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Sremska Mitrovica

Sremska Mitrovica (Сремска Митровица, Sirmium) is a city in Serbia. It is situated on the left bank of the Sava river. , the city has a total population of 40,144 inhabitants, while its administrative area has a population of 72,580 inhabitants.

As Sirmium, it was a capital of the Roman Empire during the Tetrarchy of 4th century CE. Ten Roman emperors were born in or near this city, Emperors Herennius Etruscus (251), Hostilian (251), Decius Traian (249–251), Claudius Gothicus (268–270), Quintillus (270), Aurelian (270–275), Probus (276–282), Maximian (285–310), Constantius II (337–361) and Gratian (367–383).

Name
The modern town name is Sremska Mitrovica (Сремска Митровица). The Hungarian name was Szávaszentdemeter while in Croatian it is referred to as Srijemska Mitrovica.

Mitrovica stems from Saint Demetrius or "Sveti Dimitrije" in Serbian. Sremska Mitrovica means Mitrovica of Syrmia with Sremska distinguishing it from Kosovska Mitrovica.

The name of the city during the reign of the Roman Empire was Sirmium. Beginning in 1180 AD the name changed from "Civitas Sancti Demetrii" to "Dmitrovica", "Mitrovica", and finally to the present form - "Sremska Mitrovica".

Ancient Sirmium
Sremska Mitrovica is one of the oldest cities in Europe. Archaeologists have found a trace of organized human life dating from 5000 BC onwards. Ionian jewellery dating to 500BC was excavated in the city. When the Romans conquered the city in the 1st century BC, Sirmium already was a settlement with a long tradition. In the 1st century, Sirmium gained a status of a colony of the citizens of Rome, and became a very important military and strategic location in Pannonia province. The war expeditions of Roman emperors Trajan, Marcus Aurelius, and Claudius II, were prepared in Sirmium.

In 103, Pannonia was split into two provinces: Pannonia Superior and Pannonia Inferior, and Sirmium became the capital city of the latter. In 296, Diocletian implemented a new territorial division of Pannonia. Instead of previous two provinces, there were four new provinces established in former territory of original Pannonia: Pannonia Prima, Pannonia Valeria, Pannonia Savia and Pannonia Secunda. Capital city of Pannonia Secunda was Sirmium.

In 293, with the establishment of tetrarchy, the Roman Empire was split into four parts; Sirmium became one of the four capital cities of the Empire, the other three being Augusta Treverorum, Mediolanum, and Nicomedia (modern Trier, Milan and Izmit). During the tetrarchy, Sirmium was the capital of emperor Galerius. With the establishment of praetorian prefectures in 318, the capital of the prefecture of Illyricum was Sirmium.

Beginning in the 4th century, the city was an important Christian centre, and was a seat of the Episcopate of Sirmium. Four Christian councils were held in Sirmium. At the end of the 4th century, Sirmium was brought under the sway of the Goths, and later, was again annexed to the Eastern Roman Empire. In 441, Sirmium was conquered by the Huns, and after this conquest, it remained for more than a century in the hands of various Germanic tribes, such were Eastern Goths and Gepids.

For a short time, Sirmium was the center of the Gepide State and the king Cunimund minted golden coins in it. After 567, Sirmium was again incorporated into Eastern Roman Empire. The city was conquered and destroyed by Avars in 582. This event marked the end of the period of late Antiquity in the history of Sirmium.

11 luxurious golden belts of Avar handicraft dating to the 6th century was excavated in the vicinity.

After the Avar conquest
For the next two centuries Sirmium was a place of little importance. At the end of the 8th century, Sirmium belonged to the Frankish State. The historical role of Sirmium increased again in the 9th century, when it was part of the Bulgarian Empire. Pope Adrian II gave St Methodius the title of Archbishop of Sirmium. After having adopted Christianity, the Bulgarians restored in Sirmium the Christian Episcopate, having in mind old Christian traditions and the reputation this city had in the ancient world.

In the 11th century, Sirmium was a residence of Sermon, a duke of Syrmia, who was a vassal of the Bulgarian Samuil. After 1018, the city was again included into the Byzantine Empire, and since the end of the 11th century, Sirmium was a subject of a dispute between the Byzantine Empire and the Kingdom of Hungary, until 1180 when the Byzantine Empire gave up Sirmium, surrendering it to the Kingdom of Hungary. In the 11th century, a Byzantine province named Theme of Sirmium had its capital in this city. Emperor Basil II (976–1025) created administrative system in which Sirmium was a seat of strategos Serbias.

For a while, about 1451, the city was in possession of the Serbian despot Đurađ Branković. In 1521 the city came into Ottoman hands and it remained under the Ottoman rule for almost two centuries. According to Ottoman traveler Evliya Çelebi, Mitrovica had been conquered by the Bosnian sanjak bey Husrev-bey. It was renamed as "Dimitrofça".

The name of the mayor of the city was Dimitar and since the middle of the 16th century, the city was mostly populated with Muslims. According to the 1566/69 data, the population of the city was composed of 592 Muslim and 30 Christian houses, while according to the 1572 data, it was composed of 598 Muslim and 18 Christian houses.

According to the 1573 data, the city had 17 mosques and no Christian church. During the Ottoman rule, Sremska Mitrovica was the largest settlement in Syrmia, and was the administrative center of the Ottoman Sanjak of Syrmia. It was temporarily occupied by Austrian troops between 1688 and 1690. They finally took it in 1717 and took possession of it after signing Treaty of Passarowitz in 1718.

With the establishment of the Habsburg administration in 1718, the Muslim population fled from the city and was replaced with Serbian, Croatian, and German settlers. According to the 1765 data, the population of the city numbered 809 people, of whom 514 were Serbs and 290 Catholics.

Sremska Mitrovica was part of the Habsburg Military Frontier (Slavonian Krajina). In 1848–49, it was part of the Serbian Voivodship, a Serb autonomous region within Austrian Empire, but in 1849, it was returned under administration of the Military Frontier. With the abolition of the Slavonian Military Frontier in 1881, Sremska Mitrovica was included into Syrmia County, which was part of the Kingdom of Croatia-Slavonia within Austria-Hungary.

According to the 1910 census, the population of the city numbered 12,909 people, of which 8,793 spoke the Serbo-Croatian language (4,878 of those spoke Serbian and 3,915 spoke Croatian) and 2,341 German. The administrative area of the city (which did not included the city itself) had 32,012 inhabitants, of which 28,093 spoke Serbo-Croatian (27,022 of those spoke Serbian and 1,071 spoke Croatian) and 2,324 German.

After the First World War
In 1918, the Austro-Hungarian monarchy collapsed and the Syrmia region first became a part of the newly formed State of Slovenes, Croats and Serbs, and then, on 24 November 1918, the assembly of Syrmia in Ruma decided most of Syrmia (including Mitrovica) would join the Kingdom of Serbia.

Subsequently, on 1 December 1918, Kingdom of Serbia united with the Kingdom of Montenegro and the State of Slovenes, Croats and Serbs to form the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes (renamed to Yugoslavia in 1929). Between 1918 and 1922, Sremska Mitrovica was part of the Syrmia County, between 1922 and 1929 part of the Syrmia Oblast, between 1929 and 1931 part of the Drina Banovina, and, between 1931 and 1941, part of the Danube Banovina.

During World War II, the city was occupied by Axis troops and was attached to the Independent State of Croatia. During that time its name was changed to Hrvatska Mitrovica (meaning Croatian Mitrovica). One of the largest Nazi concentration/death camps in the Independent State of Croatia existed in Sremska Mitrovica and as many as 10,000 victims (Serbs, Jews, and antifascists) were killed here.

The Serbian Jewish population was to be interned in a concentration camp built first in Jarak and then at Zasavica. However, both locations proved to be too flooded for construction. The Germans had to abandon these locations and use Sajmište, which resulted in the destruction of 83% of Serbian Jewry.

In the Yugoslav wars in Sremska Mitrovica Prison, some Croatian prisoners of war were kept in this prison. The main prison facility; the largest known in Serbia, was open from November 1991 to August 1992 and was a scene where many prisoners were killed, tortured, abused and raped.

Beginning in 1944, the town was part of the Autonomous Province of Vojvodina within the new Socialist Yugoslavia and, from 1945, within the Socialist Republic of Serbia. From 1992 to 2003 it was part of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, which was then transformed into the state union of Serbia and Montenegro. Since the 2006 independence of Montenegro, Sremska Mitrovica is part of an independent Serbia.

Inhabited places

The city of Sremska Mitrovica includes the town of Mačvanska Mitrovica, and several villages. Villages on the northern bank of the river Sava, in the region of Syrmia:

 * Bešenovački Prnjavor
 * Bešenovo
 * Bosut
 * Čalma
 * Divoš
 * Grgurevci
 * Jarak
 * Kuzmin
 * Laćarak
 * Ležimir
 * Manđelos
 * Martinci
 * Sremska Rača
 * Stara Bingula
 * Šašinci
 * Šišatovac
 * Šuljam
 * Veliki Radinci

Villages on the southern bank of the river Sava, in the region of Mačva:

 * Noćaj
 * Radenković
 * Ravnje
 * Salaš Noćajski
 * Zasavica I
 * Zasavica II

Demographics
According to the 2011 census results, the city administrative area has a population of 79,940 inhabitants.

Ethnic groups
Most of the settlements in the city have an ethnic Serb majority. Stara Bingula is an ethnically mixed settlement with a relative Serbian majority. The main concentration of ethnic minorities is in the urban area of the city.

The ethnic composition of the city:

Religion
In 2002, the population of city of Sremska Mitrovica included 76,290 Orthodox Christians, 3,935 Roman Catholics, 252 Protestants and 106 Muslims. Orthodox Christians in Sremska Mitrovica are belonging to the Eparchy of Syrmia of the Serbian Orthodox Church. Catholics belong to the Diocese of Syrmia, which has its seat in Sremska Mitrovica.

Climate
Sremska Mitrovica has a humid subtropical climate bordering very closely on a humid continental climate (Köppen climate classification: Dfb) as well as an oceanic climate (Köppen climate classification: Cfb).

Economy
The following table gives a preview of total number of registered people employed in legal entities per their core activity (as of 2018):

Sport

 * KAF Sirmium Legionaries, an American Football club from Sremska Mitrovica. This is the first club of American Football in Serbia.
 * FK Srem, a football club from Sremska Mitrovica.
 * FK Radnički Sremska Mitrovica, a football club from Sremska Mitrovica.
 * KK Val, a canoe club from Sremska Mitrovica.

Roman emperors
Ten Roman emperors were born in the city and its environs:

 * Decius Traian (249–51)
 * Herennius Etruscus (251-51)
 * Hostilian (251-51)
 * Claudius II (268-270)
 * Quintillus (270)
 * Aurelian (270–75)
 * Probus (276–82)
 * Maximianus Herculius (285–310)
 * Constantius II (337–61)
 * Gratian (367–83)

The last emperor of the united Roman Empire, Theodosius I (378–95), became emperor in Sirmium. The usurpers Ingenuus and Regalianus also declared themselves emperors in this city (in 260) and many other Roman emperors spent some time in Sirmium including Marcus Aurelius who might have written parts of his famous work Meditations in the city.

Classical antiquity

 * Marcus Aurelius, Roman emperor (161-180), used Sirmium as a residence in between pannonian military campaigns 170-180
 * Maximinus, Roman emperor (235-238), ruled from residence in Sirmium.
 * Herennius Etruscus, Roman emperor (251), born in Sirmium.
 * Hostilian, Roman emperor (251), born in Sirmium
 * Decius Traian, Roman emperor (249-251), born in village Budalia near Sirmium.
 * Ingenuus, Roman emperor (260), proclaimed himself emperor in Sirmium.
 * Regalianus, Roman emperor (260), proclaimed himself emperor in Sirmium.
 * Claudius II, Roman emperor (268-270), born in Sirmium and spent most of his life there.
 * Quintillus, Roman emperor (270), born in Sirmium
 * Aurelian, Roman emperor (270-275), born in Sirmium.
 * Probus, Roman emperor (276-282), born in Sirmium.
 * Maximianus Herculius, Roman emperor (285-310), born near Sirmium.
 * Galerius, Roman emperor (305-311), ruled as Caesar during the Tetrarchy from residence in Sirmium (293-296).
 * Crispus, a Caesar of the Roman Empire. He was proclaimed Caesar in Sirmium in 317.
 * Constantine II, a Caesar of the Roman Empire. He was proclaimed Caesar in Sirmium in 317.
 * Vetranion, Roman emperor. Proclaimed himself emperor in Sirmium (in 350).
 * Constantius II, Roman emperor (337-361), born in Sirmium.
 * Gratian, Roman emperor (367-383), born in Sirmium.
 * Theodosius I the Great, Roman emperor (378-395). He became emperor in Sirmium.
 * Valerius Licinius, prefect of the Diocese of Pannonia with residence in Sirmium (308-314).
 * Aurelius Victor, prefect of the Pannonia Secunda province, wrote a History of Rome under the emperor Julian.
 * Leontius, prefect in Sirmium (426).

Middle ages

 * Cunimund, king of the Gepids with residence in Sirmium.
 * Sermon, duke of Syrmia (11th century).

Modern period

 * Mira Banjac, Serbian actress
 * Vaso Čubrilović, Serbian historian
 * Robert Frangeš-Mihanović, Croatian sculptor
 * Petar Gburčik, Serbian scientist
 * Nikola Hristić (1818–1911), Serbian politician
 * Branislav Ivanović, Serbian footballer
 * Siniša Kovačević, Serbian author
 * Petar Kralj, Serbian actor
 * Mileva Marić, Serbian scientist
 * Đorđe Marković Koder (1806–1891), Serbian writer
 * Dejan Milovanović, Serbian footballer
 * Stjepan Musulin, Croatian linguist and lexicographer
 * Milijana Nikolić, operatic mezzo-soprano
 * Boško Palkovljević Pinki, People's Hero of Yugoslavia
 * Veljko Petrović, Serbian poet
 * Igor Pisanjuk (1989), Canadian football player
 * Mirjana Puhar (1995-2015), Serbian - American model
 * Ilarion Ruvarac (1832–1905), Serbian Churchman and historian
 * Mara Švel-Gamiršek (1900–1975), Croatian writer
 * Dragana Tomašević, Serbian discus thrower
 * Zlatko Tomčić, Croatian politician
 * Slavko Vorkapić, Serbian-American film director and editor
 * Srđan Dinčić, Serbian stand up comedian and satirist

Twin towns – sister cities
Sremska Mitrovica is twinned with:
 * 🇧🇦 Banja Luka, Bosnia-Herzegovina
 * 🇭🇺 Dunaújváros, Hungary

title: Sremska Mitrovica


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Užice

Užice (Ужице, ) is a city and the administrative centre of the Zlatibor District in western Serbia. It is located on the banks of the river Đetinja. According to the 2022 census, the city proper has a population of 54,965. The City municipality of Užice (Градска општина Ужице) is one of two city municipalities (with the City municipality of Sevojno) which constitute the City of Užice. According to the 2022 census results, the municipality has 69,997 inhabitants.

Ancient era
The region surrounding Užice was settled by Illyrians, specifically the Parthini and the Celtic-influenced Autariatae tribes. Their tombs are found throughout the region. In the 3rd century BC, the Scordisci featured prominently after the Gallic invasion of the Balkans. The region was conquered by the Roman Empire in 168 BC, and was organized into the province of Illyricum in 32–27 BC and, after 10 AD, the province of Dalmatia. The Roman municipium (town) of Capedunum existed here during Roman times; its name indicates a Celtic origin (dun, fortress), similar to Singidunum, the founding name of Serbia's capital, Belgrade.

Middle Ages
The settlement of Slavs in the region has been recorded since the 520s, when Slavic tribes pillaged the Eastern Roman Empire; during Justinian I's rule (527–565), up to 100,000 Slavs raided areas far to the south of the city in Thessalonica. The region (Drina županija) was part of the Vlastimirović dynasty when they established the medieval Principality of Serbia, the first Serb state. Across the Drina, in Bosnia, the army of Časlav fought the invading Magyars in the 950s. The region was annexed by the Byzantine Empire after 969, becoming part of the Catepanate of Ras. Later, the area around the city became a part of the Theme of Sirmium.

The first historical record mentioning Užice by its name dates back to 1329. During the reign of the Serbian Emperor Stefan Dušan, Užice is mentioned as a fortress, under the rule of the Vojinović noble family. After the death of Emperor Dušan the Mighty, in the period known as the 'fall of the Serbian Empire', Užice came under the control of Vojislav Vojinović, a nobleman in the service of Emperor Uroš the Weak. When Vojislav died, his nephew Nikola Altomanović controlled the region. When Uroš died childless, the former Imperial provincial lords begin fighting each other. Serbian Autokrator Lazar Hrebeljanović and Tvrtko I of Bosnia defeated Nikola Altomanović, and divided his lands between themselves. Nikola was blinded in the fortress on the orders of Stefan Musić. Užice came under the control of Lazar, then the Serbian Despotate under his son Stefan Lazarević.

Ottoman period
Užice fell to the Ottoman Turks in 1463 and formed part of the Sanjak of Smederevo. It served as an important civilian and military locality for the Ottoman Empire, with the first Ottoman census in 1476-1478 listing Užice as a village. By the late 15th century, Ottoman authorities invested in the restoration of the local fortress and encouraged migration into Užice, turning the once village into a town. By the start of the 16th century, Užice became an administrative capital with a majority Turkish population. Local building's were erected in line with Ottoman architecture and a small Christian population lived in the mahallah of Carina. In 1690 during the Great Turkish War, Habsburg forces captured Užice and the city fell within the realms of Habsburg-occupied Serbia. The Great Turkish War and subsequent retreat of Habsburg forces uprooted the local Serbian population, with much of the Serbian population leaving Užice as part of the Great Migrations of the Serbs. During the Serbian Revolution, Užice fell to rebel forces; however, the city was recaptured by Ottoman forces in 1813. In 1844, the demographic makeup of the city consisted of 3,695 Turks and 707 Serbs, with the city housing one Serbian Orthodox church and 35 Islamic mosques. Between 1875 and 1877 during the Herzegovina uprising, Užice served as the main refuge site for Serbs fleeing Herzegovina. This mass migration, coupled with the mass emigration of the local Turks significantly changed the ethnic makeup of the town.

Modern Serbia
Užice was the first town in Serbia and one of the first towns in Europe with a hydroelectric power plant producing alternating current. It was built on the Đetinja river in 1900. In 1913, the first railway line was constructed into Užice, connecting the town to the Belgrade-Niš railway, via Stalać. In 1925, the railway was extended to Višegrad, connecting Belgrade to the Adriatic Sea.

World War II
In 1941, after Nazi occupation, Užice was liberated by the Yugoslav Partisans, who chose it as the capital of the Republic of Užice. This republic was a short-lived military mini-state that existed in the autumn of 1941 in the western part of Nazi-occupied Serbia.

The Republic of Užice comprised most of western Serbia, with a population of more than 300,000 people. It was located between the Skrapež river in the north, the river Drina in the west, the river Zapadna Morava in the east, and the Uvac river in the south.

In November 1941, the German army re-occupied this territory, and the majority of Partisan forces escaped to Bosnia, Raška and Montenegro.

In 1974, the Yugoslavian film Ужичка република in Serbian or in English as the Guns of War was released documenting the first offensive in the Great Patriotic War against fascism and follows the Spanish soldier and fervent communist Boro as he organizes a partisan uprising in western Serbia that later establishes itself into the Ужицк Республика, Užička Republika, or the Republic of Užice which lasted 67 days from 24 September to 29 November 1941 (de facto until 1 December 1941) and the defeat of its forces at the battle on Kadinjaca.

Yugoslav era
Within the former Yugoslavia (established after the Second World War), Užice was renamed 'Titovo Užice' (Титово Ужице). From 1992, following the collapse of the pro-communist administration, 'Titovo' (meaning Tito's) was removed, leaving the original city name Užice. It was one of eight towns renamed Tito's town in Yugoslavia. Due to being 'Titove' and central-planning communist system, Užice received significant amounts of investment in infrastructure and local factories, which made the city one of the most highly developed for its size in former Yugoslavia. Following the break-up of the region, all the towns dropped the 'Titove' title.

1990s
During the 1990s, Užice's economy shrank rapidly due to war and instability in the region.

In 1999 the city was bombed multiple times during Operation Allied Force. The largest scale bombing occurred on May 6, 1999, when NATO forces bombed many roads and highways, the airport, civilian buildings and government buildings. After this, thousands of people turned out at the city's main square to protest the bombings and destruction of the city and killings of civilians.

Geography
Užice lies 411 m above sea level, on both sides of the river Đetinja. The city is completely surrounded by the Dinaric Alps. 25 km south of the city is Zlatibor, a mountain region with a long tradition of tourism.

West of the city are the mountain Tara as well as its western extension, Zvijezda mountain. Together, they mark Tara National Park, which has an area of 220 km².

The Belgrade-Bar railway passes through Užice and connects it with both the northern parts of Serbia and the Montenegrin coast. Užice has a fairly developed transportation infrastructure, connected with the surrounding areas by state roads of the first order.

Climate
Užice has a humid continental climate (Köppen climate classification: Dfb) approaching an oceanic climate (Köppen climate classification: Cfb).

Demographics
According to the 2011 census results, Užice has a total population of 78,040 inhabitants.

Ethnic groups
The ethnic composition of the city:

Municipalities and settlements
The City of Užice consists of two city municipalities: Užice and Sevojno. In 2013, the city municipality of Sevojno, located 5 km east of Užice, was established. , it has 7,101 inhabitants of 78,040 which live in the City of Užice. List of the settlements in the City of Užice (population per 2011 census given in brackets):
 * City municipalities
 * Settlements

Economy
Užice has historically been a relatively well developed city. In 1981, Užice's GDP per capita was 157% of the Yugoslav average. In 1990, Užice had 17,000 manufacturing workers; as of 2018, the number of manufacturing workers is around 7,000. Among the large companies that did not survive the international sanctions of Serbia during the 1990s and did not survive the economic transition following the breakup of Yugoslavia are the textile manufacturers 'Froteks' and 'Desa Petronijević', the market chain 'Gradina', the printing company 'Dimitrije Tucović', the transport company 'Raketa', and other manufacturing companies like 'Fasau', 'Kotroman' and 'Tvrdi Metal'.

Regardless, the modern city has a developing textile, leather, machine and metal industry. Most companies have factories on the outskirts of the city due to good communication connections, given the close proximity of the main highway, railroad and airport. Ponikve Airport is currently under reconstruction, and as a result cargo airlines will mostly use it for transporting goods. The airport management confirmed interest in low cost, scheduled and chartered airlines.

As of September 2017, Užice has one of 14 free economic zones established in Serbia.

As of 2018, the largest companies operating in the city of Užice are Prvi Partizan (ammunition), Impol Seval Sevojno (aluminum mill), Valjaonica bakra Sevojno (copper mill), MPP Jedinstvo Sevojno (construction) and Putevi Užice (construction).

The following table gives a preview of total number of registered people employed in legal entities per their core activity (as of 2019):

Society and culture
The library and theatre are in the main square in the city centre. Also located in the area are newspaper agencies, radio and television stations and publishing companies. The city gallery is in the lowlands of Pašinovac, the oldest area of the city. The national museum displays cultural and historical treasures of the city, and with its exhibitions, shows the centuries of rich Užice history. It is located on the Eastern side of the main city street.

The Gymnasium of Užice is one of the oldest secondary school institutions in Serbia. Aside from the gymnasium, there are also several other primary and secondary schools and faculties located in Užice.

Milutin Uskoković, writer from Užice, was described as the author of the first modern novel in Serbia.

The locals, Užicans (Ужичани, Užičani), have their own traditional costume, and folk music; the sound of which is transitional between the music of Šumadija (central Serbia) and Bosnia and Herzegovina. They speak a Neo-Štokavian Užican dialect, originally with Ijekavian pronunciation.
 * Uvac Monastery

Architecture
Some distinctive buildings in Užice are:
 * The Old Town-fortress, 14th-century fortress
 * St. George's Cathedral
 * St. Marks' Church
 * White Church, Karan
 * The Building of the City of Užice
 * Užička gimnazija (The Užican Gymnasium)
 * Jokanovića kuća (The home of the Jokanovićs, one of the oldest buildings in Užice)

Media
Užice is turning into the regional media centre of western Serbia.
 * TV stations: TV5 Užice
 * Radio stations: Radio Užice, Radio 31, Radio Luna, Radio San
 * Newspapers: Vesti, Užička nedelja

Twin towns / sister cities
Užice is twinned with:
 * 🇮🇹 Cassino, Italy
 * 🇷🇺 Kursk, Russia
 * Veria, Greece
 * Ljutomer, Slovenia
 * 🇨🇳 Harbin, China (2018)

Notable people

 * Politicians

 * Ljubomir Kaljević (1841–1907), former Prime Minister of Serbia
 * Nikola Ljubičić (1916–2005), national hero, General of the Army, Defence minister, President of the Presidency of Serbia, born in Karan (Užice municipality)
 * Slobodan Penezić Krcun (1918–1964), national hero, Interior minister
 * Dragoljub Ojdanić (1941–2020), former Chief of the General Staff and Defence minister, convicted of deportation and forcible transfers by the ICTY, born in Ravni (Užice municipality)
 * Nataša Mićić (b. 1965), MP, former President of the National Assembly of Serbia and acting President of Serbia
 * Nikola Selaković (b. 1983), Minister of Justice and Public Administration

 * Sportspeople

 * Milovan Đorić (b. 1945), football coach and former footballer, born in Bioska (Užice municipality)
 * Milan Radović (b. 1952), former footballer, Yugoslav First League top goalscorer (1980–81)
 * Ognjen Čančarević (b. 1989), Serbo-Armenian footballer, goalkeeper
 * Srboljub Stamenković (1956–1996), former footballer
 * Vladan Vićević (b. 1967), football coach and former Salvadoran international footballer
 * Zoran Njeguš (b. 1973), football coach and former footballer
 * Radiša Ilić (b. 1977), former footballer
 * Nemanja Vidić (b. 1981), Serbia international footballer, winner of 5 Premier League titles and the UEFA Champions League (2008) with Manchester United
 * Miloš Marić (b. 1982), Serbia and Montenegro international footballer
 * Nenad Novaković (b. 1982), footballer
 * Branimir Petrović (b. 1982), footballer
 * Filip Arsenijević (b. 1983), footballer
 * Filip Kasalica (b. 1988), Montenegro international footballer
 * Miroslav Radošević (b. 1973), former basketball player
 * Nikola Otašević (b. 1982), basketball player
 * Milovan Raković (b. 1985), basketball player
 * Dušan Katnić (b. 1989), basketball player, U19 world champion (2007)
 * Vesna Čitaković (b. 1979), volleyball player
 * Nataša Krsmanović (b. 1985), volleyball player, European champion (2011)
 * Ana Antonijević (b. 1987), volleyball player
 * Tijana Malešević (b. 1991), volleyball player, World (2018) and European champion (2011), Olympic medalist (2012)
 * Olivera Jevtić (b. 1977), long-distance runner
 * Mirko Petrović (b. 1981), middle and long-distance track athlete
 * Andrija Zlatić (b. 1978), sports shooter, two-time European champion, two-time World vice-champion and Olympic medalist (2012)

 * Others

 * Panta Draškić (1881–1957), army general
 * Rudolph Reti (1885–1957), musical analyst, composer, pianist
 * Ljubica Čakarević (1894—1980), WWI combatant, heroine
 * Vladimir Anić (1930–2000), Croatian linguist
 * Ljubomir Simović (b. 1935), poet and writer
 * Đorđe Prudnikov (1939–2017), Russo-Serbian painter, graphic artist and designer
 * Steve Tesich (1942–1996), born Stojan Tešić, Serbian-American screenwriter, playwright and novelist, Academy Award winner for Best Original Screenplay (1979)
 * Ljubomir Ljubojević (b. 1950), chess Grandmaster
 * Milivoje Kostic (b. 1952), Serbian-American thermodynamicists and professor emeritus of mechanical engineering at Northern Illinois University
 * Oliver Mandić (b. 1953), rock musician, composer and producer
 * Goran Daničić (1962–2021), actor
 * Ivan Bosiljčić (b. 1979), actor

license: Creative Commons - Attribution Share-Alike - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

title: Užice


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Vranje

Vranje (Врање, ) is a city in Southern Serbia and the administrative center of the Pčinja District. The municipality of Vranje has a population of 74,381 and its urban area has 55,214 inhabitants.

Vranje is the economical, political and cultural centre of the Pčinja District in Southern Serbia. It was the first city from the Balkans to be declared UNESCO city of Music in 2019. It is located on the Pan-European Corridor X, close to the borders with North Macedonia and Bulgaria. The Serbian Orthodox Eparchy of Vranje is seated in the city, as is the 4th Land Force Brigade of the Serbian Army.

Etymology
The toponym Vranje is first attested in an 11th-century Byzantine text. The town's name is believed to be derived from vran, a word of Slavic origin meaning swarthy or dark, or the archaic Slavic given name Vran, which itself is derived from the same word.

History
The Romans conquered the region in the 2nd or 1st centuries BC. Vranje was part of Moesia Superior and Dardania during Roman rule. The Roman fortresses in the Vranje region were abandoned during the Hun attacks in 539–544 AD; these include the localities of Kale at Vranjska Banja, Gradište in Korbevac and Gradište in Prvonek.

During the Middle Ages, in the 9th-11th centuries, the territory of modern-day Vranje was a part of Bulgaria.

The first written mention of Vranje comes from Byzantine chronicle Alexiad by Anna Comnena (1083–1153), in which it is mentioned how Serbian ruler Vukan in 1093, as part of his conquests, reached Vranje and conquered it, however only shortly, as he was forced to retreat from the powerful Byzantines. The city name stems from the Old Serbian word vran ("black"). The second mention is from 1193, when Vranje was temporarily taken by Serbian Grand Prince Stefan Nemanja from the Byzantines. Vranje definitely entered the Serbian state in 1207 when it was conquered by Grand Prince Stefan Nemanjić.

Some time before 1306, tepčija Kuzma was given the governorship of Vranje (a župa, "county", including the town and neighbouring villages), serving King Stefan Milutin. At the same time, kaznac Miroslav held the surroundings of Vranje. Next, kaznac Baldovin (fl. 1325–45) received the province around Vranje, serving King Stefan Dečanski. Next, župan Maljušat, Baldovin's son, held the župa of Vranje. By the time of the proclamation of the Serbian Empire, holders with the title kefalija are present in Vranje, among other cities. During the fall of the Serbian Empire, Vranje was part of Uglješa Vlatković's possessions, which also included Preševo and Kumanovo. Uglješa became a vassal of Serbian Despot Stefan Lazarević after the Battle of Tripolje (1403); Vranje became part of Serbian Despotate. The medieval župa was a small landscape unit, whose territory expanded with creation of new settlements and independence of hamlets and neighbourhoods from župa villages and shepherd cottages. Good mercantile relations with developing mine city Novo Brdo led to creation of numerous settlements. In 1455, Vranje was conquered by the Ottoman Empire, amid the fall of the medieval Serbian state. It was organized as the seat of a kaza (county), named Vranje, after the city and the medieval župa. In the mid-19th century, Austrian diplomat Johann Georg von Hahn stated that the population of Vranje kaza was six-sevenths Bulgarian and one-seventh Albanian, while the city population consisted of 1,000 Christian-Bulgarian families, 600 Albanian-Turkish and 50 Romani. The urban Muslim population of Vranje consisted of Albanians and Turks, of which a part were themselves of Albanian origin.

Vranje was part of the Ottoman Empire until 1878, when the town was captured by the Serbian army commanded by Jovan Belimarković. During the Serbian–Ottoman War (1876–1878) most of the Muslim population of Vranje fled to the Ottoman vilayet of Kosovo while a smaller number left after the conflict. The city entered the Principality of Serbia, with little more than 8,000 inhabitants at that time. The only Muslim population permitted to remain after the war in the town were Serbian speaking Muslim Romani of whom in 1910 numbered 6,089 in Vranje. Up until the end of the Balkan Wars Vranje had a special position and role, as the transmissive station of Serbian state political and cultural influence on Macedonia.

In the early 20th century, Vranje had around 12,000 inhabitants. As a border town of the Kingdom of Serbia, it was used as the starting point for Serbian guerrilla (Chetniks) who crossed into Ottoman territory and fought in Kosovo and Macedonia. In World War I, the main headquarters of the Serbian army was in the town. King Peter I Karađorđević, Prime Minister Nikola Pašić and the chief of staff General Radomir Putnik stayed in Vranje. Vranje was occupied by the Kingdom of Bulgaria on 16–17 October 1915, after which war crimes and Bulgarisation was committed on the city and wider region. After the war, Vranje was part of the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes in one of the 33 oblasts; in 1929, it became part of the Vardar Banovina. During World War II, Nazi German troops entered the town on 9 April 1941 and transferred it to Bulgarian administration on 22 April 1941. Vranje was liberated by the Yugoslav Partisans on 7 September 1944.

During Socialist Yugoslavia, Vranje was organized into the Pčinja District. In the 1960s and 1970s it was industrialized. During the 1990s, the economy of Vranje was heavily affected by the sanctions against Yugoslavia and the 1999 NATO bombing of Yugoslavia.

Geography
Vranje is situated in the northwestern part of the Vranje basin, on the left waterside of the South Morava.

Vranje is at base of the mountains Pljačkovica (1,231 m), Krstilovice (1,154 m) and Pržar (731 m). The Vranje river and the city are divided by the main road and railway line, which leads to the north Leskovac (70 km), Niš (110 km) and Belgrade (347 km), and, to the south Kumanovo (56 km), Skopje (91 km) and Thessalonica (354 km). It is 70 km from the border with Bulgaria, 40 km from the border with North Macedonia.

Vranje is the economical, political, and cultural centre of the Pčinja District in South Serbia. The Pčinja District also includes the municipalities of Bosilegrad, Bujanovac, Vladičin Han, Preševo, Surdulica, and Trgovište. It is located on the Pan-European Corridor X.

Demographics
The city population has been expanded by Yugoslav-era settlers and urbanization from its surroundings. Serb refugees of the Yugoslav Wars (1991–95) and the Kosovo War (1998–99), especially during and following the 1999 NATO bombing of Yugoslavia, as well as emigrants from Kosovo in the aftermath of the latter conflict have further increased the population.

According to the 2022 census results, there are 74,381 inhabitants in the city of Vranje.

Ethnic groups
The ethnic composition of the city administrative area (2011 census):

Municipalities and settlements
The city of Vranje consists of two city municipalities: Vranje and Vranjska Banja. Their municipal areas include the following settlements:

 * Municipality of Vranje:

 * Aleksandrovac
 * Barbarušince
 * Barelić
 * Beli Breg
 * Bojin Del
 * Bresnica
 * Buljesovce
 * Buštranje
 * Crni Lug
 * Čestelin
 * Ćukovac
 * Ćurkovica
 * Davidovac
 * Dobrejance
 * Donja Otulja
 * Donje Punoševce
 * Donje Trebešinje
 * Donje Žapsko
 * Donji Neradovac
 * Dragobužde
 * Drenovac
 * Dubnica
 * Dulan
 * Dupeljevo
 * Golemo Selo
 * Gornja Otulja
 * Gornje Punoševce
 * Gornje Trebešinje
 * Gornje Žapsko
 * Gornji Neradovac
 * Gradnja
 * Gumerište
 * Katun
 * Klašnjice
 * Koćura
 * Kopanjane
 * Kruševa Glava
 * Krševica
 * Kupinince
 * Lalince
 * Lepčince
 * Lukovo
 * Margance
 * Mečkovac
 * Mijakovce
 * Mijovce
 * Milanovo
 * Milivojce
 * Moštanica
 * Nastavce
 * Nova Brezovica
 * Oblička Sena
 * Ostra Glava
 * Pavlovac
 * Pljačkovica
 * Preobraženje
 * Ranutovac
 * Rataje
 * Ribnice
 * Ristovac
 * Roždace
 * Rusce (Vranje)
 * Sikirje
 * Smiljević
 * Soderce
 * Srednji Del
 * Stance
 * Stara Brezovica
 * Strešak
 * Stropsko
 * Struganica
 * Studena
 * Surdul
 * Suvi Dol
 * Tesovište
 * Tibužde
 * Trstena
 * Tumba
 * Urmanica
 * Uševce
 * Viševce
 * Vlase (Vranje)
 * Vranje
 * Vrtogoš
 * Zlatokop

 * Municipality of Vranjska Banja:

 * Babina Poljana
 * Bujkovac
 * Crni Vrh
 * Duga Luka
 * Izumno
 * Klisurica
 * Korbevac
 * Korbul
 * Kriva Feja
 * Kumarevo (Vranje)
 * Leva Reka
 * Lipovac
 * Nesvrta
 * Panevlje
 * Prvonek
 * Prevalac
 * Sebevranje
 * Slivnica
 * Stari Glog
 * Toplac
 * Vranjska Banja

Culture
Vranje was an important Ottoman trading site. The White Bridge is a symbol of the city and is called "most ljubavi" (lovers' bridge) after the tale of the forbidden love between the Muslim girl Ajša and Christian Stojan that resulted in the father killing the couple. After that, he built the bridge where he had killed her and had the story inscribed in Ottoman Arabic. The 11th-century Markovo Kale fortress is in the north of the city. The city has traditional Balkan and Ottoman architecture.

The well-known theater play Koštana by Bora Stanković is set in Vranje.

Vranje is famous for its popular old music. The best known music is from the theater piece with music, Koštana, by Bora Stanković. This original music style has been renewed recently by taking different, specific, and more oriental form, with the contribution of rich brass instruments. It is played particularly by the Vranje Romani people.

Vranje is the seat of Pčinja District and, as such, is a major center for cultural events in the district. Most notable annual events are Borina nedelja, Stari dani, Dani karanfila (in Vranjska Banja), etc.

Vranje lies close to Besna Kobila mountain and Vranjska Banja, locations with high potential that are underdeveloped. Other locations in and around Vranje with some tourist potential include Prohor Pčinjski monastery, Kale-Krševica, Markovo kale, Pržar, birth-house museum of Bora Stankovic.

Largest hotels are Hotel Vranje, near the center and Hotel Pržar overlooking the city and the valley. The city has traditional Serbian cuisine as well as international cuisine restaurants and many cafes and bars.

Culture institutions

 * National Museum (in former Pasha's residence, built in 1765)
 * Youth Cultural Centre
 * National Library
 * Centre for Talents
 * Theater "Bora Stanković"
 * Tourist organization of Vranje

Sport
The city has one top-flight association football team, Dinamo Vranje.

Economy
Vranje is located in southern Serbia, on Corridor X near the border with North Macedonia and Bulgaria. The distance from Thessalonica international harbor is 285 km; distance from the international airports of Skopje and Niš are 90 km. Vranje has a long tradition of industrial production, trade, and tourism and is rich in natural resources, such as forests and geothermal resources.

Until the second half of the 20th century Vranje was a craftsman town. The crafts included weaving, water-milling, and carriages craft. With the beginning of industrialization in the 1960s, many of these crafts disappeared. In those years, many factories were opened, such as the Tobacco Industry of Vranje (Дуванска индустрија Врање), Simpo, Koštana (shoe factory), Yumco (cotton plant), Alfa Plam (technical goods), SZP Zavarivač Vranje and others.

The most common industries in the city of Vranje are timber industry, clothing, footwear and furniture, food and beverages, agricultural, textile industry, chemical industry, construction industry, machinery and equipment, and business services. There are more than 2,500 small- and medium-size companies. To potential investors there are industrial sites, with plan documents and furnished infrastructure. Among the companies with business locations in the city are British American Tobacco, Simpo, Sanch, Mladenovic D.O.O, Kenda Farben, Danny style, OMV and Hellenic Petroleum.

As of September 2017, Vranje has one of 14 free economic zones established in Serbia.

As of 1961, there were 1,525 employees; in 1971, there were 4,374 employees; and in 1998, there were 32,758 employees. Following the breakup of Yugoslavia, and due to sanctions imposed on FR Yugoslavia during the rule of Slobodan Milošević, the number of employees began to drop; factories which employed a large number of people closed, among whom are Yumco and Koštana. As of 2010, there were only 18,958 employed inhabitants and 7,559 unemployed. As of 2010, the city of Vranje has 59,278 available workers. In 2010, the City Council passed the "Strategy of sustainable development of the city of Vranje from 2010 to 2019," for the achievement of objectives through a transparent and responsible business partnership with industry and the public.
 * Historical statistics

As of 2020, a total of 24,509 people were employed. A total of 5,921 people (19.46%) were unemployed.

The following table gives a preview of total number of registered people employed in legal entities per their core activity (as of 2020):
 * Economic preview

Notable people

 * Borisav Stanković (1876–1927), Serbian writer
 * Justin Popović (1894–1979), theologian and philosopher

Twin towns – sister cities
The city of Vranje is twinned with:
 * 🇵🇱 Nowy Sącz, Poland, since 2002
 * Kavala, Greece, since 2009
 * Leposavić, Kosovo

title: Vranje


text:
Vršac

Vršac (Вршац, ; Versec; Vârșeț) is a city in the autonomous province of Vojvodina, Serbia. As of 2022, the city urban area had a population of 31,946, while the city administrative area had 45,462 inhabitants. It is located in the geographical region of Banat.

Etymology
The name Vršac is of Serbian origin, ultimately deriving from Proto-Slavic *vьrxъ, meaning "summit".

In Serbian, the city is known as Вршац or Vršac, in Romanian as Vârșeț, in Hungarian as Versec or Versecz, in German as Werschetz, and in Turkish as Virşac or Verşe.

History
The uniqueness of Vršac is reflected in the fact that it has been inhabited since the dawn of the first cultures. Thus, the oldest traces of human presence in Banat originate precisely from Vršac, since individual finds of Paleolithic flint tools from the middle and younger Paleolithic, Mousterian and Aurignacian cultures were found on the slopes of the Vršac Mountains. The collection of over 5,000 finds from this period constitutes the largest collection of Paleolithic material in the Balkans. There are traces of human settlement from the Palaeolithic and Neolithic periods. Remains from two types of Neolithic cultures have been discovered in the area: an older one, known as the Starčevo culture, and a more recent one, known as the Vinča culture. Near Vršac there are Vatin circles that were estimated to belong to the Vinča culture. From the Bronze Age, there are traces of the Vatin culture and Vršac culture, while from the Iron Age, there are traces of the Hallstatt culture and La Tène culture (which is largely associated with the Celts).

The Agathyrsi (people of mixed Scythian-Thracian origin) are the first people known to have lived in this region. Later, the region was inhabited by Getae and Dacians. It belonged to the Dacian kingdoms of Burebista and Decebalus, and then to the Roman Empire from 102 to 271 AD. Archaeologists have found traces of ancient Dacian and Roman settlements in the city. Later, the region belonged to the Empire of the Huns, the Gepid and Avar kingdoms, and the Bulgarian Empire.

The Slavs settled in this region in the 6th century, and the Slavic tribe known as the Abodrites (Bodriči) was recorded as living in the area. The Slavs from the region were Christianized during the rule of the duke Ahtum in the 11th century. When duke Ahtum was defeated by the Kingdom of Hungary, the region was included in the latter state.

Information about the early history of the town is scant. According to Serbian historians, medieval Vršac was founded and inhabited by Serbs in 1425, although it was under administration of the Kingdom of Hungary. The original name of the town is unknown. There are several theories that its first name was Vers, Verbeč, Veršet or Vegenje, but these theories are not confirmed. The name of the town appears for the first time in 1427 in the form Podvršan. The Hungarian 12th century chronicle known as Gesta Hungarorum mention the castle of Vrscia in Banat, which belonged to Romanian duke Glad in the 9th century. According to some interpretations, Vrscia is identified with modern Vršac, while according to other opinions, it is identified with Orşova. According to some claims, the town was at first in the possession of the Hungarian kings, and later became property of a Hungarian aristocrat, Miklós Peréyi, ban of Severin. In the 15th century, the town was in the possession of the Serbian despot Đurađ Branković. According to some claims, it was donated to the despot by Hungarian king Sigismund in 1411. According to other sources, Vršac fortress was built by Đurađ Branković after the fall of Smederevo.

The Ottomans destroyed the town in the 16th century, but it was soon rebuilt under Ottoman administration. In 1590/91, the Ottoman garrison in Vršac fortress was composed of one aga, two Ottoman officers and 20 Serb mercenaries. The town was seat of the local Ottoman authorities and of the Serbian bishop. In this time, its population was composed of Muslims and Serbs.

In 1594, the Serbs in the Banat started large uprising against Ottoman rule, and Vršac region was centre of this uprising. The leader of the uprising was Teodor Nestorović, the bishop of Vršac. The size of this uprising is illustrated by the verse from one Serbian national song: "Sva se butum zemlja pobunila, Šest stotina podiglo se sela, Svak na cara pušku podigao!" ("The whole land has rebelled, a six hundred villages arose, everybody pointed his gun against the emperor").

The Serb rebels bore flags with the image of Saint Sava, thus the rebellion had a character of a holy war. The Sinan-paša that lead the Ottoman army ordered that green flag of Muhammad should be brought from Damascus to confront this flag with image of Saint Sava. Furthermore, the Sinan-paša also burned the mortal remains of Saint Sava in Belgrade, as a revenge to the Serbs. Eventually, the uprising was crushed and most of the Serbs from the region escaped to Transylvania fearing the Ottoman retaliation. However, since the Banat region became deserted after this, which alarmed the Ottoman authorities who needed people in this fertile land, the authorities promised to spare everyone who came back. The Serb population came back, but the amnesty did not apply to the leader of the rebellion, Bishop Teodor Nestorović, who was flayed as a punishment. The Banat uprising was one of the three largest uprisings in Serbian history and the largest before the First Serbian Uprising led by Karađorđe.

In 1716, Vršac passed from Ottoman to Habsburg control, and the Muslim population fled the town. In this time, Vršac was mostly populated by Serbs, and in the beginning of the Habsburg rule, its population numbered 75 houses. Soon, German colonists started to settle here. They founded a new settlement known as Werschetz, which was located near the old (Serbian) Vršac. Serbian Vršac was governed by a knez, and German Werschetz was governed by a Schultheiß (mayor). The name of the first Serbian knez in Vršac in 1717 was Jovan Crni. In 1795, the two towns, Serbian Vršac and German Werschetz, were officially joined into one single settlement, in which the authority was shared between Serbs and Germans. It was occupied by Ottomans between 1787 and 1788 during Russo-Turkish War (1787–1792).

The 1848/1849 revolution disrupted the good relations between Serbs and Germans, since Serbs fought on the side of the Austrian authorities and Germans fought on the side of the Hungarian revolutionaries. In 1848–1849, the town was part of autonomous Serbian Vojvodina, and from 1849 to 1860, it was part of the Voivodeship of Serbia and Temes Banat, a separate Austrian province. After the abolition of the voivodship, Vršac was included in Temes County of the Kingdom of Hungary, which became one of two autonomous parts of Austria-Hungary in 1867. The town was also a district seat. In 1910, the population of the town numbered 27,370 inhabitants, of whom 13,556 spoke German language, 8,602 spoke Serbian, 3,890 spoke Hungarian and 879 spoke Romanian. On the other side, the Diocese of Vršac numbered 260.000 Romanians in 1847.

From 1918, the town was part of the newly formed Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes (later renamed Yugoslavia). According to the 1921 census, speakers of German language were most numerous in the town, while the 1931 census recorded 13,425 speakers of Yugoslav languages and 11,926 speakers of German language. During the Axis occupation (1941–1944), Vršac was part of autonomous Banat region within the area governed by the Military Administration in Serbia. Many Danube Swabians collaborated with the Nazi authorities and many men were conscripted into the Waffen SS. Letters were sent to German men requesting their "voluntary service" or they would face court martial. In 1944, one part of Vršac citizens of German ethnicity left from the city, together with defeated German army. Those who remained in Vršac were sent to local communist prison camps, where some of them died from disease and malnutrition. According to some claims, some were tortured or killed by the partisans. Since 1944 when it was liberated by the Red Army's 46th Army, the town was part of the new Socialist Yugoslavia. After prison camps were dissolved (in 1948) and Yugoslav citizenship was returned to the Germans, the remaining German population left Yugoslavia. Homes that had been in their families for decades were simply taken over by the Serbs.

Vršac was granted city status in February 2016.

Inhabited places
The city of Vršac includes the settlement of Vršac and the following villages:
 * Vatin
 * Veliko Središte
 * Vlajkovac
 * Vojvodinci (Romanian: Voivodinț)
 * Vršački Ritovi
 * Gudurica
 * Zagajica
 * Izbište
 * Jablanka (Romanian: Iabuca)
 * Kuštilj (Romanian: Coștei)
 * Mali Žam (Romanian: Jamu Mic)
 * Malo Središte (Romanian: Srediștea Mică)
 * Markovac (Romanian: Mărcovăț, Mărculești))
 * Mesić (Romanian: Mesici)
 * Orešac (Romanian: Oreșaț)
 * Pavliš (Romanian: Păuliș)
 * Parta (Romanian Parța)
 * Potporanj
 * Ritiševo (Romanian: Râtișor)
 * Sočica (Romanian: Sălcița)
 * Straža (Romanian: Straja)
 * Uljma
 * Šušara (Hungarian: Fejértelep)

Note: For the places with Romanian and Hungarian ethnic majorities, the names are also given in the language of the concerned ethnic group.

Demographics

According to the 2011 census, the total population of the city of Vršac was 52,026 inhabitants.

Ethnic groups
Within the city, the settlements with a Serb ethnic majority are: Vršac (the city itself), Vatin, Veliko Središte, Vlajkovac, Vršački Ritovi, Gudurica, Zagajica, Izbište, Pavliš, Parta, Potporanj, and Uljma. The settlements with a Romanian ethnic majority are: Vojvodinci, Jablanka, Kuštilj, Mali Žam, Malo Središte, Markovac, Mesić, Ritiševo, Sočica, and Straža. Šušara has a Hungarian ethnic majority (Székelys colonised from Bukovina during the World War I), while Orešac is an ethnically mixed settlement with a Romanian plurality.

Vršac is the seat of the Serb Orthodox Eparchy of Banat. Some notable Serb cultural-artistic societies in Vršac are "Laza Nančić", "Penzioner" and "Grozd". The city's Romanian minority has a Romanian-language theater, schools and a museum. Romanian-language instruction takes place in some kindergartens, elementary schools, high schools and one teachers' university. The cultural organization and folklore group "Luceafarul" hold many cultural events in Vršac and nearby Romanian-populated villages. In 2005, Romania opened a consulate in Vršac.

The population of the city (52,026 people) is composed of the following ethnic groups (2011 census):

Economy and industry
Vršac is a city famous for well-developed industry, especially pharmaceuticals, wine and beer, confectioneries and textiles. The leading pharmaceutical company in Vršac (and nationwide) is the Hemofarm, which helped start the city's Technology Park.

Vršac is considered to be one of the most significant centres of agriculture in the region of southern Banat, which is the southern part of the province of Vojvodina. It is mainly because it has 54,000 hectares of arable and extremely fertile land in its possession.

The following table gives a preview of total number of registered people employed in legal entities per their core activity (as of 2018):

Transportation
State Road 10 (which is part of European route E70) connects Vršac to Belgrade and to the nearby border with Romania.

Vršac is also connected to Belgrade by the Srbija voz railway line 44. Trains to Timișoara are available from Moravița.

Tourist destinations
The Millennium sport center, opened in early-April 2001, is located in Vršac. The region around Vršac is famed for its vineyards.

Vršac Castle
The symbol of the town is the Vršac Castle (Vršačka kula), which dates back to the mid 15th century. It stands at the top of the hill (399m) overlooking Vršac.

There are two theories about origin of this fortress. According to the Turkish traveller, Evliya Çelebi, the fortress was built by the Serbian despot Đurađ Branković. The historians consider that Branković built the fortress after the fall of Smederevo in 1439. The fortress in its construction had some architectural elements similar to those in the fortress of Smederevo or in the fortress around monastery Manasija.

The other theory claim that Vršac Castle is a remain of the medieval fortress known as Erdesumulu (Hungarian: Érdsomlyó or Érsomlyó, Serbian: Erd-Šomljo / Ерд-Шомљо or Šomljo / Шомљо). However, the other sources do not identify Erdesumulu with Vršac, but claim that these two were separate settlements and that location of town and fortress of Erdesumulu was further to the east, on the Karaš River, in present-day Romanian Banat.

Monasteries
There are two Serbian Orthodox monasteries in the city: Mesić monastery from the 13th century and Središte monastery, which is currently under construction.

Churches

 * The Serbian Orthodox Cathedral, completed in 1728.
 * The Romanian Orthodox Cathedral, completed in 1912.
 * The Roman Catholic Church, completed in 1863.
 * The Apostolic Christian Church of Nazarene, completed in the early 1900s.

Museums
There are three museums in Vršac:

 * Pharmacy on Stairs (Апотека На Степеницама)- The first and the oldest pharmacy in the town, founded in 1784. Other than a well-preserved collection of pharmaceutical equipment, there's a collection of stuffed animals, created at the end of the 19th and the beginning of the 20th century.
 * Concordia Building- Originally a hotel, it was erected in 1847. Today it serves as the main museum of the town.
 * Vršac castle- The interior of the castle was transformed into the museum, which is open for visitors on weekends, from April until October.

Notable residents

 * Marie von Augustin (1807–1886), Austrian writer (de)
 * Dragiša Brašovan, Serbian modernist architect
 * Robert Hammerstiel (born 1933), painter, artist
 * Ferenc Herczeg (1863–1954), Hungarian writer
 * Paja Jovanović (1859–1957), famous Serbian painter
 * Boris Kostić, chess player
 * Boban Marjanović (1988 -), Serbian basketball player, Actor in John Wick III
 * Felix Milleker, curator and first director of City Museum
 * Stefan Momirov (1999 -), Serbian basketball player
 * Dragan Mrđa, Serbian football player
 * Nikola Nešković (1739–1775), Serbian painter
 * Teodor Nestorović, the bishop of Vršac and leader of the Serb uprising in Banat in 1594
 * Tamara Radočaj (1987-), Serbian basketball player, Olympic bronze medalist and European champion
 * Jovan Sterija Popović (1806–1856), Serbian playwright, dramatist, comediographer, and pedagogue of mixed Aromanian-Serb descent
 * Döme Sztójay (native name: Dimitrije Stojaković; 1883–1946), Hungarian Prime Minister and diplomat of Serb descent
 * Zorana Todorović (1989-), basketball player
 * Jenő Vincze (1908–1988), Hungarian international football player, most famous for playing for the Hungarian national team in the 1938 World Cup Final

Consulate

 * Romanian Consulate General, Vršac

Twin towns – sister cities
Vršac is twinned with:
 * 🇷🇴 Lugoj, Romania
 * 🇸🇰 Banská Bystrica, Slovakia
 * 🇭🇺 Helvécia, Hungary
 * Kriva Palanka, North Macedonia

title: Vršac


text:
Zaječar

Zaječar (Зајечар, ; Zaicear or Zăiceari) is a city and the administrative center of the Zaječar District in eastern Serbia. According to the 2022 census, the city administrative area had a population of 48,621 inhabitants. Zaječar is widely known for its rock music festival Gitarijada and for the ZALET festival dedicated to contemporary art.

Name
In Serbian, the city is known as Zaječar (Зајечар); in Romanian as Zaicear, Zăiicer (archaic name), Zăiceri, Zăicear or Zăiceari; in Macedonian as Заечар and in Bulgarian as Зайчар (Zaychar).

The origin of the name is from the Torlak dialect name for "hare" = zajec / зајец (in all other Serbian dialects it is zec / зец, while in Bulgarian it is заек / zaek"). It means "the man who breeds and keeps hares".

Folk etymology in Romanian, gives "Zăiicer" as meaning "the Gods are asking (for sacrifice)".

Early renderings of the city in English used Saitchar.

Ancient
Three Roman Emperors were born in the city of Zaječar: Galerius (r. 293–311), Maximinus (r. 305–312) and Licinius (r. 308–324). The Late Roman fortified palace compound and memorial complex of Gamzigrad-Romuliana at the outskirts of Zaječar was commissioned by Emperor Caius Valerius Galerius Maximianus, in the late 3rd and early 4th century. It was known as Felix Romuliana, named after the Emperor's mother Romula. The site consists of fortifications, the palace in the north-western part of the complex, basilicas, temples, hot baths, memorial complex, and a tetrapylon. The site offers a unique testimony of the Roman building tradition marked by the ideology of the period of the Second Tetrarchy. The group of buildings is also unique in its intertwining of ceremonial and memorial functions. The relation between two spatial ensembles in this site is stressed by the tetrapylon which is placed on the crossroads between the worldly fortification and palace on the one side and the other-worldly mausoleums and consecration monuments on the other.

Middle Ages
Slavs entered the region during the 7th century, and the tribe living in the area was called Timočani. During the Middle Ages, the area of Zaječar was contested between Bulgaria, Hungary and Serbia. During periods in the 9th-11th centuries and the 13th century the territory of modern-day Zaječar was a part of the Bulgarian Empire. It finally fell under Ottoman rule during the first half of the 15th century. The oldest preserved rendering of Zaječar listed in an Ottoman defter dates from 1466. At the time, there were only eight extended families (zadrugas) living there.

Modern
In the First Serb Uprising, Hajduk Veljko Petrović liberated the area from Ottoman rule in 1806. The Ottomans retook the area in 1813 but finally ceded it to Serbia in 1833.

The population of the city and of the area to the south of it was partly Bulgarian, as the Serbian ethnographer Milan Đ. Milićević recognized. The city actively participated in the Serbo-Turkish War of 1876–1878. In 1883, it was partially engulfed in the famous Timok Uprising, a reaction against a governmental order to confiscate peasants' firearms and against a law replacing the militia with a standing army.

Bulgaria occupied Zaječar from 1915 to 1918, during the First World War. From 1929 to 1941, the city was part of the Morava Banovina of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia. The German army occupied Zaječar on 14 April 1941, during the Second World War; it was administered as part of the Territory of the Military Commander in Serbia from 22 April 1941. Zaječar was liberated on 7–8 October 1944 in a joint operation by Yugoslav Partisans and the Red Army.

Climate
Zaječar has a humid continental climate (Köppen climate classification: Dfa), that's very close to a humid subtropical climate (Köppen climate classification: Cfa).

Settlements
Aside from the urban area of Zaječar, the city administrative area includes the following settlements:

 * Borovac
 * Brusnik
 * Velika Jasikova
 * Veliki Izvor
 * Veliki Jasenovac
 * Vražogrnac
 * Vrbica
 * Gamzigrad
 * Glogovica
 * Gornja Bela Reka
 * Gradskovo
 * Grlište
 * Grljan
 * Dubočane
 * Zagrađe
 * Zvezdan
 * Jelašnica
 * Klenovac
 * Koprivnica
 * Lasovo
 * Lenovac
 * Leskovac
 * Lubnica
 * Mala Jasikova
 * Mali Izvor
 * Mali Jasenovac
 * Marinovac
 * Metriš
 * Nikoličevo
 * Planinica
 * Prlita
 * Rgotina
 * Salaš
 * Selačka
 * Tabakovac
 * Trnavac
 * Halovo
 * Čokonjar
 * Šipikovo
 * Šljivar

Demographics

According to the 2011 census, the city of Zaječar has a population of 59,461 inhabitants, while the urban area has 38,165 inhabitants. The city has an urban area of over 97 km2.

Ethnic groups
The ethnic composition of the city:

Economy
The following table gives a preview of total number of registered people employed in legal entities per their core activity (as of 2018):

Sport
Zaječar hosted 2006 Serbian triathlon championship. The city has two sport-recreation centers, "Popova plaža" and "SRC Kraljevica" home of ŽRK Zaječar, while a third, "Kotlujevac", is under reconstruction.

Theatre
Zaječar is home to the "Zoran Radmilović" theatre built 2 February 1947 under the name of the "Oblasno narodno pozorište". The first play ever performed in the new theatre was "Žita cvetaju". The theatre was renamed during its 45th (1992) anniversary as "Zoran Radmilović" to celebrate a famous and beloved actor who was born there. Every year, this theatre is home to the "Dani Zorana Radmilovića" art festival.

ZA*73T
The Festival of Contemporary Art ZALET (stylised as ZA*73T) organizes manifestations, such as exhibitions, concerts, literary evenings and experimental theater.

Gitarijada
Gitarijada (Serbian Cyrillic: Гитаријада, trans. Guitar fest) is a musical festival held during the summer in order to promote demo bands. Held since 1969, Gitarijada is one of the longest-lasting festivals in Serbia and in South Eastern Europe. The festival started its life in Zaječar during 1970. Some of notable bands from Serbia such as Bjesovi & Galija were winners in the Gitarijada competition during the '80s and '90s. The programme of the Gitarijada festival has several parts. Demo battles as a main item, with performances of artists and art exhibitions involving themes like rock, blues, metal and similar ones.

Education
Elementary schools

 * OŠ "Desanka Maksimović"
 * OŠ "Ljuba Nešić"
 * OŠ "Djura Jakšić"
 * OŠ "Ljubica Radosavljević Nada"
 * OŠ "Hajduk Veljko"
 * OŠ "Vladislav Petković Dis"
 * OŠ "Vuk Karadžić"
 * OŠ "Jeremija Ilić Jegor"
 * OŠ "Dositej Obradović"
 * OŠ "15.maj"
 * OŠ "Jovan Jovanovic Zmaj"

High schools

 * Gymnasium (since 1836)
 * Medical Assistant/Nurse high school
 * Technical high school
 * Business Assistant and Accountancy high school
 * Machine technician high school
 * Secondary Music School

University education

The city is the seat of the Megatrend University Faculty of Management; Business School of Management.

Twin cities
Zaječar is twinned with:
 * 🇧🇬 Vidin, Bulgaria
 * 🇧🇬 Berkovitsa, Bulgaria
 * 🇷🇴 Calafat, Romania

Notable people
The people listed below were born in, residents of, or otherwise closely associated with the city of Zaječar area.

 * Galerius, Roman Emperor, born in, or of a family origin from, Gamzigrad, near Zaječar, where he built the city of Felix Romuliana.
 * Licinius, Roman Emperor, born in Moesia, near Zaječar
 * Vetranio, Roman Emperor, born in Moesia, near Zaječar
 * Hajduk Veljko Petrović, one of the leaders of the First Serbian Uprising, was born in Lenovac near Zaječar c. 1780.
 * Nikola Pašić, a Serbian and Yugoslav politician and diplomat, was born in 1845 in Veliki Izvor, then in the vicinity, and today a suburb, of Zaječar.
 * sr:Đorđe Genčić, Interior Minister during the reign of Alexander I of Serbia, Mayor of Niš in 1894–1899, was born in Zaječar. In his family house in Belgrade the Nikola Tesla Museum is housed today.
 * Svetozar Marković, political theorist and activist, was born in Zaječar in 1846.
 * Simo Matavulj, novelist and short story writer, briefly taught at the Zaječar gymnasium
 * Zoran Radmilović, comedy and character actor (theatre), was born in Zaječar in 1933.
 * Mirko Cvetković, Ph.D., Prime Minister of Serbia 2008–2012
 * Ivana Sert, Serbian-Turkish TV personality, model, and fashion designer.
 * fr:Slobodan Misic-Brenda, a Canadian handball coach, was born in Brusnik near Zaječar in 1942.
 * Dragan Stanković, volleyball player, European champion and World championships bronze medalist.
 * Boban Marjanović, basketball player for Houston Rockets of the National Basketball Association (NBA) and Serbian national basketball team.

title: Zaječar