Maglaj
Encyclopedia
Maglaj is a town and municipality in Bosnia-Herzegovina. It is situated in the northern part of Bosnia-Herzegovina, in the Zenica-Doboj canton. The city lies 25 km (15.5 mi) south of the city of Doboj
, the regional trade, education, culture, entertainment, and business centre. The municipality of Maglaj is one of 12 municiplaties in the Zenica-Doboj canton. The city has a population of 25,000. The whole municipality has a population of 43,000.
and another 6% were Croats
.
The River Bosna flows through Maglaj on its way north to the Sava river on the border between Bosnia and Herzegovina and Croatia. Before the war, the Bosna river was heavily polluted due to heavy industrial activity at the nearby Natron
paper and pulp factory, as well as steel and wood industry factories in the southern cities of Zenica
and Zavidovići
respectively. Nowadays, the river has become cleaner due to decreased industrial activity at those plants and higher environmental standards, but ultimately will become exposed to environmental hazard yet again as these heavy industry factories reach their maximum capacity yet again.
and Modriča
regions of the Republika Srpska
, while the Catholic population has settled in the nearby municipality of Žepče
, an enclave inhabited largely by Croats. A significant number of former Croat inhabitants have also settled in Croatia's capital Zagreb
. Due to severe fighting around Maglaj throughout the Bosnian War, and the catasrophic conditions it was exposed to, numerous Bosniak Muslims have departed the region as well.
Pre-war Maglaj was unique because over one third of its married couples were made up of mixed ethnic groups. As a result of this, a great number of these Maglaj inhabitants felt welcome by none of the three warring ethnic groups, and tried to settle abroad. Consequentially, Maglaj residents have dispersed throughout the world, including Germany, Austria, Switzerland, the Scandinavian countries, Italy, the Czech Republic, Canada, the United States, and Australia among others. All former residents of Maglaj are likely never to return as they have adapted to their new surroundings, and those settled in the West enjoy remarkably high standards of living.
, when the area was the scenario of heavy fighting and the population had to be supplied by airdrop
s.
Doboj
Doboj is a city and a municipality in northern Bosnia and Herzegovina, situated in the northern part of the Republika Srpska entity on the river Bosna. Doboj is the largest national railway junction; as such, the seats of the Republika Srpska Railways, and the Railways Corporation of Bosnia and...
, the regional trade, education, culture, entertainment, and business centre. The municipality of Maglaj is one of 12 municiplaties in the Zenica-Doboj canton. The city has a population of 25,000. The whole municipality has a population of 43,000.
1910
According to the 1910 census, the majority in the Maglaj municipality were Orthodox Christians (53.55%).1961 - 1991
| Ethnic Composition | |||||||||||||
| Year | Serb | % | Muslims | % | Croats | % | Yugoslavs | % | Others | % | Total | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 13,870 | 42.10% | 7,998 | 24.28% | 7,313 | 22.20% | 3,548 | 10.77% | 215 | 10.77% | 32,944 | ||
| 1971 | 13,888 | 36.51% | 15,628 | 41.09% | 7,946 | 20.89% | 240 | 0.63% | 335 | 0.88% | 38,037 | ||
| 1981 | 13,662 | 32.41% | 17,236 | 40.88% | 8,341 | 19.78% | 2,682 | 6.36% | 239 | 0.57% | 42,160 | ||
| 1991 | 13,298 | 30.72% | 19,637 | 45.36% | 8,366 | 19.32% | 1,492 | 3.45% | 501 | 1.16% | 43,294 | ||
2005
In 2005, 91% of population of the municipality were ethnic BosniaksBosniaks
The Bosniaks or Bosniacs are a South Slavic ethnic group, living mainly in Bosnia and Herzegovina, with a smaller minority also present in other lands of the Balkan Peninsula especially in Serbia, Montenegro and Croatia...
and another 6% were Croats
Croats
Croats are a South Slavic ethnic group mostly living in Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and nearby countries. There are around 4 million Croats living inside Croatia and up to 4.5 million throughout the rest of the world. Responding to political, social and economic pressure, many Croats have...
.
Geography
The town is situated in the northern part of Bosnia and Herzegovina and is situated in territory where bosniaks, or Muslims, presently form a large majority. The old Maglaj, like numerous other cities in Bosnia and Herzegovina, has an old town with mosques, traditional houses dating back from the Ottoman Empire, and a fortress that stands as a symbol of Maglaj. The new part of Maglaj, situated on the West side of the river Bosna, is made up of modern architecture that was started in the 1950s, and became massively developed until 1991.The River Bosna flows through Maglaj on its way north to the Sava river on the border between Bosnia and Herzegovina and Croatia. Before the war, the Bosna river was heavily polluted due to heavy industrial activity at the nearby Natron
Natron
Natron is a naturally occurring mixture of sodium carbonate decahydrate and about 17% sodium bicarbonate along with small quantities of household salt and sodium sulfate. Natron is white to colourless when pure, varying to gray or yellow with impurities...
paper and pulp factory, as well as steel and wood industry factories in the southern cities of Zenica
Zenica
Zenica is an industrial city in Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is the capital of the Zenica-Doboj Canton of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina entity...
and Zavidovići
Zavidovici
Zavidovići is a town and municipality in Eastern-central Bosnia and Herzegovina, located between Doboj and Zenica on the confluence of rivers Bosna, Krivaja and Gostović. It sits in a valley surrounded by many mountains of which the largest is Klek...
respectively. Nowadays, the river has become cleaner due to decreased industrial activity at those plants and higher environmental standards, but ultimately will become exposed to environmental hazard yet again as these heavy industry factories reach their maximum capacity yet again.
Demographics
The city, as well as the entire Maglaj municipality, have been subject to a large demographic population shift. Close to all of its pre-war Christian inhabitants, i.e. Orthodox Serbs and Catholic Croats, who made up the majority of the pre-war municipality population, no longer reside in the Maglaj municipality. The Orthodox population has largely settled in the DobojDoboj
Doboj is a city and a municipality in northern Bosnia and Herzegovina, situated in the northern part of the Republika Srpska entity on the river Bosna. Doboj is the largest national railway junction; as such, the seats of the Republika Srpska Railways, and the Railways Corporation of Bosnia and...
and Modriča
Modrica
Modriča is a city and municipality in Bosnia and Herzegovina, in Republika Srpska entity. It is located near the towns of Šamac, Derventa and Doboj...
regions of the Republika Srpska
Republika Srpska
Republika Srpska is one of two main political entities of Bosnia and Herzegovina, the other being the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina...
, while the Catholic population has settled in the nearby municipality of Žepče
Žepce
Žepče is a town and municipality in central Bosnia and Herzegovina, located between Doboj and Zenica. It is administratively part of the Zenica-Doboj Canton of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina.-About Žepče:...
, an enclave inhabited largely by Croats. A significant number of former Croat inhabitants have also settled in Croatia's capital Zagreb
Zagreb
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...
. Due to severe fighting around Maglaj throughout the Bosnian War, and the catasrophic conditions it was exposed to, numerous Bosniak Muslims have departed the region as well.
Pre-war Maglaj was unique because over one third of its married couples were made up of mixed ethnic groups. As a result of this, a great number of these Maglaj inhabitants felt welcome by none of the three warring ethnic groups, and tried to settle abroad. Consequentially, Maglaj residents have dispersed throughout the world, including Germany, Austria, Switzerland, the Scandinavian countries, Italy, the Czech Republic, Canada, the United States, and Australia among others. All former residents of Maglaj are likely never to return as they have adapted to their new surroundings, and those settled in the West enjoy remarkably high standards of living.
History
Maglaj was originated in the 14th century (Year 1408). The river Bosna goes through this town. From the three mosques that this city has the most famous is Kuršumlija or Jusuf pašina Mosque. The city endured a long siege by Bosnian Serbs forces between 1993 and 1994 during the Bosnian WarBosnian War
The Bosnian War or the War in Bosnia and Herzegovina was an international armed conflict that took place in Bosnia and Herzegovina between April 1992 and December 1995. The war involved several sides...
, when the area was the scenario of heavy fighting and the population had to be supplied by airdrop
Airdrop
An airdrop is a type of airlift, developed during World War II to resupply otherwise inaccessible troops, who themselves may have been airborne forces. In some cases, it is used to refer to the airborne assault itself. Early airdrops were conducted by dropping or pushing padded bundles from...
s.
External links
- http://www.maglaj.co.ba/
- http://www.maglaj.net/
- Tragovima bosanskog kraljevstva - Tourist route for medieval Bosnia (english)
- Trail of the Bosnian Kingdom - Cultural Tourism in Tesanj