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Knin, Croatia

Julia Tompman

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In the 1st century BC in the near of today's Knin was the town Burnum, Illirian and Roman military camp.

Town of Knin is mentioned in 10th century in history of Constantine Porphyrogenitus as a center of parish. Croatian diocese was founded 1040 with jurisdiction extending to the Drava river, with the "Croatian bishop" at its head. It was also the capital of the medieval Croatian state around 1080 during the rule of king Zvonimir. Between the 10th and the 13th century, Knin was a notable military fort.

Its strategic position played an important role in many wars and power changes ? beginning with the Croatian rulers, then Hungarian kings of Croatia, the Venetians, Turks, to the Austrians and the French.

On May 29, 1522, the Knin fort fell to the Ottoman Empire, and Croatian folk left the town. Century and a half later, on September 11, 1688, it was captured by the Venetian Republic. After that, the Croatian population returned and the Franciscans built a monastery and a church in 1708.

Knin passed on to the Habsburgs together with Dalmatia in 1797, and briefly to the Illyrian Provinces of France. By the end of the 19th century, as a part of the Habsburg Kingdom of Dalmatia, Knin grows steadily, becoming important in commerce as the road and railway transportation centre. After the First World War Knin became part of Yugoslavia.

In the beginning of the Yugoslav wars of the 1990s, when Croatia seceded from Yugoslavia, Knin became the main stronghold of the rebel Serbs. When the self-styled Republic of Serbian Krajina was formed, Knin became its capital. The city was taken back by the Croatian forces on August 5, 1995 in the military Operation Storm (Oluja). This date is today marked as a national holiday (Victory day and Homeland thanksgiving day).