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…towards the 100th anniversary of Adam and Eve’s departure from Međimurje

That Međimurje is a unique island between the Mura and Drava rivers is indicated by its present name, which stretches back to the past, like the old name Insulae Muro-Dravanae. It is worth highlighting that before the regulation (Hydroelectric powerplant (HE) Varaždin, HE Čakovec, HE Donja Dubrava) and deforestation (started among others by Feštetić family and, later, by Šumarija “Slavonija” d.d.) during the 19th and 20th centuries, this area was much richer in water and life. It wasn’t just the Mura and Drava that flooded the area, but also smaller waterways, the main ones being Trnava and Bistrec with their numerous channels. This area was home to many natural phenomena and events, from which folklore legends about lamplighters (posvečkar), white lady, forest and water beasts, forest witches, river maidens, dragons, and other mystical beings emerged.

Cantelli’s map of Croatia from 1690 – Isola della Mura e Zriniana

So, I playfully combine a few stories about this small yet densely populated region. I imagine how, back in the day, when asphalt was not even a concept, we patiently and slowly made our way through the narrow paths with a massive Međimurje horse through this flower garden of ours on the island. Or rather – the former pedunculate oak rainforest. One of these paths certainly led to Adam and Eve somewhere in Orehovica near the Drava. Although it sounds as though I am talking about biblical figures, I am actually talking about beings who inhabited and somehow sheltered this area for much longer. These names were given to two century-old giant oaks, which were cut down and sold and 1925 for regular timber. Their grandeur is evidenced by records and photo documentation. It tells us their trunks had a diameter of two meters, and based on the tree rings, they were estimated to be 500 years old.

Thanks to contemporary approaches, nine multi-century-old trees have been protected in Međimurje, starting in 1963 with a plane tree (also known as Platanus) in Nedelišće. The trees closest to the Drava River are a ginkgo in Donja Dubrava and an oak in Donji Vidovec, which were protected in 1995 as natural monuments in the category of individual trees. The golden ginkgo, a living fossil, was ironically planted in Donja Dubrava in the arboretum of the Hirschler family, who once engaged in timber resale, but also invested in both the development of local culture and the shaping of the horticulture of their estate. Interestingly, the oak in Donji Vidovec is named – Arpad, meaning strength, abundance, and persistence. This name is not accidental in the context of a tree that has survived centuries of landscape changes. In fact, each individual oak tree presents this with its impressive appearance. The symbolism of this tree species stretches far into the past. Many nations attribute it to divine capabilities.

Towards the contemporary era, with the advent of AI, it is estimated that the previously mentioned Adam, with his diameter, would reach a height of over 40 meters. That is roughly the height of a 13-story building! It leaves me flabbergasted to imagine a 40-meter, 500-year-old giant living through numerous historical events. And yet, just felled and sold… for beams, furniture, or just to make space for planting, unfortunately, the unprofitable corn.

Today, thanks to new scientific discoveries, such trees are being protected from felling. They are considered mother trees vital for preserving the health of the surrounding forest ecosystems. Even when they seem to be decaying, they are slow feeders of smaller organisms, gradually decomposing into the fundamental layer of life – a fertile humus soil. Such individual trees are essential for the entire life cycle in a forest, as they support diverse habitats – from birds in the canopy, to insects and fungi in the trunk, down to the soil layer that provides a fertile foundation for new life forms, starting with microorganisms essential for decomposition. This rich network of intertwined and interdependent lives leads to a broader and better understanding of the biodiversity of the Drava River landscape.

Looking at the red signal light on the roof of the control centre of the last hydroelectric plant, HE Dubrava, it leaves me wondering about how this area would look today if not for the regulations of the river, drainage, deforestation, and land repurposing. Were there as many mosquitoes back then? Perhaps not, assuming that greater biodiversity, especially amphibians and insectivorous birds, maintains a better natural balance.

In this area, as late as the 19th century, wolves roamed. Deforestation might be one of the reasons why that one so many other species are gone. The next interesting creatures I would like to highlight due to their age, rarity, sensitivity, and impressive appearance are:

Among the larger mammals that now inhabit the remaining 10% of Međimurje’s forests. It is worth mentioning the red deer (Cervus elaphus), roe deer (Capreolus capreolus), and wild boar (Sus scrofa). It is said that the wild boar allegedly dealt a mortal wound to Nikola Zrinski, the important ruler of Međimurje.

Although local people sometimes generalize and affectionately call all the river fishes “Drava fish”, actually 70 species of fish live here. 38 of which are endangered, and five are endemic. Among relics along the Drava, the aforementioned sturgeon can still be found, as well as the dark gudgeon (Umbra krameri), and the tamarisk (Myricaria germanica).

Through research and monitoring, it has been established that the Drava River excels in biodiversity. So much so that it is even compared to the Plitvice Lakes National Park. Specifically, the Drava River, a descendant of the ancient Pannonian Sea, starts at 1192 meters above sea level at Lake Dobiacco in South Tyrol, Italy, and initially flows as a mountain river through Austria and Slovenia. It then gradually descends into the lowlands of northern Croatia and neighbouring Hungary, meandering through loose soil and gravel, overflowing, eroding, and transporting material along its 749-kilometer-long banks. This natural dynamic, in various ways, enables the basic conditions for life for all “wild” species, including humans. Today, it is called  ecosystem services, however, it is in fact the naturally existing characteristics of the life cycles of organisms and phenomena in the environment, which result in

  • water purification,
  • maintenance of groundwater levels,
  • enrichment and stabilisation of soil,
  • creation of numerous microhabitats, and
  • increased species resilience.

The preservation of the river’s dynamic is why Croatia still boasts fresh water sources, favourable conditions for sustainable and ecological agriculture, and natural mechanisms for mitigating the consequences of extreme climate changes, such as floods and droughts.

The significance of the Drava River ecosystem is evident in the fact that many of its areas are protected at both national and international levels:

  • Drava Forest Park (85 ha),
  • Nature Monument of the Poplars in Drava Forest (1.5 ha),
  • Mura-Drava Regional Park (87 681 ha),
  • Special Ornithological Reserve Veliki Pažut (513 ha).

Since rivers are often also natural borders between regions and states, the parks and reserves extend across several administrative areas, further emphasizing the interconnectedness of the whole region.

Within the Međimurje region (total area 72 900 ha), additional protected areas include:

  • Zrinski Park in Čakovec (13 ha),
  • the Nature Monument Bedekovićeve Grabe (13 ha),
  • nine individual trees scattered from Sveti Urban to Donja Dubrava.
  • The Mura River (covering 14 437 ha) is further protected under the category of Significant Landscape. Serving as a natural border between Croatia, Slovenia, and Hungary, it forms the northern boundary of Međimurje and merges with the Drava River on the region’s eastern edge.

On the Hungarian side, the Drava River is safeguarded within the Danube-Drava National Park (50 441 ha), extending from the village of Őrtilos at Legradska Gora to Halászcsárda at the confluence of the Mura and Drava Rivers, and further connecting to the Kopački Rit Nature Park and the Upper Danube Special Nature Reserve at the mouth of the Drava into the Danube.

The cross-border Mura-Drava-Danube Biosphere Reserve (930 000 ha) between five countries—Austria, Slovenia, Croatia, Hungary, and Serbia—was protected by UNESCO in 2021 under the Man and Biosphere program. This is the first such protected reserve that is spread in-between five countries, and it is the largest river system area that is protected in Europe. This area is often called the “European Amazon” due to its vast, life-filled forests, willow groves, and numerous oxbow lakes. Although it cannot compete in size with the South American rainforest, it plays a key role in preserving biodiversity and providing ecosystem services. Floodplain meadows and forests protect settlements from floods and ensure clean drinking water for over 100 000 people. Moreover, the area is a habitat for many endangered species, including the black stork and the white-tailed eagle, as well as numerous other rare species.

From one single possible perspective – the human one – we can perceive and admire its “wildness”.  Along these lines, the painters of naive art, particularly from Podravina, have noticed and depicted the full colours of the Drava landscape and the details of the diverse life within it. Thus, the cultural and natural heritage of the Drava, although under continuous human intervention, is preserved through art and stories that continue to inspire new generations.

About the former coexistence of local people with this powerful and silent beauty—the Drava River—you can read in the previous article HERE, and explore more in the online Topotheque HERE. Searching for photographs in the Međimurje Topotheque with the key phrase “Filigran Drave” reveals intertwined scenes of former river branches of the Drava in the Međimurje area, which have not been published anywhere until now.

Unobtrusively, with respect, we can still witness miraculous moments: the night singing of the nightingale, a beaver swimming on its back with a twig in its mouth, clouds of fireflies, the relentless water rail striking fish on a branch to create waves, the “wedding dance” of the white-tailed eagle, the “manicure” of fish, and the “hairdresser” of the chrysomelid beetles. They are not giants like Adam and Eve, yet we are still able to enjoy these seemingly small scenes from the mosaic of the complex life around us. That gives hope that one day we will learn to coexist with other species, evolving alongside them, rather than watching them disappear forever.

Kristina Pongrac

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