Smederevo ( sr-Cyrl, Смедерево, ) is a
city
A city is a human settlement of notable size.Goodall, B. (1987) ''The Penguin Dictionary of Human Geography''. London: Penguin.Kuper, A. and Kuper, J., eds (1996) ''The Social Science Encyclopedia''. 2nd edition. London: Routledge. It can be def ...
and the administrative center of the
Podunavlje District
The Podunavlje District ( sr, Подунавски округ, Podunavski okrug, ) is one of nine administrative districts of Southern and Eastern Serbia. It expands across the central parts of Serbia. According to the 2011 census results, it ha ...
in eastern Serbia. It is situated on the right bank of the
Danube
The Danube ( ; ) is a river that was once a long-standing frontier of the Roman Empire and today connects 10 European countries, running through their territories or being a border. Originating in Germany, the Danube flows southeast for , p ...
, about downstream of the Serbian capital,
Belgrade
Belgrade ( , ;, ; Names of European cities in different languages: B, names in other languages) is the Capital city, capital and List of cities in Serbia, largest city in Serbia. It is located at the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers a ...
.
According to the 2011 census, the city has a population of 64,105, with 108,209 people living in its administrative area.
Its history starts in the 1st century BC, after the conquest of the
Roman Empire
The Roman Empire ( la, Imperium Romanum ; grc-gre, Βασιλεία τῶν Ῥωμαίων, Basileía tôn Rhōmaíōn) was the post-Republican period of ancient Rome. As a polity, it included large territorial holdings around the Mediterr ...
, when there existed a settlement by the name of ''Vinceia''. The modern city traces its roots back to the
Late Middle Ages
The Late Middle Ages or Late Medieval Period was the Periodization, period of European history lasting from AD 1300 to 1500. The Late Middle Ages followed the High Middle Ages and preceded the onset of the early modern period (and in much of Eur ...
when it was the capital (1430–39, and 1444–59) of the last
independent Serbian state before
Ottoman conquest.
Smederevo is said to be the city of
iron
Iron () is a chemical element with symbol Fe (from la, ferrum) and atomic number 26. It is a metal that belongs to the first transition series and group 8 of the periodic table. It is, by mass, the most common element on Earth, right in f ...
( sr, / ) and
grape
A grape is a fruit, botanically a berry, of the deciduous woody vines of the flowering plant genus '' Vitis''. Grapes are a non- climacteric type of fruit, generally occurring in clusters.
The cultivation of grapes began perhaps 8,000 years a ...
s ().
Names
In
Serbian, the city is known as ''Smederevo'' (Смедерево), in
Latin
Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through the power of the ...
,
Italian
Italian(s) may refer to:
* Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries
** Italians, an ethnic group or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom
** Italian language, a Romance language
*** Regional Ita ...
,
Romanian
Romanian may refer to:
*anything of, from, or related to the country and nation of Romania
**Romanians, an ethnic group
**Romanian language, a Romance language
*** Romanian dialects, variants of the Romanian language
** Romanian cuisine, tradition ...
and
Greek
Greek may refer to:
Greece
Anything of, from, or related to Greece, a country in Southern Europe:
*Greeks, an ethnic group.
*Greek language, a branch of the Indo-European language family.
**Proto-Greek language, the assumed last common ancestor ...
as ''Semendria'', in
Hungarian as ''Szendrő'' or ''Vég-Szendrő'', in
Turkish as ''Semendire''.
The name of Smederevo was first recorded in the Charter of the Byzantine Emperor
Basil II
Basil II Porphyrogenitus ( gr, Βασίλειος Πορφυρογέννητος ;) and, most often, the Purple-born ( gr, ὁ πορφυρογέννητος, translit=ho porphyrogennetos).. 958 – 15 December 1025), nicknamed the Bulgar S ...
from 1019, in the part related to the
Eparchy of Braničevo
Eparchy of Braničevo is one of the eparchies of the Serbian Orthodox Church, with the seat at Braničevo, Serbia. Since 1994, it is headed by bishop Ignatije Midić.
History
It is mentioned for the first time in 878 as a bishopric. It contin ...
(a
suffragan diocese of the
Archdiocese of Ochrid. Another written record is found in the Charter of Duke
Lazar of Serbia
Lazar Hrebeljanović ( sr-cyr, Лазар Хребељановић; ca. 1329 – 15 June 1389) was a medieval Serbian ruler who created the largest and most powerful state on the territory of the disintegrated Serbian Empire. Lazar's state, ...
from 1381, by which he bestowed the
Monastery of Ravanica and villages and properties 'to the Great Bogosav with the commune and heritage'’.
The Latin-Italian name also occurs in
Belogradum et Semendria and
Belgrado e Semendria, two of the short-lived 20th-century synonyms of the Latin
titular bishopric
A titular see in various churches is an episcopal see of a former diocese that no longer functions, sometimes called a "dead diocese". The ordinary or hierarch of such a see may be styled a "titular metropolitan" (highest rank), "titular archbish ...
of Belgrade, which was suppressed in 1948 in favor of the residential Latin
Archdiocese of Belgrade (Beograd) and 'newly' established titular bishopric of
Alba Marittima
Alba Maritima ( it, Alba Marittima) is a Catholic titular see. It corresponds to current Biograd na Moru in Croatia. Its last titular was archbishop Celso Morga Iruzubieta, until he was appointed as coadjutor archbishop of Mérida-Badajoz.
His ...
.
Coat of arms
Smederevo Coat of Arms uses two shades of blue, which deviates from the
heraldic
Heraldry is a discipline relating to the design, display and study of armorial bearings (known as armory), as well as related disciplines, such as vexillology, together with the study of ceremony, rank and pedigree. Armory, the best-known branc ...
principles (only one shade of every color, contrasting those). Also, the bar with the year 1430 is placed over the shield. Emblem elements are six white discs arranged 3 + 2 + 1, which represents grapes,
Smederevo Fortress
The Smederevo Fortress ( sr, / ) is a medieval fortified city in Smederevo, Serbia, which was the temporary capital of Serbia in the Middle Ages. It was built between 1427 and 1430 on the order of Despot Đurađ Branković, the ruler of the ...
, dark blue and white horizontal lines (representing the
Danube
The Danube ( ; ) is a river that was once a long-standing frontier of the Roman Empire and today connects 10 European countries, running through their territories or being a border. Originating in Germany, the Danube flows southeast for , p ...
).
History
Early
In the 7th millennium BC, the
Starčevo culture
The Starčevo culture is an archaeological culture of Southeastern Europe, dating to the Neolithic period between ''c.'' 6200 and 4500 BCE. It originates in the spread of the Neolithic package of peoples and technological innovations including fa ...
existed for a millennia, succeeded by the 6th millennium BC
Vinča culture
The Vinča culture (), also known as Turdaș culture or Turdaș–Vinča culture, is a Neolithic archaeological culture of Southeast Europe, dated to the period 5700–4500 BC or 5300–4700/4500 BC.. Named for its type site, Vinča-Belo Brdo ...
that prospered in the region. The
Paleo-Balkan tribes of
Dacians
The Dacians (; la, Daci ; grc-gre, Δάκοι, Δάοι, Δάκαι) were the ancient Indo-European inhabitants of the cultural region of Dacia, located in the area near the Carpathian Mountains and west of the Black Sea. They are often consid ...
and
Thracians
The Thracians (; grc, Θρᾷκες ''Thrāikes''; la, Thraci) were an Indo-European languages, Indo-European speaking people who inhabited large parts of Eastern Europe, Eastern and Southeast Europe, Southeastern Europe in ancient history.. ...
emerged in the area in the 2nd millennia BC, with the
Celtic
Celtic, Celtics or Keltic may refer to:
Language and ethnicity
*pertaining to Celts, a collection of Indo-European peoples in Europe and Anatolia
**Celts (modern)
*Celtic languages
**Proto-Celtic language
* Celtic music
*Celtic nations
Sports Fo ...
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 n ...
raiding the Balkans in the 3rd century B.C.
The
Roman Empire
The Roman Empire ( la, Imperium Romanum ; grc-gre, Βασιλεία τῶν Ῥωμαίων, Basileía tôn Rhōmaíōn) was the post-Republican period of ancient Rome. As a polity, it included large territorial holdings around the Mediterr ...
conquered ''Vinceia'' in the 1st century BC. It was organized into
Moesia
Moesia (; Latin: ''Moesia''; el, Μοισία, Moisía) was an ancient region and later Roman province situated in the Balkans south of the Danube River, which included most of the territory of modern eastern Serbia, Kosovo, north-eastern Alban ...
, later
Moesia Superior, and in the administrative reforms of
Diocletian
Diocletian (; la, Gaius Aurelius Valerius Diocletianus, grc, Διοκλητιανός, Diokletianós; c. 242/245 – 311/312), nicknamed ''Iovius'', was Roman emperor from 284 until his abdication in 305. He was born Gaius Valerius Diocles ...
(244–311) it was part of the
Diocese of Moesia
The Diocese of Moesia ( la, Dioecesis Moesiarum, el, Διοίκησις Μοισίας) was a diocese of the later Roman Empire, in the area of modern western Bulgaria, central Serbia, Montenegro, Albania, North Macedonia, and Greece.
History
...
, then the
Diocese of Dacia. It was a principal town of Moesia Superior, near the confluence of ''Margus'' and ''Brongus'' rivers.
Middle Ages
The modern founder of the city was the Serbian
Despot Đurađ Branković
Đurađ Branković (; sr-cyr, Ђурађ Бранковић; hu, Brankovics György; 1377 – 24 December 1456) was the Serbian Despot from 1427 to 1456. He was one of the last Serbian medieval rulers. He was a participant in the battle of Anka ...
in the 15th century, who built
Smederevo Fortress
The Smederevo Fortress ( sr, / ) is a medieval fortified city in Smederevo, Serbia, which was the temporary capital of Serbia in the Middle Ages. It was built between 1427 and 1430 on the order of Despot Đurađ Branković, the ruler of the ...
in 1430 as the new Serbian capital. Smederevo was the residence of the Branković house and the capital of the
Serbian Despotate
The Serbian Despotate ( sr, / ) was a medieval Serbian state in the first half of the 15th century. Although the Battle of Kosovo in 1389 is generally considered the end of medieval Serbia, the Despotate, a successor of the Serbian Empire and ...
from 1430 until 1439, when it was conquered by the
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman Empire, * ; is an archaic version. The definite article forms and were synonymous * and el, Оθωμανική Αυτοκρατορία, Othōmanikē Avtokratoria, label=none * info page on book at Martin Luther University) ...
after a siege lasting two months.
Sanjak of Smederevo
In 1444, in accordance with the terms of the
Peace of Szeged
The Treaty of Edirne and the Peace of Szeged were two halves of a peace treaty between Sultan Murad II of the Ottoman Empire and King Vladislaus of the Kingdom of Hungary. Despot Đurađ Branković of the Serbian Despotate was a party to the ...
between the
Kingdom of Hungary
The Kingdom of Hungary was a monarchy in Central Europe that existed for nearly a millennium, from the Middle Ages into the 20th century. The Principality of Hungary emerged as a Christian kingdom upon the coronation of the first king Stephen ...
and the
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman Empire, * ; is an archaic version. The definite article forms and were synonymous * and el, Оθωμανική Αυτοκρατορία, Othōmanikē Avtokratoria, label=none * info page on book at Martin Luther University) ...
the Sultan returned Smederevo to
Đurađ Branković
Đurađ Branković (; sr-cyr, Ђурађ Бранковић; hu, Brankovics György; 1377 – 24 December 1456) was the Serbian Despot from 1427 to 1456. He was one of the last Serbian medieval rulers. He was a participant in the battle of Anka ...
, who was allied to
John Hunyadi
John Hunyadi (, , , ; 1406 – 11 August 1456) was a leading Hungarian military and political figure in Central and Southeastern Europe during the 15th century. According to most contemporary sources, he was the member of a noble family of ...
.
On 22 August 1444 the Serb prince peacefully took possession of the evacuated town. When Hunyadi broke the peace treaty, Đurađ Branković remained neutral. Serbia became a battleground between the Kingdom of Hungary and the Ottomans, and the angry Branković captured Hunyadi after his defeat at the
Second Battle of Kosovo
The Second Battle of Kosovo ( Hungarian: ''második rigómezei csata'', Turkish: ''İkinci Kosova Muharebesi'') (17–20 October 1448) was a land battle between a Hungarian-led Crusader army and the Ottoman Empire at Kosovo Polje. It was ...
in 1448. Hunyadi was imprisoned in Smederevo fortress for a short time.
In 1454 Sultan
Mehmed II besieged Smederevo and devastated Serbia. The town was liberated by Hunyadi. In 1459 Smederevo was again captured by the Ottomans after the death of Branković. The town became a Turkish border-fortress, and played an important part in
Ottoman–Hungarian Wars
The Ottoman–Hungarian Wars were a series of battles between the Ottoman Empire and the medieval Kingdom of Hungary. Following the Byzantine Civil War, the Ottoman capture of Gallipoli, and the decisive Battle of Kosovo, the Ottoman Empire ...
until 1526. Due to its strategic location, Smederevo was gradually rebuilt and enlarged. For a long period, the town was the capital of the
Sanjak of Smederevo
The Sanjak of Smederevo ( tr, Semendire Sancağı; sr, / ), also known in historiography as the Pashalik of Belgrade ( tr, Belgrad Paşalığı; sr, / ), was an Ottoman administrative unit (sanjak), that existed between the 15th and the out ...
.
In autumn 1476, a joint army of Hungarians and Serbs tried to capture the fortress from the Ottomans. They built three wooden counter-fortresses, but after months of siege, Sultan Mehmed II himself came to drive them away. After fierce fighting the Hungarians agreed to withdraw. In 1494
Pál Kinizsi
}; ro, Paul Chinezu; 1432–1494) was a Hungarian general in the service of Hungarian army under king Matthias Corvinus. He was the Count of Temes County (in the historical Banat region, in the Kingdom of Hungary now part of Romania and Serb ...
tried to capture Smederevo from the Ottomans. In 1512
John Zápolya
John Zápolya or Szapolyai ( hu, Szapolyai/ Zápolya János, hr, Ivan Zapolja, ro, Ioan Zápolya, sk, Ján Zápoľský; 1490/91 – 22 July 1540), was King of Hungary (as John I) from 1526 to 1540. His rule was disputed by Archduke Fer ...
unsuccessfully laid siege to the town.
Modern
During the
First Serbian Uprising
The First Serbian Uprising ( sr, Prvi srpski ustanak, italics=yes, sr-Cyrl, Први српски устанак; tr, Birinci Sırp Ayaklanması) was an uprising of Serbs in the Sanjak of Smederevo against the Ottoman Empire from 14 February 18 ...
in 1806, the city became the temporary capital of Serbia, as well as the seat of the ''Praviteljstvujušči sovjet'', a government headed by
Dositej Obradović
Dositej Obradović ( sr-Cyrl, Доситеј Обрадовић; 17 February 1739 – 7 April 1811) was a Serbian writer, biographer, diarist, philosopher, pedagogue, educational reformer, linguist, polyglot and the first minister of education ...
. The first basic school was founded in 1806. During World War II, the city was occupied by
German
German(s) may refer to:
* Germany (of or related to)
** Germania (historical use)
* Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language
** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law
**Ge ...
forces, who stored
ammunition in the fortress. On 5 June 1941, a
catastrophic explosion severely damaged the fortress, killing nearly 2,000 residents.
After World War II, Smederevo became an industrial and cultural center of
Podunavlje District
The Podunavlje District ( sr, Подунавски округ, Podunavski okrug, ) is one of nine administrative districts of Southern and Eastern Serbia. It expands across the central parts of Serbia. According to the 2011 census results, it ha ...
. Under the overall industrial development of
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 Yug ...
, the city received a boost in infrastructure. Due to the ideal geographical position of Smederevo, socialist government supported building of roads, apartment buildings and tens of factories.
Some of the most notable factories built and renewed in period between 1950s until the end of 1980s were Zelvoz (Heroj Srba during the period of
SFRJ
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 Yugo ...
), renewed in 1966. and a new steel plant built on outskirts of Smederevo at that time,
Sartid
The HBIS GROUP Serbia Iron & Steel, commonly known as the Hesteel Serbia (Serbian language, Serbian: Хестил Србија / Hestil Srbija) or Železara Smederevo ( sr-Cyrl, Железара Смедерево), is a Serbian steel manufacturi ...
(MKS during the period of
SFRJ
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 Yugo ...
) which was completely operational in 1971.
Settlements
Aside the city of Smederevo, the administrative area includes the following 27
settlement
Settlement may refer to:
*Human settlement, a community where people live
*Settlement (structural), the distortion or disruption of parts of a building
* Closing (real estate), the final step in executing a real estate transaction
*Settlement (fin ...
s (number of population according to 2011 census in brackets
):
*
Badljevica
Badljevica is a village in the municipality of Smederevo, Serbia
Serbia (, ; Serbian: , , ), officially the Republic of Serbia (Serbian: , , ), is a landlocked country in Southeastern and Central Europe, situated at the crossroads of the ...
(374)
*
Binovac
Binovac is a village in the municipality of Smederevo, Serbia
Serbia (, ; Serbian: , , ), officially the Republic of Serbia (Serbian: , , ), is a landlocked country in Southeastern and Central Europe, situated at the crossroads of the Pa ...
(428)
*
Dobri Do (971)
*
Drugovac
Drugovac is a village in the municipality of Smederevo, Serbia
Serbia (, ; Serbian: , , ), officially the Republic of Serbia (Serbian: , , ), is a landlocked country in Southeastern and Central Europe, situated at the crossroads of the P ...
(1,566)
*
Kolari
Kolari is a municipality of Finland at the Swedish border, which follows the Torne River, the longest free-flowing river in Europe.
It is located in the region of Lapland. The municipality has a population of () and covers an area of of whic ...
(1,089)
*
Kulič
Kulič ( sr-cyr, Кулич) is a village in the municipality of Smederevo, Serbia. The settlement is in the period 1959–1997. year was part of the settlement Šalinac, before 1959 it was an independent settlement. Officially recognized as an i ...
(232)
*
Landol
Landol (; it, Landolo) is a village in the Municipality of Postojna in the Inner Carniola region of Slovenia.
Name
Landol was attested in written sources as ''Landol'' in 1313 (and as ''Londol'' in 1335, ''Landovia'' in 1398, and ''Lanndaw'' in 1 ...
(1,141)
*
Lipe (3,077)
*
Lugavčina (3,078)
*
Lunjevac (563)
*
Mala Krsna (1,552)
*
Malo Orašje (994)
*
Mihajlovac (2,656)
*
Osipaonica (3,560)
*
Petrijevo (1,451)
*
Radinac
Radinac ( sr-cyr, Радинац) is a village in the municipality of Smederevo, Serbia. According to the 2011 census, the village has a population of 5,428 people. It is home to Serbia's only operating steel mill - Železara Smederevo, previously ...
(5,428)
*
Ralja (1,209)
*
Šalinac
Šalinac is a village in the Municipalities of Serbia, municipality of Smederevo, Serbia. According to the 2002 census, the village has a population of 985 people.Popis stanovništva, domaćinstava i Stanova 2002. Knjiga 1: Nacionalna ili etnička ...
(558)
*
Saraorci
Saraorci is a village in the municipality of Smederevo, Serbia
Serbia (, ; Serbian: , , ), officially the Republic of Serbia (Serbian: , , ), is a landlocked country in Southeastern and Central Europe, situated at the crossroads of the ...
(2,107)
*
Seone (955)
*
Skobalj (1,614)
*
Suvodol (788)
*
Udovice
Udovice is a village in the Municipalities of Serbia, municipality of Smederevo, Serbia. According to the 2002 census, the village has a population of 2018 people.Popis stanovništva, domaćinstava i Stanova 2002. Knjiga 1: Nacionalna ili etničk ...
(1,837)
*
Vodanj
Vodanj is a village in the municipality of Smederevo
Smederevo ( sr-Cyrl, Смедерево, ) is a city and the administrative center of the Podunavlje District in eastern Serbia. It is situated on the right bank of the Danube, about ...
(1,206)
*
Vranovo (2,690)
*
Vrbovac (1,020)
*
Vučak (1,890)
Demographics
Economy
Smederevo has a recent history of
heavy industry
Heavy industry is an industry that involves one or more characteristics such as large and heavy products; large and heavy equipment and facilities (such as heavy equipment, large machine tools, huge buildings and large-scale infrastructure); o ...
and
manufacturing
Manufacturing is the creation or production of goods with the help of equipment, labor, machines, tools, and chemical or biological processing or formulation. It is the essence of secondary sector of the economy. The term may refer to a r ...
, which is a result of intense industrialization of the region during the 1950s-1960s era. Previously, this entire geographical region had a heavy focus on agricultural production.
The city is home to the only operating
steel mill
A steel mill or steelworks is an industrial plant for the manufacture of steel. It may be an integrated steel works carrying out all steps of steelmaking from smelting iron ore to rolled product, but may also be a plant where steel semi-finish ...
in the country -
Železara Smederevo
The HBIS GROUP Serbia Iron & Steel, commonly known as the Hesteel Serbia (Serbian: Хестил Србија / Hestil Srbija) or Železara Smederevo ( sr-Cyrl, Железара Смедерево), is a Serbian steel manufacturing conglomerate wi ...
, previously known as Sartid, which is situated in the suburb of
Radinac
Radinac ( sr-cyr, Радинац) is a village in the municipality of Smederevo, Serbia. According to the 2011 census, the village has a population of 5,428 people. It is home to Serbia's only operating steel mill - Železara Smederevo, previously ...
. This was privatized and sold to
U.S. Steel
United States Steel Corporation, more commonly known as U.S. Steel, is an American integrated steel producer headquartered in Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, with production operations primarily in the United States of America and in severa ...
in 2003 for $33 million. Following the global economic crisis, U.S. Steel sold the plant to the government of Serbia for a symbolic $1 to avoid closing the plant. The plant was renamed Železara Smederevo and at the time employed 5,400 workers. In 2016, the Serbian government managed to strike a deal with a Chinese conglomerate
Hesteel Group
Hesteel Group Company Limited is a Chinese iron and steel manufacturing conglomerate, also known as Hesteel Group or its pinyin shortname Hegang. The company was also known as Hebei Iron and Steel Group Co., Ltd. or HBIS until 2016 ().
Hesteel Gr ...
, which purchased the effective assets for $46 million.
The "Milan Blagojević"
home appliance
A home appliance, also referred to as a domestic appliance, an electric appliance or a household appliance, is a machine which assists in household functions such as cooking, cleaning and food preservation.
Appliances are divided into three ...
factory is the second largest industry company in the city. Smederevo is also an agricultural area, with significant production of fruit and vines. However, the large agricultural combine "Godomin" has been in financial difficulty since the 1990s and is almost defunct . The
grape variety
This list of grape varieties includes cultivated grapes, whether used for wine, or eating as a table grape, fresh or dried (raisin, currant, sultana). For a complete list of all grape species including those unimportant to agriculture, see Viti ...
known as
Smederevka
Smederevka () is a white wine grape variety grown in Serbia, Bulgaria and in the Tikveš wine-growing region of North Macedonia. The variety's name is derived from the name of Serbian city Smederevo. Most probably the growing of this grape variet ...
is named after the city. The "Ishrana" factory is an important supplier of bakery products in northern and eastern Serbia.
A U.S.-Dutch consortium, Comico Oil, planned to build a $250 million oil refinery in the industrial zone of the city in 2012. However, the consortium lost its permit to build the refinery after it failed to meet payment deadlines for the land lease a year later.
As of September 2017, Smederevo has one of 14
free economic zone
Free economic zones (FEZ), free economic territories (FETs) or free zones (FZ) are a class of special economic zone (SEZ) designated by the trade and commerce administrations of various countries. The term is used to designate areas in which co ...
s established in Serbia.
Transportation
The river traffic infrastructure of the city of Smederevo consists of Danube waterway, old port, marina, new port, terminal for liquid
Naftna Industrija Srbije
Naftna Industrija Srbije ( sr, Нафтна Индустрија Србије, lit=Petroleum Industry of Serbia; abbr. NIS / НИС) is a Serbian multinational oil and gas company with headquarters in NIS building, Novi Sad, Serbia. NIS is one of ...
loads, as well as smaller piers (gravel pits) which are located along the bank in the industrial zone. The port is registered for international traffic and is located in the very center of the city of Smederevo.
It has reloading capacities which can realize 1.5 million freight tons a year. By 2019, the
Government of Serbia
The Government of Serbia ( sr, Влада Србије, Vlada Srbije), formally the Government of the Republic of Serbia ( sr, Влада Републике Србије, Vlada Republike Srbije), commonly abbreviated to Serbian Government ( sr, ...
invested 9.5 million euros for new railway construction built for the needs of Port of Smederevo.
It was also announced that starting in 2020, the Government of Serbia plans to invest 93 million euros for the construction of new Port Terminal.
Tourism
![Karađorđev dud](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/06/Kara%C4%91or%C4%91ev_dud.jpg)
Among the main tourist attractions in the city are the
Smederevo Fortress
The Smederevo Fortress ( sr, / ) is a medieval fortified city in Smederevo, Serbia, which was the temporary capital of Serbia in the Middle Ages. It was built between 1427 and 1430 on the order of Despot Đurađ Branković, the ruler of the ...
and the
Obrenović Villa
The Obrenović Villa ( sr, Вила Обреновића / ''Vila Obrenovića'') or Villa Zlatni Breg ( sr, Вила Златни брег / ''Vila Zlatni breg'') in Smederevo, Serbia, was a summerhouse of the royal Obrenović dynasty. The earlie ...
.
There is an old
white mulberry tree in the center of Smederevo. Called ''
Karađorđe
Đorđe Petrović ( sr-Cyrl, Ђорђе Петровић, ), better known by the sobriquet Karađorđe ( sr-Cyrl, Карађорђе, lit=Black George, ; – ), was a Serbian revolutionary who led the struggle for his country's independ ...
v Dud'' ("
Karađorđe's Mulberry"), it is estimated to be over 300 years old. Though there are no historical sources to specifically confirm that, it is believed that under this tree
dizdar {{for, people with the surname, Dizdar (surname)
Dizdar ( fa, دزدار, translit=dizdār; tr, dizdar, kale muhafızı) was the title given in the Ottoman Empire to a castle warden or fortress commander, appointed to manage troops and keep the f ...
Muharem Guša, Ottoman commander of the fortress, handed over the keys to the city to Karađorđe on 8 November 1805, after the city was liberated during the
First Serbian Uprising
The First Serbian Uprising ( sr, Prvi srpski ustanak, italics=yes, sr-Cyrl, Први српски устанак; tr, Birinci Sırp Ayaklanması) was an uprising of Serbs in the Sanjak of Smederevo against the Ottoman Empire from 14 February 18 ...
. In May 2018 the tree was declared a
natural monument
A natural monument is a natural or natural/cultural feature of outstanding or unique value because of its inherent rarity, representative of aesthetic qualities or cultural significance.
Under World Commission on Protected Areas guidelines, na ...
of the III category, as the first "living" monument in Smederevo. The three is supported by metallic pipes, but there is an initiative that two sculptures, shaped like a male and female hand, should be installed instead.
Demographics
![Smederevo building at the market](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/ab/Smederevo_building_at_the_market.JPG)
In the 2011 census, there was 108,209 residents in the city administrative area, of which 101,908 were
Serb
The Serbs ( sr-Cyr, Срби, Srbi, ) are the most numerous South Slavic ethnic group native to the Balkans in Southeastern Europe, who share a common Serbian ancestry, culture, history and language.
The majority of Serbs live in their na ...
s and 2,369 were
Romani
Romani may refer to:
Ethnicities
* Romani people, an ethnic group of Northern Indian origin, living dispersed in Europe, the Americas and Asia
** Romani genocide, under Nazi rule
* Romani language, any of several Indo-Aryan languages of the Roma ...
.
Twin towns
Smederevo is
twinned with:
*
Pale
Pale may refer to:
Jurisdictions
* Medieval areas of English conquest:
** Pale of Calais, in France (1360–1558)
** The Pale, or the English Pale, in Ireland
*Pale of Settlement, area of permitted Jewish settlement, western Russian Empire (179 ...
,
Bosnia Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina ( sh, / , ), abbreviated BiH () or B&H, sometimes called Bosnia–Herzegovina and often known informally as Bosnia, is a country at the crossroads of south and southeast Europe, located in the Balkans. Bosnia and He ...
*
Volos
Volos ( el, Βόλος ) is a coastal port city in Thessaly situated midway on the Greek mainland, about north of Athens and south of Thessaloniki. It is the sixth most populous city of Greece, and the capital of the Magnesia regional unit ...
,
Greece
Greece,, or , romanized: ', officially the Hellenic Republic, is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the southern tip of the Balkans, and is located at the crossroads of Europe, Asia, and Africa. Greece shares land borders with ...
*
Tangshan
Tangshan () is a coastal, industrial prefecture-level city in the northeast of Hebei province. It is located in the eastern part of Hebei Province and the northeastern part of the North China Plain. It is located in the central area of the Boha ...
,
China
China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a population exceeding 1.4 billion, slightly ahead of India. China spans the equivalent of five time zones and ...
Ozvaničena saradnja Tangšana i Smedereva
''podunavlje.info''
* Herceg Novi
Herceg Novi ( cyrl, Херцег Нови, ) is a coastal town in Montenegro located at the Western entrance to the Bay of Kotor and at the foot of Mount Orjen. It is the administrative center of the Herceg Novi Municipality with around 33,000 ...
, Montenegro
)
, image_map = Europe-Montenegro.svg
, map_caption =
, image_map2 =
, capital = Podgorica
, coordinates =
, largest_city = capital
, official_languages = M ...
See also
*Municipalities of Serbia
The municipalities and cities ( sr, општине и градови, opštine i gradovi) are the second level administrative subdivisions of Serbia. The country is divided into 145 municipalities ( sr-Latn, opštine, singular: ; 38 in Southern ...
* Cities and towns in Serbia
* Populated places of Serbia
*Smederevo Fortress
The Smederevo Fortress ( sr, / ) is a medieval fortified city in Smederevo, Serbia, which was the temporary capital of Serbia in the Middle Ages. It was built between 1427 and 1430 on the order of Despot Đurađ Branković, the ruler of the ...
* Smederevo Airport
References
Sources
External links
*
Virtual walk through Smederevo
''www.360serbia.com''
Visit Smederevo (Tourist Organization City of Smederevo)
''www.visitsmederevo''
Smederevo's Autumn
{{Authority control
1430 establishments in Europe
Populated places established in the 1430s
Populated places in Podunavlje District
Šumadija
Municipalities and cities of Southern and Eastern Serbia
Former capitals of Serbia
15th-century establishments in Serbia
Starčevo–Körös–Criș culture