MERIAN, MATTHÄUS: VIEW OF OSIJEK

The view consists of three parts. The view of the town of Osijek from the semibird's eye view and the defensive walls and numerous minarets and houses of the town are depicted in the upper third. The middle third shows the map of the wetland around the city, the Drava River and the plan of the city with all the fortresses. The lower third shows the arrangement of the Austrian Imperial Army which seized the city under the leadership of Charles of Lothringia in 1687. Croatian troops are on the far-right. Charles of Lothringia failed at winning Osijek on that occasion, but during the retreat he was struggling to defeat the Turkish troop under Suleiman Pasha who followed him, thus enabling Osijek to be conquered several months later. That victory sparked across Europe, as Osijek was a significant strategic place, and led to the printing of numerous descriptions, views and leaflets.