According to the 2011 census, Đakovo, the administrative unit which comprises the town and the surrounding villages of Piškorevci, Budrovci, Đurđanci, Kuševac, Ivanovci Đakovački, Široko Polje, Novi Perkovci and Selci Đakovački, has a population of 27,745, which makes it is the 19th largest town in Croatia according to population and the second largest town in the Osijek-Baranja County.
Prehistoric finds
The history of Đakovo begins in the 11th century, but the area of the town and its surroundings – Đakovština – were inhabited during the Neolithic, about 5,500 years BC. In Štrbinci, not far from today’s Đakovo, the Roman settlement Certissia was located. Accounts of the town first appeared in written records and medieval documents in the 13th century, under the names Dyacon, Dyaco, Diaco, Deako, Dyakow, and archaeological sources provide information that the town existed in the 11th century – this means that the town is about 1,240 years old and it was at first located around what is now the Church of All Saints.
Bishops in Đakovo
The town’s development accelerated with the relocation of Bosnian bishops into Đakovo. Duke Coloman, the brother of Béla IV, King of Hungary and Croatia, gifted the town and its surrounding area to the Bishop Ponsa of Bosnia to turn it into the centre of the Diocese in 1239. In addition to their roles as spiritual shepherds, bishops of Đakovo were often educators, businessmen, writers, patrons, as well as warriors. The first known writer among the Đakovo bishops and priests, Mijo Kesarić, was also the founder of the famous Diocesan Stud Farm, today the Lipizzaner State Stud Farm.
Turkish occupation
Đakovo was occupied in 1536, during the great Turkish invasion of Slavonia. During that period, Đakovo was named Jakova and had the rank of a kaza, i.e. kotar. According to the famous Turkish travel writer Evliya Çelebi, Jakova was known for its pasha palaces and beautiful mosques: Hadji Pasha Mosque, Kaston Pasha Mosque and Ibrahim Pasha Mosque. The latter was preserved, but converted into the Catholic Church of All Saints. Following the liberation from the Turks, Đakovo continued to develop thanks to its bishops; however, the development was painstaking and slow. Bishop Strossmayer (1815–1905) left the biggest mark, and the magnificent Cathedral was built during his term as bishop.
Wars
In the 20th century, the development of Đakovo was interrupted three times by wars. The Second World War had the most tragic aftermath. Battles were fought in the town on several occasions and the Cathedral was bombed and damaged several times. The Cathedral was also severely damaged in the 1933 fire, when the original organ was destroyed. The people of Đakovo opted for the independence of Croatia at the beginning of the 1990s and a large number of them enlisted in the Croatian army. Battles were once again fought in the town after almost half a century, on 15 September 1991, between the Croatian army and the units of the former JNA; after three days of fighting, the JNA units surrendered to Croatian soldiers from Đakovo. In addition to war events, the 20th century was marked by the visits of great people to Đakovo. On 17 November 1927, cardinal Roncalli, who would later become the Good Pope John XXIII, stayed in Đakovo.
World Greats in Đakovo
Queen Elizabeth II visited the Lipizzaner State Stud Farm in 1972, together with her husband and royal entourage, during her official visit to the SFRY. On 15 March 2016, the Lipizzaner State Stud Farm hosted a member of the British royal family for the second time. Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall, walked in the footsteps of Queen Elizabeth II.
Đakovo and the Popes
The date 7 June 2003 will remain written in gold letters in the history of Đakovo. On that day, God’s servant, Pope John Paul II, the head of the Roman-Catholic church and the successor of Saint Peter, visited the Diocese of Đakovo and Srijem. “I admire the beauty of the Slavonian plain, the breadbasket of Croatia,” said Pope John Paul II in front of the Cathedral, as he was greeting the audience while wearing a šokački hat. Five years later, another major event took place: on 18 June 2008, Holy Father Benedict XVI established the Ecclesiastical Province of Đakovo-Osijek, the Diocese of Đakovo-Osijek became a metropolitan see, and Monsignor Marin Srakić, the former Bishop of Đakovo and Srijem, was appointed the first metropolitan Archbishop of Đakovo and Osijek. On 18 April 2013, Pope Francis appointed Monsignor Đuro Hranić as Archbishop and metropolitan of Đakovo and Osijek.