WEIGEL, JOHANN CHRISTOPH: OSIJEK

This sheet consists of two graphical representations placed in richly decorated frames of floral and drapery content. The top view is a pastoral scene with three fishermen working with their bare hands in a natural environment of the lowland landscape. The lower part is a miniature view of the fortified fortress of Osijek, observed from the bird's-eye view. In addition to the city ramparts, church towers are also emphasized. The town is fortified by thick city walls and stretched ravelins in several rows, and the only exit from the city is the great and impressive wooden bridge to Darda. The celebrated eight-kilometre bridge was built by Suleiman the Magnificent in 1566 when he was preparing to conquer Vienna. The first segment of the bridge, the access road from Osijek, is not clearly visible, but the bridge is being traced across the Drava, built on boats. Thanks to the bridge, Osijek experienced economic growth and was the most important city of Turkish Slavonia. In 1664, the bridge was burned by Croatian ban Nikola Zrinski. The bridge was rebuilt in just 3 months in a new place. Due to the re-invasion of Ottomans, in 1685, Count Jacob Lesle led the Austrian army to burn the bridge from the Osijek side. This resounded in Europe and a large number of descriptions and drawings of the bridge were created. Symbols in the form of three fish that "spout" large amounts of water at the top of the sheet emphasize the swampiness of the land and the significance of ecohistorical elements in the development of Osijek. The text in the drapery-shaped cartouche at the top of the sheet reads: Ubi propria deserttunda. The map is based on E. C. Heiss's template. The copper engraver was Weigel, and the map was published by Leopold Voigt’s publishing house.