The glorious past of Križevci can be attributed to its hard-working people, patriots, who had always thrived in their professions and jobs, even at the cost of pain and suffering.

The list of significant persons from Križevci presented on this web site is by no means final. On the contrary, there are many other talented individuals who contributed to the fame of the town by their devoted work.

There are several significant, though controversial, individuals who marked the Middle Ages at the time when Križevci was a major administrative center and the town in which State Assemblies were held. Men and women from Križevci had an important role in the 19th century National revival (the Illyrian Movement). In early 20th century lots of them made pioneering contributions to the fields of innovation, medicine, flying, acting, and today the town is also home to many talented, world-renowned artists.

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The town of Križevci spreads across an area of 263,72 km² and it is the second largest town in the Koprivnica-Križevci county. According to the 2001 census, there are 22,324 inhabitants in the area-11,541 of them in Križevci and 10,783 in the surrounding area. Its geographical position is: Latitude-46° 02’, Longitude-16° 32’. It lies at 146 m above sea level.

As a town of rich and diverse history it offers lots of interesting places to see. Among the most significant sights in "The Town of Eight Towers" are town chapels and churches, such as the Church of the Holy Cross, Church of St Ana and the Greek Catholic Cathedral, as well as the remains of the fortresses Veliki and Mali Kalnik on Kalnik Mountain near Križevci. Among the Modern-day sights the building of Hrvatski dom (Croatian National Hall) and the city cemetery attract visitors' attention, and the swimming pool graces the town center.

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There are few old monuments in Križevci because the town had been burnt almost to the ground several times in the past. The town itself is part of a protected cultural heritage, and a well preserved monument.

In 1935 Križevci was declared a Protected Cultural Heritage Monument. Over the centuries there were several great influences on the culture of the town related to its buildings, and of course the people who actively participated in cultural life of the town.

The most significant cultural event in Križevci during mid 19th century was establishing the Illyrian Library in 1838.

A private music school in Križevci has been functioning since 1813. A glee club named Zvono (Bell) was founded in 1863, followed by another contribution to the musical life of the town-founding of the Slavuj (Nightingale) glee club by a group of students of the College of Agriculture. An amateur theater company with 20 members is also worth a mention.

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Križevci is one of the oldest towns in central Croatia, situated at the southern foot of the Kalnik hill. Its Latin name, Crisium (Cris), is derived from the Croatian word "križ" (cross), not the Latin word crux. Its name is believed to be related to the ancient Church of the Holy Cross.

Still, according to another theory, the name of the town is related to its geographical position, since it had developed at the crossing of the important ancient roads: Koprivnica-Zagreb road (Via Colomani), a strategic road from Hungary towards the sea (Rijeka), and Varaždin - Jakobove - Srednice - Pakrac - Požega road.

Križevci has been identified as a town, and an urban center of the region, since ancient history, providing a broad range of facilities and services related to education system, culture, and religion.

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