Užice ( sr-cyr, Ужице, ) is a

city A city is a human settlement of a substantial size. The term "city" has different meanings around the world and in some places the settlement can be very small. Even where the term is limited to larger settlements, there is no universally agree ...

and the administrative centre of the

Zlatibor District The Zlatibor District (, ) is one of eight administrative districts of Šumadija and Western Serbia. It is located in the western, mountainous part of Serbia. The district was named after the mountainous region of Zlatibor. As of the 2022 cen ...

in western Serbia. It is located on the banks of the river

Đetinja Đetinja ( sr-Cyrl, Ђетиња; ) is a river in western Serbia, a long natural but shorter headstream of the Zapadna Morava River. The Đetinja river valley serves as a route for the Belgrade- Bar railway. Name According to the legend whi ...

. According to the 2022 census, the city proper has a population of 54,965. The City municipality of Užice ( sr-cyrl, Градска општина Ужице, Gradska opština Užice) is one of two city municipalities (with the City municipality of Sevojno) which constitute the City of Užice. According to the 2022 census, the city itself has a population of 48,539 while the city administrative area has 69,997 inhabitants.

History

Ancient era

The region surrounding Užice was settled by

Illyrians The Illyrians (, ; ) were a group of Indo-European languages, Indo-European-speaking people who inhabited the western Balkan Peninsula in ancient times. They constituted one of the three main Paleo-Balkan languages, Paleo-Balkan populations, alon ...

, specifically the

Parthini The Parthini, Partini or Partheenatai were an Illyrians, Illyrian List of ancient Illyrian peoples and tribes, tribe that lived in southern Illyria (modern Albania). They likely were located in the Shkumbin valley controlling the important route b ...

and the Celtic-influenced

Autariatae The Autariatae or Autariatai (alternatively, Autariates; , ''Autariatai''; ) were an Illyrian people that lived between the valleys of the Lim and the Tara, beyond the Accursed Mountains, and the valley of West Morava. Their territory was lo ...

tribes. Their tombs are found throughout the region. In the 3rd century BC, the

Scordisci The Scordisci (; ) were an Iron Age cultural group who emerged after the Celtic settlement of Southeast Europe, and who were centered in the territory of present-day Serbia, at the confluence of the Savus (Sava), Dravus (Drava), Margus (Morav ...

featured prominently after the

Gallic invasion of the Balkans Gallic groups, originating from the various La Tène chiefdoms, began a southeastern movement into the Balkans from the 4th century BC. Although Gallic settlements were concentrated in the western half of the Carpathian basin, there were notabl ...

. The region was conquered by the

Roman Empire The Roman Empire ruled the Mediterranean and much of Europe, Western Asia and North Africa. The Roman people, Romans conquered most of this during the Roman Republic, Republic, and it was ruled by emperors following Octavian's assumption of ...

in 168 BC, and was organized into the province of Illyricum in 32–27 BC and, after 10 AD, the province of Dalmatia. The Roman

municipium In ancient Rome, the Latin term (: ) referred to a town or city. Etymologically, the was a social contract among ('duty holders'), or citizens of the town. The duties () were a communal obligation assumed by the in exchange for the privileges ...

(town) of Capedunum existed here during Roman times; its name indicates a Celtic origin (''dun'', fortress), similar to

Singidunum Singidunum ( sr-Cyrl-Latn, Сингидунум, Singidunum) was an ancient city which later evolved into modern Belgrade, the capital of Serbia. The name is of Celtic origin, going back to the time when the Celtic tribe Scordisci settled the a ...

, the founding name of Serbia's capital,

Belgrade Belgrade is the Capital city, capital and List of cities in Serbia, largest city of Serbia. It is located at the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers and at the crossroads of the Pannonian Basin, Pannonian Plain and the Balkan Peninsula. T ...

Middle Ages

The settlement of

Slavs The Slavs or Slavic people are groups of people who speak Slavic languages. Slavs are geographically distributed throughout the northern parts of Eurasia; they predominantly inhabit Central Europe, Eastern Europe, Southeastern Europe, and ...

in the region has been recorded since the 520s, when Slavic tribes pillaged the Eastern Roman Empire; during

Justinian I Justinian I (, ; 48214 November 565), also known as Justinian the Great, was Roman emperor from 527 to 565. His reign was marked by the ambitious but only partly realized ''renovatio imperii'', or "restoration of the Empire". This ambition was ...

's rule (527–565), up to 100,000 Slavs raided areas far to the south of the city in

Thessalonica Thessaloniki (; ), also known as Thessalonica (), Saloniki, Salonika, or Salonica (), is the second-largest city in Greece (with slightly over one million inhabitants in its metropolitan area) and the capital city, capital of the geographic reg ...

. The region (Drina županija) was part of the

Vlastimirović dynasty The House of Vlastimirović ( sr-Cyrl, Властимировић, Vlastimirovići / Властимировићи) was the first Serbian royal dynasty, named after Prince Vlastimir (ruled c. 831–851), who was recognized by the Byzantine Em ...

when they established the medieval

Principality of Serbia The Principality of Serbia () was an autonomous, later sovereign state in the Balkans that came into existence as a result of the Serbian Revolution, which lasted between 1804 and 1817. Its creation was negotiated first through an unwritten agre ...

, the first Serb state. Across the

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 ...

, in Bosnia, the army of Časlav fought the invading

Magyars Hungarians, also known as Magyars, are an ethnic group native to Hungary (), who share a common culture, language and history. They also have a notable presence in former parts of the Kingdom of Hungary. The Hungarian language belongs to the ...

in the 950s. The region was annexed by the

Byzantine Empire The Byzantine Empire, also known as the Eastern Roman Empire, was the continuation of the Roman Empire centred on Constantinople during late antiquity and the Middle Ages. Having survived History of the Roman Empire, the events that caused the ...

after 969, becoming part of the

Catepanate of Ras The Catepanate of Ras (Byzantine Greek: ) was a province ( catepanate) of the Byzantine Empire, established around 971 in central regions of early medieval Serbia, during the rule of Byzantine Emperor John Tzimiskes (969–976). The catepanate wa ...

. Later, the area around the city became a part of the Theme of Sirmium. Uzice-fortress-by-pedja-supurovic-09

The first historical record mentioning Užice by its name dates back to 1329. During the reign of the Serbian Emperor

Stefan Dušan Stephen (honorific), Stefan Uroš IV Dušan ( sr-Cyrl, Стефан Урош IV Душан), also known as Dušan the Mighty ( sr-Cyrl, Душан Силни; – 20 December 1355), was the King of Serbia from 8 September 1331 and Emperor of th ...

, Užice is mentioned as a

fortress A fortification (also called a fort, fortress, fastness, or stronghold) is a military construction designed for the defense of territories in warfare, and is used to establish rule in a region during peacetime. The term is derived from L ...

, under the rule of the

Vojinović noble family The Vojinović family (Serbian Cyrillic: Војиновић, Vojinovići / Војиновићи) was a medieval Serbian noble family that played an important role in the Serbian Empire during the 14th century. Following the death of Emperor Du ...

. After the death of

Emperor The word ''emperor'' (from , via ) can mean the male ruler of an empire. ''Empress'', the female equivalent, may indicate an emperor's wife (empress consort), mother/grandmother (empress dowager/grand empress dowager), or a woman who rules ...

Dušan the Mighty Dušan ( sr-Cyrl, Душан) is a Slavic given name primarily used in the former Yugoslavia and the former Czechoslovakia. The name is derived from the Slavic noun ''duša'' "soul". Occurrence In Serbia, it was the 29th most popular name fo ...

, in the period known as the '

fall of the Serbian Empire The fall of the Serbian Empire was a decades-long process in the late 14th century. Following the death of the childless Emperor of the Serbs, Emperor Stefan Uroš V in 1371, the Serbian Empire was left without an heir and the magnates, ''velika� ...

', Užice came under the control of Vojislav Vojinović, a nobleman in the service of Emperor

Uroš the Weak __NOTOC__ Uroš ( sr-Cyrl, Урош) is a South Slavic masculine given name used primarily by Slovenes and Serbs. This noun has been interpreted as "lords", because it usually appears in conjunction with ''velmõžie'' () "magnates", as in the phra ...

. When Vojislav died, his nephew

Nikola Altomanović Nikola Altomanović ( sr-Cyrl, Никола Алтомановић; died after 1395) was a 14th-century Serbian župan of the House of Vojinović. He ruled the areas from Rudnik, over Polimlje, Podrinje, east Herzegovina with Trebinje, reach ...

controlled the region. When Uroš died childless, the former Imperial provincial lords begin fighting each other. ''Serbian Autokrator''

Lazar Hrebeljanović Lazar Hrebeljanović ( sr-Cyrl, Лазар Хребељановић; – 15 June 1389) was a medieval List of Serbian monarchs, Serbian ruler who created the largest and most powerful state on the territory of the disintegrated Serbian Empir ...

and

Tvrtko I Stephen Tvrtko I ( sh-Latn-Cyrl, separator=" / ", Stjepan/Stefan Tvrtko, Стјепан/Стефан Твртко; 1338 – 10 March 1391) was the king of Bosnia, first king of Kingdom of Bosnia, Bosnia. A member of the House of Kotromanić, h ...

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 ...

defeated Nikola Altomanović, and divided his lands between themselves. Nikola was blinded in the fortress on the orders of Stefan Musić. Užice came under the control of Lazar, then the

Serbian Despotate The Serbian Despotate () was a medieval Serbian state in the first half of the 15th century. Although the Battle of Kosovo in 1389 is mistakenly considered the end of medieval Serbia, the Despotate, a successor of the Serbian Empire and Moravi ...

under his son

Stefan Lazarević Stefan Lazarević ( sr-Cyrl, Стефан Лазаревић, 1377 – 19 July 1427), also known as Stefan the Tall (), was a Serbian ruler as prince (1389–1402) and Despot (court title), despot (1402–1427). He was also a diplomat, legislat ...

Ottoman period

Užice fell to the

Ottoman Turks The Ottoman Turks () were a Turkic peoples, Turkic ethnic group in Anatolia. Originally from Central Asia, they migrated to Anatolia in the 13th century and founded the Ottoman Empire, in which they remained socio-politically dominant for the e ...

in 1463 and formed part of the

Sanjak of Smederevo The Sanjak of Smederevo (, ), also known in historiography as the Pashalik of Belgrade (, ), was an Ottoman Empire, Ottoman administrative unit (sanjak) centered on Smederevo, that existed between the 15th and the outset of the 19th centuries. It ...

. It served as an important civilian and military locality for the Ottoman Empire, with the first Ottoman census in 1476-1478 listing Užice as a village. By the late 15th century, Ottoman authorities invested in the restoration of the local fortress and encouraged migration into Užice, turning the once village into a town. By the start of the 16th century, Užice became an administrative capital with a majority Turkish population. Local building's were erected in line with

Ottoman architecture Ottoman architecture is an architectural style or tradition that developed under the Ottoman Empire over a long period, undergoing some significant changes during its history. It first emerged in northwestern Anatolia in the late 13th century an ...

and a small Christian population lived in the

mahallah is an Arabic word variously translated as district, Quarter (country subdivision), quarter, Ward (country subdivision), ward, or neighborhood in many parts of the Arab world, the Balkans, Western Asia, the Indian subcontinent, and nearby nations. ...

of ''Carina''. In 1690 during the

Great Turkish War The Great Turkish War () or The Last Crusade, also called in Ottoman sources The Disaster Years (), was a series of conflicts between the Ottoman Empire and the Holy League (1684), Holy League consisting of the Holy Roman Empire, Polish–Lith ...

, Habsburg forces captured Užice and the city fell within the realms of Habsburg-occupied Serbia. The Great Turkish War and subsequent retreat of Habsburg forces uprooted the local Serbian population, with much of the Serbian population leaving Užice as part of the Great Migrations of the Serbs. During the

Serbian Revolution The Serbian Revolution ( / ') was a national uprising and constitutional change in Serbia that took place between 1804 and 1835, during which this territory evolved from an Sanjak of Smederevo, Ottoman province into a Revolutionary Serbia, reb ...

, Užice fell to rebel forces; however, the city was recaptured by Ottoman forces in 1813. In 1844, the demographic makeup of the city consisted of 3,695 Turks and 707 Serbs, with the city housing one Serbian Orthodox church and 35 Islamic mosques. Between 1875 and 1877 during the Herzegovina uprising, Užice served as the main refuge site for Serbs fleeing Herzegovina. This mass migration, coupled with the mass emigration of the local Turks significantly changed the ethnic makeup of the town.

Modern Serbia

Užice was the first town in Serbia and one of the first towns in Europe with a

hydroelectric power plant Hydroelectricity, or hydroelectric power, is Electricity generation, electricity generated from hydropower (water power). Hydropower supplies 15% of the world's electricity, almost 4,210 TWh in 2023, which is more than all other Renewable energ ...

producing

alternating current Alternating current (AC) is an electric current that periodically reverses direction and changes its magnitude continuously with time, in contrast to direct current (DC), which flows only in one direction. Alternating current is the form in w ...

. It was built on the

river in 1900. In 1913, the first railway line was constructed into Užice, connecting the town to the Belgrade-

Niš Niš (; sr-Cyrl, Ниш, ; names of European cities in different languages (M–P)#N, names in other languages), less often spelled in English as Nish, is the list of cities in Serbia, third largest city in Serbia and the administrative cente ...

railway, via Stalać. In 1925, the

railway Rail transport (also known as train transport) is a means of transport using wheeled vehicles running in railway track, tracks, which usually consist of two parallel steel railway track, rails. Rail transport is one of the two primary means of ...

was extended to

Višegrad Višegrad ( sr-cyrl, Вишеград, ) is a town and municipality in Republika Srpska, Bosnia and Herzegovina. It rests at the confluence of the Drina and the Rzav (Drina), Rzav river. As of 2013, the municipality has a population of 10,668 in ...

, connecting Belgrade to the

Adriatic Sea The Adriatic Sea () is a body of water separating the Italian Peninsula from the Balkans, Balkan Peninsula. The Adriatic is the northernmost arm of the Mediterranean Sea, extending from the Strait of Otranto (where it connects to the Ionian Se ...

World War II

In 1941, after Nazi occupation, Užice was liberated by the

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 ...

, who chose it as the capital of the

Republic of Užice The Republic of Užice ( sh-Latn-Cyrl, separator=" / ", Užička republika, Ужичка република) was a short-lived liberated Yugoslav territory and the first liberated territory in World War II Europe, organized as a military mini ...

. This republic was a short-lived military mini-state that existed in the autumn of 1941 in the western part of Nazi-occupied Serbia. The Republic of Užice comprised most of western Serbia, with a population of more than 300,000 people. It was located between the Skrapež river in the north, the river Drina in the west, the river

Zapadna Morava West Morava (, ) is a river in Central Serbia, a 184-km long headstream of the Great Morava, which it forms with the South Morava. It was known as Brongus in antiquity. Origin The West Morava originates in the Tašti field, east of the town ...

in the east, and the Uvac river in the south. In November 1941, the

German army The German Army (, 'army') is the land component of the armed forces of Federal Republic of Germany, Germany. The present-day German Army was founded in 1955 as part of the newly formed West German together with the German Navy, ''Marine'' (G ...

re-occupied this territory, and the majority of Partisan forces escaped to

, Raška and

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 ...

. In 1974, the Yugoslavian film '' Ужичка република'' in Serbian or in English as the '' Guns of War'' was released documenting the first offensive in the

Great Patriotic War The Eastern Front, also known as the Great Patriotic War (term), Great Patriotic War in the Soviet Union and its successor states, and the German–Soviet War in modern Germany and Ukraine, was a Theater (warfare), theatre of World War II ...

against

fascism Fascism ( ) is a far-right, authoritarian, and ultranationalist political ideology and movement. It is characterized by a dictatorial leader, centralized autocracy, militarism, forcible suppression of opposition, belief in a natural social hie ...

and follows the Spanish soldier and fervent communist Boro as he organizes a partisan uprising in western Serbia that later establishes itself into the Ужицка Республика / Užička Republika (the Republic of Užice) which lasted 67 days from 24 September to 29 November 1941 (de facto until 1 December 1941) and the defeat of its forces at the

battle A battle is an occurrence of combat in warfare between opposing military units of any number or size. A war usually consists of multiple battles. In general, a battle is a military engagement that is well defined in duration, area, and force co ...

of Kadinjaca.

Yugoslav era

Within the former

Yugoslavia , common_name = Yugoslavia , life_span = 1918–19921941–1945: World War II in Yugoslavia#Axis invasion and dismemberment of Yugoslavia, Axis occupation , p1 = Kingdom of SerbiaSerbia , flag_p ...

(established after the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

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

1990s

During the 1990s, Užice's economy shrank rapidly due to war and instability in the region. In 1999 the city was bombed multiple times during

Operation Allied Force The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) carried out an aerial bombing campaign against the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia during the Kosovo War. The air strikes lasted from 24 March 1999 to 10 June 1999. The bombings continued until an a ...

. The largest scale bombing occurred on May 6, 1999, when

NATO The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO ; , OTAN), also called the North Atlantic Alliance, is an intergovernmental organization, intergovernmental Transnationalism, transnational military alliance of 32 Member states of NATO, member s ...

forces bombed many roads and highways, the airport, civilian buildings and government buildings. After this, thousands of people turned out at the city's main square to protest the bombings and destruction of the city and killings of civilians.

Geography

Užice lies

above sea level Height above mean sea level is a measure of a location's vertical distance (height, elevation or altitude) in reference to a vertical datum based on a historic mean sea level. In geodesy, it is formalized as orthometric height. The zero level ...

, on both sides of the river

. The city is completely surrounded by the

Dinaric Alps The Dinaric Alps (), also Dinarides, are a mountain range in Southern Europe, Southern and Southcentral Europe, separating the continental Balkan Peninsula from the Adriatic Sea. They stretch from Italy in the northwest through Slovenia, Croatia ...

. south of the city is

Zlatibor Zlatibor ( sr-cyr, Златибoр ) is a List of mountains of Serbia, mountainous region in western Serbia. Among the most popular places in Serbia for tourism, Zlatibor's main attractions include health tourism, skiing, and hiking and the lo ...

, a mountain region with a long tradition of tourism. West of the city are the mountain Tara as well as its western extension, Zvijezda mountain. Together, they mark Tara National Park, which has an area of . The Belgrade-Bar railway passes through Užice and connects it with both the northern parts of Serbia and the Montenegrin coast. Užice has a fairly developed transportation infrastructure, connected with the surrounding areas by state

roads A road is a thoroughfare used primarily for movement of traffic. Roads differ from streets, whose primary use is local access. They also differ from stroads, which combine the features of streets and roads. Most modern roads are paved. The ...

of the first order.

Climate

Užice has a

humid continental climate A humid continental climate is a climatic region defined by Russo-German climatologist Wladimir Köppen in 1900, typified by four distinct seasons and large seasonal temperature differences, with warm to hot (and often humid) summers, and cold ...

(

Köppen climate classification The Köppen climate classification divides Earth climates into five main climate groups, with each group being divided based on patterns of seasonal precipitation and temperature. The five main groups are ''A'' (tropical), ''B'' (arid), ''C'' (te ...

: ''Dfb'') approaching an

oceanic climate An oceanic climate, also known as a marine climate or maritime climate, is the temperate climate sub-type in Köppen climate classification, Köppen classification represented as ''Cfb'', typical of west coasts in higher middle latitudes of co ...

(

: ''Cfb'').

Demographics

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

Ethnic groups

The ethnic composition of the city:

Municipalities and settlements

;City municipalities The City of Užice consists of two city municipalities:

Užice Užice ( sr-cyr, Ужице, ) is a List of cities in Serbia, city and the administrative centre of the Zlatibor District in western Serbia. It is located on the banks of the river Đetinja. According to the 2022 census, the city proper has a popu ...

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

Economy

Užice has historically been a relatively well developed city. In 1981, Užice's GDP per capita was 157% of the Yugoslav average. In 1990, Užice had 17,000 manufacturing workers; as of 2018, the number of manufacturing workers is around 7,000. Among the large companies that did not survive the international sanctions of Serbia during the 1990s and did not survive the economic transition following the

breakup of Yugoslavia After a period of political and economic crisis in the 1980s, the constituent republics of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia split apart in the early 1990s. Unresolved issues from the breakup caused a series of inter-ethnic Yugoslav ...

are the textile manufacturers 'Froteks' and 'Desa Petronijević', the market chain 'Gradina', the printing company 'Dimitrije Tucović', the transport company 'Raketa', and other manufacturing companies like 'Fasau', 'Kotroman' and 'Tvrdi Metal'. Regardless, the modern city has a developing

textile Textile is an Hyponymy and hypernymy, umbrella term that includes various Fiber, fiber-based materials, including fibers, yarns, Staple (textiles)#Filament fiber, filaments, Thread (yarn), threads, and different types of #Fabric, fabric. ...

leather Leather is a strong, flexible and durable material obtained from the tanning (leather), tanning, or chemical treatment, of animal skins and hides to prevent decay. The most common leathers come from cattle, sheep, goats, equine animals, buffal ...

machine A machine is a physical system that uses power to apply forces and control movement to perform an action. The term is commonly applied to artificial devices, such as those employing engines or motors, but also to natural biological macromol ...

and

metal A metal () is a material that, when polished or fractured, shows a lustrous appearance, and conducts electrical resistivity and conductivity, electricity and thermal conductivity, heat relatively well. These properties are all associated wit ...

industry. Most companies have factories on the outskirts of the city due to good communication connections, given the close proximity of the main highway, railroad and airport. Ponikve Airport is currently under reconstruction, and as a result cargo airlines will mostly use it for transporting goods. The airport management confirmed interest in low cost, scheduled and chartered airlines. As of September 2017, Užice has one of 14

free economic zone A free-trade zone (FTZ) is a class of special economic zone. It is a geographic area where goods may be imported, stored, handled, manufactured, or reconfigured and re- exported under specific customs regulation and generally not subjec ...

s established in Serbia. As of 2018, the largest companies operating in the city of Užice are Prvi Partizan (

ammunition Ammunition, also known as ammo, is the material fired, scattered, dropped, or detonated from any weapon or weapon system. The term includes both expendable weapons (e.g., bombs, missiles, grenades, land mines), and the component parts of oth ...

), Impol Seval Sevojno (aluminum mill), Valjaonica bakra Sevojno (copper mill), MPP Jedinstvo Sevojno (construction) and Putevi Užice (construction). The following table gives a preview of total number of registered people employed in legal entities per their core activity (as of 2022):

Society and culture

The library and theatre are in the main square in the city centre. Also located in the area are newspaper agencies, radio and television stations and publishing companies. The city gallery is in the lowlands of Pašinovac, the oldest area of the city. The national museum displays cultural and historical treasures of the city, and with its exhibitions, shows the centuries of rich Užice history. It is located on the Eastern side of the main city street. The Historical Archive of Užice was established in 1948 and today the institution serves most of the Zlatibor District and southern parts of

Moravica District The Moravica District (, ) is one of administrative districts of Serbia. It is located in the central and southwestern parts of Serbia. According to the 2022 census, the district has a population of 189,281 inhabitants. The administrative center ...

. The Gymnasium of Užice is one of the oldest secondary school institutions in Serbia. Aside from the gymnasium, there are also several other primary and secondary schools and faculties located in Užice. Milutin Uskoković, writer from Užice, was described as the author of the first modern novel in Serbia. The locals, Užicans (, ), have their own traditional costume, and folk music; the sound of which is transitional between the music 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 t ...

(central Serbia) and

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 ...

. They speak a Neo- Štokavian Užican dialect, originally with Ijekavian pronunciation. * Uvac Monastery

Architecture

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

Media

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

International relations

Twin towns / sister cities

Užice is twinned with: *

Cassino Cassino () is a ''comune'' in the province of Frosinone at the southern end of the region of Lazio. It's the last city of the Valle Latina, Latin Valley. It is located at the foot of Monte Cairo near the confluence of the Gari (river), Gari and ...

, Italy *

Kursk Kursk (, ) is a types of inhabited localities in Russia, city and the administrative center of Kursk Oblast, Russia, located at the confluence of the Kur (Kursk Oblast), Kur, Tuskar, and Seym (river), Seym rivers. It has a population of Kursk ...

, Russia *

Veria Veria (; ), officially transliterated Veroia, historically also spelled Beroea or Berea, is a city in Central Macedonia, in the geographic region of Macedonia, northern Greece, capital of the regional unit of Imathia. It is located north-nor ...

, Greece * Ljutomer, Slovenia *

Harbin Harbin, ; zh, , s=哈尔滨, t=哈爾濱, p=Hā'ěrbīn; IPA: . is the capital of Heilongjiang, China. It is the largest city of Heilongjiang, as well as being the city with the second-largest urban area, urban population (after Shenyang, Lia ...

, China (2018)

Notable people

;Politicians * Ljubomir Kaljević (1841–1907), former Prime Minister of Serbia *

Nikola Ljubičić Nikola Ljubičić (Serbian Cyrillic: Никола Љубичић; 4 April 1916 – 13 April 2005) was the President of the Presidency of Serbia (1982–1984), a member of the Presidency of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (1984–19 ...

(1916–2005), national hero, General of the Army, Defence minister, President of the Presidency of Serbia, born in Karan (Užice municipality) * Slobodan Penezić Krcun (1918–1964), national hero, Interior minister *

Dragoljub Ojdanić Dragoljub Ojdanić ( sr-Cyrl, Драгољуб Ојданић; 1 June 1941 – 6 September 2020) was a Serbian General of the army who served as the Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Yugoslavia and Minister of Defence of Yugos ...

(1941–2020), former Chief of the General Staff and Defence minister, convicted of deportation and forcible transfers by the

ICTY The International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) was a body of the United Nations that was established to prosecute the war crimes that had been committed during the Yugoslav Wars and to try their perpetrators. The tribun ...

, born in Ravni (Užice municipality) * Nataša Mićić (b. 1965), MP, former

President of the National Assembly of Serbia The president of the National Assembly of Serbia () is the presiding officer of the National Assembly of Serbia. The president is elected by members of each new assembly for a term lasting four years. The president of the National Assembly s ...

and acting

President of Serbia The president of Serbia (), officially styled as President of the Republic (), is the head of state of Serbia. The current officeholder is Aleksandar Vučić, who was elected in 2017 and has held the role since 31 May 2017. According to the C ...

* Nikola Selaković (b. 1983), Minister of Justice and Public Administration ;Sportspeople *

Milovan Đorić Milovan Đorić (Serbian Cyrillic alphabet, Serbian Cyrillic: Милован Ђорић; born 6 August 1945) is a Serbian association football, football manager and former player. He is often referred to by his nickname Bata Đora. Đorić last ...

(b. 1945), football coach and former footballer, born in

Bioska Bioska (Serbian Cyrillic: Биоска), is a village located in the Užice, Užice municipality of Serbia on the mountainous banks of Đetinja, Đetinja river and Lake Vrutci, between Zlatibor and Tara mountain, Tara mountains, and close to Užice ...

(Užice municipality) * Milan Radović (b. 1952), former footballer,

Yugoslav First League The Yugoslav First League ( Bosnian: Prva savezna liga u fudbalu, sr-Cyrl-Latn, Прва савезна лига у фудбалу, Prva savezna liga u fudbalu, , , , , ) was the premier football league in the Kingdom of Yugoslavia (1918–1941) ...

top goalscorer (1980–81) * Ognjen Čančarević (b. 1989), Serbo-Armenian footballer, goalkeeper * Srboljub Stamenković (1956–1996), former footballer * Vladan Vićević (b. 1967), football coach and former Salvadoran international footballer * Zoran Njeguš (b. 1973), football coach and former footballer * Radiša Ilić (b. 1977), former footballer * Nemanja Vidić (b. 1981), Serbia international footballer, winner of 5

Premier League The Premier League is a professional association football league in England and the highest level of the English football league system. Contested by 20 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the English Football Lea ...

titles and the

UEFA Champions League The UEFA Champions League (UCL) is an annual club association football competition organised by the UEFA, Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) that is contested by List of top-division football clubs in UEFA countries, top-divisio ...

(2008) with

Manchester United Manchester United Football Club, commonly referred to as Man United (often stylised as Man Utd) or simply United, is a professional association football, football club based in Old Trafford (area), Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, Engl ...

* Miloš Marić (b. 1982), Serbia and Montenegro international footballer * Nenad Novaković (b. 1982), footballer * Branimir Petrović (b. 1982), footballer * Filip Arsenijević (b. 1983), footballer * Bogoljub Marković (b. 2005), basketball player * Filip Kasalica (b. 1988), Montenegro international footballer * Miroslav Radošević (b. 1973), former basketball player * Nikola Otašević (b. 1982), basketball player *

Milovan Raković Milovan Raković (Serbian Cyrillic: Милован Раковић; born 19 February 1985) is a Serbian former professional basketball player. He is a 2.08 m tall center. Professional career Raković played in youth categories of KK Partizan. ...

(b. 1985), basketball player * Dušan Katnić (b. 1989), basketball player, U19 world champion (2007) * Vesna Čitaković (b. 1979), volleyball player * Nataša Krsmanović (b. 1985), volleyball player, European champion (2011) * Ana Antonijević (b. 1987), volleyball player *

Tijana Malešević Tijana Malešević ( sr-cyrl, Тијана Малешевић; born 18 March 1991) is a Serbian volleyball player, who plays for OK Crvena zvezda, and was a member of the Serbia women's national volleyball team that won the gold medal at the ...

(b. 1991), volleyball player,

World The world is the totality of entities, the whole of reality, or everything that Existence, exists. The nature of the world has been conceptualized differently in different fields. Some conceptions see the world as unique, while others talk ...

(2018) and European champion (2011), Olympic medalist (2012) * Olivera Jevtić (b. 1977), long-distance runner * Mirko Petrović (b. 1981), middle and long-distance track athlete * Andrija Zlatić (b. 1978), sports shooter, two-time European champion, two-time World vice-champion and Olympic medalist (2012) ;Others * Panta Draškić (1881–1957), army general *

Rudolph Reti Rudolph Reti, also Réti (; November 27, 1885 – February 7, 1957), was a musical analyst, composer and pianist. He was the older brother of the chess master Richard Réti, but unlike his brother, Reti did not write his surname with an acute acc ...

(1885–1957), musical analyst, composer, pianist * Ljubica Čakarević (1894—1980), WWI combatant, heroine * Vladimir Anić (1930–2000), Croatian linguist * Ljubomir Simović (b. 1935), poet and writer * Đorđe Prudnikov (1939–2017), Russo-Serbian painter, graphic artist and designer * Steve Tesich (1942–1996), born ''Stojan Tešić'', Serbian-American screenwriter, playwright and novelist, Academy Award winner for

Best Original Screenplay The Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay is the Academy Award (also known as an Oscar) for the best screenplay not based upon previously published material. It was created in 1940 as a separate writing award from the Academy Award for Best ...

(1979) *

Ljubomir Ljubojević Ljubomir Ljubojević (; born November 2, 1950) is a Serbian chess grandmaster. He won the Yugoslav Chess Championship in 1977 (tied) and 1982. Life and career Ljubojević was born on 2 November 1950 in Titovo Užice, Yugoslavia (now Užice, S ...

(b. 1950), chess Grandmaster * Milivoje Kostic (b. 1952), Serbian-American thermodynamicists and professor emeritus of mechanical engineering at

Northern Illinois University Northern Illinois University (NIU) is a public research university in DeKalb, Illinois, United States. It was founded as "Northern Illinois State Normal School" in 1895 by Illinois Governor John P. Altgeld, initially to provide the state with c ...

* Oliver Mandić (b. 1953), rock musician, composer and producer * Goran Daničić (1962–2021), actor *

Ivan Bosiljčić Ivan Bosiljčić ( sr-Cyrl, Иван Босиљчић, ; born 15 January 1979) is a Serbian film, television, and theatre actor. He is popular for his leading roles in numerous television and cinematographic roles, as well as in theatrical musica ...

(b. 1979), actor

References

External links

*
City of Užice
{{DEFAULTSORT:Uzice Populated places in Zlatibor District Municipalities and cities of Šumadija and Western Serbia