Krupanj
Encyclopedia
Macva District
Mačva District is a district of Serbia. The District expands in the western parts of Serbia, in the geographical regions of Mačva, Podrinje, Posavina, and Pocerina. It has a population of 297,778 people...
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...
. The municipality has a total population of 17,398, while the town has a population of 4,455 (2011 census).
Geography
The town lies in western Serbia, at the southern border of the Pannonian plain and MačvaMacva
Mačva is a geographical region in Serbia, mostly situated in the northwest of Central Serbia. It is located in a fertile plain between the Sava and Drina rivers. The chief town of this region is Šabac. The modern Mačva District of Serbia is named after the region, although the region of Mačva...
region. It is surrounded by the mountains Jagodnja
Jagodnja
Jagodnja is a mountain in western Serbia, near the town of Krupanj. Its highest peak Košutnja Stopa has an altitude of 939 meters above sea level....
, Boranja
Boranja
Boranja is a mountain in western Serbia, above the Drina river, between towns of Krupanj and Mali Zvornik. Its highest peak, Crni vrh is 856 metres tall.-External links:*...
and Sokolska planina
Sokolska planina
Sokolska planina is a mountain in western Serbia, near the town of Krupanj. Its highest peak Rožanj has an altitude of 973 meters above sea level....
, in a picturesque valley intersected by numerous rivers and creeks. In the town itself, the rivers Bogoštica, Čađavica and Kržava conjoin into Likodra, which later empties into Jadar
Jadar
Jadar may refer to:* Jadar , a river in western Serbia, tributary to the Drina* Jadar , a river in eastern Republika Srpska, Bosnia and Herzegovina, tributary to the Drinjača...
. The town lies at the altitude
Altitude
Altitude or height is defined based on the context in which it is used . As a general definition, altitude is a distance measurement, usually in the vertical or "up" direction, between a reference datum and a point or object. The reference datum also often varies according to the context...
of 280 m.
The municipality area covers around 242 km² (93.44 sq mi), and it encompasses 23 villages. It is the center of the region Rađevina, which was named after Rađ, a great knight of Prince Lazar, who defended it from Hungarian and Ottoman conquerors, and who is buried at the monument of Rađev Kamen.
Municipality
List of settlements in the municipality:- BanjevacBanjevacBanjevac is a village in Serbia. It is situated in the Krupanj municipality, in the Mačva District of Central Serbia. The village had a Serb ethnic majority and a population of 500 in 2002.-Historical population:*1948: 669*1953: 648*1961: 606...
- Bela CrkvaBela Crkva, KrupanjFor other uses, see Bela Crkva Bela Crkva is a village in Serbia. It is situated in the Krupanj municipality, in the Mačva District of Central Serbia...
- BogošticaBogošticaBogoštica is a village in Serbia. It is situated in the Krupanj municipality, in the Mačva District of Central Serbia. The village had a Serb ethnic majority and a population of 269 in 2002.-Historical population:*1948: 490*1953: 551...
- Brezovice
- BršticaBršticaBrštica is a village in Serbia. It is situated in the Krupanj municipality, in the Mačva District of Central Serbia. The village had a Serb ethnic majority and a population of 1,254 in 2002.-Historical population:*1948: 1,080*1953: 1,213...
- CerovaCerova, KrupanjFor other uses, see Cerova Cerova is a village in Serbia. It is situated in the Krupanj municipality, in the Mačva District of Central Serbia...
- CvetuljaCvetuljaCvetulja is a village in Serbia. It is situated in the Krupanj municipality, in the Mačva District of Central Serbia. The village had a Serb ethnic majority and a population of 274 in 2002.-Historical population:*1948: 687*1953: 680*1961: 588...
- Dvorska
- KostajnikKostajnikKostajnik is a village in Serbia. It is situated in the Krupanj municipality, in the Mačva District of Central Serbia. Kostajnik is notable for being a fortified village since 1445...
- Krasava
- Krupanj
- Kržava
- Likodra
- LipenovićLipenovićLipenović is a village in the municipality of Krupanj, Serbia. According to the 2002 census, the village has a population of 603 people.-References:...
- MojkovićMojkovićMojković is a village in the municipality of Krupanj, Serbia. According to the 2002 census, the village has a population of 790 people.-References:...
- Planina
- RavnajaRavnajaRavnaja is a village in Serbia. It is situated in the Krupanj municipality, in the Mačva District of Central Serbia. The village had a population of 323 in 2002, all of whom were ethnic Serbs.-Historical population:*1948: 700*1953: 732...
- ŠljivovaŠljivovaŠljivova is a village in the municipality of Krupanj, Serbia. According to the 2002 census, the village has a population of 849 people.-References:...
- Stave
- TolisavacTolisavacTolisavac is a village in Serbia. It is situated in the Krupanj municipality, in the Mačva District of Central Serbia. The village had a population of 667 in 2002, all of whom were ethnic Serbs.-Historical population:*1948: 1,144*1953: 1,179...
- TomanjTomanjTomanj is a village in Serbia. It is situated in the Krupanj municipality, in the Mačva District of Central Serbia. The village had a population of 433 in 2002, all of whom were ethnic Serbs.-Historical population:*1948: 612*1953: 636*1961: 601...
- VrbićVrbićVrbić is a village in the municipality of Krupanj, Serbia. According to the 2002 census, the village has a population of 578 people.-References:...
- ZavlakaZavlakaZavlaka is a village in Serbia. It is situated in the Krupanj municipality, in the Mačva District of Central Serbia. The village had a Serb ethnic majority and a population of 962 in 2002.-Historical population:*1948: 1,487*1953: 1,547...
History
The name 'Krupanj' was first recorded in RagusanRepublic of Ragusa
The Republic of Ragusa or Republic of Dubrovnik was a maritime republic centered on the city of Dubrovnik in Dalmatia , that existed from 1358 to 1808...
records in 1417. In the Middle Ages, it was a significant silver
Silver
Silver is a metallic chemical element with the chemical symbol Ag and atomic number 47. A soft, white, lustrous transition metal, it has the highest electrical conductivity of any element and the highest thermal conductivity of any metal...
mining site, frequented by Ragusan merchant caravans. In 1459, it fell under 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...
rule with the rest of the 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,...
.
The Church of Dobri Potok (Dobropotočka crkva) at the town outskirts, which is devoted to the Holy Ascension of God-bearer
Theotokos
Theotokos is the Greek title of Mary, the mother of Jesus used especially in the Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox, and Eastern Catholic Churches. Its literal English translations include God-bearer and the one who gives birth to God. Less literal translations include Mother of God...
Mary
Mary (mother of Jesus)
Mary , commonly referred to as "Saint Mary", "Mother Mary", the "Virgin Mary", the "Blessed Virgin Mary", or "Mary, Mother of God", was a Jewish woman of Nazareth in Galilee...
, was first recorded in 1528 in Turkish records, making it the oldest preserved church in the Podrinje area. Built in a traditional style, it hosts numerous records and monuments from Ottoman Rule and the 'Serbian Liberation wars' period. It is surrounded by a small ethno-park with several chapels and museum rooms.
The town was first liberated in the First Serbian Uprising
First Serbian Uprising
The First Serbian Uprising was the first stage of the Serbian Revolution , the successful wars of independence that lasted for 9 years and approximately 9 months , during which Serbia perceived itself as an independent state for the first time after more than three centuries of Ottoman rule and...
in 1804 by the hajduk
Hajduk
Hajduk is a term most commonly referring to outlaws, highwaymen or freedom fighters in the Balkans, Central- and Eastern Europe....
s company of Đorđe Obradović "Ćurčija". Vojvoda Maksim Krstić and count Krsto Ignjatović were leaders of the defense of Krupanj during the uprising. The first basic school in the town was opened in 1837, and the church of Holy Ascension was built in 1842. The Ottomans ultimately withdrew in 1862, and the nearby fortress called "Soko Grad
Soko Grad
Soko Grad is the name of numerous medieval cities and fortresses throughout the Balkan Peninsula.In Bosnia* Soko Grad , near the small town of Gračanica, Bosnia and Herzegovina...
" was torn down, to be turned into the monastery of St. Nicholas.
At the end of 19th century, a lead
Lead
Lead is a main-group element in the carbon group with the symbol Pb and atomic number 82. Lead is a soft, malleable poor metal. It is also counted as one of the heavy metals. Metallic lead has a bluish-white color after being freshly cut, but it soon tarnishes to a dull grayish color when exposed...
-antimony
Antimony
Antimony is a toxic chemical element with the symbol Sb and an atomic number of 51. A lustrous grey metalloid, it is found in nature mainly as the sulfide mineral stibnite...
smeltery was founded in the city. During World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, a battle between 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...
and Serbian forces was fought at the nearby site of Mačkov kamen, the peak of Jagodnja mountain. A charnel house
Charnel house
A charnel house is a vault or building where human skeletal remains are stored. They are often built near churches for depositing bones that are unearthed while digging graves...
is built in memory of the event. During 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...
, in the village of Bela Crkva
Bela Crkva, Krupanj
For other uses, see Bela Crkva Bela Crkva is a village in Serbia. It is situated in the Krupanj municipality, in the Mačva District of Central Serbia...
, partisan
Partisans (Yugoslavia)
The Yugoslav Partisans, or simply the Partisans were a Communist-led World War II anti-fascist resistance movement in Yugoslavia...
Žikica Jovanović Španac
Žikica Jovanovic Španac
Živorad "Žikica" Jovanović , better known as Španac was a Yugoslav partisan and is credited for starting the anti-fascist struggle in Yugoslavia during World War II.-Before World War II:Jovanović was born in Valjevo, Central Serbia, related to an extended family of...
killed two gendarmes on July 7, 1941, which would become the official date of celebration of the people's uprising against occupiers in Serbia during communist rule.
On September 26, 1941, a meeting of partisans' Main Headquarters, presided by Josip Broz Tito
Josip Broz Tito
Marshal Josip Broz Tito – 4 May 1980) was a Yugoslav revolutionary and statesman. While his presidency has been criticized as authoritarian, Tito was a popular public figure both in Yugoslavia and abroad, viewed as a unifying symbol for the nations of the Yugoslav federation...
, was held in the nearby village of Stolice. A monument and memorial park were built after the war, celebrating the event, but it has been fairly neglected in the recent past. As the town was one of the centers of the Republic of Užice
Republic of Užice
The Republic of Užice was a short-lived liberated Yugoslav territory and the first liberated territory in World War II Europe, organized as a military mini-state that existed in the autumn of 1941 in Nazi-occupied Yugoslavia, more specifically the western part of Serbia...
, it was burned to the ground by German occupiers in late 1941, with only a few buildings surviving.
Demographics (2002 census)
The population of the Krupanj municipality includes:- SerbsSerbsThe 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...
= 19,513 - Muslims by nationalityMuslims by nationalityMuslims by nationality was a term used in Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia as an official designation of nationality of Slavic Muslims. They were one of the constitutive groups of Bosnia and Herzegovina...
= 287 - Roma = 139
- others
Tourism
Krupanj is an underdeveloped municipality, but its clean and undisturbed natural environment, and its richness in historical monuments offers significant touristic potential. Currently, there are two hotels in the town Center. The Church of Good Creek is a rare preserved building of traditional sacral architecture. Numerous historical monuments from the World Wars include the ones at Stolice, Mačkov kamen and Cer mountainCer (mountain)
Cer is a mountain in western Serbia, 30 kilometers from Šabac, 100 kilometers west of Belgrade. The highest peak is 689 m high.During World War I, the Battle of Cer was fought on Cer, in which Serbian forces defeated Austria-Hungary....
. The monastery of Tronoša and the ethno-park in nearby Tršić preserve the memory of Vuk Stefanović Karadžić
Vuk Stefanovic Karadžic
Vuk Stefanović Karadžić was a Serbian philolog and linguist, the major reformer of the Serbian language, and deserves, perhaps, for his collections of songs, fairy tales, and riddles to be called the father of the study of Serbian folklore. He was the author of the first Serbian dictionary...
, an 19th century reformer of the Serbian language
Serbian language
Serbian is a form of Serbo-Croatian, a South Slavic language, spoken by Serbs in Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Croatia and neighbouring countries....
.
At the site of Mačkov kamen there is also a small ski resort
Ski resort
A ski resort is a resort developed for skiing and other winter sports. In Europe a ski resort is a town or village in a ski area - a mountainous area, where there are ski trails and supporting services such as hotels and other accommodation, restaurants, equipment rental and a ski lift system...
. The area is suitable for hiking
Hiking
Hiking is an outdoor activity which consists of walking in natural environments, often in mountainous or other scenic terrain. People often hike on hiking trails. It is such a popular activity that there are numerous hiking organizations worldwide. The health benefits of different types of hiking...
and biking, and the numerous creeks are rich in fish, especially trout
Trout
Trout is the name for a number of species of freshwater and saltwater fish belonging to the Salmoninae subfamily of the family Salmonidae. Salmon belong to the same family as trout. Most salmon species spend almost all their lives in salt water...
; there is an organized fishing ground at the site of Zmajevac. Numerous sporting grounds (including a sports hall and Olympic-sized open swimming pool) and a pleasant climate offer support for sports tourism, used by numerous sport clubs from Serbia and nearby countries.