, the castle of Valpovo has always been a recognizable mark of this landscape, the identity of a small town of Valpovo which developed in middle ages on the site of the Roman settlement Iovalia. Mladen Obad Šćitaroci Bojana Bojanić Obad Šćitaroci
