Pljevlja Пљевља | |
|---|---|
Town andmunicipality | |
 Church of St. Paraskeva  Hotel Pljevlja  “December 1st” monument  Park Vodice | |
  Pljevlja Location within Montenegro Show map of Montenegro Pljevlja Pljevlja (Europe) Show map of Europe | |
| Coordinates:43°21′24″N19°21′30″E / 43.356667°N 19.358333°E /43.356667; 19.35833343°21′24″N19°21′30″E / 43.35667°N 19.35833°E /43.35667; 19.35833 | |
| Country | Montenegro |
| Region | Northern |
| Municipality | Pljevlja |
| Founded | Between the 6th and 7th centuries |
| Settlements | 153 |
| Government | |
| • Type | Mayor-Assembly |
| • Mayor | Dario Vraneš (NSD) |
| Area | |
• Town andmunicipality | 1,346 km2 (520 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 770 m (2,530 ft) |
| Population (2023 census) | |
| • Rank | 9th in Montenegro |
| • Density | 27/km2 (70/sq mi) |
| • Urban | 16,111 |
| • Rural | 8,023 |
| • Municipality | 24,134 |
| Demonym(s) | Pljevljan(s) (en) Pljevljak(cnr, male) Pljevljanka (cnr, female) |
| Time zone | UTC+1 |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+2 (CEST) |
| Postal code | 84210 |
| Area code | +382 52 |
| ISO 3166-2 code | ME-14 |
| Car plates | PV |
| Climate | Cfb |
| Website | http://www.pljevlja.me/ |
Pljevlja[a][b][c] (Montenegrin:Пљевља,[d]pronounced[pʎêʋʎa]) is a town located in theNorthern Region ofMontenegro, situated alongĆehotina river.
The town lies at an altitude of 770 m (2,530 ft). In the Middle Ages, Pljevlja had been a crossroad of the important commercial roads and cultural streams, with important roads connecting the littoral with the Balkan interior. In 2023, the municipality of Pljevlja had a population of 24,542, while the city itself had a population of 16,419. The municipality borders those ofŽabljak,Bijelo Polje andMojkovac in Montenegro, as well asBosnia and Herzegovina to the west andSerbia to the northeast. With a total area of 1,346 km2 (520 sq mi), it is the second largest municipality inMontenegro.[1]
The first traces of human life in the region date between 50,000 and 40,000BC, while reliable findings show that theĆehotina River valley was inhabited no later than 30,000 BC. The oldest traces of human presence in the town area, a flint tool, had been found in the cave under Gospić Peak. The traces of settlements in the later stages of theStone Age were found in two large archaeological sites calledMališina Stijena andMedena Stijena (around 10,000 stone tools and arms), dating to 12,000–8,000 BC. During theBronze andIron Age, since around 2,000 BC up until the Roman conquests, a large number of necropolises with tumuli, as well as fortified settlements rose along the Ćehotina valley, especially around villages of Mataruge, Kakmuža, Hoćevina and Gotovuša. The tumuli found in Ljutići, Gotovuša and Borovica have been archeologically researched.
The Romans had a town built on the ruins of their town, and it was calledMunicipium S ,located in the Komini neighbourhood. Several hundred artifacts from the Komini necropolis including adiatreta orcage cup, a glass vase trimmed with blue glass threads, are kept in theHeritage Museum Pljevlja.
In the Middle Ages, the region of Pljevlja was also a part of nucleus of theSerbsn state under theNemanjić dynasty, until the end of the rule of the EmperorStefan Dušan. After his death, Pljevlja was under the rule of Serbian autonomous rulers Vojislav Vojinović andNikola Altomanović. After the defeat of Altomanović 1373 by the joint forces of Serbian lordLazar Hrebeljanović andBosnian Ban Tvrtko I, the region of Pljevlja became part of the eastern section of theKingdom of Bosnia, subsequently part ofSandalj Hranić's province and later theDuchy of Saint Sava.
In 1465, theOttoman Empire conquered Pljevlja.[2] During the Ottoman offensive, the fortress of Kukanj, the residence ofStjepan Vukčić Kosača, was destroyed. Fearing an onslaught, many merchants, almost all feudal land owners and wealthier population fled from Pljevlja, seeking refuge in theRepublic of Venice,Republic of Ragusa, or further north into theKingdom of Hungary orAustrian Empire. In Turkish, the town was known asTaslıca ("rocky").
In the Ottomandefter (census book) of 1475/76, the majority of local inhabitants wereEastern Orthodox Christian, numbering some 101 households. The town was expanded into akasaba, a larger Ottoman city without a fortress. The 15th and 16th centuries were a period of much construction in the city: in 1465 theHoly Trinity Monastery was founded, in 1569 Husein-paša'smosque was built and during the 16th century the city got a sewage system. When the center ofSanjak of Herzegovina was moved to Pljevlja from Foča in 1572, the city started to change rapidly: urban housing increased: 72 houses in 1468, 150 in 1516, 300 in 1570; in the 17th century Pljevlja had around 650 houses in the city center and over 400 in the surrounding area. The first Muslim religious school (madrasa), was built in the 17th century; water-works were constructed in the 18th century. The Russian consul visited Pljevlja in the 19th century and wrote that Pljevlja was a very beautiful oriental city with gardens and fountains, mosques and churches and over 800 houses in the city center (7,000 citizens) which made Pljevlja the second largest city in the Herzegovina Sanjak besidesMostar. After two big fires that burned the city center to the ground, the city's economy was ruined. That was the reason for displacing the center of Herzegovina toMostar in 1833. After 1833 the city stagnated in both an economic and cultural sense.
In 1875, after a failed uprising, mass emigration took place around Pljevlja in the direction of Užice, Valjevo and the Drina river basin.[3]
As a result of theCongress of Berlin in 1878, Pljevlja and the rest of theSandžak region were given toAustria-Hungary, interrupting Ottoman rule in the area for the first time in four centuries. However, by 1879, a special convention betweenAustria-Hungary andOttoman Empire transferred western parts of theSanjak of Novi Pazar into dual jurisdiction between Austria-Hungary and the Ottoman Empire. In 1880, Pljevlja was named the capital of the newly formed Sanjak of Pljevlja (in Turkish:Taşlıca Sancağı). Administration remained in Turkish hands, with Austro-Hungarian military presence in the cities of Pljevlja,Prijepolje andPriboj. Some 5,000 Austro-Hungarian soldiers and their families came to Pljevlja. As a result, Austro-Hungarian businesses expanded in Pljevlja; the first modern drug store was opened in 1879, a photo store in 1892, and a hospital in 1880. TheAustro-Hungarian Army built the first brewery in Pljevlja in 1889.[4] The Pljevlja brewery's annual production was limited to 2,000 hectoliters, and demand was greater than what the brewery could produce.[4] As a result, the Austro-Hungarian garrison in Pljevlja consumed most of the beer produced there.[4]
In 1901, thePljevlja Gymnasium was built by theSerbian Orthodox Church, with the approval of the Ottoman administration. As a result of theBosnian crisis, Austria-Hungary withdrew its forces from Pljevlja in 1908. From 1908 to 1912, Pljevlja remained under the control ofYoung Turks.In the first days of theFirst Balkan War Pljevlja was freed on 26 October 1912.
On 8 October 1912Montenegro was the first of the Balkan states to declare war on the Ottoman Empire, starting the First Balkan War. As a result, territories with significant populations of Serbs and Montenegrins were subject to conflict between the Ottoman occupation and incoming armies of Serbia and Montenegro. This was particularly the case with Sandžak, in which Pljevlja had been wedged in an Ottoman Sanjak between Montenegro and Serbia. By 28 October 1912 Ottoman forces had been completely removed from Pljevlja when theRoyal Serbian Army'sJavorska brigade arrived, which was accompanied by 150 soldiers from Montenegro.[5] With the departure of Ottoman forces, Montenegro and Serbia eliminated the Ottoman "wedge" in the Sandžak and now shared a border. On 13 November 1913 a formal border agreement between Serbia and Montenegro was signed by Serbian general Miloš Božanović and Montenegro's Minister of Education and Religious Affairs, Mirko Mijušković. As a result of this agreement, Pljevlja was formally incorporated into the Kingdom of Montenegro.[5]
From 1929 to 1941, Pljevlja was part of theZeta Banovina of theKingdom of Yugoslavia. At the beginning of theSecond World War Pljevlja, like the rest of Sandžak, was occupied by NDHUstaše forces. Notable Muslims from Pljevlja, Bijelo Polje and Prijepolje wrote to Pavelić and expressed their loyalty to theIndependent State of Croatia allegedly in the name of all Muslims of Sandjak.[6] By September 1941 Ustaše left Sandžak which was occupied by Italian forces withinItalian governorate of Montenegro. TheBattle of Pljevlja, fought on 1 December 1941 between attackingPartisans and the Italian Pljevlja garrison, was the biggest battle of theUprising in Montenegro. In April 1942 Italians established a battalion ofSandžak Muslim militia inMetaljka, near Čajniče, composed of about 500 Muslims from villages around Pljevlja and Čajniče. A little later a command post of Sandžak Muslim militia was established inBukovica, near Pljevlja. In February 1943, over five hundred civilians were killed during theBukovica massacre.
Since the end of 1943 Pljevlja belonged to theGerman occupied territory of Montenegro and after the war to YugoslavSocialist Republic of Montenegro.
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During thebreakup of Yugoslavia, Pljevlja was the site of intense tension, with its Muslim community subject to intimidation and violence. On 6 August 1992 a local warlord namedMilika "Čeko" Dačević walked into Pljevlja's police headquarters to ask that a vehicle which was seized be returned to his personal envoy, threatening to "declare war" on Pljevlja.[7] Over half of the police force turned themselves over to Dačević during his custody in what was essentially a coup d'état on a municipal level.[7][8][9] In addition to the stand-off with Dačević, his militia included forces of the Kornjača brothers fromČajniče, who helped blocked off the town from a garrison of the Yugoslav People's Army.[8] Duško Kornjača threatened to kill all of the Muslims in Pljevlja unless Dačević was released.[7] The militia's control over Pljevlja was strong enough that the Yugoslav People's Army garrison in Pljevlja, composed of only 73 soldiers,[7] refused to confront them.[8] On 7 August 1992Momir Bulatović and Yugoslav PresidentDobrica Ćosić came to Pljevlja to negotiate with all parties involved.[9] As a result, Bulatović along with Ćosić promised the Islamic community in Pljevlja that they would attempt to disarm the paramilitaries[10] and add reinforcements of the Yugoslav People's Army to patrol the town.[8] To satisfy the militia, Bulatović and Ćosić asked the local Muslims not to seek autonomy, although they had not done so over the course of the meeting.[10] In spite of the resolution, Pljevlja's Muslim community suffered various incidents up to 1995, particularly in the village ofBukovica where 6 Muslim inhabitants were killed from 1992 onwards.[11] Also, some Muslims from Bukovica have participated in war crimes against Serbs in villages around Čajniče.[1]
In 2008, some members of the municipal assembly of Pljevlja threatened a secession from Montenegro following the Montenegrinrecognition of Kosovo.[12] On 2 September 2020, glass was broken on the door of theIslamic Community of Pljevlja and a message was left saying "The black bird has taken off, Pljevlja will beSrebrenica.".[13] It is proven to be set up by DPS to ignite religious hatred.[2]
| Party/Coalition | Seats | Local Gov't. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| ZBCG (NSD–DNP) | 12 / 34 | Yes | |
| DPS | 8 / 34 | No | |
| DCG | 4 / 34 | Yes | |
| PES | 4 / 34 | Yes | |
| Pokret za Pljevlja | 2 / 34 | Yes | |
| SNP | 1 / 34 | Yes | |
| URA | 1 / 34 | No | |
| SEP | 1 / 34 | No | |
| BS | 1 / 34 | No | |
The city lies at an altitude of 770 m (2,530 ft). The municipality borders those ofŽabljak,Bijelo Polje andMojkovac in Montenegro, as well as the republics ofSerbia andBosnia and Herzegovina. With a total area of 1,346 km2 (520 sq mi), it is the second largest municipality in Montenegro.
| Climate data for Pljevlja (1991–2020 normals, extremes 1948–present) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °C (°F) | 16.4 (61.5) | 22.7 (72.9) | 25.0 (77.0) | 29.3 (84.7) | 33.1 (91.6) | 34.7 (94.5) | 37.3 (99.1) | 38.7 (101.7) | 36.3 (97.3) | 29.5 (85.1) | 25.6 (78.1) | 17.3 (63.1) | 38.7 (101.7) |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 3.8 (38.8) | 6.7 (44.1) | 11.0 (51.8) | 15.6 (60.1) | 20.6 (69.1) | 24.6 (76.3) | 26.7 (80.1) | 27.4 (81.3) | 22.1 (71.8) | 17.5 (63.5) | 10.7 (51.3) | 4.3 (39.7) | 15.9 (60.6) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | −5.3 (22.5) | −4.2 (24.4) | −1.0 (30.2) | 2.8 (37.0) | 6.9 (44.4) | 10.6 (51.1) | 11.8 (53.2) | 11.7 (53.1) | 8.6 (47.5) | 4.6 (40.3) | 0.6 (33.1) | −3.6 (25.5) | 3.6 (38.5) |
| Record low °C (°F) | −29.4 (−20.9) | −26.2 (−15.2) | −21 (−6) | −10.1 (13.8) | −3.8 (25.2) | −2.0 (28.4) | 2.2 (36.0) | −0.2 (31.6) | −6.4 (20.5) | −7.6 (18.3) | −23.4 (−10.1) | −27 (−17) | −29.4 (−20.9) |
| Averageprecipitation mm (inches) | 46.4 (1.83) | 60.0 (2.36) | 55.6 (2.19) | 62.7 (2.47) | 76.6 (3.02) | 81.4 (3.20) | 76.1 (3.00) | 56.9 (2.24) | 70.2 (2.76) | 70.4 (2.77) | 73.2 (2.88) | 66.9 (2.63) | 796.4 (31.35) |
| Average precipitation days(≥ 1 mm) | 7.9 | 8.1 | 8.3 | 9.8 | 10.9 | 9.9 | 8.4 | 7.3 | 8.5 | 8.0 | 7.9 | 8.9 | 103.9 |
| Averagerelative humidity (%) | 83 | 78 | 73 | 70 | 71 | 74 | 72 | 72 | 76 | 78 | 81 | 85 | 76 |
| Mean monthlysunshine hours | 50.8 | 79.0 | 125.8 | 146.6 | 174.2 | 179.7 | 236.3 | 224.0 | 171.4 | 132.2 | 72.6 | 35.7 | 1,628.3 |
| Source 1:National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration[14] | |||||||||||||
| Source 2: Hydrological and Meteorological Service of Montenegro (humidity, sun 1961–1990)[15][16] | |||||||||||||
| Year | Pop. | ±% |
|---|---|---|
| 1921 | 6,356 | — |
| 1931 | 5,900 | −7.2% |
| 1948 | 6,101 | +3.4% |
| 1953 | 7,202 | +18.0% |
| 1961 | 10,552 | +46.5% |
| 1971 | 14,511 | +37.5% |
| 1981 | 16,792 | +15.7% |
| 1991 | 20,887 | +24.4% |
| 2003 | 21,337 | +2.2% |
| 2011 | 19,136 | −10.3% |
| 2023 | 16,111 | −15.8% |
| Population size may be affected by changes in administrative divisions.[17][18][19][20][21] | ||
Pljevlja is the administrative center of Pljevlja municipality, which has a population of 24,542. As of the last census data in 2023, town of Pljevlja itself has 16,111 citizens, and is the only town in the municipality with a population of over 1,000.
The town's population in 2023 census was 59.95%Serbs, 18.14%Montenegrins, 21.18%Bosniaks, 3.82%ethnic Muslims. A total of 3.26% of the population have not declared their ethnicity.[22]
Serbian,Bosnian,Montenegrin andCroatian are mutually intelligible as standard varieties of theSerbo-Croatian language. Serbian language speaks absolute majority of 66.56% and it‘s the most spoken language in the town. The second most spoken is Montenegrin (21.99%), and Bosnian speaks 6.45% of population. A total of 2.06% of the population have not declared their language.
In the past, a total of 26 mosques were built in the area of the city and surrounding settlements. There were 9 of them in Pljevlja, and today four of them exist and serve their purpose, while one is being rebuilt.[24]
There are two Orthodox Christian churches andMonastery of the Holy Trinity.[25]
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Pljevlja is also one of the main economic engines ofMontenegro. The onlythermal power plant in Montenegro, which provides 45% of the electric power supply for Montenegro, is situated outside Pljevlja as well as the biggestcoal mine with 100% of the coal production in Montenegro.Zinc andlead can be found inŠuplja stijena mine. The richest municipality with forest in Montenegro is Pljevlja and its lumber industry. Agriculture is widespread in the whole municipality.Pljevaljski sir (Pljevlja's cheese, from Пљеваљски сир) is considered a delicacy.
The main transit road connections are:
The first educational life began at theMonastery of the Holy Trinity, as well as in Muslim schools madrasas and rushdiyes, and in the mosques themselves.The school in the monastery has been working continuously since the 16th century.Rushdiyes worked from the end of the 16th to the end of the 18th century. The first elementary school in Pljevlja started working in 1823.
A very important date in the history of education in Pljevlja is the opening ofTanasije Pejatović Gymnasium, on 17 September 1901.[26] The first manager was Tanasije Pejatović (until then the substitute of Skopje Gymnasium) and the teacher - Stevan Samardžić (until then a teacher in Nova Varoš).[27] Enrollment lasted until 5 November 1901. 44 male and 16 female students entered the first mixed high school class; within the gymnasium, an all-female Workers' School with 26 girls began its work. From 22 November other teachers also started to work for the department. The gymnasium, however, soon completely burned on 30 October 1904, and with it all its archives. The gymnasium was rebuilt and is still working today.
There are three elementary and two highschools in Pljevlja.
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Culture and education are all present throughout history of Pljevlja and its region. The first educational life, churches and monasteries, as well as in the mosques some time later.Monastery of the Holy Trinity is the richest treasury of cultural and spiritual life of the Orthodox Christians from the Middle Ages to the present times. The school in the Holy Trinity Monastery has been working continuously since the 16th century. In 1823, a primary school in Pljevlja started working. The school in Dovolja monastery worked since the 18th century. The very important date in the history of education in Pljevlja is the opening of thePljevaljska Gymnasium in 1901. TheHeritage Museum Pljevlja is a treasure trove of rich historical and cultural heritage of the city and region.
Main features of the town include:
The main football team isFK Rudar Pljevlja, which play in the country'stop tier. They share theirGradski stadion with lower league sideFK Pljevlja 1997. The town's basketball team isKK Rudar Pljevlja and the handball team isRK Rudar Pljevlja.
Pljevlja Municipality istwinned with:[28][29]
Thecoat of arms of Pljevlja has three lines near the bottom that represents the three rivers that run through the cities: Breznica,Ćehotina, and Vezičnica. First layer is clock tower from the center of Pljevlja and in the back are town-hall and the largest arc of bridge over Tara river which connects municipality of Pljevlja with the rest of theMontenegro. Colours are blue, white and red which represent thepan-Slavic tricolour system.
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