Bežanija
Encyclopedia
Bežanija is an urban neighborhood of Belgrade
, the capital of Serbia
. It is located in Belgrade's municipality of Novi Beograd
.
region. It is situated in the central part of the Novi Beograd municipality, on the southern extension of the elongated, crescent-shaped yellow loess
ridge of Bežanijska Kosa. The ridge (or slope, as it is called in Serbian, kosa) gives its name to the northern extension of Bežanija, Bežanijska Kosa, and stretches to the right banks of the Danube
in the neighborhood of Zemun
. Once a suburb of Belgrade, separated from it by the vast marshlands on the Sava's left bank, Bežanija today forms one completely urbanized area with Belgrade thanks to the rapid development of Novi Beograd
after the World War II
.
Population of Bežanija (in 1921 and 1953 it was still a separate settlement):
Today, Bežanija extends to the northeast into Bežanijska Kosa and the west into Ledine
.
to the Roman
period were discovered in the area.
In 1512 begins modern history of Bežanija as this was the year the settlement was mentioned for the first time under its present name, as a small village with 35 houses, already populated by the Serbs
(it was in that day's Kingdom of Hungary
). They crossed the Sava river and settled in Syrmia after the fall of the medieval Serbian Despotate
and Ottoman
occupation (thus the name of the village, bežanija, running away in Serbian).
In 1526 however Ottomans took it from the Kingdom of Hungary. Habsburg Monarchy
conquered it temporarily during the Great Turkish War
(1689-1691) and permanently in 1718. It was part of the Habsburg Military Frontier
(Slavonian Krajina
). In 1848-1849 it was part of the Serbian Vojvodina
, a Serb autonomous region within Austrian Empire, but in 1849 was again placed under administration of the Military Frontier.
As the Frontier was abolished in 1881, it became part of the autonomous kingdom Croatia-Slavonia, which belonged to the Hungarian half of Austria-Hungary
. On November 24, 1918, as part of Syrmia
, the village became part of the Kingdom of Serbia, and on December 1, it became part of the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes (future Yugoslavia).
Bežanija became part of the wider Belgrade area for the first time in 1929 after coup d'état
conducted by the king Alexander I of Yugoslavia
, who, among other things, draw a new map of Yugoslavia's administrative division creating a new administrative unit Uprava grada Beograda or Administration of the City of Belgrade which comprised Belgrade, Zemun (with Bežanija) and Pančevo.
After World War II Bežanija remained part of the Belgrade area but with its own municipality. As the concstruction of Novi Beograd began in 1948, municipality of Bežanija was abolished an annexed to the municipality of Novi Beograd in 1955 (itself established in 1952), becoming one of its local communities.
West of Bežanija is the location of the old Belgrade airport which was finished in March 1927, destroyed by the Germans
in 1944, and became defunct in 1962 when the new airport near the village of Surčin
was finished (today's Belgrade Nikola Tesla Airport
).
The major transmission grid's substation
for western Belgrade is located in Bežanija and was heavily damaged during the NATO bombing of Serbia
in 1999. The graphite bomb
s (or blackout bombs) were used. The major substation for eastern Belgrade, in Leštane
was also bombed.
Novo Bežanijsko groblje (New Bežanija cemetery), west of the settlement is Belgrade's largest cemetery. Old cemetery, much smaller, is located in the old part of the settlement.
, where FK Bežanija
play their home matches.
highway.
It roughly comprises Blocks 6, 35, 49, 50 and 60. Southern section is industrialized (IMT and Minel factories) and the location of the old airport (now a new neighborhood in the process of construction, Airport City Belgrade
), while the central parts are mostly residential. Northern section, along the highway, comprises stadiums of the Bežanija and Radnički soccer clubs, auto-camp, hotel Nacional, sports center of 11 April, Bežanija retirement home and one of the major Belgrade hospitals, KBC Bežanijska Kosa. In the northeast it borders the Studentski Grad
while northwestern section belongs to the municipality of Zemun. The railway tunnel has been dug through the loess ridge.
It distincts itself from the rest of Novi Beograd as it has no skyscrapers, but smaller, more 'humane' buildings and its population was 19,036 in 2002.
Belgrade
Belgrade is the capital and largest city of Serbia. It is located at the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers, where the Pannonian Plain meets the Balkans. According to official results of Census 2011, the city has a population of 1,639,121. It is one of the 15 largest cities in Europe...
, the capital of Serbia
Serbia
Serbia , officially the Republic of Serbia , is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeast Europe, covering the southern part of the Carpathian basin and the central part of the Balkans...
. It is located in Belgrade's municipality of Novi Beograd
Novi Beograd
Novi Beograd or New Belgrade is the most populous municipality that constitutes the City of Belgrade, the capital of Serbia. It is a planned city, built in 1947 on the left bank of the Sava river which was previously an uninhabited area, opposite of the old Belgrade...
.
Location
Bežanija is located west of the downtown Belgrade, across the Sava river, in the SyrmiaSyrmia
Syrmia is a fertile region of the Pannonian Plain in Europe, between the Danube and Sava rivers. It is divided between Serbia in the east and Croatia in the west....
region. It is situated in the central part of the Novi Beograd municipality, on the southern extension of the elongated, crescent-shaped yellow loess
Loess
Loess is an aeolian sediment formed by the accumulation of wind-blown silt, typically in the 20–50 micrometre size range, twenty percent or less clay and the balance equal parts sand and silt that are loosely cemented by calcium carbonate...
ridge of Bežanijska Kosa. The ridge (or slope, as it is called in Serbian, kosa) gives its name to the northern extension of Bežanija, Bežanijska Kosa, and stretches to the right banks of the Danube
Danube
The Danube is a river in the Central Europe and the Europe's second longest river after the Volga. It is classified as an international waterway....
in the neighborhood of Zemun
Zemun
Zemun is a historical town and one of the 17 municipalities which constitute the City of Belgrade, the capital of Serbia...
. Once a suburb of Belgrade, separated from it by the vast marshlands on the Sava's left bank, Bežanija today forms one completely urbanized area with Belgrade thanks to the rapid development of Novi Beograd
Novi Beograd
Novi Beograd or New Belgrade is the most populous municipality that constitutes the City of Belgrade, the capital of Serbia. It is a planned city, built in 1947 on the left bank of the Sava river which was previously an uninhabited area, opposite of the old Belgrade...
after the World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
.
Population
Bežanija experienced a rapid growth of population after 1948 as it was almost immediately attached to the newly constructed city-within-the city of Novi Beograd. It became a local community (Serbian: mesna zajednica) within the Novi Beograd, and as municipal internal boundaries changed a lot in the 1970s, despide further expansion, census showed a reduced number of population as many border areas (entirely or partially) were detached from Bežanija (Bežanijska Kosa, Blocks 61-65, etc.).Population of Bežanija (in 1921 and 1953 it was still a separate settlement):
- 1921 - 2,069
- 1953 - 3,330
- 1961 - 7,129
- 1971 - 15,580
- 1981 - 14,067
- 2002 - 13,378
Today, Bežanija extends to the northeast into Bežanijska Kosa and the west into Ledine
Ledine
Ledine is an urban neighborhood of Belgrade, the capital of Serbia. It is located in Belgrade's municipality of Novi Beograd....
.
History
Either in terms of old or new history, Bežanija is the oldest part of today's Novi Beograd. The findings of the ancient settlement which existed from the neolithicNeolithic
The Neolithic Age, Era, or Period, or New Stone Age, was a period in the development of human technology, beginning about 9500 BC in some parts of the Middle East, and later in other parts of the world. It is traditionally considered as the last part of the Stone Age...
to the Roman
Roman Empire
The Roman Empire was the post-Republican period of the ancient Roman civilization, characterised by an autocratic form of government and large territorial holdings in Europe and around the Mediterranean....
period were discovered in the area.
In 1512 begins modern history of Bežanija as this was the year the settlement was mentioned for the first time under its present name, as a small village with 35 houses, already populated by the Serbs
Serbs
The Serbs are a South Slavic ethnic group of the Balkans and southern Central Europe. Serbs are located mainly in Serbia, Montenegro and Bosnia and Herzegovina, and form a sizable minority in Croatia, the Republic of Macedonia and Slovenia. Likewise, Serbs are an officially recognized minority in...
(it was in that day's Kingdom of Hungary
Kingdom of Hungary
The Kingdom of Hungary comprised present-day Hungary, Slovakia and Croatia , Transylvania , Carpatho Ruthenia , Vojvodina , Burgenland , and other smaller territories surrounding present-day Hungary's borders...
). They crossed the Sava river and settled in Syrmia after the fall of the medieval Serbian Despotate
Serbian Despotate
The Serbian Despotate was a Serbian state, the last to be conquered by the Ottoman Empire. Although the Battle of Kosovo in 1389 is generally considered the end of the medieval Serbian state, the Despotate, a successor of the Serbian Empire and Moravian Serbia survived for 70 more years,...
and Ottoman
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
occupation (thus the name of the village, bežanija, running away in Serbian).
In 1526 however Ottomans took it from the Kingdom of Hungary. Habsburg Monarchy
Habsburg Monarchy
The Habsburg Monarchy covered the territories ruled by the junior Austrian branch of the House of Habsburg , and then by the successor House of Habsburg-Lorraine , between 1526 and 1867/1918. The Imperial capital was Vienna, except from 1583 to 1611, when it was moved to Prague...
conquered it temporarily during the Great Turkish War
Great Turkish War
The Great Turkish War refers to a series of conflicts between the Ottoman Empire and contemporary European powers, then joined into a Holy League, during the second half of the 17th century.-1667–1683:...
(1689-1691) and permanently in 1718. It was part of the Habsburg Military Frontier
Military Frontier
The Military Frontier was a borderland of Habsburg Austria and later the Austro-Hungarian Monarchy, which acted as the cordon sanitaire against incursions from the Ottoman Empire...
(Slavonian Krajina
Slavonian Krajina
The Slavonian Military Frontier or Slavonian Krajina was part of the Habsburg Military Frontier. It was formed out of territories the Habsburgs conquered from the Ottoman Empire and included southern parts of Slavonia and Syrmia; today the area it covered is mostly in eastern Croatia, with its...
). In 1848-1849 it was part of the Serbian Vojvodina
Serbian Vojvodina
The Serbian Vojvodina was a Serbian autonomous region within the Austrian Empire...
, a Serb autonomous region within Austrian Empire, but in 1849 was again placed under administration of the Military Frontier.
As the Frontier was abolished in 1881, it became part of the autonomous kingdom Croatia-Slavonia, which belonged to the Hungarian half of Austria-Hungary
Austria-Hungary
Austria-Hungary , more formally known as the Kingdoms and Lands Represented in the Imperial Council and the Lands of the Holy Hungarian Crown of Saint Stephen, was a constitutional monarchic union between the crowns of the Austrian Empire and the Kingdom of Hungary in...
. On November 24, 1918, as part of Syrmia
Syrmia
Syrmia is a fertile region of the Pannonian Plain in Europe, between the Danube and Sava rivers. It is divided between Serbia in the east and Croatia in the west....
, the village became part of the Kingdom of Serbia, and on December 1, it became part of the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes (future Yugoslavia).
Bežanija became part of the wider Belgrade area for the first time in 1929 after coup d'état
Coup d'état
A coup d'état state, literally: strike/blow of state)—also known as a coup, putsch, and overthrow—is the sudden, extrajudicial deposition of a government, usually by a small group of the existing state establishment—typically the military—to replace the deposed government with another body; either...
conducted by the king Alexander I of Yugoslavia
Alexander I of Yugoslavia
Alexander I , also known as Alexander the Unifier was the first king of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia as well as the last king of the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes .-Childhood:...
, who, among other things, draw a new map of Yugoslavia's administrative division creating a new administrative unit Uprava grada Beograda or Administration of the City of Belgrade which comprised Belgrade, Zemun (with Bežanija) and Pančevo.
After World War II Bežanija remained part of the Belgrade area but with its own municipality. As the concstruction of Novi Beograd began in 1948, municipality of Bežanija was abolished an annexed to the municipality of Novi Beograd in 1955 (itself established in 1952), becoming one of its local communities.
Economy
Bežanija is mostly residential area. Some very important industrial facilities are located in the areas geographically, though not administratively, parts of Bežanija: IMT and FOM factories, section of the Belgrade's Waterwoks and Sewage, Minel, etc. Commercial sector is developing recently, including a green market, several gas pumps, a stadium and several shopping malls (like Immo Idea).West of Bežanija is the location of the old Belgrade airport which was finished in March 1927, destroyed by the Germans
Germans
The Germans are a Germanic ethnic group native to Central Europe. The English term Germans has referred to the German-speaking population of the Holy Roman Empire since the Late Middle Ages....
in 1944, and became defunct in 1962 when the new airport near the village of Surčin
Surcin
Surčin is a neighborhood of Belgrade, the capital of Serbia. It is the youngest of Belgrade's 17 municipalities, as it split from the municipality of Zemun in 2003. Surčin municipality has 38,695 residents while Surčin town itself has 14,292...
was finished (today's Belgrade Nikola Tesla Airport
Belgrade Nikola Tesla Airport
Belgrade Nikola Tesla Airport is Serbia's busiest airport, also known as Surčin , after a nearby Belgrade district.Named after Nikola Tesla, the airport is situated west, of central Belgrade, in the Municipality of Surčin, surrounded by Syrmia's fertile lowlands...
).
The major transmission grid's substation
Electrical substation
A substation is a part of an electrical generation, transmission, and distribution system. Substations transform voltage from high to low, or the reverse, or perform any of several other important functions...
for western Belgrade is located in Bežanija and was heavily damaged during the NATO bombing of Serbia
Legitimacy of NATO bombing of Yugoslavia
The legitimacy of the NATO bombing of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia has been subject to question by many bodies and individuals from the time of the action continuing to this day. The key basis governing the legality of any act of war is international law...
in 1999. The graphite bomb
Graphite bomb
A graphite bomb is a non-lethal weapon used to disable electrical power systems. Graphite bombs work by spreading a cloud of extremely fine, chemically-treated carbon filaments over electrical components, causing a short-circuit and a disruption of the electrical supply...
s (or blackout bombs) were used. The major substation for eastern Belgrade, in Leštane
Leštane
Leštane is a suburban settlement of Belgrade, the capital of Serbia. It is located in the municipality of Grocka.- Location :Leštane is located 15 km east of Belgrade, originally further away from the major roads...
was also bombed.
Novo Bežanijsko groblje (New Bežanija cemetery), west of the settlement is Belgrade's largest cemetery. Old cemetery, much smaller, is located in the old part of the settlement.
Sport
Bežanija has many Sports facilities including tennis courts, basketball courts and the Stadion BežanijeStadion Bežanije
Stadion Bežanije is a multi-use stadium in Novi Beograd, Serbia. It is currently used mostly for football matches and is the home ground of FK Bežanija. The stadium holds 5,000 people....
, where FK Bežanija
FK Bežanija
FK Bežanija is a football club based in Novi Beograd, Serbia. They play in the First League of Serbia, the second tier of Serbian football.- History :...
play their home matches.
Bežanijska Kosa
Northeastern extension of the Bežanija, along the loess ridge, is called Bežanijska Kosa (Cyrillic: Бежанијска Коса; slope of Bežanija). It is crescent shaped, leaning on the western border of the urban area of Novi Beograd, stretching along the Tošin bunar street to Zemun. Northern section of the neighborhood is crossed by the Belgrade-ZagrebZagreb
Zagreb is the capital and the largest city of the Republic of Croatia. It is in the northwest of the country, along the Sava river, at the southern slopes of the Medvednica mountain. Zagreb lies at an elevation of approximately above sea level. According to the last official census, Zagreb's city...
highway.
It roughly comprises Blocks 6, 35, 49, 50 and 60. Southern section is industrialized (IMT and Minel factories) and the location of the old airport (now a new neighborhood in the process of construction, Airport City Belgrade
Airport City Belgrade
Airport City Belgrade or is a business park in Novi Beograd, Serbia.ACB is multi-use commercial facility. The project is often called "City within a City", spreading over an area of 14 hectares. Upon completion ACB spans 186 000 square meters. The construction of the project was led by...
), while the central parts are mostly residential. Northern section, along the highway, comprises stadiums of the Bežanija and Radnički soccer clubs, auto-camp, hotel Nacional, sports center of 11 April, Bežanija retirement home and one of the major Belgrade hospitals, KBC Bežanijska Kosa. In the northeast it borders the Studentski Grad
Studentski Grad (Belgrade)
Studentski Grad or colloquially Studenjak is an urban neighborhood of Belgrade, the capital of Serbia. It is located in Belgrade's municipality of Novi Beograd...
while northwestern section belongs to the municipality of Zemun. The railway tunnel has been dug through the loess ridge.
It distincts itself from the rest of Novi Beograd as it has no skyscrapers, but smaller, more 'humane' buildings and its population was 19,036 in 2002.