Lipovljani

The first historical records mentioning the town of Lipovljani date back to the 13th century. The town's landscape is adorned by two church towers—one belonging to the Roman Catholic Church of St. Joseph and the other to the Greek Catholic Church of St. Anne—as well as the central town park in Lipovljani, distinguished by century-old wild chestnut trees.

Interestingly, about one-quarter of the municipality of Lipovljani lies within the Lonjsko Polje Nature Park, while nearly one-third of its area is covered by forests and woodland.

Lipovljani is also known for its multiethnic and multicultural character. In the late 19th century, economic conditions and migration brought new residents to Lipovljani, including mainly Ukrainians, Slovaks, and Czechs, as well as Germans, Hungarians, and others.

Today, alongside the majority Croatian population, Lipovljani is home to 13 national minorities, with Ukrainians, Slovaks, and Czechs actively organized through cultural associations.

A witness to these migrations was the renowned Croatian forestry expert and realist writer Josip Kozarac, who lived and worked in Lipovljani as the head of the Lipovljani forestry office for 10 years, from 1885 to 1895. Inspired by the region, he wrote some of his most significant works, including the famous novel “Slavonian Forests”

An interesting fact is that about one-quarter of the municipality of Lipovljani lies within the Lonjsko Polje Nature Park, while nearly one-third of its area is covered by forests and woodland.

In honor of this renowned writer, the town of Lipovljani has been hosting the Josip Kozarac Days every March since 2013.

Additionally, the municipality of Lipovljani is the proud host of Lipovljanski susreti, the largest cultural and economic event celebrating the national minorities of the Republic of Croatia. This event takes place annually on the last weekend of August in the center of Lipovljani and has been a cherished tradition since 1974.

Today, the event features a rich program of cultural, entertainment, and economic activities and serves as the main manifestation showcasing the vibrant heritage and diversity of Lipovljani and the entire homeland.