Maksimir Pond

The strange mix of life around an urban pond seems utterly unnatural, and yet the often choked channels of water and waterfowl find ways to survive and even thrive in the harsh and unsettling soundscape of the city. Taking a seat on a bench you watch the birds play games of social dominance that decide who sits where and with whom, and you can't help wonder how similar your neighborhood seems. Maksimir is one of the neighborhoods of Zagreb, Croatia. It was named after the bishop Maksimilijan Vrhovac. In the early 7th century the Croats arrived in area of present-day Croatia. They organised the state into two dukedoms by the 9th century. Tomislav became the first king by 925 AD, elevating Croatia to the status of a kingdom. The Kingdom of Croatia retained its sovereignty for nearly two centuries, reaching its peak during the rule of Kings Peter Krešimir IV and Dmitar Zvonimir. In 1918, after World War I, Croatia was included in the short-lived State of Slovenes, Croats, and Serbs that declared independence from Austria–Hungary and co-founded the Kingdom of Yugoslavia. A Croatian state briefly existed during World War II as a fascist puppet state. After the war, Croatia became a founding member and a federal constituent of the Second Yugoslavia, a socialist state. In June 1991, Croatia declared independence, which came into effect on 8 October of the same year. The Croatian War of Independence was fought successfully during the four years following the declaration.