Osijek-Baranja County (pronounced [ôsijeːk bǎraɲa], Croatian: Osječko-baranjska županija, Hungarian: Eszék-Baranya megye) is a county in Croatia, located in northeastern Slavonia and Baranja which is defined part of the Pannonian Plain. Its center is Osijek. Other towns include Đakovo, Našice, Valpovo, Belišće, and Beli Manastir.
Contents
History
Osijek-Baranja County was established in 1992, with border changes in 1997.
Stifolder
The Stifolder or Stiffoller Shvove are a Roman Catholic subgroup of the so-called Danube Swabians. Their ancestors arrived ca. 1717 - 1804 from the Hochstift Fulda and surroundings (Roman Catholic Diocese of Fulda), and settled in the Baranja area, such as in Jagodnjak, etc. They retained their own German dialect and culture, until the end of WW2. After WW2, the majority of Danube Swabians were expelled to Allied-occupied Germany and Allied-occupied Austria as a consequence of the Potsdam Agreement.
Only a few people can speak the old Stiffolerisch Schvovish dialect. A salami is named after the people.
Administrative divisions
Politics
County Assembly
Following the 2025 Croatian local elections the Assembly of the Osijek-Baranja County was composed of 41 elected representatives. Out of a total of 233,684 eligible voters 94,407 (40.40%) participated in the elections and 94,3673 (40.38%) submitted their ballots. There were 89,515 (94.86%) valid and 4,852 (5.14%) invalid ballots.
The Croatian Democratic Union got 48,466 (54.14%) ballots and 24 elected representatives. The Social Democratic Party of Croatia in coalition with We Can! got 18,454 ballots (20.61%) and 9 elected representatives. The Home and National Rally in coalition with The Bridge, Croatian Sovereignists, Bloc Pensioners Together and Croatian Party of Rights got 8,983 ballots (10.03%) and 4 elected representatives.
Coalition of Croatian Democratic Alliance of Slavonia and Baranja, Croatian Peasant Party and Croatian Party of Pensioners got 5,723 ballots (6.39%) and 2 elected representatives which was the same number of representatives as in the case of the Coalition of Strength of Slavonia and Baranja, Croatian People's Party – Liberal Democrats, Republic and Croatian Peoples' Peasant Party which got 4,589 ballots (5.12%). Independent Democratic Serb Party got 3,300 ballots (3.68%) which was under the threshold to enter into the assembly.
In accordance with the Constitutional Act on the Rights of National Minorities in the Republic of Croatia in counties, cities, towns, and municipalities where the regular elections resulted in the underrepresentation of national minorities or ethnic Croats, additional elections were held on 5 October 2025. As Serbs of Croatia were underrepresented in the county assembly compared to their number in county's population they elected one additional representative from the Independent Democratic Serb Party. This increased the total number of elected representative to 42.
Minority councils and representatives
Directly elected minority councils and representatives are tasked with consulting tasks for the local or regional authorities in which they are advocating for minority rights and interests, integration into public life and participation in the management of local affairs. At the 2023 Croatian national minorities councils and representatives elections Albanians, Germans, Hungarians, Roma, Serbs and Slovaks of Croatia each fulfilled legal requirements to elect 25 members minority councils of the Osijek-Baranja County while Bosniaks, Macedonians, Montenegrins and Slovenes of Croatia electing individual representatives. Numerous municipalities, towns or cities in the county elected their own local minority councils as well.
Demographics
Several minorities in Osijek-Baranja County have their Minority Councils. Here is the list of minorities' Councils with links to their respective Statutes and name of Osijek-Baranja County in their language.
Bosniaks, Montenegrins, Macedonians, Rusyns and Slovenes have one representative each.
The Serbian Joint Council of Municipalities, consisting of Erdut, Jagodnjak and Šodolovci municipalities is active within the county.
Features
The Kopački Rit nature park is located within this county. Other notable attractions in the country include Đakovo Cathedral, Tvrđa, Bizovac spa, Đakovački vezovi, Osijek Zoo and Aquarium, Urban Fest Osijek, Red fićo in Osijek, Battle of Batina monument, Eastern Continental wine region and other.