Osijek is on the right bank of the Drava River, 25 km (16 mi) upstream of its confluence with the Danube, at an elevation of 94 m (308 ft).

[9] The origins of human habitation in the Osijek area date back to Neolithic times,[10] with the first known inhabitants belonging to the Illyrians and, in the second half of the fourth century BC, invading Celtic tribes, the Scordisci.

[11] 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.

There is evidence that the Roman emperor Hadrian established the settlement from scratch,[8] regardless he raised Mursa to the status of a colony with special privileges in 133.

[17] In 1566, Suleiman the Magnificent built a famous, 8-km-long wooden bridge of boats in Osijek, considered at that time to be one of the wonders of the world.

[18] In Ottoman Empire, Osijek was part of the Sanjak of Pojega, Budin Eyalet, and became a commercial center as an important conduit for East-West trade.

[27] In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, Osijek was the seat of the Virovitica County[27] of the autonomous territory Kingdom of Croatia-Slavonia in Austria-Hungary.

[citation needed] The newest additions to the city include Sjenjak, Vijenac Ivana Meštrovića, Novi Grad and Jug II, which were built in the 20th century.

The city's geographical riverside location, and noted cultural and historical heritage – particularly the baroque Tvrđa, one of the most immediately recognizable structures in the region – facilitated the development of tourism.

As a continuation of the tradition of promoting national heritage, especially in music, society of culture and art, "Pajo Kolarić" was established on 21 March 1954.

[citation needed] During the war in Croatia, from 1991 to 1995, the city sustained damage by Yugoslav People's Army (JNA) and local Serbs, especially to the centre and Co-cathedral of St. Peter and St. Paul[35] and to the periphery.

[37] At least five Croatian officials were condemned for war crimes against Serb civilians in Osijek, including General Branimir Glavaš.

[41][42] After World War II a large part of the Danube Swabian population were expelled as a revenge for their presumed participation in German occupation of Yugoslavia.

[43] Prior to the Croatian War of Independence, the 1991 census recorded a total population of 165,253, composed of 110,934 (67.1%) Croats, 33,146 (20.0%) Serbs, 3,156 (1.9%) Hungarians, 276 (0.16%) Germans, and 17,741 (10.7%) people categorised as Yugoslavs or 'others'.

[46] In the census of 2011, the following settlements were recorded:[3] The city's population is divided into the following units of local administration:[47] Major institutions in the city include the Josip Juraj Strossmayer University of Osijek (established in 1975), the Croatian National Theatre, the Museum of Slavonia (established in 1877), and the printing house dating to 1735.

The city also has several gymnasiums, the oldest of which dates to 1729, a drawing school from the 19th century, a zoological garden, a centre for the promotion of livestock breeding, and an institute for sugar beet farming.

Other industries include a regional brewery, the Pivovara Osijek (first Croatian beer), a sugar processing plant, as well as a candy factory Kandit.

[51] These elections took place on 9 March 2008 and gave the HSP 9 councilors, the HDSSB 6, HDZ, 5, SDP, 3 and a coalition of HNS and two smaller parties 2.

Local dishes include traditional Slavonian-style specialities (kulen, paprika-flavoured sausage, other kinds of sausages, ham, bacon, dairy products), as well as boiled dumplings, venison, slavonski čobanac and fish dishes such as the famous riblji paprikaš (fish stew made with paprika).

A motorcycle speedway stadium existed in City Garden, immediately adjacent to the Gradski vrt, on the north side.

Osijek hosts an extreme sports contest called the "Pannonian challenge", which features competitions in skateboarding, inline skating, freestyle BMX and MTB dirt racing.

[60] Osijek hosted the 2017 Davis Cup World Group between Croatia and Spain at the Gradski vrt Hall in February 2017.

Osijek remains a popular domestic tourist destination for its Baroque style, open spaces and ample recreational opportunities.

From Osijek, it is possible to take the train and bus to numerous destinations including Zagreb, Rijeka, Požega, Virovitica, Našice, Slavonski Brod, Erdut, Vrpolje, Dalj and Đakovo.

[citation needed] Notable people who were born or have lived in Osijek include Matija Petar Katančić, an 18th-century Croatian writer, professor of archaeology, translator of the Bible into Croatian, and author of the first paper on archaeology in Croatia, Josip Juraj Strossmayer,[63] a Croatian Maecenas bishop, Franjo Šeper, Archbishop of Zagreb from 1960 to 1968, and Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith from 1968 to 1981, Francis, Duke of Teck, a German prince, sculptor Oscar Nemon, painters Adolf Waldinger and Bela Čikoš Sesija, musicologist Franjo Kuhač, violinist Franjo Krežma, musicians Miroslav Škoro, Branko Mihaljević and Krunoslav Slabinac, historian Ferdo Šišić, linguist Snježana Kordić,[63] TV journalist Vladimir Herzog, Hollywood producer Branko Lustig,[63] footballers Davor Šuker, Franjo Glaser and Borna Barišić, sport shooter Jasna Šekarić and tennis players Jelena Dokić and Donna Vekić.

Nobel Prize winners Lavoslav (Leopold) Ružička and Vladimir Prelog also lived in the city, as did meteorologist and seismologist Andrija Mohorovičić, mathematician and climatologist Milutin Milanković, and Mijo Kišpatić [hr], famous Croatian mineralogist and petrologist, first doctor of science (Ph.D.) in the field of natural sciences at the University of Zagreb.

Source[64] Osijek is twinned with:[65] Bjelovar, Bjelovar-BilogoraSlavonski Brod, Brod-PosavinaDubrovnik, Dubrovnik-NeretvaPazin, Istria Karlovac, KarlovacKoprivnica, Koprivnica-KriževciKrapina, Krapina-ZagorjeGospić, Lika-Senj Čakovec, MeđimurjeOsijek, Osijek-BaranjaPožega, Požega-SlavoniaRijeka, Primorje-Gorski Kotar Sisak, Sisak-MoslavinaSplit, Split-DalmatiaŠibenik, Šibenik-KninVaraždin, Varaždin Virovitica, Virovitica-PodravinaVukovar, Vukovar-SrijemZadar, ZadarZagreb, Zagreb