(. The city proper has a population of 49,082, while the whole municipality has a population of 59,395 inhabitants (
2001 ). The absolute majority (85.86%) of its citizens are
Croats (2001 census).
Karlovac is the administrative centre of
Karlovac County . The city is located on the
Zagreb -
Rijeka highway and
Railway line, 56 km south-west of Zagreb and 130 km from Rijeka.
Karlovac was founded as a six-pointed star
Fortress built in the
16th Century on the
Zrinski estate near the old town of
Dubovac at the confluence of the
Kupa ,
Korana ,
Mrežnica and
Dobra rivers. The unique star shape can still be seen around the town. It was originally known as Karlstadt, Carlstadt, or Carlstatt ("Charles's Town" in German), after Archduke
Charles II Of Austria , upon whose orders construction began on
July 13 ,
1579 . The
Architect of the city was
Matija Gambon .
The first church (of the
Holy Trinity ) was built in the central square in
1580 , but all of the city buildings burned down in the fire of
1594 . The forces of the
Ottoman Empire laid siege to Karlovac seven times, the last time in
1672 , but failed to occupy it. The
Plague epidemic of
1773 was also a notable threat to the city, decimating almost half the population at the time.
The fort was becoming too crowded for the city's expanding population and the
Military Frontier government could not allow for its further growth. On
December 6 ,
1693 the city received some limited self-government. Queen
Maria Theresa , after long insistence from the
Croatian Parliament , restored the towns of Karlovac and
Rijeka to the Croatian crownland on
August 9 ,
1776 . King
Joseph II reaffirmed it as a free town with an official charter in
1781 , allowing the citizens to expand the city and exploit the potential of being at the crossroads of paths from the
Pannonian Plain s to the
Adriatic Coast . The town blossomed in the
18th and
19th Centuries with the development of roads to the seaside and waterways along the Kupa River.
The town's fortunes declined in the
20th Century , though it is currently recovering.
Karlovac suffered much damage during the
Croatian War Of Independence (1991-1995). Among other buildings, the Cathedral Church of Saint Nicholas of the
Serb Orthodox Eparchy Of Upper Karlovac was destroyed in
1993 , as was the Diocesan Residence.
Karlovac's main industry is now its
Beer "
Karlovačko ", produced by
Karlovačka Pivovara .
