Foča ( sr-Cyrl, Фоча, ) is a town and municipality in
Republika Srpska
Republika Srpska ( sr-Cyrl, Република Српска, ; also referred to as the Republic of Srpska or Serb Republic) is one of the two Political divisions of Bosnia and Herzegovina, entities within Bosnia and Herzegovina, the other bein ...
,
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina, sometimes known as Bosnia-Herzegovina and informally as Bosnia, is a country in Southeast Europe. Situated on the Balkans, Balkan Peninsula, it borders Serbia to the east, Montenegro to the southeast, and Croatia to th ...
, located in the south-east on the banks of
Drina
The Drina ( sr-Cyrl, Дрина, ) is a long river in the Balkans, which forms a large portion of the border between Bosnia and Herzegovina and Serbia. It is the longest tributary of the Sava River and the longest karst river in the Dinaric Al ...
river. As of 2013, the town has a population of 12,234 inhabitants, while the municipality has 18,288 inhabitants.
Foča houses some faculties (including the Medical and Orthodox Theological Faculty of
Saint Basil
Basil of Caesarea, also called Saint Basil the Great (330 – 1 or 2 January 379) was an early Roman Christian prelate who served as Bishop of Caesarea in Cappadocia from 370 until his death in 379. He was an influential theologian who suppor ...
of Ostrog) from the
Istočno Sarajevo University. It is also home to the "Seminary of Saint Peter of Sarajevo and Dabar-Bosna", one of seven
seminaries
A seminary, school of theology, theological college, or divinity school is an educational institution for educating students (sometimes called seminarians) in scripture and theology, generally to prepare them for ordination to serve as clerg ...
in the
Serbian Orthodox Church
The Serbian Orthodox Church ( sr-Cyrl-Latn, Српска православна црква, Srpska pravoslavna crkva) is one of the autocephalous (ecclesiastically independent) Eastern Orthodoxy, Eastern Orthodox Eastern Orthodox Church#Constit ...
. Foča was also, until 1992, home to one of Bosnia's most important
Islam
Islam is an Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic monotheistic religion based on the Quran, and the teachings of Muhammad. Adherents of Islam are called Muslims, who are estimated to number Islam by country, 2 billion worldwide and are the world ...
ic
high school
A secondary school, high school, or senior school, is an institution that provides secondary education. Some secondary schools provide both ''lower secondary education'' (ages 11 to 14) and ''upper secondary education'' (ages 14 to 18), i.e., ...
s, the
Madrasa
Madrasa (, also , ; Arabic: مدرسة , ), sometimes Romanization of Arabic, romanized as madrasah or madrassa, is the Arabic word for any Educational institution, type of educational institution, secular or religious (of any religion), whet ...
of Mehmed Pasha Kukavica. The
Sutjeska National Park
The Sutjeska National Park ( sh-Latn-Cyrl, Nacionalni park Sutjeska, Национални парк Сутјеска, ) is a national park located in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Established in 1962, it is Bosnia and Herzegovina's oldest national park ...
, which is the oldest National Park in
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina, sometimes known as Bosnia-Herzegovina and informally as Bosnia, is a country in Southeast Europe. Situated on the Balkans, Balkan Peninsula, it borders Serbia to the east, Montenegro to the southeast, and Croatia to th ...
, is located in the municipality.
History
Early history
The first written traces of the name Foča date back to 1336. The town was known as Hotča or Hoča during medieval times. It was then known as a trading centre on route between Ragusa (now
Dubrovnik
Dubrovnik, historically known as Ragusa, is a city in southern Dalmatia, Croatia, by the Adriatic Sea. It is one of the most prominent tourist destinations in the Mediterranean Sea, Mediterranean, a Port, seaport and the centre of the Dubrovni ...
) and Constantinople (now
Istanbul
Istanbul is the List of largest cities and towns in Turkey, largest city in Turkey, constituting the country's economic, cultural, and historical heart. With Demographics of Istanbul, a population over , it is home to 18% of the Demographics ...
,
Turkey
Turkey, officially the Republic of Türkiye, is a country mainly located in Anatolia in West Asia, with a relatively small part called East Thrace in Southeast Europe. It borders the Black Sea to the north; Georgia (country), Georgia, Armen ...
). Alongside the rest of Gornje Podrinje, Foča was part of the Serbian Empire until 1376, when it was attached to the Kingdom of Bosnia under
King Tvrtko,
king
King is a royal title given to a male monarch. A king is an Absolute monarchy, absolute monarch if he holds unrestricted Government, governmental power or exercises full sovereignty over a nation. Conversely, he is a Constitutional monarchy, ...
of
Serbs
The Serbs ( sr-Cyr, Срби, Srbi, ) are a South Slavs, South Slavic ethnic group native to Southeastern Europe who share a common Serbian Cultural heritage, ancestry, Culture of Serbia, culture, History of Serbia, history, and Serbian lan ...
,
Bosnia
Bosnia and Herzegovina, sometimes known as Bosnia-Herzegovina and informally as Bosnia, is a country in Southeast Europe. Situated on the Balkans, Balkan Peninsula, it borders Serbia to the east, Montenegro to the southeast, and Croatia to th ...
,
Coastal Lands and
Zachlumia. After Tvrtko's death, the town was ruled by the dukes of
Zachlumia, most notably was
Herzog Šćepan. Foča was the seat of the Ottoman
Sanjak of Herzegovina established in 1470, and served as such until 1572, when the seat was moved to
Pljevlja
Pljevlja (, ) is a town located in the Northern Montenegro, Northern Region of Montenegro, situated along Ćehotina, Ćehotina river.
The town lies at an altitude of . In the Middle Ages, Pljevlja had been a crossroad of the important commercial ...
.
World War II
In 1941, the
Ustaše
The Ustaše (), also known by anglicised versions Ustasha or Ustashe, was a Croats, Croatian fascist and ultranationalist organization active, as one organization, between 1929 and 1945, formally known as the Ustaša – Croatian Revolutionar ...
killed the leading Serbs in Foča. Between December 1941 and January 1942 over two thousand
Bosnian Muslim civilians were killed in Foča by the
Chetniks
The Chetniks,, ; formally the Chetnik Detachments of the Yugoslav Army, and also the Yugoslav Army in the Homeland; and informally colloquially the Ravna Gora Movement, was a Kingdom of Yugoslavia, Yugoslav royalist and Serbian nationalist m ...
as act of vengeance for repression over Serbs by Muslim soldiers in the ranks of the
Ustaše
The Ustaše (), also known by anglicised versions Ustasha or Ustashe, was a Croats, Croatian fascist and ultranationalist organization active, as one organization, between 1929 and 1945, formally known as the Ustaša – Croatian Revolutionar ...
.
When the German and Italian
Zones of Influence were revised on 24 June 1942, Foča fell in , administered civilly by Croatia and militarily by Croatia and Germany.
Chetniks attacked Ustaše and in Foča in August 1942.
[ Judita Alargić was commissar of the Central Hospital ( sr) from 1942.]
On 13 February 1943, Pavle Đurišić reported to Draža Mihailović
Dragoljub "Draža" Mihailović ( sr-Cyrl, Драгољуб "Дража" Михаиловић; 27 April 1893 – 17 July 1946) was a Yugoslavs, Yugoslav Serb general during World War II. He was the leader of the Chetniks, Chetnik Detachments ...
the actions undertaken by the Chetniks in the Foča, Pljevlja
Pljevlja (, ) is a town located in the Northern Montenegro, Northern Region of Montenegro, situated along Ćehotina, Ćehotina river.
The town lies at an altitude of . In the Middle Ages, Pljevlja had been a crossroad of the important commercial ...
, and Čajniče
Čajniče ( sr-cyr, Чајниче, ) is a town and a municipality in Republika Srpska, Bosnia and Herzegovina. As of 2013, the town has a population of 2,401 inhabitants, while the municipality has 4,895 inhabitants.
History
When the German and ...
districts: "All Muslim villages in the three mentioned districts were totally burned so that not a single home remained in one piece. All property was destroyed except cattle, corn, and senna."
In the operation Chetnik losses "were 22 dead, of which 2 through accidents, and 32 wounded. Among the Muslims, around 1,200 fighters and up to couple of thousands of civilian victims of both nationalitys."[ Đurišić said what remained of the Muslim population fled and that actions were taken to prevent their return.][ The municipality is also the site of the legendary Battle of Sutjeska between the Tito's ]Yugoslav Partisans
The Yugoslav Partisans,Serbo-Croatian, Macedonian language, Macedonian, and Slovene language, Slovene: , officially the National Liberation Army and Partisan Detachments of Yugoslavia sh-Latn-Cyrl, Narodnooslobodilačka vojska i partizanski odr ...
and the German army. A monument to the Partisans killed in the battle was erected in the village of Tjentište.
Bosnian War
In 1992, at the onset of the Bosnian War
The Bosnian War ( / Рат у Босни и Херцеговини) was an international armed conflict that took place in Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bosnia and Herzegovina between 1992 and 1995. Following several earlier violent incid ...
, the city fell under the control of the Army of Republika Srpska.
From 7 April 1992 to January 1994, Serb military, police and paramilitary forces enacted a campaign of ethnic cleansing in the area of Foča against Bosniak
The Bosniaks (, Cyrillic script, Cyrillic: Бошњаци, ; , ) are a South Slavs, South Slavic ethnic group native to the Southeast European historical region of Bosnia (region), Bosnia, today part of Bosnia and Herzegovina, and who sha ...
civilian
A civilian is a person who is not a member of an armed force. It is war crime, illegal under the law of armed conflict to target civilians with military attacks, along with numerous other considerations for civilians during times of war. If a civi ...
s. By one estimate, around 21,000 non-Serbs left Foča after July 1992. Most of them that managed to escape were settled in the town of Rožaje in Montenegro
, image_flag = Flag of Montenegro.svg
, image_coat = Coat of arms of Montenegro.svg
, coa_size = 80
, national_motto =
, national_anthem = ()
, image_map = Europe-Mont ...
until the war ended. Only about 10 Bosniams remained at the end of the conflict. Thirteen mosques including the Aladža Mosque were destroyed and the 22,500 Bosniaks who made up the majority of inhabitants fled. The Tribunal Judges determined beyond a reasonable doubt that the purpose of the Serb campaign in Foča was, among others, "to cleanse the Foča area of
Muslims
Muslims () are people who adhere to Islam, a Monotheism, monotheistic religion belonging to the Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic tradition. They consider the Quran, the foundational religious text of Islam, to be the verbatim word of the God ...
" and concluded that "to that end the campaign was successful".[
In numerous ]verdict
In law, a verdict is the formal finding of fact made by a jury on matters or questions submitted to the jury by a judge. In a bench trial, the judge's decision near the end of the trial is simply referred to as a finding. In England and Wales ...
s, the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia
The International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) was a body of the United Nations that was established to prosecute the war crimes in the Yugoslav Wars, war crimes that had been committed during the Yugoslav Wars and to tr ...
(ICTY) ruled that the ethnic cleansing
Ethnic cleansing is the systematic forced removal of ethnic, racial, or religious groups from a given area, with the intent of making the society ethnically homogeneous. Along with direct removal such as deportation or population transfer, it ...
, killings, mass rape
Rape is a type of sexual assault involving sexual intercourse, or other forms of sexual penetration, carried out against a person without consent. The act may be carried out by physical force, coercion, abuse of authority, or against a person ...
s, and the deliberate destruction of Bosniak property
Property is a system of rights that gives people legal control of valuable things, and also refers to the valuable things themselves. Depending on the nature of the property, an owner of property may have the right to consume, alter, share, re ...
and cultural sites constituted crimes against humanity
Crimes against humanity are certain serious crimes committed as part of a large-scale attack against civilians. Unlike war crimes, crimes against humanity can be committed during both peace and war and against a state's own nationals as well as ...
. According to the Research and Documentation Center (IDC), 2,707 people were killed or went missing in the Foča municipality during the war. Among them were 1,513 Bosniak civilians and 155 Serb civilians. Additionally, Bosnian Serb authorities set up rape camps in which hundreds of women were raped. Numerous Serb officers, soldiers and other participants in the Foča massacres were accused and convicted of war crimes by the ICTY.
Post-war period
In 1995 the Dayton Agreement created a territorial corridor linking the once-besieged city of Goražde
Goražde ( sr-cyrl, Горажде, ) is a city and the administrative center of the Bosnian-Podrinje Canton Goražde of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, an entity of Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is situated on the banks of the Drina rive ...
to the Federation entity; as a consequence, the northern part of Foča was separated to create the municipality of Foča-Ustikolina
Foča-Ustikolina ( sr-cyrl, Фоча-Устиколина) is a municipality located in Bosnian-Podrinje Canton Goražde of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, an entity of Bosnia and Herzegovina. The seat of the municipality is the village ...
. Prior to that in 1994, the ethnically-cleansed town was renamed ''Srbinje'' ( sr-Cyrl, Србиње), "place of the Serbs". In 2004, the Constitutional Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina
The Constitutional Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina ( sh-Latn-Cyrl, Ustavni sud Bosne i Hercegovine, Уставни суд Босне и Херцеговине) is the interpreter and guardian of the Constitution of Bosnia and Herzegovina. It ...
declared the name change unconstitutional, and reverted it back to Foča.
Since the war, around 4,000 Bosniaks have returned to their homes in Foča, and several mosques have been re-built.[ This has taken place largely due to the administration of Zdravko Krsmanović, who was mayor from 2004 to 2012. In the 2012 elections, however, Krsmanović was defeated and a new mayor, Radisav Mašić, was elected with support of parties SDS and SNSD.
The Aladža Mosque was rebuilt from 2014 and reopened in May 2019.
In October 2004, members of the Association of Women Victims of War (''Udruzenje Žene-Žrtve Rata'') attempted to lay a plaque in front of the ''Partizan'' sports hall (also used in 1992 as a rape camp) to commemorate the crimes that occurred there.] Around 300 Bosnian Serbs, including members of the Association of the Prisoners of War of Republika Srpska, prevented the plaque from being affixed.
The ''Partizan'' sport hall was reconstructed by UNDP
The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) is a United Nations agency tasked with helping countries eliminate poverty and achieve sustainable economic growth and human development. The UNDP emphasizes on developing local capacity towar ...
, with EU funding, following a selection by the Foča municipal council, also with the participation of elected representatives of local returnees.
In 2018 and 2019, the association of war victims have been commemorating rape as a weapon of war by congregating in front of Karaman's House in Miljevina and of the ''Partizan'' sport hall in Foča on the International Day for the Elimination of Sexual Violence in Conflict (19 June).
In 2021, a memorial to convicted Srebrenica massacre perpetrator Ratko Mladić was painted near a school in the town.
Settlements
After the Bosnian War
The Bosnian War ( / Рат у Босни и Херцеговини) was an international armed conflict that took place in Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bosnia and Herzegovina between 1992 and 1995. Following several earlier violent incid ...
the Northern area of the Foča Municipality was separated and incorporated into the Foča-Ustikolina
Foča-Ustikolina ( sr-cyrl, Фоча-Устиколина) is a municipality located in Bosnian-Podrinje Canton Goražde of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, an entity of Bosnia and Herzegovina. The seat of the municipality is the village ...
Municipality, located in the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina
The Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina (Serbo-Croatian: ''Federacija Bosne i Hercegovine'' / ''Федерација Босне и Херцеговине'') is one of the two Political divisions of Bosnia and Herzegovina, entities composing Bo ...
. The majority of its population are Bosniaks
The Bosniaks (, Cyrillic script, Cyrillic: Бошњаци, ; , ) are a South Slavs, South Slavic ethnic group native to the Southeast European historical region of Bosnia (region), Bosnia, today part of Bosnia and Herzegovina, and who sha ...
.
Aside from the town of Foča, the municipality includes the following settlements:
* Anđelije
* Bastasi
* Bavčići
* Beleni
* Bešlići
* Biokovo
* Birotići
* Bogavići
* Borje
* Borovinići
* Brajići
* Brajkovići, Foča
* Brod
* Brusna
* Budanj
* Bujakovina
* Bunčići
* Bunovi
* Cerova Ravan
* Crnetići
* Cvilin
* Čelebići
* Čelikovo Polje
* Ćurevo
* Daničići
* Derolovi
* Donje Žešće
* Drače
* Dragočava
* Dragojevići
* Đeđevo
* Fališi
* Filipovići
* Glušca
* Godijeno
* Gostičaj
* Govza
* Gradac
* Grandići
* Grdijevići
* Hum
* Huseinovići
* Igoče
* Izbišno
* Jasenovo
* Ječmišta
* Jeleč
* Jošanica
* Kolakovići
* Kolun
* Kosman
* Kozarevina
* Kozja Luka
* Kratine
* Krna Jela
* Kruševo
* Kunduci
* Kunovo
* Kuta
* Lokve
* Ljubina
* Marevo
* Mazlina
* Mazoče
* Meštrevac
* Miljevina
* Mirjanovići
* Mješaji
* Mravljača
* Njuhe
* Orahovo
* Papratno
* Patkovina
* Paunci
* Petojevići
* Podgrađe
* Poljice
* Popov Most
* Potpeće
* Previla
* Prevrać
* Prijeđel
* Prisoje
* Puriši
* Račići
* Radojevići
* Rijeka
Rijeka (;
Fiume ( �fjuːme in Italian and in Fiuman dialect, Fiuman Venetian) is the principal seaport and the List of cities and towns in Croatia, third-largest city in Croatia. It is located in Primorje-Gorski Kotar County on Kvarner Ba ...
* Rodijelj
* Slatina
* Slavičići
* Stojkovići
* Sorlaci
Sorlaci ( sr-cyrl, Сорлаци) is a village in the Municipalities of Republika Srpska, municipalities of Foča, Republika Srpska and Foča-Ustikolina, Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Demographics
According to the 2013 census, its population was 5, a ...
* Susješno
* Škobalji
* Štović
* Šuljci
* Tečići
* Tjentište
Tjentište ( sr-Cyrl, Тјентиште) is a village and a valley in the municipality of Foča, Republika Srpska, Bosnia and Herzegovina. It lies entirely within Sutjeska National Park
The Sutjeska National Park ( sh-Latn-Cyrl, Nacionalni pa ...
* Tođevac
* Toholji
Toholji ( sr-cyrl, Тохољи) is a village in the municipality of Foča, Republika Srpska, Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina, sometimes known as Bosnia-Herzegovina and informally as Bosnia, is a country in Southeast Europe. Si ...
* Trbušće
* Trtoševo
* Tvrdaci
* Ustikolina
* Velenići
* Vikoč
* Vitine
* Vojnovići
* Vranjevići
* Vrbnica
* Vučevo
Vučevo ( sr-cyrl, Вучево) is a village in the municipality of Foča, Republika Srpska, Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina, sometimes known as Bosnia-Herzegovina and informally as Bosnia, is a country in Southeast Europe. Si ...
* Vukušići
* Zabor
* Zakmur
* Zavait
* Zebina Šuma
* Zubovići
* Željevo
Demographics
Population
Ethnic composition
Economy
The following table gives a preview of total number of registered people employed in legal entities per their core activity (as of 2018):
Culture
Museum of old Herzegovina and city theatre are located in Foča.
Twin towns – sister cities
Foča is twinned with:
* Kragujevac
Kragujevac ( sr-Cyrl, Крагујевац, ) is the List of cities in Serbia, fourth largest city in Serbia and the administrative centre of the Šumadija District. It is the historical centre of the geographical region of Šumadija in central Se ...
* Nikšić
Nikšić (Cyrillic script, Cyrillic: Никшић, ), is the second largest city in Montenegro, with a total population of 32,046 (2023 census) located in the west of the country, in the centre of the spacious Nikšić field at the foot of Trebjesa ...
* Herceg Novi
* Larissa
Larissa (; , , ) is the capital and largest city of the Thessaly region in Greece. It is the fifth-most populous city in Greece with a population of 148,562 in the city proper, according to the 2021 census. It is also the capital of the Larissa ...
Notable people
Risto Jeremić
doctor of medicine and first surgeon in Bosnia and Herzegovina
* Vojislav Maksimović, member of the first convocation of the Senate of the Republika Srpska
Petko Čančar
former Minister of Justice of the Republika Srpska
* Maksim Vasiljević, Bishop
A bishop is an ordained member of the clergy who is entrusted with a position of Episcopal polity, authority and oversight in a religious institution. In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance and administration of di ...
of the Eparchy of Western America of the Serbian Orthodox Church
The Serbian Orthodox Church ( sr-Cyrl-Latn, Српска православна црква, Srpska pravoslavna crkva) is one of the autocephalous (ecclesiastically independent) Eastern Orthodoxy, Eastern Orthodox Eastern Orthodox Church#Constit ...
* Kukavica Mehmed Pasha, Bosnian Wali of Serbian origin
* Radmilo Mihajlović
Radmilo Mihajlović ( sr-cyr, Радмило Михајловић; born 19 November 1964) is a Bosnian former footballer who played as a forward.
Club career Early career
Mihajlović started playing football in hometown club Sutjeska Foča an ...
, former football player
* Rade Krunić, football player
* Božo Vrećo
Božo Vrećo ( sr-cyr, Божо Врећо; born 18 October 1983) is a Bosnian musician.
Childhood
Božo Vrećo was born in Foča, SR Bosnia and Herzegovina, SFR Yugoslavia on October 18, 1983. His father died when he was five years old, and h ...
, Sevdalinka singer
* Aida Hadžialić, politician in Sweden
* Zehra Deović, Sevdalinka interpreter
* Adil Zulfikarpašić
Adil Zulfikarpašić (23 December 1921 – 21 July 2008) was a Bosniak intellectual and politician who served as vice president of the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina, during the Bosnian War of the 1990s, under the first president of the Presi ...
, Bosnian intellectual and founder of the Bosniak institute
* Sinan-paša Borovinić, Grand Vizier of the Ottoman Empire born in the village of Borovinići
* Mirzet Duran, Paralympic Medalist
* Ringolds Kalnings, Latvian politician, first Minister of Finance of Latvia, first Chairman of the Council of the Bank of Latvia, lived and buried in Foča
References
Works cited
*
*
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Foca
Populated places in Foča
Cities and towns in Republika Srpska
Municipalities of Republika Srpska