Bjelovar

Bjelovar is a city in central Croatia. It is the administrative centre of Bjelovar-Bilogora County. At the 2001 census, there were 41,869 inhabitants, of which 90.51% were Croats. Bjelovar is not an ancient town; it was first mentioned in 1413 and only gained importance when a new fort was built there in 1756, at the command of the Habsburg Empress Maria Theresa. The initial role of the city was to defend central Croatia against the Ottoman invasions.

The town had to wait until the end of these wars to be pronounced a free royal town by ban Ivan Mažuranić in 1874.