Šapudl

The book was written during the Homeland War in 1991, when Pavličić published fragments in the magazine Republika about Šapudl Street in Vukovar, where he grew up. Šapudl, the name derived from the local word for "paw" or "heel", symbolizes this specific Vukovar street – a mixture of a multiethnic community, everyday life and urban culture of Slavonia.

The story takes place in the 1950s and 1960s, through the eyes of a young boy observing the world of his family and neighbors. Pavličić masterfully depicts Vukovar as a vibrant, multicultural metropolis – with Hungarian, Serbian, Croatian and German influences, shops, the Danube River and an industrial ambience. Childhood is colored by the joy of games, but also by the poverty of the post-war period, family relationships, school adventures and encounters with eccentric characters: a grandmother who cooks according to old recipes, a working father, neighbors who share stories. The book evokes the smells of baked bread, the sounds of street noise, and the warmth of community, but also hints at traces of historical traumas – from World War II to premonitions of future conflicts.

The emotional climax comes in the extended section, where Pavličić deals with the 1991 war and the urbocide over Vukovar. As a witness, he describes the city's destruction, losses, and post-war reconstruction, adding 50 pages about Vukovar to the present day: demographic changes, memorials, and the struggle to preserve its identity. Šapudl becomes a metaphor for the lost, yet resilient heart of Vukovar – a moving elegy for a homeland ravaged by war but preserved by memory.