The Life and Decline of a Planned Industrial Town

Abstract

This paper discusses the emergence, existence, and fate of a planned, systematic town in a passive region of the then Federal People’s Republic of Yugoslavia – later renamed to Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia – in the period after World War II. The author critically assesses the reasons for the creation and construction of a modern town at the locality of ​​Lički Osik in central Lika. The town was entirely dependent on and shared the same fate with the military industrial facility “Marko Orešković”, as it was built to support its production. Economic, social, and cultural ups and downs marked the half-century existence of this town, defining both its uncertain present and its promising future. Based on unpublished archival documents from that period, the author has reconstructed the reasons and modes of existence of the planned military enterprise as well as the associated town, which remains emblematic as an unrealistic and misunderstood economic development project in this part of Croatia.