Vareš ( cyrl, Вареш) is a town and municipality located in

Zenica-Doboj Canton The Zenica-Doboj Canton (; ; ) is one of ten cantons in Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is part of the entity of Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina. The seat and largest city is Zenica. Spread over an area of , the canton roughly occupies the centr ...

of 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 ...

, an entity of

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 ...

. It is situated in central Bosnia and Herzegovina, and is famous for the local

mining Mining is the Resource extraction, extraction of valuable geological materials and minerals from the surface of the Earth. Mining is required to obtain most materials that cannot be grown through agriculture, agricultural processes, or feasib ...

activities and production of iron. As of 2013, it has a population of 8,892 inhabitants, with 2,917 in the town itself.

Geography

Vareš is a mountainous town located 45 km from

Sarajevo Sarajevo ( ), ; ''see Names of European cities in different languages (Q–T)#S, names in other languages'' is the Capital city, capital and List of cities in Bosnia and Herzegovina, largest city of Bosnia and Herzegovina, with a population of 2 ...

in the valley of the small Stavnja River 828 m above sea level surrounded by the massive high Kapija, Stijene, Zvijezda and Perun Mountains, named after

Perun In Slavic paganism, Slavic mythology, Perun () is the highest god of the Pantheon (religion), pantheon and the god of sky, thunder, lightning, storms, rain, law, war, fertility and oak trees. His other attributes were fire, mountains, wind, ir ...

/ Перун, the highest god of the Slavic pantheon (

Perkūnas Perkūnas (, , Old Prussian: ''Perkūns'', ''Perkunos'', Sudovian language, Yotvingian: ''Parkuns'', Latgalian language, Latgalian: ''Pārkiuņs'') was the common Baltic languages, Baltic List of thunder gods, god of thunder, and the second m ...

/ Perkons).

History

Early history

The town of Vareš has a long history with remains of metallurgical activities dating back to

Bronze Age The Bronze Age () was a historical period characterised principally by the use of bronze tools and the development of complex urban societies, as well as the adoption of writing in some areas. The Bronze Age is the middle principal period of ...

. Also during the

Roman Roman or Romans most often refers to: *Rome, the capital city of Italy *Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD *Roman people, the people of Roman civilization *Epistle to the Romans, shortened to Romans, a letter w ...

era, the town was famous for its miners and smiths.

Middle ages

During

Middle Ages In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the 5th to the late 15th centuries, similarly to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire and ...

the Bosnian kings had their center in close proximity of the modern city of Vareš. Bosnia's greatest king, Tvrtko, considered the Vareš' village Duboštica for the center of his kingdom, since it was the mining center of his country.

Medieval

The remains of the medieval royal city and castle Bobovac were recently proclaimed as national monuments, as was the Catholic Church of St. Michael in the town of Vareš. Oldest preserved Catholic church in Bosnia can be found in the town, built in early 17th century. The town was earlier dominated by Catholic population. The church books are among the oldest preserved in Bosnia and date back to 1643.

Austro-Hungarian Empire

During the Austrian rule of Bosnia and Herzegovina the iron-works of Vareš were an important exporter of various iron products to the rest of the

Habsburg empire The Habsburg monarchy, also known as Habsburg Empire, or Habsburg Realm (), was the collection of empires, kingdoms, duchies, counties and other polities (composite monarchy) that were ruled by the House of Habsburg. From the 18th century it is ...

. In 1891, the first blast furnace in Bosnia and Herzegovina was built there. That blast furnace still exists, but it ceased its operations in 1990.

World War I

In the 1910s

World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

, men of the town were subject to draft, and served in the regiment BH-1, formally based in Sarajevo. They mostly saw action in the Italian and Galician fronts. The church bell was taken and melted so it could be used to produce war material.

World War II

During

World War II 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 ...

, following the invasion and occupation of Yugoslavia, Vareš was incorporated into the fascist puppet

Independent State of Croatia The Independent State of Croatia (, NDH) was a World War II–era puppet state of Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy (1922–1943), Fascist Italy. It was established in parts of Axis occupation of Yugoslavia, occupied Yugoslavia on 10 April 1941, ...

(NDH), and controlled by the Croatian Ustashe quislings, as an important mining center whose natural resources, mainly iron ore, was exploited to support the NDH war efforts. In April 1945, the town was eventually 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 ...

, and became a part of the

Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia The Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (commonly abbreviated as SFRY or SFR Yugoslavia), known from 1945 to 1963 as the Federal People's Republic of Yugoslavia, commonly referred to as Socialist Yugoslavia or simply Yugoslavia, was a country ...

Bosnian War (1992–95)

In April 1992, 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 ...

began and lasted until December 1995. The town of Vareš had 12,000 residents at the time, with Croats being small majority. Since the first democratic elections in 1991 until October 1993, the municipality was governed by the

Social Democratic Party of Bosnia and Herzegovina The Social Democratic Party of Bosnia and Herzegovina ( Bosnian: ''Socijaldemokratska partija Bosne i Hercegovine'' (SDP BiH) / ''Социјалдемократска партија Босне и Херцеговине''), also simply known as th ...

, non-ethnic party, while the town's and municipality territory was under joint the

Croatian Defence Council The Croatian Defence Council (, HVO) was the armed wing of the self-proclaimed Croatian Republic of Herzeg-Bosnia, a breakaway entity unrecognised by the international community and accused of ethnic-based violence during the conflict. It exis ...

(HVO) and the

Army of the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina The Army of the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina (; ; ARBiH), often referred to as Bosnian Army, was the military force of the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina. It was established by the government of the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina i ...

(ARBiH) control since the war begun. Despite the outbreak of the Croat-Bosniak War, the relations between the local HVO and the ARBiH units remained relatively good until the summer of 1993. As a consequence of broader conflict deepening between Croats and Bosniak, especially in Central Bosnia, the ARBiH overran the HVO in nearby

Kakanj Kakanj ( sr-cyrl, Какањ) is a town and municipality located in Zenica-Doboj Canton of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, an entity of Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is the Europe's oldest continuously inhabitted settlement. As of 2013, ...

resulting in few thousands of Croat refugees settling in Vareš. In October, the local HVO, supported by HDZ and structures of Herceg-Bosna, took full control of the town, while most of the Bosniak population has been forced to leave or fled. On 23 October, dozens of Bosniaks were killed by the HVO in the Stupni Do massacre. Following the massacre, ARBiH attacked the Vareš enclave and captured the town in early November. Most of the Croat and some Serb population fled through the Serb lines to

Kiseljak Kiseljak ( sr-cyrl, Кисељак) is a town and municipality located in Central Bosnia Canton of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, an entity of Bosnia and Herzegovina. It lies in the valley of the Fojnica River, the Lepenica and the ...

and

Kreševo Kreševo ( sr-cyrl, Крешево, ) is a town and municipality located in Central Bosnia Canton of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, an entity of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Kreševo is a mountainous town, located in a narrow valley of the ...

, while the town was looted after its capture. The remaining HVO units took hold in the village of Daštansko, where they remained until the

Dayton Agreement The General Framework Agreement for Peace in Bosnia and Herzegovina, also known as the Dayton Agreement or the Dayton Accords ( sh-Latn-Cyrl, Dejtonski mirovni sporazum, Дејтонски мировни споразум), and colloquially kn ...

was signed in November 1995. Many Croat, most of Bosniaks and аn insignificant number of Serbs have returned to Vareš in 1995, but the majority emigrated to United States, Canada, Australia and other West European countries. Many Croats from Vareš ended up in Croatia while Serbs fled to Republika Srpska and Serbia.

Culture and heritage

The town is rich with archeological findings from different epochs – on several surrounding locations are found remains of prehistorical period, such as copper artifacts in Brgule. In the town center itself, there is the Old Stone Bridge that resembles to the majority of one-arched bridges from Ottoman period. This bridge is considered to be similar by the building method to the Old Bridge in

Mostar Mostar () is a city and the administrative centre of Herzegovina-Neretva Canton of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, an entity of Bosnia and Herzegovina, and the historical capital of Herzegovina. Mostar is situated on the Neretva Riv ...

. The bridge is currently on the KONS Petition list for inscription on the List of National Monuments of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Demographics

According to the 2013 census results, it has a population 8,892 inhabitants. Population decline is evident since the end of the

, as nearly two thirds of the population from 1991 left Vareš in only twenty years.

Ethnic composition

Settlements

Aside from the town of Vareš, the municipality includes the following settlements: * Bijelo Borje * Blaža * Borovica Donja * Borovica Gornja * Borovičke Njive * Brda* Brezik * Brgule * Budoželje * Čamovine * Ćeće * Dabravine * Daštansko * Debela Međa * Diknjići * Dragovići * Draževići * Duboštica * Hodžići * Ivančevo * Javornik * Kadarići * Karići * Kokoščići * Kolovići * Kopališta * Kopijari * Krčevine * Kunosići * Letevci * Ligatići * Luke * Ljepovići * Mijakovići * Mir * Mižnović * Mlakve * Naseoci * Neprivaj * Oćevija * Okruglica * Orah * Osoje * Osredak * Ostrlja * Pajtov Han * Pajtovići * Planinica * Pobilje * Podjavor * Pogar * Položac * Poljanice * Pomenići * Pržići * Pržići Kolonija * Radonjići * Radoševići * Ravne * Rokoč * Samari * Semizova Ponikva * Seoci * Sjenokos * Slavin * Sršljenci * Strica * Striježevo * Stupni Do * Šikulje * Tisovci * Toljenak * Tribija * Vareš Majdan * Vijaka Donja * Vijaka Gornja * Višnjići * Zabrezje * Zaruđe * Zubeta * Zvijezda, * Žalja i Žižci

Tourism

The Vareš region also has possibilities for winter tourism development. Due to its position and elevation snow stays longer than in other regions, and the beautiful areas surrounding it are really good for skiing and skating. The mountain resort Doli is located on Zvijezda Mountain. Artificially created Lake Nula, about 500 meters long and 300 meters wide and 100 meters deep, is another important resource for the city. In addition to being a reservoir of clean, drinking water, the lake is in all plans of the city and municipality tourism organization, as an ideal place for leisure, including sport fishing and water sports and recreation.

List of mayors

* Ivica Džoja 1954–1963;

League of Communists of Yugoslavia The League of Communists of Yugoslavia, known until 1952 as the Communist Party of Yugoslavia, was the founding and ruling party of SFR Yugoslavia. It was formed in 1919 as the main communist opposition party in the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats ...

* Mile Markić 1963–197x;

* Slobodan Milanović 197x–197x;

* Salko Operta 1974–1978;

* Rešad Žutić 1981–1983;

* Željko Franjkić 1986–1988;

* Pero Jarčević 1988–1989;

* Mladen Zovko 1989–1990;

* Dario Andrijević 1990–1992;

KPJ Bryan Kevin Porter Jr. (born May 4, 2000), also known by his initials KPJ, is an American professional basketball player for the Milwaukee Bucks of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the USC Trojans men's ...

- SDP BiH * Anto Pejčinović 1992–1993 HDZ BiH * Mervana Hadžimurtezić 1992–1998 SDA * Samir Musa 1998–2000 SDA (joint mayor) * Pavao Vidović 1998–2000 HDZ BiH (joint major) * Ermin Musa 2000–2001 SDA * Hamdo Fatić 2001–2012 SDP BiH * Avdija Kovačević 2012–2016 SDA * Zdravko Marošević 2016–present HDZ BiH

Notable people

* Borislav Stjepanović, actor * Ipe Ivandić, musician * Milo Cipra, music composer * Slaven Stjepanović, footballer * Željko Ivanković, poet and writer *

Matija Divković Matija Divković (1563 – 21 August 1631) was a Bosnia (region), Bosnian Franciscan and writer. He is considered to be the founding father of the Bosnia and Herzegovina literature. Life Not much is known of Divković's life. He was born in Jel ...

, Bosnian Franciscan writer * fra Grgo Ilić - Varešanin (1736-1813), Franciscan friar and bishop, served as provincial minister and apostolic vicar * Grigorije Durić, Serbian ortodox bishop * Kenan Kamenjaš, Bosnian basketball player

References

External links

* http://www.vares.pp.se/ * http://www.vares-x.com.ba/
Web magazine with current information on the city - in Croatian
* http://www.zupavares.com/ * http://www.vares.info/
Tragovima bosanskog kraljevstva
- Tourist route for medieval Bosnia
Trail of the Bosnian Kingdom
- Cultural Tourism in Vares {{DEFAULTSORT:Vares Cities and towns in the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina Populated places in Vareš Municipalities of Zenica-Doboj Canton