Novo Brdo | |
|---|---|
Town andmunicipality | |
 View on Novo Brdo | |
 Seal | |
  Novo Brdo  Novo Brdo | |
| Coordinates:42°36′N21°26′E / 42.600°N 21.433°E /42.600; 21.433 | |
| Country | Kosovo |
| District | Pristina |
| Settlements | 26 |
| Government | |
| • Provisional president | Saša Milošević (Serb List[1]) |
| Area | |
• Total | 204.25 km2 (78.86 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 946 m (3,104 ft) |
| Population (2024)[2] | |
• Total | 4,495 |
| • Density | 22/km2 (57/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC+1 (CET) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+2 (CEST) |
| Postal code | 16000 |
| Area code | +381(0)38 |
| Vehicle registration | 01 |
| Website | kk |
Novo Brdo (Serbian Cyrillic:Ново Брдо) orNovobërda andArtanë (Albanianindefinite form:Novobërdë orArtanë), is a town and municipality located in thePristina district ofKosovo. According to the 2011 census, it has a population of 6,729 inhabitants. The center of the municipality is the village of Bostane. The region is especially known for its role in mining during medieval times, in particular after the construction of theNovo Brdo Fortress byStefan Milutin (King of Serbia) to house Saxon miners who were brought in the region.
InSerbian (and alsoEnglish) "Novo Brdo" is used, literally meaning "New Hill". The name was derived from the medieval Serbian mining town ofNovo Brdo. InAlbanian, "Novobërdë" or "Artanë" is used.[3]
Novo Brdo is an archaeological site.[4] Novo Brdo was mentioned with its present name in historical documents as early as 1326. It served as the most importantmining community in the Balkans during the 15th century.[5] Previously it was known asNovus Mons orNovamonte in Latin and asNyeuberghe inSaxon texts. The famous scribeVladislav the Grammarian was born here.
The arrival ofSaxon miners resulted in the emergence of mining towns in the Balkans in the 13th and 14th century, among them Novo Brdo.[6] Despite much of Novo Brdo's early history being a mystery, the development of the town was heavily influenced by Saxon migrants, with mining operations first starting under the reign of the Serbian KingStefan Milutin.[7] After 50 years, the Novo Brdo mine became the most prosperous in Medieval Serbia and housed a state mint that produced the most silver in the country.[7] Saxon miners introduced efficient mining techniques and implemented a legal system that granted them greater autonomy.[6]
Albanians settled Novo Brdo during the 13th to 14th century to work in the local mines, thus reinforcing the Albanian population in Kosovo. Subsequent waves of Catholic Albanians kept arriving in Novo Brdo up until the 17th century.[8][9]Ragusan documents attest to the presence of a significant number ofAlbanians living in Novo Brdo throughout the 14th and early 15th centuries, including members of the Catholic Albanian clergy with names such asGjergjash andGjinko,Gjini, son ofGjergji, the presbyter (1382); the reverendGjergj Gega,Nikollë Tanushi,Gjergj Andrea Pellini andNikolla Progonovic. In the book of debtors belonging to Ragusan merchant Mihail Lukarevic, who resided in Novo Brdo during the 1430s, 150 Albanian household heads were mentioned as living in Novo Brdo with their families. They worked as miners, artisans and specialists in the mines of Novo Brdo. The anthroponomy of these figures is characteristically Albanian; distinctive Albanian names such as Gjon, Gjin, Tanush, Progon, Lek, Gjergj and Bibë are mentioned. Some families had a mixed Slav-Albanian anthroponomy - that is to say, a Slavic first name and an Albanian last name, or last names with Albanian patronyms and Slavic suffixes such as Gjonoviç, Gjinoviq, Progonoviq, Bushatoviq, Dodishiq, Kondiq, Lekiq and other such names. Many Albanian Catholic priests were registered as residing in Novo Brdo, as well as in towns likeJanjevo,Trepça,Prizren and others.[10] These Catholic Albanian priests served as the primary Catholic priests for the town of Novo Brdo.[11]
It is estimated that during the 15th century, Novo Brdo had a population of 4 to 5 thousand people within the fortified city. Beyond the city walls, a network of satellite settlements housed a further 8 to 10 thousand people. Such a large settlement was unusual in Europe where 90 to 95% of all medieval European cities had populations of less than 2 thousand.[7] At the first half of 15th century, Serbian Orthodoxbishops of Lipjan resided in Novo Brdo. There were mines and smelting furnaces for iron, lead, gold and silver ores. Novo Brdo silver is known by itsglam silver [sr] (Latin:argentum de glama; an alloy of silver with 1/6-1/3 gold). In 1450 the mines of Novo Brdo were producing about 6,000 kg of silver per year. The medieval settlement was an important producer of Serbian pottery and other goods.[12] Despite a Serbian population within the city, merchants from the Republic of Ragusa managed international precious metal trade within Novo Brdo.[7] Prior to the Ottoman conquest of the city, Novo Brdo was a Catholic stronghold within the region.[13]
Novo Brdo was the last Serbian town to remain standing during the first Ottoman invasion. In 1439 the capital ofSmederevo fell and Serbia resisted until finally Novo Brdo fell in 1441. Novo Brdo was by treaty restored to the Serbs in 1443. The fortress (named in TurkishNobırda) came undersiege for forty days by theOttomans, before capitulating and becoming occupied by the Ottomans on 1 June 1455. This event is described byKonstantin Mihailović fromOstrovica near Novo Brdo, who was taken by the Ottomans along with some 300 other boys to be trained asJanissaries. All of the higher ranking Serbian officials were executed after the castle fell, with the younger men and boys being taken captive to serve in the Ottoman Army, and some 700 young Serbian women and girls being taken to be wives to Ottoman commanders. When the city fell to the Ottomans, it had an estimated population of about 40,000 people.[14][15]
In theOttomanDefter of 1591, the city of Novo Brdo itself was recorded within theSanjak of Viçitrina - this defter included the household heads of the city. The city consisted of severalMuslim neighbourhoods (Mahalla/Mëhalla); they wereXhamia Sherif (Sherif Mosque, 26 households),Kasap (11 households),Hamam (21 households),Darbbane (40 households) andMehmed Çelebi (5 households). There were also 6Jewish households, including 1 that hailed fromCatalonia and 1 that hailed fromCastille. Of theChristian neighbourhoods (Mahalla/Mëhalla), the following had inhabitants of mixedAlbanian-Slavic/Orthodox anthroponomy:Sokraja (15 households),Pop Simoni (12 households),Çarshi (13) andHimandin (9). Slavic/Orthodox anthroponomy predominated in the following neighbourhoods:Sveti Petra (19 households),Sveti Nika (9 households),Marko Kërsti (26 households),Filip (9 households),Pop Krilovina (10 households),Kallogjer Gligorija (6 households),Kovaç Radosavi (16 households),Shagliçiq (8 households),Shuster (14 households) andVuka Mrkshiq (8 households). Characteristic Albanian anthroponomy predominated in the following neighbourhoods:Protopop (9 households),Izllatar (9 households),Pop Grobani (Grubani) (5 households),Pop Bozha (4 households) andKuriçka (13 households).[16]
During theGreat Turkish War, Albanian insurgents participated in a battle fought between the Austrian military unit commanded by Kutschenbach against the Ottomans in Novo Brdo on March 17, 1690, a battle won by the Austrians. Albanians were encouraged to begin the fight against the Ottomans and to intensify their attempts to strengthen their relations with the Albanian insurgents in Kosovo.[16]
By the early 20th century, Novo Brdo's population dwindled, with most inhabitants moving to the more easily accessible area ofGjilan. In 1999, with the entry into Kosovo ofKFOR and the United Nations Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK), the area had a smallmilitary outpost occupied byUS soldiers, as well as a station ofInternational Police andKosovo Police.
According to the2013 Brussels Agreement, the municipality was to become part of theCommunity of Serb Municipalities.[17] Part of the agreement which pertained to the creation of theAssociation of Serbian municipalities was deemed unconstitutional by Kosovo’s Constitutional Court and since then the agreement has been blocked.[18]
There are two lead and zinc mines operating on the territory of Novo Brdo:Kišnica andNovo Brdo.
| Year | Pop. | ±% p.a. |
|---|---|---|
| 1948 | 3,960 | — |
| 1953 | 4,548 | +2.81% |
| 1961 | 5,153 | +1.57% |
| 1971 | 5,384 | +0.44% |
| 1981 | 4,984 | −0.77% |
| 1991 | 4,611 | −0.77% |
| 2011 | 6,729 | +1.91% |
| 2024 | 4,495 | −3.06% |
| Source:Division of Kosovo | ||
According to the last official census done in 2011, the municipality has a population of 6,729 inhabitants.[19] In 2020 estimate, the municipality had 7,121 inhabitants.[20]
Municipality of Novo Brdo consists of 26 settlements with following populations:
It is planned for the Serbian Municipalities Community (SMC) to have the President, the Vice President, the Council and the Parliament that consists of ten municipalities (Northern Kosovska Mitrovica, Zvečan, Zubin Potok, Leposavić, Parteš, Ranilug, Novo Brdo, Gračanica, Štrpce, and Klokot.)
