Vukovar had a good head start to success, simply because it was located on the Danube. Indeed, it still is the largest city from its country to be on the river. In 1918, Vukovar was part of a post-war geographic realignment that placed it in a nation that was soon to be known as Yugoslavia. The city saw some economic growth in that time period, thanks to some textile industries.
Then in World War II, Vukovar was bombed by the Allies. It fell under communist control after the war. By the late 1980s economic conditions had deteriorated. A 1991 conflict between Serbs and Croats developed, and a battle later in the year lasted for almost three months. The damage to the city was called the worst in Europe since World War II, and there are still signs of it around town. They are still struggling with the effects of that war in many ways, and it's difficult to see buildings still damaged from so many years ago.
It's easy to root for a city like this, which still has its charms. It feels good to go there, if only to help the economy there indirectly.
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