Karlowitz Peace Treaty
This half-day historical tour of Sremski Karlovci provides visitors opportunity to learn the full history and reconstruction of the Karlowitz peace that greatly changed the ‘historical map’ of Europe…. This interesting event is performed in the Chapel of Peace of Sremski Karlovci and is accompanied by wonderful festive music of organs and flute played by reputed local musicians. After the historical lecture by highly knowledgeable historian narator, visitors get the special Certificate as a nice personal souvenir which confirms his/her committment to enure future global peace and a small kugloff cake prepared under the well-preserved recipe. It is possible to organize wine tasting with traditional brunch or lunch in order to experience the original taste and flavors of the best Fruska Gora wines…
The Karlowitz Peace Treaty is one of the most significant historical events of Europe, which concluded the 16-years long Great Turkish war, started by the siege of Wien, and waged between 1683 and 1698. The Karlowitz Peace Treaty was signed on 26 January 1699 by the members of the Holy Christian League – the Habsburg Monarchy, the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, the Republic of Venice and the Tsardom of Russia, and the Ottoman Empire, with mediators of the Dutch Republic and Kingdom of England. Negotiations prior to the Karlowitz Peace Treaty lasted for 72 days, during which the four delegations met 36 times. Great loses of the Turkish forces in the Battles of Wien in 1683 and Senta, 1695, forced the Ottomans to sit at the negotiation table and refrain themselves from the dream to conquer Europe.
The Chapel of Peace on the hill dominating today the town of Sremski Karlovci, where the Peace Treaty was signed between the Christian coalition and the Ottoman Empire, was built by Franciscans at the beginning of the 18th century, on the spot of the original large wooden log where the peace treaty was accomplished in 1699. The log originally had one entrance, so the other three additional entrances were added in order to make all delegations enter simultaneously, as representatives could not come to the agreement on which one would first have had the honor to enter the place. It was the first time in the international diplomacy that negotiations were carried on the round table, so that all delegations were fully equal, that ever since became regular everywhere in the world. The Karlowitz Peace Treaty was signed on the proposal of the Ottomans, on 26 January 1699, 15 minutes before the midnight, when the stars had the most suitable position, as per suggestion of the Turkish astrologists. The outcomes of the Karlowitz Peace Treaty were that Habsburgs obtained dominant power in the region – the majority of the Pannonian Plain, the Venetians received the large part of Dalmatia, the Kingdom of Poland recovered the Podolia Province in the present Ukraine, while the Ottomans took control over the territories south of the rivers of Sava and the Danube. Significance of the Karlowitz Peace Treaty is that the humiliating tribute cash collection practiced by the Ottomans for centuries was suspended, as well as the fact that the European powers united into the Holy League for the first time ever, due to their common aim. Although during the next 170 years the Ottomans ruled the areas of Hungary and Erdely, their power greatly declined in the next centuries and finally Ottomans retreated to the south without conquering Europe, while the Austrian colonials were granted the smooth trade within the territories of the Ottoman Empire….
Price per person : minimum 10 participants 17 EUR; minimum 11-20 participants 16 EUR; minimum 21-25 participants 15 EUR; 26+ participants 14 EUR
Wine tasting with traditional brunch : 10 EUR; 3 course traditional meal : 16 EUR
Price includes : classical music animation by professors of music; entrance fee for the Chapel of Peace in Sremski Karlovci; professional historical lecture by historian/professional tourist guide; special souvenir; small kugloff cake; support and logistics of Panacomp Wonderland Travel LCC Serbia
