Voćin


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.

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. It was conquered by Austrians during Great Turkish War in 1687.
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 [Voćin Voćin massacre|massacre (1942)|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:
Settlement1991200120112021
Bokane116192215136
Ćeralije284597623595
Dobrić644--
Donje Kusonje97455
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 censustotalCroatsSerbsYugoslavsothers
20211 8961784 90 -6
20112 3822 147 211 -24
20012 4212 069 315 -37
19911 569n/an/an/an/a

Population of the Voćin village by ethnicity:
Year of censustotalCroatsSerbsYugoslavsothers
2021956n/an/a-n/a
20111 1911097 79 -15
20011 161n/an/a-n/a
19911 569426 1 009 65 69
19811 558404 904 226 24
19711 489541 869 61 18

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.