Mursa

Osijek
City
City of Osijek Grad Osijek
Top: Palace of Slavonian General Command; Center left: Osijek Co-cathedral; Center right: Court Palace; Bottom left: Archaeological Museum; Bottom right: Croatian National Theater
Flag Coat of arms
Nickname(s): Grad na Dravi (City on Drava), "Nepokoreni grad" (Unconquered City)
Osijek Location of Osijek in Croatia
Coordinates: 45°33′27.11″N 18°40′46.52″E / 45.5575306°N 18.6795889°E / 45.5575306; 18.6795889Coordinates: 45°33′27.11″N 18°40′46.52″E / 45.5575306°N 18.6795889°E / 45.5575306; 18.6795889
Country	Croatia
County	Osijek-Baranja
Government
• Mayor	Ivan Vrkić (Ind.)
• City Council	36 members • HDSSB, Zeleni HR (14) • SDP, HNS-LD, HSU (8) • HDZ, HSP AS, SU (6) • HL (3) • Independent Anto Đapić (3) • MOST (2)
Area
• City	169 km2 (65 sq mi)
• Metro	275 km2 (106 sq mi)
Elevation	94 m (308 ft)
Population (2011 census)
• City	108,048
• Density	640/km2 (1,700/sq mi)
• Urban	84,104
Time zone	CET (UTC+1)
• Summer (DST)	CEST (UTC+2)
Post code	31000
Area code(s)	31
Licence plate	OS
Website	www.osijek.hr/en/ (English)

Osijek (pronounced [ôsijeːk]; Serbian: Oсијек, German: Esseg, Hungarian: Eszék) is the fourth largest city in Croatia with a population of 108,048 in 2011. It is the largest city and the economic and cultural centre of the eastern Croatian region of Slavonia, as well as the administrative centre of Osijek-Baranja County. Osijek is located on the right bank of the river Drava, 25 kilometres (16 mi) upstream of its confluence with the Danube, at an elevation of 94 metres (308 ft).

The name was given to the city due to its position on elevated ground which prevented the city being flooded by the local swamp waters. Its name Osijek comes from the Croatian word "oseka" which means "". Due to its history within the Habsburg Monarchy and briefly in the Ottoman Empire, as well as the presence of German and Hungarian minorities throughout its history, Osijek has (or had) its names in other languages, notably Hungarian: Eszék, German: Esseg or Essegg, Turkish: Ösek, Latin: Essec. It is also spelled Esgek.

The origins of human habitation of Osijek dates back to Neolithic times, with the first known inhabitants belonging to the Illyrians and later invading Celtic tribes. After the conquest of Pannonia, Osijek, known at the time as Mursa, was under the administration and protection of the Roman 7th legion which maintained a military castrum at the colony and a bridge over the river Drava. Roman emperor Hadrian raised the old settlement of Mursa to a colony with special privileges in 131. After that, Mursa had a turbulent history, with several decisive battles taking place at its immediate proximity, among which the most notable are the battle between Aureolus and Ingenuus in 260 and especially brutal and bloody Battle of Mursa Major in 351. These battles, especially the latter one, had long-term consequences for the colony and the region which was already under ever-increasing pressure from the invading Goths and other invading tribes.