Bjelovar is a city in central Croatia. It is the administrative centre of Bjelovar-Bilogora county. Bjelovar is one of the younger towns of Central Croatia, as it was first mentioned in 1413 and only gained importance when a new fort was built there in 1756. It was built on demand by empress Maria Theresa of Habsburgs. The initial role of the city was to defend central Croatia against the Ottoman invasions.