Zemun
Encyclopedia
Zemun is a historical town and one of the 17 municipalities
which constitute the City of Belgrade
, the capital of Serbia
. For most of its history, it developed separately from Belgrade, which lies across the Sava river
, but the development of New Belgrade in the late 20th century joined them together in a continuous urban area.
ic and Roman
settlement was known as Taurunum. The Frankish
chroniclers of the Crusades
mentioned it as Mallevila, a toponym from the 9th century. This was also a period when a Slavic
name Zemln was recorded for the first time. Believed to be derived from the word zemlja, meaning earth, it was a basis for all other future names of the city: modern Serbian Земун (Cyrillic) or Zemun (Latin), Hungarian
Zimony and German
Semlin.
graves and ceramics (bowls, anthropomorphic urns) were found in the town. Bosut culture
graves were found in nearby Asfaltna Baza. The first Celtic settlements in Taurunum area originate from the 3rd century BC when the Scordisci
occupied several Thracian and Dacian areas of the Danube. The Romans came in the 1st century BC, Taurunum became part of the Roman province
of Pannonia
around 15 AD. It had a fortress and served as a harbour for the Pannonian (Roman) fleet of Singidunum
(Belgrade). The pen of Roman poet Publius Ovidius Naso (Ovid) was said to be found in Taurunum. After the Great Migrations the area was under the authority of various peoples and states, including the Byzantine Empire
, the Kingdom of the Gepids and the Bulgarian Empire
. The town was conquered by the Kingdom of Hungary
in the 12th century and in the 15th century it was given as a personal possession to the Serbian despot
Đurađ Branković. After the nearby Serbian Despotate fell to the Ottoman Empire
in 1459, Zemun became an important military outpost. It was then conquered by the Ottomans on July 12, 1521. In 1541, Zemun was integrated into the Syrmia
sanjak
of the Budin
pashaluk
.
Zemun and the southeastern Syrmia were conquered by the Austria
n Habsburg
s in 1717, after the Ottoman defeat at the Battle of Peterwardein (5 August 1716) and through the Treaty of Požarevac (German: Passarowitz) became a property of the Schönborn family. In 1736, Zemun was the site of a peasant revolt. Its strategic location near the confluence of the Sava and the Danube placed it in the center of the continued border wars between the Habsburg and the Ottoman empires. The Treaty of Belgrade
of 1739 finally fixed the border, the Military Frontier
was organized in the region in 1746, and the town of Zemun was granted the rights of a military commune in 1749. In 1754, the population of Zemun included 1,900 Orthodox Christians, 600 Catholics, 76 Jews
, and about 100 Roma. In 1777, the population of Zemun numbered 1,130 houses with 6,800 residents, half of which were ethnic Serbs
, while another half of population was composed of Catholics, Jews
, Armenians
and Muslims. Among Catholic population, the largest ethnic group were Germans
. From this period originates the increased settlement of Germans and Hungarians in the Zemun.
Zemun prospered as an important road intersection and a border city. In 1816 it was greatly expanded by mass resettlement of Germans and Serbs
in the new town suburbs of Franzenstal and Gornja Varoš, respectively. In the 19th century, Zemun reached 7,089 residents and 1,310 houses. Zemun also became important in Serbian history as the refuge for Karađorđe in 1813 as well as many other people from the nearby Belgrade and the rest of Karađorđe's Serbia which fell to the Ottoman rule.
During the Revolution of 1848-1849
, Zemun was one of the de facto capitals of Serbian Vojvodina
, a Serbian autonomous region within Habsburg Empire, but in 1849, it was returned under the administration of the Military Frontier. With the abolishment of the Military Frontier in 1882, Zemun and the rest of Srem was included into Syrmia County of Croatia-Slavonia, which was an autonomous part of the Kingdom of Hungary
and Austria-Hungary
. The first railway line that connected it to the west was built in 1883, and the first railway bridge over the Sava followed shortly thereafter in 1884.
During the World War I
in 1914, Zemun changed hands between Serbia and Austria-Hungary
, finally ending up in Serbia on November 5, 1918. The town became part of the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes (later Kingdom of Yugoslavia
). The inter-war period was marked by political struggle between the city gentry (organized into the Radical Party, Democratic Party and the Croatian Peasant Party
) and the more socialist parties supported by the ethnic Germans.
In 1934 two intra-city bus
lines were introduced connecting Zemun with the parts of Belgrade, and the general shift of attention towards this issue was supported by the growing Serbian
population of Zemun. The Zemun airbases originally built in 1927 were an important geostrategic objective in the Axis
invasion of April 1941. Following the surrender of Yugoslavia that same month, Zemun, along with the rest of Syrmia, was given to the Independent State of Croatia
. The city was liberated from Axis occupation in 1944, and since then, it is part of Serbia
n region known as Central Serbia
.
In later years of Slobodan Milošević
's regime, Zemun became a stronghold of notorious Zemun clan, one of principal organized crime cartels in Belgrade
. Bosses and prominent members of this clan have been tried and convicted for the assassination of Serbian prime minister Zoran Đinđić.
, Ćukovac
and Kalvarija
, on the right bank of the Danube, where the widening of the Danube begins and the Great War Island is formed at the mouth of the Sava river. The core of the city are the neighborhoods of Donji Grad, Gardoš, Ćukovac and Gornji Grad. To the south, Zemun continues into Novi Beograd with which it makes one continuous urban area (neighborhood of Tošin Bunar
). In the west it extends into the neighborhoods of Altina and Plavi Horizonti and to the north-west into Galenika, Zemun Polje and further into Batajnica.
The municipality is located in the eastern Syrmia
region, in the central-western section of the Belgrade City area. The urban section of Zemun is the both most northern and western section of the urban Belgrade. Zemun borders the province of Vojvodina
on the west (municipality of Nova Pazova
), and municipalities of Surčin
on the south, Novi Beograd
on south-east and Palilula
and Stari Grad across the Danube (north and east, respectively).
The Danube bank in the north is mostly marshy, so the settlements are built further from the river (Batajnica
) separated from it by hillocks (up to 114 m). The city of Zemun itself was built right on the bank, 100 meters above sea level
. These are points of the Zemun loess
plateau, an extension of the Syrmia loess plateau, which continues into the crescent
-shaped Bežanijska Kosa loess hill on the south-east. The yellow loess is thick up to 40 meters and very fertile, with rich, grass-improved, humus chernozem
. The uninhabited river islands of Great War Island
and Little War Island on the Danube, also belong to the municipality Zemun, too. Municipality has an area of 153 km².
(with two hamlet
s of Grmovac and Busije). Many of the neighbourhoods developed in the last few decades (Altina, Plavi Horizonti, Kamendin, Grmovac, Busije, etc.).
Urban:
Suburban:
. Population of the Zemun (in present borders) by the official censuses of population:
Municipality figures include populations of today's Surčin
municipality, which separated from Zemun in 2004.
into banovina
s by king Alexander I
on October 3, 1929. On April 1, 1934, municipality itself was absorbed into the municipality of Belgrade, so the post of the president of the municipality of Zemun was abolished and "Zemun section administrator" was appointed to the Belgrade's city government.
In 1941-44 it was occupied by the German army as the Okupationsgebiet Ostsyrmien. Germany technically recognised Zemun and surroundings as part of the Independent State of Croatia
puppet regime but Zemun remained under direct German rule.
After 1945 Zemun was administratively divided into the City of Zemun and Zemun district (srez), unlike rest of Belgrade which was divided into raion
s. In 1955 both City of Zemun and most of the Zemun district were incorporated into Belgrade again. In 1950s and 1960s, municipalities of Boljevci
and Dobanovci
were annexed to the municipality of Surčin while Batajnica was annexed to Zemun itself. In 1965 Surčin
was annexed to the municipality of Zemun which marked the largest territorial expansion of Zemun (438 km²). However, on November 24, 2003 Belgrade City assembly voted to re-create the municipality of Surčin, but it remained under the administration of Zemun until November 3, 2004, when separate municipal government was established after the local elections. A motion for Batajnica
to split from Zemun too was active for a while in early 2000s (see List of former and proposed municipalities of Belgrade).
Presidents of the municipality:
Administrator of the Zemun section
German mayors:
Partisan military administrator:
Presidents of the municipal assembly:
Presidents of the municipality:
There is a popular local rivalry between inhabitants of Zemun and Belgrade going on for decades, especially among youth. In general, local population consider Zemun still a separate, and more advanced and cultural city and point out they were born in Zemun rather than Belgrade, while Belgraders consider Zemun an outer suburb of Belgrade.
(Galenika, Goveđi Brod, etc.). Industries include: heavy agricultural machines and appliances (Zmaj), precise and optical instruments and automatized appliances (Teleoptik), clocks (INSA), busses and other heavy vehicles (Ikarbus), pharmaceuticals (Galenika), plastics (Grmeč), shoes (Obuća Beograd), textile (TIZ, Zekstra), food, candies and chocolate (Soko Štark), metals (IMPA, Intersilver), wood and furniture (Gaj, Reprek), recycling (INOS metali and INOS papir), beverages (Coca Cola, Navip), chemicals (Roma), building materials (DIA, Anicom), electronics, leather, etc. In addition to this dozens of halls, and warehouses are built throughout both industrial zones.
Several important roads of Serbia run through the municipality. The Belgrade-Zagreb highway, the old (Batajnički drum) and new (highway) road Belgrade-Novi Sad, the still in construction starting point (Batajnica-Dobanovci) of the future Belgrade beltway (Batajnica-Bubanj Potok
), Belgrade-Novi Sad railway, etc. Zemun has no bridges, apart from the seasonal pontoon bridge
which connects the mainland with the Great War Island during summer. First bridge over the Danube, Galenika-Borča bridge is still in project.
Batajnica Airbase
with a limited civil traffic is also located in the municipality, near the Batajnica settlement.
The faculty of agriculture of the Belgrade University is located in Zemun, as well asmany other important higher schools (Internal affairs, Economics, Technics and machines, Medicine, Zemun gymnasium) and institutes (Institute for agriculture and forestry, Institute for mining, world famous Institute for corn in Zemun Polje, Institute for livestock, Institute for the implementation of the nuclear energy in agriculture, Institute for physics). Zemun has a Homeland museum and Madlenianum Opera and Theatre
.
Two of Belgrade's major hospitals-clinical centers are located in Zemun: "KBC Zemun" and "KBC Bežanijska Kosa", so as the retirement home "Bežanijska Kosa", the largest one in Belgrade. Churches include the Gardoš cemetery church and the Hariš chapel, Saint Nicholas, Saint Archangel Gabriel and two Roman Catholic churches.
Zemun is known for many squares, though almost all of them are small in size: Magistratski, Senjski, Veliki, Branka Radičevića, Karađorđev, Masarikov, etc. On one of them, the Zemun open green market is located. The bank of the Danube is turned into Zemunski Kej, a kilometers long promenade, with various entertainment facilities along it, including barges-cafés, amusement park and especially formerly largest hotel in Belgrade, Hotel Jugoslavija
.
The remnants of the old town which existed during battles between Kingdom of Hungary and Byzantine Empire in 12th century are known as Zemunski Grad (Zemun Town). Today visible ruins however are of the medieval fortress (angular towers and parts of the defending wall) where forces of Kingdom of Hungary
, 500 šajkaši
crew (led by Croat Marko Skoblić) consisted of Croats and Serbs fought against invading Ottoman army of Suleyman the Magnificent in 1521. Despite hard resistance, Zemun fell on July 12 and Belgrade soon afterwards (see Fall of Belgrade (1521)). On this place, the Kula Sibinjanin Janka (The tower of Janos Hunyadi) or the Millennium tower was erected. It was built and officially opened on August 20, 1896 to celebrate a thousand years of Hungarian
settlement in the Pannonian plain. The tower was built as a combination of various styles, mostly influenced by the Roman elements. Being a natural lookout, it was used by Zemun's firemen for decades. Today, the tower is better known after the Janos Hunyadi, who actually died in the old fortress four and a half centuries before the tower was built. In general, Gardoš is today the most recognizable symbol of Zemun. For the most part, the neighborhood preserved its old looks, with narrow, still mostly cobblestone
d streets unsuitable for modern vehicles, and individual residential houses.
Zemun is not rich in parks. The largest one is the City park (Gradski park, built in 1880, scheduled for reconstruction in 2008 ) and another one is Jelovac in Kalvarija. A small park on Mažuranić square was renovated in November 2007. It is first in Belgrade that has rubber ground under two children playgrounds.
and Milutinac, with BSK Batajnica
in Batajnica
. One of Belgrade's major sports halls, Pinki
, is located in Zemun too.
Several football squads were existing in Zemun in the past. City gave clubs like Šparta (worker's club) and ZAŠK, that in 1939 merged into SK Zemun.
During the short time of existence of Independent State of Croatia (1941–1944), a World War II puppet state of Nazi Germany, in Zemun there were four Croat football clubs: HŠK Građanski, HŠK Zemun
, HŠK Dunav
and HŠK Hajduk
, as well as two German football clubs: DSV Victoria
and SK Liet
.
Later, Zemun gave a football squad that occasionally played in Yugoslav 1. division, Galenika, later renamed into FK Zemun
. Today, there're also squads Teleoptik
, Zmaj
and Milutinac
.
Municipalities of Serbia
Serbia is divided into 150 municipalities and 24 cities , which are the basic units of local self-government. The city may and may not be divided into city municipalities . Five cities, Belgrade, Novi Sad, Niš, Kragujevac and Požarevac comprise several city municipalities, divided into "urban" ...
which constitute the City of Belgrade
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...
. For most of its history, it developed separately from Belgrade, which lies across the Sava river
Sava River
The Sava is a river in Southeast Europe, a right side tributary of the Danube river at Belgrade. Counting from Zelenci, the source of Sava Dolinka, it is long and drains of surface area. It flows through Slovenia, Croatia, along the northern border of Bosnia and Herzegovina, and through Serbia....
, but the development of New Belgrade in the late 20th century joined them together in a continuous urban area.
Name
In ancient times, the CeltCelt
The Celts were a diverse group of tribal societies in Iron Age and Roman-era Europe who spoke Celtic languages.The earliest archaeological culture commonly accepted as Celtic, or rather Proto-Celtic, was the central European Hallstatt culture , named for the rich grave finds in Hallstatt, Austria....
ic and 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....
settlement was known as Taurunum. The Frankish
Franks
The Franks were a confederation of Germanic tribes first attested in the third century AD as living north and east of the Lower Rhine River. From the third to fifth centuries some Franks raided Roman territory while other Franks joined the Roman troops in Gaul. Only the Salian Franks formed a...
chroniclers of the Crusades
Crusades
The Crusades were a series of religious wars, blessed by the Pope and the Catholic Church with the main goal of restoring Christian access to the holy places in and near Jerusalem...
mentioned it as Mallevila, a toponym from the 9th century. This was also a period when a Slavic
Slavic languages
The Slavic languages , a group of closely related languages of the Slavic peoples and a subgroup of Indo-European languages, have speakers in most of Eastern Europe, in much of the Balkans, in parts of Central Europe, and in the northern part of Asia.-Branches:Scholars traditionally divide Slavic...
name Zemln was recorded for the first time. Believed to be derived from the word zemlja, meaning earth, it was a basis for all other future names of the city: modern Serbian Земун (Cyrillic) or Zemun (Latin), Hungarian
Hungarian language
Hungarian is a Uralic language, part of the Ugric group. With some 14 million speakers, it is one of the most widely spoken non-Indo-European languages in Europe....
Zimony and German
German language
German is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
Semlin.
History
The area of Zemun has been inhabited ever since the Neolithic period. Baden cultureBaden culture
Baden culture, ca 3600 BC-ca 2800 BC, an eneolithic culture found in central Europe. It is known from Moravia, Hungary, Slovakia and Eastern Austria...
graves and ceramics (bowls, anthropomorphic urns) were found in the town. Bosut culture
Bosut culture
Bosut culture is a name of an prehistoric Iron Age culture, which was named after Gradina on Bosut archaeological site in Serbia. It is sometimes grouped with related Basarabi culture into Bosut-Basarabi complex...
graves were found in nearby Asfaltna Baza. The first Celtic settlements in Taurunum area originate from the 3rd century BC when the Scordisci
Scordisci
The Scordisci were an Iron Age tribe centered in the territory of present-day Serbia, at the confluence of the Savus , Dravus and Danube rivers. They were historically notable from the beginning of the third century BC until the turn of the common era...
occupied several Thracian and Dacian areas of the Danube. The Romans came in the 1st century BC, Taurunum became part of the Roman province
Roman province
In Ancient Rome, a province was the basic, and, until the Tetrarchy , largest territorial and administrative unit of the empire's territorial possessions outside of Italy...
of Pannonia
Pannonia
Pannonia was an ancient province of the Roman Empire bounded north and east by the Danube, coterminous westward with Noricum and upper Italy, and southward with Dalmatia and upper Moesia....
around 15 AD. It had a fortress and served as a harbour for the Pannonian (Roman) fleet of Singidunum
Singidunum
Singidunum is the name for the ancient city in Serbia which became Belgrade, the capital of Serbia. It was recorded that a Celtic tribe Scordisci settled the area in the 3rd century BC following the Gallic invasion of the Balkans. The Roman Empire conquered the area in 75 BC and later garrisoned...
(Belgrade). The pen of Roman poet Publius Ovidius Naso (Ovid) was said to be found in Taurunum. After the Great Migrations the area was under the authority of various peoples and states, including the Byzantine Empire
Byzantine Empire
The Byzantine Empire was the Eastern Roman Empire during the periods of Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages, centred on the capital of Constantinople. Known simply as the Roman Empire or Romania to its inhabitants and neighbours, the Empire was the direct continuation of the Ancient Roman State...
, the Kingdom of the Gepids and the Bulgarian Empire
Bulgarian Empire
Bulgarian Empire is a term used to describe two periods in the medieval history of Bulgaria, during which it acted as a key regional power in Europe in general and in Southeastern Europe in particular, rivalling Byzantium...
. The town was conquered by the 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...
in the 12th century and in the 15th century it was given as a personal possession to the Serbian despot
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,...
Đurađ Branković. After the nearby Serbian Despotate fell to the Ottoman Empire
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...
in 1459, Zemun became an important military outpost. It was then conquered by the Ottomans on July 12, 1521. In 1541, Zemun was integrated into the Syrmia
Sanjak of Syrmia
Sanjak of Syrmia was an administrative unit of the Ottoman Empire formed in 1541. It was located in the Syrmia region and was part of the Budin Province. Administrative center of the Sanjak of Syrmia was Dimitrofça...
sanjak
Sanjak
Sanjaks were administrative divisions of the Ottoman Empire. Sanjak, and the variant spellings sandjak, sanjaq, and sinjaq, are English transliterations of the Turkish word sancak, meaning district, banner, or flag...
of the Budin
Budin Province, Ottoman Empire
Budin Eyalet was an administrative unit of the Ottoman Empire in Central Europe and the Balkans...
pashaluk
Pashaluk
Pashaluk or Pashalik is a term for one type of the Subdivisions of the Ottoman Empire.It is the abstract word derived from pasha, denoting the quality, office or jurisdiction of a pasha or the territory administered by him....
.
Zemun and the southeastern Syrmia were conquered by the Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
n Habsburg
Habsburg
The House of Habsburg , also found as Hapsburg, and also known as House of Austria is one of the most important royal houses of Europe and is best known for being an origin of all of the formally elected Holy Roman Emperors between 1438 and 1740, as well as rulers of the Austrian Empire and...
s in 1717, after the Ottoman defeat at the Battle of Peterwardein (5 August 1716) and through the Treaty of Požarevac (German: Passarowitz) became a property of the Schönborn family. In 1736, Zemun was the site of a peasant revolt. Its strategic location near the confluence of the Sava and the Danube placed it in the center of the continued border wars between the Habsburg and the Ottoman empires. The Treaty of Belgrade
Treaty of Belgrade
The Treaty of Belgrade was the peace treaty signed on September 18, 1739 in Belgrade, Habsburg Kingdom of Serbia , by the Ottoman Empire on one side and the Habsburg Monarchy on the other....
of 1739 finally fixed the border, the 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...
was organized in the region in 1746, and the town of Zemun was granted the rights of a military commune in 1749. In 1754, the population of Zemun included 1,900 Orthodox Christians, 600 Catholics, 76 Jews
Jews
The Jews , also known as the Jewish people, are a nation and ethnoreligious group originating in the Israelites or Hebrews of the Ancient Near East. The Jewish ethnicity, nationality, and religion are strongly interrelated, as Judaism is the traditional faith of the Jewish nation...
, and about 100 Roma. In 1777, the population of Zemun numbered 1,130 houses with 6,800 residents, half of which were ethnic 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...
, while another half of population was composed of Catholics, Jews
Jews
The Jews , also known as the Jewish people, are a nation and ethnoreligious group originating in the Israelites or Hebrews of the Ancient Near East. The Jewish ethnicity, nationality, and religion are strongly interrelated, as Judaism is the traditional faith of the Jewish nation...
, Armenians
Armenians
Armenian people or Armenians are a nation and ethnic group native to the Armenian Highland.The largest concentration is in Armenia having a nearly-homogeneous population with 97.9% or 3,145,354 being ethnic Armenian....
and Muslims. Among Catholic population, the largest ethnic group were 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....
. From this period originates the increased settlement of Germans and Hungarians in the Zemun.
Zemun prospered as an important road intersection and a border city. In 1816 it was greatly expanded by mass resettlement of Germans and 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...
in the new town suburbs of Franzenstal and Gornja Varoš, respectively. In the 19th century, Zemun reached 7,089 residents and 1,310 houses. Zemun also became important in Serbian history as the refuge for Karađorđe in 1813 as well as many other people from the nearby Belgrade and the rest of Karađorđe's Serbia which fell to the Ottoman rule.
During the Revolution of 1848-1849
Revolutions of 1848
The European Revolutions of 1848, known in some countries as the Spring of Nations, Springtime of the Peoples or the Year of Revolution, were a series of political upheavals throughout Europe in 1848. It was the first Europe-wide collapse of traditional authority, but within a year reactionary...
, Zemun was one of the de facto capitals of Serbian Vojvodina
Serbian Vojvodina
The Serbian Vojvodina was a Serbian autonomous region within the Austrian Empire...
, a Serbian autonomous region within Habsburg Empire, but in 1849, it was returned under the administration of the Military Frontier. With the abolishment of the Military Frontier in 1882, Zemun and the rest of Srem was included into Syrmia County of Croatia-Slavonia, which was an autonomous part of the 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...
and 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...
. The first railway line that connected it to the west was built in 1883, and the first railway bridge over the Sava followed shortly thereafter in 1884.
During the 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...
in 1914, Zemun changed hands between Serbia and 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...
, finally ending up in Serbia on November 5, 1918. The town became part of the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes (later Kingdom of Yugoslavia
Kingdom of Yugoslavia
The Kingdom of Yugoslavia was a state stretching from the Western Balkans to Central Europe which existed during the often-tumultuous interwar era of 1918–1941...
). The inter-war period was marked by political struggle between the city gentry (organized into the Radical Party, Democratic Party and the Croatian Peasant Party
Croatian Peasant Party
The Croatian Peasant Party is a center and socially conservative political party in Croatia.-Austria-Hungary:The Croatian People's Peasant Party was formed on December 22, 1904 by Antun Radić along with his brother Stjepan Radić. The party contested elections for the first time in the Kingdom of...
) and the more socialist parties supported by the ethnic Germans.
In 1934 two intra-city bus
Bus
A bus is a road vehicle designed to carry passengers. Buses can have a capacity as high as 300 passengers. The most common type of bus is the single-decker bus, with larger loads carried by double-decker buses and articulated buses, and smaller loads carried by midibuses and minibuses; coaches are...
lines were introduced connecting Zemun with the parts of Belgrade, and the general shift of attention towards this issue was supported by the growing Serbian
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...
population of Zemun. The Zemun airbases originally built in 1927 were an important geostrategic objective in the Axis
Axis Powers
The Axis powers , also known as the Axis alliance, Axis nations, Axis countries, or just the Axis, was an alignment of great powers during the mid-20th century that fought World War II against the Allies. It began in 1936 with treaties of friendship between Germany and Italy and between Germany and...
invasion of April 1941. Following the surrender of Yugoslavia that same month, Zemun, along with the rest of Syrmia, was given to the Independent State of Croatia
Independent State of Croatia
The Independent State of Croatia was a World War II puppet state of Nazi Germany, established on a part of Axis-occupied Yugoslavia. The NDH was founded on 10 April 1941, after the invasion of Yugoslavia by the Axis powers. All of Bosnia and Herzegovina was annexed to NDH, together with some parts...
. The city was liberated from Axis occupation in 1944, and since then, it is part 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...
n region known as Central Serbia
Central Serbia
Central Serbia , also referred to as Serbia proper , was the region of Serbia from 1945 to 2009. It included central parts of Serbia outside of the autonomous provinces of Kosovo and Vojvodina. The region of Central Serbia was not an administrative division of Serbia as such; it was under the...
.
In later years of Slobodan Milošević
Slobodan Milošević
Slobodan Milošević was President of Serbia and Yugoslavia. He served as the President of Socialist Republic of Serbia and Republic of Serbia from 1989 until 1997 in three terms and as President of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia from 1997 to 2000...
's regime, Zemun became a stronghold of notorious Zemun clan, one of principal organized crime cartels in Belgrade
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...
. Bosses and prominent members of this clan have been tried and convicted for the assassination of Serbian prime minister Zoran Đinđić.
Geography
Zemun originally developed on three hills, GardošGardoš
Gardoš is an urban neighborhood of Belgrade, the capital of Serbia. It is located in Belgrade's municipality of Zemun...
, Ćukovac
Cukovac
Ćukovac is an urban neighborhood of Belgrade, the capital of Serbia. It is located in Belgrade's municipality of Zemun.- Location :...
and Kalvarija
Kalvarija (Zemun)
Kalvarija, also known as Marija Bursać is an urban neighborhood of Belgrade, the capital of Serbia. It is located in Belgrade's municipality of Zemun.- Location :...
, on the right bank of the Danube, where the widening of the Danube begins and the Great War Island is formed at the mouth of the Sava river. The core of the city are the neighborhoods of Donji Grad, Gardoš, Ćukovac and Gornji Grad. To the south, Zemun continues into Novi Beograd with which it makes one continuous urban area (neighborhood of Tošin Bunar
Tošin Bunar
Tošin Bunar is an urban neighborhood of Belgrade, the capital of Serbia. It is located in Belgrade's municipality of Novi Beograd....
). In the west it extends into the neighborhoods of Altina and Plavi Horizonti and to the north-west into Galenika, Zemun Polje and further into Batajnica.
The municipality is located in the eastern 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....
region, in the central-western section of the Belgrade City area. The urban section of Zemun is the both most northern and western section of the urban Belgrade. Zemun borders the province of Vojvodina
Vojvodina
Vojvodina, officially called Autonomous Province of Vojvodina is an autonomous province of Serbia. Its capital and largest city is Novi Sad...
on the west (municipality of Nova Pazova
Nova Pazova
Nova Pazova is a settlement in Serbia, founded by German settlers.It is situated in the Stara Pazova municipality, in the region of Syrmia , in the autonomous province of Vojvodina...
), and municipalities 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...
on the south, 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...
on south-east and Palilula
Palilula Belgrade
Palilula is an urban neighborhood and one of 17 municipalities which constitute the City of Belgrade, the capital of Serbia. It has the largest area of all municipalities of Belgrade.- Location :...
and Stari Grad across the Danube (north and east, respectively).
The Danube bank in the north is mostly marshy, so the settlements are built further from the river (Batajnica
Batajnica
Batajnica is an suburban neighborhood of Belgrade, the capital of Serbia. It is located in Belgrade's municipality of Zemun.-Name:...
) separated from it by hillocks (up to 114 m). The city of Zemun itself was built right on the bank, 100 meters above sea level
Above mean sea level
The term above mean sea level refers to the elevation or altitude of any object, relative to the average sea level datum. AMSL is used extensively in radio by engineers to determine the coverage area a station will be able to reach...
. These are points of the Zemun 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...
plateau, an extension of the Syrmia loess plateau, which continues into the crescent
Crescent
In art and symbolism, a crescent is generally the shape produced when a circular disk has a segment of another circle removed from its edge, so that what remains is a shape enclosed by two circular arcs of different diameters which intersect at two points .In astronomy, a crescent...
-shaped Bežanijska Kosa loess hill on the south-east. The yellow loess is thick up to 40 meters and very fertile, with rich, grass-improved, humus chernozem
Chernozem
Chernozem , also known as "black land" or "black earth", is a black-coloured soil containing a high percentage of humus 7% to 15%, and high percentages of phosphoric acids, phosphorus and ammonia...
. The uninhabited river islands of Great War Island
Great War Island
Great War Island is a river island in Belgrade, capital of Serbia. It is located at the confluence of Sava and Danube rivers. Though uninhabited, the island is part of the Belgrade City proper, and belongs to the city municipality of Zemun.-Location:...
and Little War Island on the Danube, also belong to the municipality Zemun, too. Municipality has an area of 153 km².
Neighbourhoods and suburbs
Municipality of Zemun has only two official settlements: (City of) Zemun, which is part of the urban Belgrade city proper (uža teritorija grada; statistically it is classified as Belgrade-part) and the village of UgrinovciUgrinovci
Ugrinovci is a suburban settlement of Belgrade, the capital of Serbia. It is located in Belgrade's municipality of Zemun.- Location :...
(with two hamlet
Hamlet (place)
A hamlet is usually a rural settlement which is too small to be considered a village, though sometimes the word is used for a different sort of community. Historically, when a hamlet became large enough to justify building a church, it was then classified as a village...
s of Grmovac and Busije). Many of the neighbourhoods developed in the last few decades (Altina, Plavi Horizonti, Kamendin, Grmovac, Busije, etc.).
Urban:
|
Kalvarija (Zemun) Kalvarija, also known as Marija Bursać is an urban neighborhood of Belgrade, the capital of Serbia. It is located in Belgrade's municipality of Zemun.- Location :... Kamendin, Zemun Kamendin is an urban neighborhood of Belgrade, the capital of Serbia. It is located in Belgrade's municipality of Zemun.- Location :Kamendin is located in the northwest section of Zemun... Kolonija Zmaj Kolonija "B" Zmaj or colloquially Zmaj is an urban neighborhood of Belgrade, the capital of Serbia. It is located in Belgrade's municipality of Zemun.-Location:... Lido (Belgrade) Lido is a non-residential urban neighborhood of Belgrade, the capital of Serbia. It is located in Belgrade's municipality of Zemun.- Location :Lido is located on the northern tip of the Great War Island, on the Danube... Mala Pruga Mala Pruga is an urban neighborhood of Belgrade, the capital of Serbia. It is located in Belgrade's municipality of Zemun.... Malo Ratno Ostrvo Little War Island or Malo Ratno Ostrvo is a river island in Serbia, located at the mouth of the Sava river into the Danube... |
Muhar Muhar is an urban neighborhood of Belgrade, the capital of Serbia. It is located in the Belgrade municipality of Zemun.- Location :... Novi Grad (Zemun) Novi Grad is an urban neighborhood of Belgrade, the capital of Serbia. It is located in Belgrade's municipality of Zemun.- Location :Novi Grad is located in the central-west section of the urban Zemun... Plavi Horizonti Plavi Horizonti is an urban neighborhood of Belgrade, the capital of Serbia. It is located in Belgrade's municipality of Zemun. With Altina, one of the newest and fastest developing neighborhoods.-Location:... Retenzija Retenzija is an urban neighborhood of Belgrade, the capital of Serbia. It is located in Belgrade's municipality of Zemun.- Location :... Sava Kovacevic (Zemun) Sava Kovačević is an urban neighborhood of Belgrade, the capital of Serbia. It is located in Belgrade's municipality of Zemun.- Location :... Sutjeska (Zemun) Sutjeska is an urban neighborhood of Belgrade, the capital of Serbia. It is located in Belgrade's municipality of Zemun.-Location:Sutjeska is located west of the old core of Zemun... |
Zemun Polje Zemun Polje is an urban neighborhood of Belgrade, the capital of Serbia. It is located in Belgrade's municipality of Zemun.- Location :... Zemunski Kej Zemunski Kej is an urban neighborhood of Belgrade, the capital of Serbia. It is located in Belgrade's municipality of Zemun.- Location :... Železnicka Kolonija Železnička Kolonija is an urban neighborhood of Belgrade, the capital of Serbia. It is located in Belgrade's municipality of Zemun.- Location :... |
Suburban:
|
Grmovac Grmovac is an suburban settlement of Belgrade, the capital of Serbia. It is located in Belgrade's municipality of Zemun.- Location :... |
Ugrinovci Ugrinovci is a suburban settlement of Belgrade, the capital of Serbia. It is located in Belgrade's municipality of Zemun.- Location :... |
Population
As Zemun grew into one of the most populous neighborhoods of Belgrade, population of the municipality had a steady growth since the World War IIWorld 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 of the Zemun (in present borders) by the official censuses of population:
| Year | City | Municipality* |
|---|---|---|
| 1921 | 18,528 | |
| 1931 | 28,083 | |
| 1948 | 42,230 | |
| 1953 | 44,110 | 51,129 |
| 1961 | 72,956 | 74,851 |
| 1971 | 95,142 | 111,967 |
| 1981 | 116,826 | 138,702 |
| 1991 | 141,695 | |
| 2002 | 145,751 | 152,950 |
Municipality figures include populations of today's 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...
municipality, which separated from Zemun in 2004.
Ethnic groups (2002 census)
- 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...
= 133,988 (87.61%) - Roma = 4,030 (2.64%)
- YugoslavsYugoslavsYugoslavs is a national designation used by a minority of South Slavs across the countries of the former Yugoslavia and in the diaspora...
= 3,315 (2.17%) - CroatsCroatsCroats 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...
= 1,970 (1.29%) - Others.
Administration
Municipality of Zemun became part of the Belgrade City Area (Teritorija grada Beograda) with the division of YugoslaviaYugoslavia
Yugoslavia refers to three political entities that existed successively on the western part of the Balkans during most of the 20th century....
into banovina
Banovina
Banovina may refer to:* One of the subdivisions of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia from 1929 to 1941* Any territory ruled by a ban * Banovina in central Croatia, also known as Banija...
s by king Alexander I
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:...
on October 3, 1929. On April 1, 1934, municipality itself was absorbed into the municipality of Belgrade, so the post of the president of the municipality of Zemun was abolished and "Zemun section administrator" was appointed to the Belgrade's city government.
In 1941-44 it was occupied by the German army as the Okupationsgebiet Ostsyrmien. Germany technically recognised Zemun and surroundings as part of the Independent State of Croatia
Independent State of Croatia
The Independent State of Croatia was a World War II puppet state of Nazi Germany, established on a part of Axis-occupied Yugoslavia. The NDH was founded on 10 April 1941, after the invasion of Yugoslavia by the Axis powers. All of Bosnia and Herzegovina was annexed to NDH, together with some parts...
puppet regime but Zemun remained under direct German rule.
After 1945 Zemun was administratively divided into the City of Zemun and Zemun district (srez), unlike rest of Belgrade which was divided into raion
Raion
A raion is a type of administrative unit of several post-Soviet countries. The term, which is from French rayon 'honeycomb, department,' describes both a type of a subnational entity and a division of a city, and is commonly translated in English as "district"...
s. In 1955 both City of Zemun and most of the Zemun district were incorporated into Belgrade again. In 1950s and 1960s, municipalities of Boljevci
Boljevci
Boljevci is a suburban settlement of Belgrade, the capital of Serbia. It is located in Belgrade's municipality of Surčin.- Location :...
and Dobanovci
Dobanovci
Dobanovci is an suburban neighborhood of Belgrade, the capital of Serbia. It is located in Belgrade's municipality of Surčin....
were annexed to the municipality of Surčin while Batajnica was annexed to Zemun itself. In 1965 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 annexed to the municipality of Zemun which marked the largest territorial expansion of Zemun (438 km²). However, on November 24, 2003 Belgrade City assembly voted to re-create the municipality of Surčin, but it remained under the administration of Zemun until November 3, 2004, when separate municipal government was established after the local elections. A motion for Batajnica
Batajnica
Batajnica is an suburban neighborhood of Belgrade, the capital of Serbia. It is located in Belgrade's municipality of Zemun.-Name:...
to split from Zemun too was active for a while in early 2000s (see List of former and proposed municipalities of Belgrade).
Presidents of the municipality:
- October 3, 1929 - June 20, 1930; Petar S. Marković
- June 20, 1930 - December 8, 1931; Svetislav Popović
- December 9, 1931 - March 31, 1934; Miloš Đorić
Administrator of the Zemun section
- 1934 - April 12, 1941; Nikola Folger
German mayors:
- April 13, 1941 - July 1941; Johannes MoserJohannes MoserJohannes Moser is a German cellist.He has been hailed as “greatly gifted” by the Chicago Tribune, and the Los Angeles Times described him as an “imaginative soloist . ....
(d. 1980) - July 1941 - December 1941; Stefan Seifert
- December 1941 - October 1944; Johannes MoserJohannes MoserJohannes Moser is a German cellist.He has been hailed as “greatly gifted” by the Chicago Tribune, and the Los Angeles Times described him as an “imaginative soloist . ....
(2nd time)
Partisan military administrator:
- October 22, 1944 - October 26, 1944; Milan Žeželj (1917–95)
Presidents of the municipal assembly:
- October 26, 1944 - July 8, 1945; Ljubomir Milovanović
- July 8, 1945–1947; Dimitrije Anokić
- 1947 - 1949; Milenko Jovanović
- 1949 - 1950; Božidar Tomić (b. 1914)
- 1950; Lazar Popov (acting)
- 1950 - 1955; Stojan Svilarić (b. 1920)
- 1955 - 1958; Branko PešićBranko PešićBranko Pešić was member of the Yugoslav resistance forces during the Yugoslav People's Liberation War, and later leader of the Yugoslav Communist party in Belgrade and Mayor of Belgrade from 1964 to 1974....
(1922–86) - 1958 - 1962; Aleksandar S. Jovanović
- 1962 - 1967; Čedomir Jovićević
- 1967 - 1971; Svetozar Papić
- 1971 - 1973; Radojko Filipović
- 1973 - 1974; Pavle Ilić (acting)
- 1974 - 1978; Branko S. Radivojević (b. 1932)
- 1978 - 1982; Ilija Kragović
- 1982 - 1986; Novak Rodić
- 1986 - 1989; Petar Stolica
- 1989; Dobrivoje Perović
- 1989 - 1992; Živko Davidović (b. 1935)
- 1992 - December 1996; Nenad Ribar
- December 1996 - April 1998; Vojislav ŠešeljVojislav ŠešeljVojislav Šešelj, JD is a Serbian politician, writer and lawyer. He is the founder and president of the Serbian Radical Party and was vice-president of Serbia between 1998 and 2000...
(b. 1954) - April 1998 - October 17, 2000; Stevo Dragišić (b. 1971)
- October 17, 2000 - November 4, 2004; Vladan Janićijević (b. 1934)
Presidents of the municipality:
- November 4, 2004 – June 4, 2008; Gordana Pop-Lazić (b. 1956)
- June 4, 2008 – March 5, 2009 Slavko Jerković
- March 5, 2009 – July 23, 2009 Zdravko Stanković (acting)
- July 23, 2009 – present; Branislav Prostran (b. 1976)
There is a popular local rivalry between inhabitants of Zemun and Belgrade going on for decades, especially among youth. In general, local population consider Zemun still a separate, and more advanced and cultural city and point out they were born in Zemun rather than Belgrade, while Belgraders consider Zemun an outer suburb of Belgrade.
Economy and transportation
Zemun is one of the most developed municipalities of Belgrade, with developed industries in almost every branch. Zemun has two large and still growing industrial zones, one located along the highway and the other one along the road to Batajnica and further to Novi SadNovi Sad
Novi Sad is the capital of the northern Serbian province of Vojvodina, and the administrative centre of the South Bačka District. The city is located in the southern part of Pannonian Plain on the Danube river....
(Galenika, Goveđi Brod, etc.). Industries include: heavy agricultural machines and appliances (Zmaj), precise and optical instruments and automatized appliances (Teleoptik), clocks (INSA), busses and other heavy vehicles (Ikarbus), pharmaceuticals (Galenika), plastics (Grmeč), shoes (Obuća Beograd), textile (TIZ, Zekstra), food, candies and chocolate (Soko Štark), metals (IMPA, Intersilver), wood and furniture (Gaj, Reprek), recycling (INOS metali and INOS papir), beverages (Coca Cola, Navip), chemicals (Roma), building materials (DIA, Anicom), electronics, leather, etc. In addition to this dozens of halls, and warehouses are built throughout both industrial zones.
Several important roads of Serbia run through the municipality. The Belgrade-Zagreb highway, the old (Batajnički drum) and new (highway) road Belgrade-Novi Sad, the still in construction starting point (Batajnica-Dobanovci) of the future Belgrade beltway (Batajnica-Bubanj Potok
Bubanj Potok
Bubanj Potok is a non-residential suburban settlement of Belgrade, the capital of Serbia. It is located in Belgrade's municipality of Voždovac.-Location:...
), Belgrade-Novi Sad railway, etc. Zemun has no bridges, apart from the seasonal pontoon bridge
Pontoon bridge
A pontoon bridge or floating bridge is a bridge that floats on water and in which barge- or boat-like pontoons support the bridge deck and its dynamic loads. While pontoon bridges are usually temporary structures, some are used for long periods of time...
which connects the mainland with the Great War Island during summer. First bridge over the Danube, Galenika-Borča bridge is still in project.
Batajnica Airbase
Batajnica Airbase
Batajnica Airbase is an airport in Serbia. The airport is located between the town of Batajnica and Nova Pazova, some 20 kilometers northwest of Belgrade and is a military air base of the Serbian Armed Forces...
with a limited civil traffic is also located in the municipality, near the Batajnica settlement.
Culture and education
Madlenianum Opera and Theatre
Madlenianum Opera and Theatre is the first privately owned opera and theater company both in Serbia and in south-eastern Europe. It is located in Belgrade, Serbia, and was founded on 26 January 1999, by Madlena Zepter, wife of the Philip Zepter, Serbian businessman...
.
Two of Belgrade's major hospitals-clinical centers are located in Zemun: "KBC Zemun" and "KBC Bežanijska Kosa", so as the retirement home "Bežanijska Kosa", the largest one in Belgrade. Churches include the Gardoš cemetery church and the Hariš chapel, Saint Nicholas, Saint Archangel Gabriel and two Roman Catholic churches.
Zemun is known for many squares, though almost all of them are small in size: Magistratski, Senjski, Veliki, Branka Radičevića, Karađorđev, Masarikov, etc. On one of them, the Zemun open green market is located. The bank of the Danube is turned into Zemunski Kej, a kilometers long promenade, with various entertainment facilities along it, including barges-cafés, amusement park and especially formerly largest hotel in Belgrade, Hotel Jugoslavija
Hotel Jugoslavija
Hotel Jugoslavija translated in English to Hotel Yugoslavia in Belgrade is one of the oldest luxurious Serbian hotels located in the Novi Beograd municipality....
.
The remnants of the old town which existed during battles between Kingdom of Hungary and Byzantine Empire in 12th century are known as Zemunski Grad (Zemun Town). Today visible ruins however are of the medieval fortress (angular towers and parts of the defending wall) where forces of 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...
, 500 šajkaši
Šajkaši
Šajkaši were the river troops guarding the Danube and Sava, and especially, the Port of Belgrade, against the Ottoman Empire from the 16th to the 19th century. At the time, the rivers were borders of the Kingdom of Hungary and Habsburg Empire with the Ottoman Empire. They had special military...
crew (led by Croat Marko Skoblić) consisted of Croats and Serbs fought against invading Ottoman army of Suleyman the Magnificent in 1521. Despite hard resistance, Zemun fell on July 12 and Belgrade soon afterwards (see Fall of Belgrade (1521)). On this place, the Kula Sibinjanin Janka (The tower of Janos Hunyadi) or the Millennium tower was erected. It was built and officially opened on August 20, 1896 to celebrate a thousand years of Hungarian
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...
settlement in the Pannonian plain. The tower was built as a combination of various styles, mostly influenced by the Roman elements. Being a natural lookout, it was used by Zemun's firemen for decades. Today, the tower is better known after the Janos Hunyadi, who actually died in the old fortress four and a half centuries before the tower was built. In general, Gardoš is today the most recognizable symbol of Zemun. For the most part, the neighborhood preserved its old looks, with narrow, still mostly cobblestone
Cobblestone
Cobblestones are stones that were frequently used in the pavement of early streets. "Cobblestone" is derived from the very old English word "cob", which had a wide range of meanings, one of which was "rounded lump" with overtones of large size...
d streets unsuitable for modern vehicles, and individual residential houses.
Zemun is not rich in parks. The largest one is the City park (Gradski park, built in 1880, scheduled for reconstruction in 2008 ) and another one is Jelovac in Kalvarija. A small park on Mažuranić square was renovated in November 2007. It is first in Belgrade that has rubber ground under two children playgrounds.
Sport
The city has several stadiums, including those of the FK ZemunFK Zemun
FK Zemun is a football club located in Zemun, a municipality of Belgrade, in Serbia.- History :Immediately after the end of the Second World War the sports activities in Zemun are restored...
and Milutinac, with BSK Batajnica
BSK Batajnica
BSK Batajnica is a football club based in Batajnica, Belgrade, Serbia.-History:BSK Batajnica was formed in 1925...
in Batajnica
Batajnica
Batajnica is an suburban neighborhood of Belgrade, the capital of Serbia. It is located in Belgrade's municipality of Zemun.-Name:...
. One of Belgrade's major sports halls, Pinki
Hala Pinki
Hala Pinki is an indoor multi sports venue located in the Belgrade's municipality of Zemun, Serbia.The venue has an indoor hall and an indoor swimming pool...
, is located in Zemun too.
Several football squads were existing in Zemun in the past. City gave clubs like Šparta (worker's club) and ZAŠK, that in 1939 merged into SK Zemun.
During the short time of existence of Independent State of Croatia (1941–1944), a World War II puppet state of Nazi Germany, in Zemun there were four Croat football clubs: HŠK Građanski, HŠK Zemun
HŠK Zemun
HŠK Zemun was a football club from Zemun . Local Croats from Zemun and other parts of Syrmia gathered around this club.- History :This squad was founded before 1939.It competed in the football championship of Independent State of Croatia...
, HŠK Dunav
HŠK Dunav Zemun
HŠK Dunav was a football club from Zemun . Local Croats from Zemun and other parts of Syrmia gathered around this club.- History :This squad was founded before the Second World War....
and HŠK Hajduk
HŠK Hajduk Zemun
HŠK Hajduk was a football club from Zemun . Local Croats from Zemun and other parts of Syrmia gathered around this club.-History:This squad was founded before the Second World War ....
, as well as two German football clubs: DSV Victoria
DSV Victoria Zemun
DSV Victoria was a football club from Zemun . Local Germans from Zemun and other parts of Syrmia gathered around this club.- History :This squad was founded before 1939....
and SK Liet
SK Liet Zemun
SK Liet was a football club from Zemun . Local Germans from Zemun and other parts of Syrmia gathered around this club.- History :This squad was founded before the Second World War ....
.
Later, Zemun gave a football squad that occasionally played in Yugoslav 1. division, Galenika, later renamed into FK Zemun
FK Zemun
FK Zemun is a football club located in Zemun, a municipality of Belgrade, in Serbia.- History :Immediately after the end of the Second World War the sports activities in Zemun are restored...
. Today, there're also squads Teleoptik
FK Teleoptik
Fudbalski klub Teleoptik is a professional football club based in Zemun, Belgrade, Serbia. The club currently playing in the Serbian First League....
, Zmaj
FK Zmaj Zemun
FK Zmaj is a Serbian football club based in Zemun, Serbia....
and Milutinac
FK Milutinac Zemun
-History:FK Milutinac is a Serbian football club based in Zemun, Serbia.Currently,club is playing in Prva Beogradska Liga which is 5th tier of Serbian football system.Club name comes from Serbian football defender who played for Yugoslavia Dr.Milutin Ivković....
.
Twin towns — Sister cities
Zemun is twinned with:| ar-Ram Ar-Ram A-Ram or al-Ramm is a Palestinian village which lies northeast of Jerusalem, just outside the city's municipal border. The village is part of the built-up urban area of Jerusalem, the Atarot industrial zone and Beit Hanina lie to the west, and Neve Ya'akov borders it on the south. with a ... , Palestinian National Authority Palestinian National Authority The Palestinian Authority is the administrative organization established to govern parts of the West Bank and Gaza Strip... Banja Luka Banja Luka -History:The name "Banja Luka" was first mentioned in a document dated February 6, 1494, but Banja Luka's history dates back to ancient times. There is a substantial evidence of the Roman presence in the region during the first few centuries A.D., including an old fort "Kastel" in the centre of... , Bosnia and Herzegovina Bosnia and Herzegovina Bosnia and Herzegovina , sometimes called Bosnia-Herzegovina or simply Bosnia, is a country in Southern Europe, on the Balkan Peninsula. Bordered by Croatia to the north, west and south, Serbia to the east, and Montenegro to the southeast, Bosnia and Herzegovina is almost landlocked, except for the... Bitola Bitola Bitola is a city in the southwestern part of the Republic of Macedonia. The city is an administrative, cultural, industrial, commercial, and educational centre. It is located in the southern part of the Pelagonia valley, surrounded by the Baba and Nidže mountains, 14 km north of the... , Macedonia Esch-sur-Alzette Esch-sur-Alzette Esch-sur-Alzette is a commune with city status, in south-western Luxembourg. It is the country's second city, and its second-most populous commune, with a population of 29,853 people... , Luxembourg Luxembourg Luxembourg , officially the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg , is a landlocked country in western Europe, bordered by Belgium, France, and Germany. It has two principal regions: the Oesling in the North as part of the Ardennes massif, and the Gutland in the south... Herceg Novi Herceg Novi Herceg Novi is a coastal town in Montenegro located at the entrance to the Bay of Kotor and at the foot of Mount Orjen. It is the administrative center of the Herceg Novi Municipality with around 33,000 inhabitants... , Montenegro Montenegro Montenegro Montenegrin: Crna Gora Црна Гора , meaning "Black Mountain") is a country located in Southeastern Europe. It has a coast on the Adriatic Sea to the south-west and is bordered by Croatia to the west, Bosnia and Herzegovina to the northwest, Serbia to the northeast and Albania to the... Kranj Kranj ' is the third largest municipality and fourth largest city in Slovenia, with a population of 54,500 . It is located approximately 20 km north-west of Ljubljana... , Slovenia Slovenia Slovenia , officially the Republic of Slovenia , is a country in Central and Southeastern Europe touching the Alps and bordering the Mediterranean. Slovenia borders Italy to the west, Croatia to the south and east, Hungary to the northeast, and Austria to the north, and also has a small portion of... |
Corfu Corfu (city) Corfu is a city and a former municipality on the island of Corfu, Ionian Islands, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform, it is part of the municipality Corfu, of which it is a municipal unit. It is the capital of the island and of the Corfu regional unit. The city also serves as a capital... , Greece Greece Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe.... London Borough of Tower Hamlets London Borough of Tower Hamlets The London Borough of Tower Hamlets is a London borough to the east of the City of London and north of the River Thames. It is in the eastern part of London and covers much of the traditional East End. It also includes much of the redeveloped Docklands region of London, including West India Docks... , United Kingdom United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages... Mödling Mödling Mödling is the capital of the Austrian district of the same name located approximately 14 km south of Vienna.The settlement dates back to the Neolithic. In medieval times, the town was the residence of a branch of the Babenberger family, as a result of which it received the nickname... , Austria Austria Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the... Offenbach am Main, Germany Germany Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate... Ohrid Ohrid Ohrid is a city on the eastern shore of Lake Ohrid in the Republic of Macedonia. It has about 42,000 inhabitants, making it the seventh largest city in the country. The city is the seat of Ohrid Municipality. Ohrid is notable for having once had 365 churches, one for each day of the year and has... , Macedonia Osijek Osijek Osijek is the fourth largest city in Croatia with a population of 83,496 in 2011. It is the largest city and the economic and cultural centre of the eastern Croatian region of Slavonia, as well as the administrative centre of Osijek-Baranja county... , Croatia Croatia Croatia , officially the Republic of Croatia , is a unitary democratic parliamentary republic in Europe at the crossroads of the Mitteleuropa, the Balkans, and the Mediterranean. Its capital and largest city is Zagreb. The country is divided into 20 counties and the city of Zagreb. Croatia covers ... |
Puteaux Puteaux Puteaux is a commune in the western suburbs of Paris, France. It is located in the heart of the Hauts-de-Seine department from the center of Paris.... , France France The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France... Rif Dimashq Rif Dimashq Rif Dimashq is one of the 14 governorates of Syria. It is situated in the southwestern part of the country. It borders the governorates of Quneitra, Daraa and al-Suwayda in the southwest, Homs in the north, Lebanon in the west and Jordan in the south.The Governorate completely surrounds the... , Syria Syria Syria , officially the Syrian Arab Republic , is a country in Western Asia, bordering Lebanon and the Mediterranean Sea to the West, Turkey to the north, Iraq to the east, Jordan to the south, and Israel to the southwest.... Tilburg Tilburg Tilburg is a landlocked municipality and a city in the Netherlands, located in the southern province of Noord-Brabant.Tilburg municipality also includes the villages of Berkel-Enschot and Udenhout.... , Netherlands Netherlands The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders... Velletri Velletri Velletri is an Italian town of 53,298 inhabitants. It is a comune in the province of Rome, on the Alban Hills, in Lazio - Italy. It is bounded by other communes of Rocca di Papa, Lariano, Cisterna di Latina, Artena, Aprilia, Nemi, Genzano di Roma, Lanuvio... , Italy Italy Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and... Veroia, Greece Greece Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe.... |
External links
- Municipality of Zemun
- Gardoš Zemun 360 Virtual tour
- Osnovna škola Gornja Varoš Zemun