Voćin is a village and municipality in western Slavonia, Croatia, located southwest of Slatina and east of Daruvar. The population of the municipality is 1,911, with 956 people living in Voćin itself (census 2021).
Geography Voćin, a pilgrimage site, is located in a valley of the Voćinska Rijeka at the foot of Papuk Mountain. The surrounding area is notable for the Lisičine arboretum, the special Sekulinačke Planine forest vegetation reserve.
Climate Since records began in 1981, the highest temperature recorded at the local weather station was , on 24 August 2012. The coldest temperature was , on 9 February 2012.
History Voćin was first mentioned as "Achtyna" or "Othyna" in the 12th century. It was part of Verőce County and was known "Atyina". It was conquered by Ottoman Empire in 1543. During Ottoman rule, it was part of Sanjak of Pojega.https://repozitorij.unizg.hr/en/islandora/object/ffzg%3A7167/datastream/PDF/view Büyüktapu, Okan; Ottoman garrisons in western Slavonia (1550 - 1680), Doctoral thesis, University of Zagreb, 2022 It was conquered by Austrians during Great Turkish War in 1687.https://pozeska-biskupija.hr/2016/08/01/the-shrine-of-our-lady-of-vocin/ Church of Our Lady of Voćin
In the late 19th and early 20th century, Voćin was part of the Virovitica County of the Kingdom of Croatia-Slavonia. The church was destroyed during World War II and rebuilt in 1973.
Colonist settlement of Hum was established on the territory of the municipality during the land reform in interwar Yugoslavia.
During the World War II, on January 14, 1942, happened the first Voćin massacre - killing of 350 Serb civilians by the Croatian Ustaše. The massacre was carried out as retaliation for partisans' action in Papuk.
During the Croatian War of Independence, the village's was the site of a massacre by the Serb White Eagles, who killed 43 villagers, all but one of whom were ethnic Croats. A Serb civilian who tried to protect his neighbors was the other fatality. Overnight, between 13 and 14 December 1991, the village's 550-year-old late style gothic church of the Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary was destroyed by explosive charges. Following the withdrawal of the Serb forces and arrival of Croatian forces, crimes against the Serb civilian population who stayed behind took place, with some 40 villagers killed over the course of several days.
Demographics According to the 2021 census, the Voćin municipality had 1,911 inhabitants. The municipality consists of the following settlements: Settlement 1991 200120112021 Bokane116192215136 Ćeralije 284 597623595 Dobrić 64 4 - - Donje Kusonje 97 4 55 Đuričić892 - - Gornje Kusonje6936136 Gornji Meljani17212158 Hum2431029062 Hum Varoš61404724 Kometnik-Jorgići119582627 Kometnik-Zubići171172816 Kuzma25 - - - Lisičine1606 - - Macute286803319 Mačkovac75734733 Novo Kusonje48262215 Popovac432 - - Rijenci120753 Sekulinci2381672 Smude1034154 Voćin1,5691,2211,191956 Voćin municipality4,1522,4212,3841,911
Population of the Voćin municipality by ethnicity:
Year of census total Croats Serbs Yugoslavs others20211 8961784 (94.09%)90 (4.75%) -6 (0.3%) 2011 2 382 2 147 (90.13%) 211 (8.86%) - 24 (1.01%) 2001 2 421 2 069 (85.46%) 315 (13.01%) - 37 (1.53%) 1991 1 569 n/a n/a n/a n/a
Population of the Voćin village by ethnicity:Izdanje Državnog zavoda za statistiku RH: Narodnosni sastav stanovništva RH od 1880-1991. godine.
Year of census total Croats Serbs Yugoslavs others2021956n/an/a -n/a 2011 1 191 1097 (92.12%) 79 (6.63%) - 15 (1.26%) 2001 1 161 n/a n/a - n/a 1991 1 569 426 (27.15%) 1 009 (64.31%) 65 (4.14%) 69 (4.40%) 1981 1 558 404 (25.93%) 904 (58.02%) 226 (14.51%) 24 (1.54%) 1971 1 489 541 (36.33%) 869 (58.36%) 61 (4.10%) 18 (1.21%)
Politics Minority councils Directly elected minority councils and representatives are tasked with consulting tasks for the local or regional authorities in which they are advocating for minority rights and interests, integration into public life and participation in the management of local affairs. At the 2023 Croatian national minorities councils and representatives elections Serbs of Croatia fulfilled legal requirements to elect 10 members minority councils of the Municipality of Voćin.
See also Voćin massacre Voćin massacre WW2 on 14 January 1942 Church of the Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Voćin Rupnica
References
External links
Voćin, commune of Voćin