A postcard from Osijek, Slavonia

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When I arrived in Osijek it was still winter, which means very cold with snow in this part of Croatia. It was quiet, grey and the streets were empty. People did not come out if they did not need to, as if the city was hibernating. So let’s say it was not love at first sight. But then I saw the transformation to summer and it was amazing. Where were all these bicycles, nice terraces and vibrant colours before?
Osijek in winter
Osijek is a city hidden in the outmost Northeast of Croatia, often forgotten even by Croatians themselves. ‘Really?’, the receptionist of a hostel in Zagreb answered in disbelief when I told her I liked Osijek. She probably hoped to hear a decisive ‘no’ followed by praise for her own city, the capital. I was not so sorry to disappoint her. Several months earlier, this time in a hostel in Rijeka, the receptionist wondered why people in Slavonia do not use their lands to farm and thus climb up the economic latter (‘they are more primitive there, you know’). He obviously had never been in Slavonia and marvelled at the rapeseedfields (koolzaad/uljana repica in Dutch/Croatian, before you get any weird ideas), sunflowerfields and other crops that paint the Slavonian countryside in vivid colours.
Osijek in spring
I like to think of Osijek as a town in a city. It has all the infrastructure of a city, but without the crowds and frustrated drivers I know too well from a lifetime living in Belgium. The river, parks and many ice cream parlours offer a nice refuge from the heath during summer.
The rather grim reason for this reveals some of the economic troubles this region is going through. In about 20 years (1991-2011) about 20.000 people left the city and the number is still declining. It seems that everybody in Osijek has family members in other parts of Croatia or Europe: a brother in Zagreb, a sister in Dublin, an aunt in Germany. And let’s not forget the thousands of Croatians who go to work on the seaside during summer to serve tourists their cocktails and seafood dishes (I was one of them, very recently actually).
One result is that even people from Osijek are rather surprised when I tell them I like their city. Another is that they are very curious about why I am here. I am always quite relieved to tell them I am a volunteer and I did not come from Belgium to Croatia to work one of the rare, decent paid jobs here.

Please do not let the above fool you into thinking that Osijek is a dying city. It is very much alive; as a university city, as a cultural centre, as the cradle of different civil society organisations. It lies in the heart of the Balkan, at 250 km of 3 capital cities, without being too smug about it. Most importantly for me: the friendliest people in Croatia are found here, which made it fairly easy for me to make it my home for 6 months.

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