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Kragujevac ( sr-Cyrl, Крагујевац, ) is the fourth largest city in
Serbia Serbia (, ; Serbian: , , ), officially the Republic of Serbia ( Serbian: , , ), is a landlocked country in Southeastern and Central Europe, situated at the crossroads of the Pannonian Basin and the Balkans. It shares land borders with Hu ...
and the administrative centre of the Šumadija District. It is the historical centre of the geographical region of
Šumadija Šumadija (, sr-Cyrl, Шумадија) is a geographical region in the central part of Serbia. The area used to be heavily covered with forests, hence the name (from ''šuma'' 'forest'). The city of Kragujevac is the administrative center of ...
in central Serbia, and is situated on the banks of the Lepenica River. , the city proper has a population of 150,835, while its administrative area comprises a total of 179,417 inhabitants. Kragujevac was the first capital of modern Serbia and the first constitution in the
Balkans The Balkans ( ), also known as the Balkan Peninsula, is a geographical area in southeastern Europe with various geographical and historical definitions. The region takes its name from the Balkan Mountains that stretch throughout the who ...
, the Sretenje Constitution, was proclaimed in the city in 1838. A unit of the
Scottish Women's Hospitals for Foreign Service The Scottish Women's Hospitals for Foreign Services (SWH) was founded in 1914. It was led by Dr. Elsie Inglis and provided nurses, doctors, ambulance drivers, cooks and orderlies. By the end of World War I, 14 medical units had been outfitted an ...
was located there in World War I. During the Second World War, Kragujevac was the site of a massacre by the Nazis in which 2,778 Serb men and boys were killed. Modern Kragujevac is known for its large munitions ( Zastava Arms) and automobile ( FCA Srbija) industries, as well as its status as an education centre housing the University of Kragujevac, one of the region's largest higher education institutions.


Etymology

The name ''Kragujevac'' comes from 'kraguj' the Serbian name for cinereous vulture. In the Middle Ages, this bird was common in the woods of the area, and was used for hunting. The city's name means 'kraguj's tower', and the bird is represented on the city's coat of arms.


History


Early and medieval

Over 200 archaeological sites in Šumadija confirm that the region's first human settlement took place around 40,000 years ago during the
Paleolithic The Paleolithic or Palaeolithic (), also called the Old Stone Age (from Greek: παλαιός '' palaios'', "old" and λίθος ''lithos'', "stone"), is a period in human prehistory that is distinguished by the original development of stone too ...
era. The Jerina cave, located near the village of Gradac in the direction of
Batočina Batočina ( sr, Баточина, ) is a town and municipality located in the Šumadija District The Šumadija District ( sr, / , ) is one of eight administrative districts of Šumadija and Western Serbia. It is located in the central parts ...
, is dated to have been inhabited from around 37,000 BP to 27,000 BP. Dugouts dated to 5,000 BC have been found in the city's vicinity, in the localities of Grivac,
Kusovac Kusovac is a village situated in Knić Knić (; ) is a village and municipality located in the Šumadija District of central Serbia. According to 2011 census, the population of the town is 2,166, while population of the municipality is 14,237. ...
,
Divostin Divostin () is a village of the city of Kragujevac in the Šumadija district of Serbia. According to the 2011 census, there were 422 inhabitants. Over 100,000 Neolithic objects from Starčevo culture and Vinča culture were extracted in a number ...
, Donje Grbice and
Dobrovodica Dobrovodica ( sr, Доброводица) is a village in the municipality A municipality is usually a single administrative division having corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional la ...
. These remains belong to the
Neolithic The Neolithic period, or New Stone Age, is an Old World archaeological period and the final division of the Stone Age. It saw the Neolithic Revolution, a wide-ranging set of developments that appear to have arisen independently in several pa ...
Starčevo culture, which, in this area, spread along the river valleys of Lepenica and Gruža. The best known artifacts are the fertility figurines called ''Divostinke'' ("Girls from Divostin"). At the time of
Roman Roman or Romans most often refers to: * Rome, the capital city of Italy * Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD *Roman people, the people of ancient Rome *''Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a lett ...
conquest in 9 AD, the territory of the present-day city was largely inhabited by
Illyrians The Illyrians ( grc, Ἰλλυριοί, ''Illyrioi''; la, Illyrii) were a group of Indo-European-speaking peoples who inhabited the western Balkan Peninsula in ancient times. They constituted one of the three main Paleo-Balkan populations, a ...
(mainly the
Dardani The Dardani (; grc, Δαρδάνιοι, Δάρδανοι; la, Dardani) or Dardanians were a Paleo-Balkan people, who lived in a region that was named Dardania after their settlement there. They were among the oldest Balkan peoples, and their ...
) and
Celts The Celts (, see pronunciation for different usages) or Celtic peoples () are. "CELTS location: Greater Europe time period: Second millennium B.C.E. to present ancestry: Celtic a collection of Indo-European peoples. "The Celts, an ancient ...
(the
Scordisci The Scordisci ( el, Σκορδίσκοι) were a Celtic Iron Age cultural group centered in the territory of present-day Serbia, at the confluence of the Savus (Sava), Dravus (Drava), Margus (Morava) and Danube rivers. They were historically ...
). By the late 6th and early 7th centuries, large-scale Slavic raids and settlement began, along with invasions from Hunnic and Germanic tribes. Later, the area would become part of the
First Bulgarian Empire The First Bulgarian Empire ( cu, блъгарьско цѣсарьствиѥ, blagarysko tsesarystviye; bg, Първо българско царство) was a medieval Bulgar- Slavic and later Bulgarian state that existed in Southeastern Eur ...
. With the weakening of both the Bulgarian and
Eastern Roman The Byzantine Empire, also referred to as the Eastern Roman Empire or Byzantium, was the continuation of the Roman Empire primarily in its eastern provinces during Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages, when its capital city was Constantinopl ...
empires, Stefan Nemanja, Grand Prince of the consolidated
medieval Serbian state Serbia in the Middle Ages refers to the medieval period in the history of Serbia. The period begins in the 6th century with the Slavic migrations to Southeastern Europe, and lasts until the Ottoman conquest of Serbian lands in the second half ...
, captured the territory between 1198 and 1199. Although it is hypothesized that the current area of the city was densely settled by the time of Stefan Nemanja's conquest, it does not appear in medieval Serbian documents. The first written mention of the city was in an Ottoman
cadastral survey Cadastral surveying is the sub-field of cadastre and surveying that specialises in the establishment and re-establishment of real property boundaries. It involves the physical delineation of property boundaries and determination of dimensions, ar ...
('' defter'') in 1476 after the city's incorporation into the Sanjak of Smederevo. Referred to as 'Kraguyfoça', the settlement, after Ottoman conquest, consisted of a square formerly used as a market with 32 houses. The surrounding region was largely empty; even the forests that once dominated the region had been burned. By the end of the same century, however, the Ottoman administration began to slowly resettle the city's area; by the 1536 cadastral survey, the town had 7 Muslim neighborhoods ( ''mahalas'') with 56 houses in total, along with a Christian community of 29 houses. On the left bank of the Lepenica, a mosque was erected.


Habsburg-Ottoman conflict and major revolts

In spite of its newfound consolidation under Turkish rule, the town's location in strategic borderland between the
Habsburg monarchy The Habsburg monarchy (german: Habsburgermonarchie, ), also known as the Danubian monarchy (german: Donaumonarchie, ), or Habsburg Empire (german: Habsburgerreich, ), was the collection of empires, kingdoms, duchies, counties and other polities ...
and the Ottoman Empire made it an area of frequent conflict in the modern era. During the Great Turkish War, the Austrians, under Louis of Baden, pushed the Turks far to the south of the city. Although this occupation was short-lived, it spelled an end to consolidated Ottoman rule in the region. Soon after, in 1718, Kragujevac became a part of the Habsburg Kingdom of Serbia following conquest by Prince Eugene of Savoy and the signing of Treaty of Passarowitz. Under Austrian occupation, the area around the city was fortified, and the Muslim population driven out. In 1725 the first officially recorded cases of vampirism occurred in Kragujevac, in which two alleged vampires were accused of murdering 42 people. In other parts of Habsburg ruled Kingdom of Serbia similar cases followed after which the Serbian word vampir entered German and later other world languages. As the Ottomans retook the town in 1739, and lost it again in 1789 to the same enemy, the town was ripe for new rule—this time under Serbian rebels. As a settlement central to the Sanjak of Smederevo under Ottoman rule, Kragujevac was of utmost strategic importance to its agitating, largely rural Serb inhabitants. Therefore, it became a centre of the Serbian Revolution, a national awakening of Serbs led by their '' vojvoda,'' Karađorđe. First liberated on 5 April 1804 during the First Serbian Uprising, the city was finally freed from imperial rule during the Second Serbian Uprising in 1815. In 1818, Kragujevac, though largely depopulated following the conflicts of the preceding centuries, was proclaimed capital of the Principality of Serbia on 6 May 1818 by
Miloš Obrenović Miloš, Milos, Miłosz or spelling variations thereof is a masculine given name and a surname. It may refer to: Given name Sportsmen * Miłosz Bernatajtys, Polish rower * Miloš Bogunović, Serbian footballer * Miloš Budaković, Serbian ...
in the medieval Vraćevšnica monastery. To mark the occasion, he built the Amidža Konak, perhaps ironically a lone cultural souvenir of Ottoman rule. The first Serbian constitution, the Sretenje Constitution, was proclaimed in the city on 15 September 1835. It was one of the most liberal constitutions in Europe had ever seen.


Industrial development

Although Kragujevac lost its capital status to
Belgrade Belgrade ( , ;, ; names in other languages) is the capital and largest city in Serbia. It is located at the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers and the crossroads of the Pannonian Plain and the Balkan Peninsula. Nearly 1,166,763 mi ...
in 1841, its importance only increased during the remainder of the 19th century as it grew into a city marked by its industry. Following centuries of economic underdevelopment, the underpinnings of the city's modernization—and Serbia's main munitions manufacturer, Zastava Arms—were laid in the commissioning of the city's foundry complex in 1835. Known under its Serbian acronym VTZ, the complex was completed in 1850, and the first cannon was cast in 1853. Colloquially styled the 'Knez's arsenal', its first director, Charles Loubry, was a French engineer authorized to take over this duty by a significantly larger figure than the Serbian '' knez''—the Emperor of France, Napoleon III. Following the creation of the VTZ, industrial development continued at an unprecedented pace. The first telephone exchange was installed in 1858, and in 1868 the first industrial brewery was opened by Nikola Mesarović. The first printing press was founded in 1870. To connect the city's burgeoning military industry as well as its production of iron ploughs to the rest of Serbia's regions, the
Belgrade Belgrade ( , ;, ; names in other languages) is the capital and largest city in Serbia. It is located at the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers and the crossroads of the Pannonian Plain and the Balkan Peninsula. Nearly 1,166,763 mi ...
Niš Niš (; sr-Cyrl, Ниш, ; names in other languages) is the third largest city in Serbia and the administrative center of the Nišava District. It is located in southern part of Serbia. , the city proper has a population of 183,164, whi ...
railroad was built in 1886. To serve its industrial population, Serbia's first grammar school (''gimnazija)'', the city's first pharmacy, and its first cinema, located in a local ''kafana'', were all built during the remainder of the 19th century, along with Kragujevac's Great (or Upper) Park and, in 1891, its first regulatory urban plan. The city's industrialism characterized it among its European peers, along with its workers' demonstrations, known as the ''Crveni barjak'' ('Red flag') demonstrations, first held on 27 February 1876. Today, the beginnings of the town's industry, the now-defunct VTZ, have been recognized by the Serbian government as vital to Serbia's cultural heritage and, as of 2017, consists of 151 individual objects, of which 31 are protected as unique heritage, including the old foundry, the machine workshop, the chimney, the
fire lookout tower A fire lookout tower, fire tower or lookout tower, provides housing and protection for a person known as a " fire lookout" whose duty it is to search for wildfires in the wilderness. It is a small building, usually on the summit of a mountain o ...
, the railroad bridge over the Lepenica River, and the cartridge factory. Once known by its non-industrial residents as the 'Forbidden City' (''Zabranjeni Grad),'' the complex is now open to the public.


World War I

During
World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was List of wars and anthropogenic disasters by death toll, one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, ...
, Kragujevac again became the capital of Serbia (1914–1915), and the seat of many state institutions—the Supreme Army Command was housed within the court house building. A unit of the Scottish Women's Hospital for Women's Service was based there from December 1914 to November 1915. A list of those working in the hospital can be viewed on the website "Imperial War Museum: Lives of the First World War " and more information on these units is below. During the war, Kragujevac lost around 15% of its population. On the night of 2 June 1918, a group of occupying Slovak soldiers from the Austro-Hungarian 71st infantry regiment mutinied in the city centre. The soldiers, led by Viktor Kolibík, had recently returned from captivity in Russia and were to be immediately deployed to the Italian Front. The mutiny failed, and 44 mutineers were executed.


Yugoslavia

Following World War I, Kragujevac became a part of the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats, and Slovenes, later renamed the
Kingdom of Yugoslavia The Kingdom of Yugoslavia ( sh-Latn-Cyrl, separator=" / ", Kraljevina Jugoslavija, Краљевина Југославија; sl, Kraljevina Jugoslavija) was a state in Southeast and Central Europe that existed from 1918 until 1941. From 191 ...
. In the period before the Second World War, the city continued its cultural and economic development with the founding of the Gundulić Theatre and the Kragujevac Academic Theatre as well as a number of new factories. Following the Nazi
invasion of Yugoslavia The invasion of Yugoslavia, also known as the April War or Operation 25, or ''Projekt 25'' was a German-led attack on the Kingdom of Yugoslavia by the Axis powers which began on 6 April 1941 during World War II. The order for the invasion was ...
, the city came under direct Nazi occupation. After a joint Partisan-
Chetnik The Chetniks ( sh-Cyrl-Latn, Четници, Četnici, ; sl, Četniki), formally the Chetnik Detachments of the Yugoslav Army, and also the Yugoslav Army in the Homeland and the Ravna Gora Movement, was a Yugoslav royalist and Serbian nationa ...
attack on German forces in nearby Gornji Milanovac, ''Generalfeldmarschall'' Wilhelm Keitel calculated that 50 people were to be shot for every German soldier wounded and 100 people were to be shot for every German soldier killed. Franz Böhme therefore ordered the deaths of nearly 2,800 men and boys between 19 and 21 October 1941 in the Kragujevac massacre. The dead included a class from the city's First Gymnasium; today, a monument to the executed pupils is the symbol of the city. The massacre inspired a poem titled ''Krvava Bajka'' (''A Bloody Fairy Tale'') by
Desanka Maksimović Desanka Maksimović ( sr-Cyrl, Десанка Максимовић; 16 May 1898 – 11 February 1993) was a Serbian poet, writer and translator. Her first works were published in the literary journal ''Misao'' in 1920, while she was studying at t ...
. The city was liberated from Nazi Germany on 21 October 1944. In the post-war period, Kragujevac continued to develop its industry. Its main products were passenger cars, trucks and industrial vehicles, hunting arms, industrial chains, leather, and textiles. The biggest industry was Zastava Automobiles, which at one point employed tens of thousands people. The first product of the Zastava Automobiles car company, the FIAT 750, was manufactured in 1955 under a licence to Fiat Automobiles (now FCA). In the following three decades, more than five million passenger cars (FIAT 750, Zastava 1300, Zastava 101, Zastava 128, Zastava Yugo, Yugo Florida, Fiat 500L) were manufactured and marketed in 74 countries worldwide. Perhaps most infamous among the automobiles produced is the Yugo, also marketed as the Zastava Korral. The city's industry greatly suffered under international economic sanctions during the Milošević era in the 1990s, and some parts were reduced to rubble by the 1999 NATO bombing of Yugoslavia.


Kragujevac today

The city today remains an industrial heart of Serbia, and has grown with the influx of students and refugees from the Yugoslav wars. In 2010, the city government signed a memorandum with the German development agency GIZ and in 2012 city hall adopted a strategy of urban development of the central city zone to be completed by 2030. As of December 2017, many objects within the complex deteriorated and the right bank of the Lepenica is urbanistically neglected. The authenticity and representative values of the complex must be preserved, but where it is allowed, the industrial and workers quarters will be transformed into the residential and commercial areas, traffic corridors and used for the numerous educational and cultural institutions Serbia's industrial city continues to cherish.


Geography and infrastructure

Kragujevac lies
above sea level Height above mean sea level is a measure of the vertical distance ( height, elevation or altitude) of a location in reference to a historic mean sea level taken as a vertical datum. In geodesy, it is formalized as '' orthometric heights''. Th ...
. The coordinates of the city are 44°00'36.3 N and 20°55'01.9 E. It is located in the valley of the river Lepenica. The city covers an area of , surrounded by the slopes of the Rudnik, Crni Vrh, and Gledić mountains. Kragujevac is the traditional centre of
Šumadija Šumadija (, sr-Cyrl, Шумадија) is a geographical region in the central part of Serbia. The area used to be heavily covered with forests, hence the name (from ''šuma'' 'forest'). The city of Kragujevac is the administrative center of ...
, a region characterized by its rolling hills and fertile orchards. File:Image-of-Sumadija-2.jpg, ''Kragujevac is centre of
Šumadija Šumadija (, sr-Cyrl, Шумадија) is a geographical region in the central part of Serbia. The area used to be heavily covered with forests, hence the name (from ''šuma'' 'forest'). The city of Kragujevac is the administrative center of ...
region'' File:Strogi prirodni rezervat Veliki Sturac, planina Rudnik 01.jpg, ''National Reserve Veliki Sturac, Mountain Rudnik''


Cityscape

The architecture of Kragujevac displays a fusion of many different styles. Historically, Ottoman (nowadays almost completely gone) and 19th century Vienna Secession style architecture have played an important role in the city's landscape. Newer architecture dominates the city's panorama. A blend of Viennese, Balkan as well as
Brutalism Brutalist architecture is an architectural style that emerged during the 1950s in the United Kingdom, among the reconstruction projects of the post-war era. Brutalist buildings are characterised by minimalist constructions that showcase the b ...
is present, as showcased in the monuments to the Kragujevac massacre. Post-war concrete apartment blocks built during the
Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia The Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, commonly referred to as SFR Yugoslavia or simply as Yugoslavia, was a country in Central and Southeast Europe. It emerged in 1945, following World War II, and lasted until 1992, with the breakup of Yu ...
period are prominent. Today, glass office buildings reflect the ambitious business aspirations of the city. Some important buildings in Kragujevac include: * The "old" (or "Pridvorina") church of Descent of the Holy Spirit, built in 1818 as a part of Prince Miloš's court * The Old Parliament, built in the court of the church where the first parliamentary meeting was held in 1859 * The Amidža Konak, built by Prince Miloš as a residential house (now exhibition) and an example of regional Serbian architecture * The Prince Mihailo Konak, built in 1860 to blend local tradition with European architectural concepts and now the National Museum * The grammar school (''gimnazija''), built between 1885 and 1887 in European style to serve as the first educational institution of its kind in Serbia, educating prominent Serbian figures such as Svetozar Marković, Nikola Pašić, and
Radomir Putnik Radomir Putnik ( sr, Радомир Путник; ; 24 January 1847 – 17 May 1917) was the first Serbian Field Marshal and Chief of the General Staff of the Serbian army in the Balkan Wars and in the First World War. He served in every war in ...
The Upper (Great) Park is the largest park in Kragujevac. It was established in 1898. It is covered with more than of greenery, and a dense canopy of century-old trees, renovated walkways and benches are the right place for rest, walk and relaxation. In the park and its immediate vicinity there are sports facilities for basketball, football, volleyball, tennis, and indoor and outdoor swimming pools. Lower (Small) Park is located in the city centre, within the Milos Wreath complex. At its centre there is a monument to the Fallen People of
Šumadija Šumadija (, sr-Cyrl, Шумадија) is a geographical region in the central part of Serbia. The area used to be heavily covered with forests, hence the name (from ''šuma'' 'forest'). The city of Kragujevac is the administrative center of ...
. The Ilina Voda park, a legacy of Svetozar Andrejević, was established in 1900. It covers an area of . There is a fountain with a small waterfall, five mini lakes connected by a small stream, and a small zoo with about 100 animals and a garden with various types of trees characteristic of Šumadija. The curiosity in the park is the largest sculpture of Easter eggs ( high) in
Europe Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a Continent#Subcontinents, subcontinent of Eurasia ...
and the second in the
world In its most general sense, the term "world" refers to the totality of entities, to the whole of reality or to everything that is. The nature of the world has been conceptualized differently in different fields. Some conceptions see the worl ...
; made from recycled metal, set in 2004. Scenic attractions nearby include the Aranđelovac, Gornji Milanovac, Vrnjačka Banja, and Mataruška Banja, Karađorđe's castle, the Church of Saint George in
Topola Topola ( sr-cyrl, Топола, ) is a town and municipality located in the Šumadija District of central Serbia. It was the place where Karađorđe, a Serbian revolutionary, was chosen as the leader of the First Serbian Uprising against the Ottom ...
away, the Old Kalenić monastery away, the resorts of Rogot () and Stragari () with the old Blagoveštenje and Voljavča monasteries. File:View_on_the_city.JPG, ''View of Kragujevac'' File:Konak-kneza-Mihaila.jpg, '' House of prince Mihailo Obrenović III'' File:Saborni_Hram.jpg, ''Kragujevac Cathedral'' File:The city square1.jpg, ''Pedestrian zone'' File:La_Résidence_Amidža_à_Kragujevac.jpg, ''Amidžin Konak''


Transportation

Kragujevac has developed transportation infrastructure, with a variety of road connections to the Serbian capital, Belgrade. It can be reached using Serbian IB-class roads 24 (an expressway) and 25. In the coming years, the city will also be accessible via Pan-European Corridor X or, in Serbia, the
A1 motorway A1, A-1, A01 or A.1. may refer to: Education * A1, the Basic Language Certificate of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages * Language A1, the former name for "Language A: literature", one of the IB Group 1 subjects * A1, a ...
. The town is also connected to nearby Jagodina and Gornji Milanovac via class IIA road numbers 170 and 176 (via Bar, Montenegro), respectively. Kragujevac is connected by bus lines with almost all cities in the country. The most frequent departures (every half-hour) are to Belgrade. The central bus station is about a kilometre away from the city centre. Kragujevac can also be reached by train. The central train station is located close to the central bus station. The company responsible for public transportation in Kragujevac is the City Traffic Agency (GSA). The integrated public transport is performed by two companies: Arriva Litas and Vulović Transport. There are 22 urban bus lines and 14 lines that connect nearby rural areas operating according to established timetable. There are also 7 taxi and 3 rent-a-car companies operating in Kragujevac. Car parking system with 10 parking lots and zoned street parking (three zones with 4,244 parking spaces) is operated by public service company Parking Service Kragujevac.


Climate

Kragujevac has a
humid subtropical climate A humid subtropical climate is a zone of climate characterized by hot and humid summers, and cool to mild winters. These climates normally lie on the southeast side of all continents (except Antarctica), generally between latitudes 25° and 40° ...
(
Köppen climate classification The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems. It was first published by German-Russian climatologist Wladimir Köppen (1846–1940) in 1884, with several later modifications by Köppen, nota ...
: ''Cfa''), and with a July mean temperature of . Winds most often blow from southwest and northwest, while they often blow from southeast in January, February and March.


Municipalities and settlements

;Defunct city municipalities From May 2002 until March 2008, the city of Kragujevac was divided into the following city municipalities: * Aerodrom * Pivara *
Stanovo Stanovo () was one of five city municipalities which constituted the City of Kragujevac Kragujevac ( sr-Cyrl, Крагујевац, ) is the fourth largest city in Serbia and the administrative centre of the Šumadija District. It is the histo ...
* Stari Grad * Stragari ; Settlements List of settlements in the city of Kragujevac:


Demographics

According to the 2011 census results, the city's administrative area has a population of 179,417 inhabitants. Around 70% (126,312 inhabitants) are of working age (aged 15 to 64). The employed population in 2014 was 42,148 (47.0% of whom were women), most of whom work in
metalworking Metalworking is the process of shaping and reshaping metals to create useful objects, parts, assemblies, and large scale structures. As a term it covers a wide and diverse range of processes, skills, and tools for producing objects on every scale ...
(22%) and medical and
social services Social services are a range of public services intended to provide support and assistance towards particular groups, which commonly include the disadvantaged. They may be provided by individuals, private and independent organisations, or adminis ...
(13%). 54.6% of persons older than 15 have only secondary education, while 17.7%% hold a college or university degree. Around 93% of total city area is covered with water supply system, 78% with sewage system, 72% with natural gas supply network, and 92% with cell phone networks.


Ethnic groups


Politics

Results of the 2012 local elections (there are 87 seats in local assembly) are the following: * Together for Šumadija-
United Regions of Serbia The United Regions of Serbia ( sr, Уједињени региони Србије, Ujedinjeni regioni Srbije; abbr. УРС, URS) was a regionalist, liberal-conservative political party in Serbia. It was founded on 16 May 2010 as a political coa ...
(37) * Let's Get Kragujevac Moving (18) * Democratic Party-
Social Democratic Party of Serbia The Social Democratic Party of Serbia ( sr, Социјалдемократска партија Србије, Socijaldemokratska partija Srbije, SDPS) is a centre-left political party in Serbia. It is orientated towards social democracy. His ...
(12) *
SPS SPS may refer to: Law and government * Agreement on the Application of Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures of the WTO * NATO Science for Peace and Security * Single Payment Scheme, an EU agricultural subsidy * The Standard Procurement System, ...
- PUPS- JS (10) * Liberal Democratic Party- Serbian Renewal Movement (5) * Democratic Party of Serbia (5)


Economy

Kragujevac has been an important industrial and trading centre of Serbia for more than two centuries, known for its automotive and firearms industries. The former state-owned Zastava Automobiles company was purchased by
Fiat Fiat Automobiles S.p.A. (, , ; originally FIAT, it, Fabbrica Italiana Automobili di Torino, lit=Italian Automobiles Factory of Turin) is an Italian automobile manufacturer, formerly part of Fiat Chrysler Automobiles, and since 2021 a subsidiar ...
in 2008, and new company, FCA Srbija, was established. Fiat was joined by partners Magneti Marelli (
exhaust systems An exhaust system is used to guide reaction exhaust gases away from a controlled combustion inside an engine or stove. The entire system conveys burnt gases from the engine and includes one or more exhaust pipes. Depending on the overall syste ...
and control panels), Johnson Controls (car seats and interiors), Sigit (thermoplastic and rubber components) and HTL (
wheels A wheel is a circular component that is intended to rotate on an axle bearing. The wheel is one of the key components of the wheel and axle which is one of the six simple machines. Wheels, in conjunction with axles, allow heavy objects to b ...
). Weapons manufacturing in Kragujevac began with foundation of the VTZ in 1853 and has since grown to become Serbia's primary supplier of
firearms A firearm is any type of gun designed to be readily carried and used by an individual. The term is legally defined further in different countries (see Legal definitions). The first firearms originated in 10th-century China, when bamboo tubes ...
through the Zastava Arms corporation. Today, Zastava Arms exports more than 95% of its products to over forty countries in the world. By the decisions of the Ministry of Defence of Serbia, Zastava Arms became a part of the Defense Industry of Serbia in 2003. The most important partners of Zastava Arms are
Yugoimport SDPR Yugoimport–SDPR ( sr, Југоимпорт–СДПР, Jugoimport–SDPR) is a Serbian state-owned weapons manufacturer as well as intermediary company for the import and export of defense-related equipment. It is headquartered in Belgrade, w ...
, Army and Police of Serbia, Century Arms, and International Golden Group. Rapp Marine Group (components for ships, oil platforms and machines),
Meggle AG Meggle is a milk and whey processing company based in Wasserburg am Inn, Germany. History In 1882 Josef Anton Meggle founded a dairy in Wasserburg am Inn. In order to expand, Josef's brother Jakob opened a sales office in Dresden in 1886 – ...
( dairy products), Unior Components ( broaches,
welded construction Goods wagons of welded construction (german: Güterwagen der geschweißter Bauart) were developed and built by the Deutsche Reichsbahn in Germany from 1933 to about 1945. With the introduction of welding technology in 1933 almost all wagon componen ...
,
thermal treatment Thermal treatment is any waste treatment technology that involves high temperatures in the processing of the waste feedstock. Commonly this involves the combustion of waste materials. Systems that are generally considered to be thermal treatmen ...
), Metro Cash and Carry, Mercator and Plaza centres (
retail Retail is the sale of goods and Service (economics), services to consumers, in contrast to wholesaling, which is sale to business or institutional customers. A retailer purchases goods in large quantities from manufacturing, manufacturers, dire ...
) established their operations in Kragujevac. Many other local companies provide key manufacturing and production establishments. According to the National Bank of Serbia, there were 30 commercial banks operating in Serbia as of December 2016, of which Direktna Banka has its headquarters in Kragujevac. The Kragujevac Fair was established in 2005. It comprises of area dedicated to trade and exhibitions and of area for other activities (administration, Media centre, restaurant etc.). As of September 2017, Kragujevac contains one of 14 free economic zones established in Serbia. 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


Education

There are 22 primary and 8 secondary schools in Kragujevac. There are also 3 special schools: a school for hearing impaired children, the music school "Dr Miloje Milojević", and the school for children with disabilities "Vukašin Marković". The University of Kragujevac was established on 21 May 1976. It is the fourth largest university in Serbia and is organized into 12 faculties and two institutes which are spread over six nearby cities (Kragujevac, Čačak, Kraljevo, Užice, Jagodina and Vrnjačka Banja). Around 16,000 students are currently enrolled at the university. It has around 1,350 employees, out of which 900 are teaching and research staff. The University Library in Kragujevac is of a generally scientific character, and its primary users are university teaching staff and students. Its area is and includes several storage rooms, a reading area and the university gallery. The library keeps around 100,000 copies of books, 2,500 doctoral and master thesis, 450 titles of domestic journals and 105 titles of foreign journals.


Culture

There are many cultural institutions in Kragujevac that have gained regional and national significance in the arts. These institutions include: * Knjaževsko-srpsko pozorište (founded in 1835) * the National Library " Vuk Karadžić" (founded in 1866) * the cultural and artistic group "Abrasević" (founded in 1904) * The "October in Kragujevac Memorial Park", located in Šumarice, commemorating the tragic events of 21 October 1941 * The National Museum, with various displays including those pertaining to archaeology, ethnic diversity, the history of Kragujevac and Šumadija, and many paintings (the archaeology department has a rich collection of 10,000 display items and over 100,000 study items, while the painting department has over 1,000 pieces of prominent Serbian art of extraordinary value) * The "Old Foundry Museum", located within the old gun foundry, presents the industrial development of Kragujevac and Serbia using a collection of 5,800 pieces: weapons and equipment, machines and tools, archive material, photos, paintings, trophies and medals. * The Historical Archives of Šumadija, collecting and filing the archives and issues of the seven municipalities of Šumadija and has at its disposal of archive issues with 780 registries and hundreds of thousands of original historical documents There are three fine and applied arts associations in Kragujevac: the Art KG, the branch of the Serbian Association of Painters ULUS and the Association of Painters of Kragujevac, the ULUK. The most important annual and biannual cultural events include: * the International Festival of Chamber Choir Music * the International Festival of Chamber Music * the International Small Forms Theatre Festival * Arsenal Fest * the International Saloon of Antiwar Cartoons * the International Art Workshop "Balkan Bridges" * the International Jazz Festival * the International Puppet Theatre Festival


Sports

Kragujevac is home to
Čika Dača Stadium Čika Dača Stadium ( sr, Стадион Чика Дача) is a multi-use stadium in Kragujevac, Serbia. It is currently used mostly for football matches and is the home ground of FK Radnički 1923. The stadium was named in memory of Danilo ...
, the third largest stadium in
Serbia Serbia (, ; Serbian: , , ), officially the Republic of Serbia ( Serbian: , , ), is a landlocked country in Southeastern and Central Europe, situated at the crossroads of the Pannonian Basin and the Balkans. It shares land borders with Hu ...
by seat capacity. The largest and most important sports association in Kragujevac is Radnički, which brings together 19 clubs: football, athletics, volleyball, handball, boxing, wrestling etc. FK Radnički 1923 is the city's most successful football club and competes in the Serbian SuperLiga. Kragujevac is also known for having the oldest Serbian football club founded in the Kingdom of Serbia,
FK Šumadija 1903 FK Šumadija 1903 (Serbian Cyrillic: ФК Шумадија 1903) is a football club in Kragujevac, Serbia. In 2009 was briefly merged with '' FK Radnički'' from Kragujevac and formed a new club named FK Šumadija Radnički 1923, but continued w ...
. KK Radnički is the city's premier basketball team. Besides the
Basketball League of Serbia The Basketball League of Serbia ( sr, Кошаркашка лига Србије, Košarkaška liga Srbije; abbr. КЛС or KLS), is a top-tier men's professional basketball league in Serbia. Founded in 2006, it is run by the Basketball Federatio ...
it also competes in the local Adriatic Basketball League. Radnički volleyball club is one of strongest volleyball teams in Serbia, and water polo club
VK Radnički Kragujevac Kragujevački vaterpolo klub Radnički ( sr-cyr, Крагујевачки ватерполо клуб Раднички Крагујевац) is a men's professional water polo club based in Kragujevac, Serbia. It's a part of the Radnički multi-s ...
competes in the Serbian Water polo League A and has won the domestic league and the
LEN Trophy The LEN Euro Cup is the second-tier European water polo club competition run by the Ligue Européenne de Natation for those clubs who did not qualify for the LEN Champions League. The cup was inaugurated in 1992. History Names of the competi ...
in 2013. The city is home to the CROSS OVER Basketball Summer Camp, and the Bandy Federation of Serbia. The team of Kragujevac plays against the one from
Subotica Subotica ( sr-cyrl, Суботица, ; hu, Szabadka) is a city and the administrative center of the North Bačka District in the autonomous province of Vojvodina, Serbia. Formerly the largest city of Vojvodina region, contemporary Subotica i ...
. The Faculty of Economics of the university in Kragujevac is the founder of the
futsal Futsal is a football-based game played on a hard court smaller than a football pitch, and mainly indoors. It has similarities to five-a-side football and indoor football. Futsal is played between two teams of five players each, one of whom is ...
club
KMF Ekonomac Klub malog fudbala Ekonomac ( sr-cyr, Клуб малог фудбала Економац), commonly known as Ekonomac Kragujevac ( sr-cyr, Економац Крагујевац), is a Serbian futsal club based in Kragujevac. Ekonomac is currently ...
. The club was founded by Professor Veroljub Dugalić, several teaching assistants and a group of Faculty of Economics students on 7 November 2000. The club is playing in Serbia's Prva Futsal Liga and has won the Serbian championship eight times and Serbian Futsal Cup twice.


Local media


Gallery

File:Da.se.ne.zaboravi.jpg, '' Monument to the executed pupils and teachers'' File:Spomenik-palim-Sumadimcima.jpg, ''Description Monument to slain people from Šumadija in the wars'' File:Stone-lion-in-Sumarice.jpg, ''Stone lion in Šumarice park, World War I memorial'' File:Zastava main gate.jpg, '' Zastava main gate'' File:Kragujevac - Densely populated density (Centralna Radionica).jpg, ''Densely populated city quarters'' File:Night-view-on-city-hall1.jpg, ''City center'' File:Kragujevac_architecture.jpg, ''Main street''


Notable people

*
Milan Obrenović II Milan ( , , Lombard: ; it, Milano ) is a city in northern Italy, capital of Lombardy, and the second-most populous city proper in Italy after Rome. The city proper has a population of about 1.4 million, while its metropolitan city has ...
, Prince of Serbia (1839) *
Mihailo Obrenović III Mihailo ( sr-cyr, Михаило) or Mihajlo () is a Serbian masculine given name, a variant of the Hebrew name '' Michael''. Common as a given name among Serbs, it is an uncommon surname. It may refer to: * Mihailo Vojislavljević (fl. 1050–d. ...
, Prince of Serbia (1839–1842 and 1860–1868) *
Tomislav Nikolić Tomislav Nikolić ( sr-Cyrl, Томислав Николић, ; born 15 February 1952) is a Serbian retired politician who served as the president of Serbia from 2012 to 2017. A former member of the far-right Serbian Radical Party (SRS), he di ...
, President of Serbia (2012–2017) * Filip Kostić, Footballer *
Radomir Putnik Radomir Putnik ( sr, Радомир Путник; ; 24 January 1847 – 17 May 1917) was the first Serbian Field Marshal and Chief of the General Staff of the Serbian army in the Balkan Wars and in the First World War. He served in every war in ...
, first Serbian Field Marshal (Voivoda), Chief of the General Staff (1890–1892, 1903–1905, 1908–1915), and Minister of Defense (1904–1905, 1906–1908, 1912) * Jovan Ristić, President of the Ministry of Serbia (1867, 1873, 1878–1880, 1887–1888),
Minister of Foreign Affairs A foreign affairs minister or minister of foreign affairs (less commonly minister for foreign affairs) is generally a cabinet minister in charge of a state's foreign policy and relations. The formal title of the top official varies between co ...
(1867, 1872–1873, 1875, 1876–1880, 1887), and President of Serbian Academy of Science and Arts (1899) * Dušan Simović, Chief of General Staff (1938–1940)
Nikola Koka Janković
sculptor and full member of Serbian Academy of Science and Arts * Radoje Domanović, writer and teacher * Zoran Spasojević, writer * Dragan Todorović, writer and multimedia artist * Milan Dedinac, poet * Draginja Adamović, poet * Mille Marković, boxer, sex-club owner and convicted criminal and gangster Mille Marković * Dragiša Nedović, songwriter, composer and musician * Vidosav Stevanović, novelist, story writer, poet, playwright and publicist * Dragoslav Srejović, archaeologist and historian *
Nataša Kandić Nataša Kandić ( sr-cyr, Наташа Кандић; born December 16, 1946) is a Serbian human rights activist and coordinator of the RECOM Reconciliation Network, founder and ex-executive director of the Humanitarian Law Center (HLC), an orga ...
, founder of the Humanitarian Law Center
Mirko Babić
actor * Dragomir Bojanić Gidra, actor *
Branislav Jerinić Branislav "Ciga" Jerinić (20 March 1932 – 27 June 2006) was a Serbian actor. He appeared in more than ninety films from 1958 to 2003. Selected filmography References External links * 1932 births 2006 deaths Actors from Kraguje ...
, actor * Gorica Popović, actor * Nikola Rakočević, actor * Milovan "Minimaks" Ilić, radio and television host * Bora Dugić, flautist * Cune Gojković, singer * Ljubica Marić, composer (1909-2003) * Marija Šerifović, singer,
Eurovision Song Contest The Eurovision Song Contest (), sometimes abbreviated to ESC and often known simply as Eurovision, is an international songwriting competition organised annually by the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), featuring participants representing pr ...
winner of 2007 *
Jelena Tomašević Jelena Tomašević ( sr-cyr, Јелена Томашевић, ; born November 1, 1983) is a Serbian pop singer of international career famed for her strong vocal performances. She has won numerous awards for her songs and represented Serbia at 2 ...
, singer * Vesna Despotović, Serbian basketball player,
Olympic Olympic or Olympics may refer to Sports Competitions * Olympic Games, international multi-sport event held since 1896 ** Summer Olympic Games ** Winter Olympic Games * Ancient Olympic Games, ancient multi-sport event held in Olympia, Greece bet ...
bronze medalist (1980), and EuroBasket bronze medalist (1980) *
Stevan Pletikosić Stevan Pletikosić ( sr-cyrl, Стеван Плетикосић) (born 14 March 1972 in Kragujevac, Serbia, then SFR Yugoslavia) is a sport shooter from Serbia. While still a junior, he won a bronze medal in Men's 50 m Rifle Prone in the 1992 ...
, Serbian sport shooter, six time Olympic participant,
Olympic Olympic or Olympics may refer to Sports Competitions * Olympic Games, international multi-sport event held since 1896 ** Summer Olympic Games ** Winter Olympic Games * Ancient Olympic Games, ancient multi-sport event held in Olympia, Greece bet ...
bronze medalist (1992), two time ISSF World Shooting Championships silver medalist (1994, 2006), and European Shooting Championship silver medalist (1995) *
Nikola Lončar Nikola Lončar (Serbian Cyrillic: Никола Лончар; born May 31, 1972) is a Serbian former professional basketball player. He also holds Spanish citizenship. Professional career Lončar started his career at Partizan, making his profess ...
, Serbian basketball player, Olympic silver medalist (1996), FIBA World Championship gold medalist (1998), FIBA European Championship gold (1997) and bronze medalist (1999), and Euroleague champion with
KK Partizan Košarkaški klub Partizan ( sr-Cyrl, Кошаркашки клуб Партизан, English: Partizan Basketball Club), commonly referred to as KK Partizan or simply Partizan, is a professional basketball team based in Belgrade, Serbia. It is ...
(1992) * Katarina Bulatović, Montenegrin handball player, Olympic silver medalist (2012) and
European Women's Handball Championship The European Women's Handball Championship is the official competition for senior women's national handball teams of Europe, and takes place every two years. In addition to crowning the European champions, the tournament also serves as a qualifyi ...
gold medalist (2012) * Marija Lojpur, handball player, 2013 World Championship silver medalist * Jelena Milovanović, basketball player, Olympic bronze medalist (2016) and
EuroBasket Women 2015 The 2015 European Women Basketball Championship, commonly called EuroBasket Women 2015, was the 35th edition of the continental tournament in women's basketball, sanctioned by the FIBA Europe. The tournament was co-held in Hungary, which hosted ...
gold medalist (2015) *
Predrag Đorđević Predrag Đorđević ( sr-cyr, Предраг Ђорђевић; also transliterated Predrag Djordjević; born 4 August 1972) is a Serbian former professional footballer. Known for his set pieces, Đorđević played as a left midfielder for Gree ...
, footballer * Danko Lazović, footballer * Stefan Ilić, footballer, World U-20 champion * Ana Mihajlović, fashion model, winner of the 2002 Elite Model Look * Aleksa Ristić, basketball player Fiba 3x3 Debrecen masters * Đorđe Kostić, basketball player Fiba 3x3 Debrecen masters * Ivan Nedeljković, basketball player Fiba 3x3 Debrecen masters * Filip Popović, basketball player Fiba 3x3 Debrecen masters * Slavko Perović (footballer) * Filip Holender, Hungarian footballer


International relations


Twin towns – Sister cities

Kragujevac is twinned with:


Partnerships and cooperation

The town has other forms of cooperation and city friendship similar to the twin/sister city programmes with:


See also

* List of places in Serbia * University of Kragujevac *
First Kragujevac Gymnasium The First Grammar School of Kragujevac ( sr, Прва крагујевачка гимназија, Prva kragujevačka gimnazija) is a high school located in Kragujevac, Serbia. Founded in 1833, the school is the oldest Serbian high school south ...
* Šumarice Memorial Park * Kragujevac massacre * Knjaževsko-srpski teatar * Joakimfest * Arsenal Fest * Šumadija fairground *
Gruža Lake Gruža Lake ( sr, Гружанско језеро , translit=Gružansko jezero), is an Reservoir, artificial lake located to the southwest of Knić, Serbia. The lake was created in 1983 as a water reservoir for the city of Kragujevac and the surr ...


Notes and references


Notes

* Spasić, Živomir. Prestonica Kragujevac: prilozi istoriji Kneževine Srbije: 1818–1841. Prizma, 1998.


References


External links


City of Kragujevac official website
{{Authority control Populated places in Šumadija District Municipalities and cities of Šumadija and Western Serbia Šumadija 1476 establishments in Europe Former capitals of Serbia 15th-century establishments in Serbia Populated places established in the 1470s Starčevo–Körös–Criș culture