Original scientific paper

Šoderica, My Vision (1938-1952)

Mira Kolar Dimitrijević orcid.org/0000-0002-6050-5700 ; Zagreb, Croatia

Abstract

Šoderica is an artificial lake created by exploitation of sand and gravel for civil engineering and construction purposes. Šoderica was building a mining company, but its exploitation depended on the intensity of construction. The exploitation had begun during the times of an aristocratic family of Inkey,
the owners of the lands there; however, mainly Jews from Bjelovar, Koprivnica and the Drnje developed
the operation of gravel extraction. They realized the lake potentials for tourism, as a safe swimming and
bathing location for wealthy citizens of Koprivnica, thus avoiding the swimming in dangerous and
treacherous waters of Drava river. In 1912, the gravel excavator modeled Lake Šoderica into one of the
most attractive bathing and swimming spots of this part of Croatia. Around 1935 Hitler’s Third Reich
first started purchasing tons of gravel and sand from Šoderica for building of their roads, a more extensive exploitation continued until 1941, with Šoderica as a main bathing area for the people of Koprivnica, Bjelovar and Križevci, when it came to a halt. It continued after the Second World War, this time with resort cottages around the lake, a weekend getaway resort and a place of mass tourism. Further increased gravel excavation helped even more in changing the character of the lake. Šoderica is no longer a place of absolute rest and contact with pristine natural beauty. My vision of Lake Šoderica and my own memories have merged with the existing literature for the periods 1938 to 1941, and again 1948 to 1952.

Keywords

Šoderica; economic history; tourism

Hrčak ID:

164800

URI

https://hrcak.srce.hr/164800

Publication date:

1.6.2016.

Article data in other languages: croatian

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