Kruševac (Serbian Cyrillic:Крушевац,pronounced[krûʃeʋats]ⓘ) is acity and the administrative center of theRasina District in central Serbia. It is located in the valley ofWest Morava, onRasina river. According to the 2022 census, the city administrative area has a population of 113,582 while the urban area has 68,119 inhabitants.
The city was founded in 1371, by PrinceLazar of Serbia (1371–1389), who used it as his seat.
Kruševac was founded in 1371, as a fortified town in the possession ofLord Lazar Hrebeljanović. TheLazarica Church (orChurch of St, Stephen) was built by Lazar between 1375 and 1378, in theMorava architectural style.[4] It is mentioned in one of Lazar's edicts in 1387, as his seat, when he affirmed the rights ofVenetian merchants on Serbian territory. In preparation for theBattle of Kosovo (1389) against theOttoman Empire, the Serbian army assembled in the city. The site of Lazar's palace is marked by a ruined enclosure containing a fragment of the tower of his spousePrincess Milica, and, according to legend, tidings of the defeat were brought to her by crows from the battlefield.[5] After the battle, the city was held by Princess Milica as her seat. The little that remains of Lazar's city is theKruševac Fortress, which was declared aCultural Monument of Exceptional Importance in 1979.[6] Several old Ottoman houses were left at the beginning of the 20th century, besides an old Turkish fountain and bath,[5] which was known asAlacahisar (Aladža Hisar) during Ottoman rule between 1427 and 1833 (nominally to 1867) when Kruševac was the seat of theSanjak of Kruševac. The Ottoman rule was interrupted during Austrian occupations between 1688–1690 and 1717–1739.[citation needed]
A large monument dedicated to Serbs fallen at the Battle of Kosovo was sculpted byĐorđe Jovanović and unveiled by King Petar I Karađorđević of Serbia in 1904. A detail on the monument, among others, is a statue of the famous blind Serbian poetFilip Višnjić.
At the beginning of theGerman occupation of Yugoslavia the units of Yugoslav Army in the Fatherland commanded byDragutin Keserović and supported by one detachment of communistsattacked the German garrison in September 1941 but failed to liberate the town after four days battle. DuringWorld War II mass executions of patriots and antifascists occurred on hillBagdala. Largest execution was in summer of 1943. At place of executions now is a monument namedSlobodište (from the Serbian word "sloboda", which means 'freedom'). Kruševac was liberated on 14 October whenChetniks and Germans left the city together. After the regime of communists in Serbia ended theGovernment of Serbia and itsMinistry of Justice established the commission to researchatrocities that were committed by members of the Yugoslav Partisan Movement after they gained control over Serbia in Autumn 1944. According to the report of this commission, out of 55,554 registered victims of communist purges in Serbia the new communist regime in Kruševac killed 493 people while 11 people are missing.[7]
Kruševac progressed profusely during theSFRY. A large number of factories were built in that era, while Kruševac became one of the strongest industrial centres in both Serbia and Yugoslavia. The machine factoryIMK 14. oktobar Kruševac employed around 7,000 workers.
However, the large Kruševac industry hasn't survived thepost-Miloševićtransition. In 2002 alone 5 factories went bankrupt.[8][unreliable source?] From 2002 to 2014 27 factories closed and around 11,000 workers lost their jobs.[9] The unemployment rate in Kruševac was almost 39% in 2015.[10][unreliable source]
According to the 2022 census results, the municipality of Kruševac has a total population of 113,582 inhabitants, while the city proper has a population of 53,746.
The most notable large companies based in the city of Kruševac are:Trayal Corporation,14. oktobar,Rubin and Cooper Tire & Rubber Company Serbia. As of September 2017, Kruševac has one of 14free economic zones established in Serbia.[12]
The following table gives a preview of total number of registered people employed in legal entities per their core activity (as of 2022):[13]
Activity
Total
Agriculture, forestry and fishing
359
Mining and quarrying
29
Manufacturing
10,245
Electricity, gas, steam and air conditioning supply
427
Water supply; sewerage, waste management and remediation activities
609
Construction
2,138
Wholesale and retail trade, repair of motor vehicles and motorcycles
5,390
Transportation and storage
1,455
Accommodation and food services
1,204
Information and communication
403
Financial and insurance activities
581
Real estate activities
228
Professional, scientific and technical activities
1,240
Administrative and support service activities
821
Public administration and defense; compulsory social security
^"Registar Žrtava".www.komisija1944.mpravde.gov.rs. Ministry of Justice, Republic of Serbia.Archived from the original on 17 October 2019. Retrieved6 October 2019.
