Bulwark of Europe is a project studying the early history of the Croatian and Slavonian Military Frontiers, covering the period from the 1550s until the Diet in Bruck an der Mur in 1578. The aim of the project is to bring the Military Frontier to wider audiences in an interesting and interactive way.
Bulwark of Europe was presented in 2023 at the 18th Museum Night in the Museum of Ivanić-Grad, and the exhibition can be viewed in digital format at the following link:
Discover how battles were fought on the Military Frontier
Fortresses and fortification architecture
More than a hundred fortresses are mentioned in the period between 1554 and 1578. Although some are forever lost to history, sources reveal information on others.
Primary sources
Military payrolls
Click here to access tables systematising the data found in the published military payrolls for the period between 1554 and 1586.
Extras
Click here to access maps which the team have used to locate fortresses, excerpts from the relevant literature and contemporary reports, reference lists, scientific articles and much more.
Explore how the border shifted over the years
Although large-scale offensives were few and rare, that does not mean they never happened – the best example is the fall of Pounje in 1577-1578.