Vareš ( cyrl, Вареш) is a town and municipality located in

Zenica-Doboj Canton The Zenica-Doboj Canton (; hr, Zeničko-dobojska županija; sr, Зеничко-добојски кантон) is one of 10 cantons of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The cantonal seat is the City of Zenica ...

of the

Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina The Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina is one of the two entities within the State of Bosnia and Herzegovina, the other being Republika Srpska. The Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina consists of 10 autonomous cantons with their own gove ...

, an entity of

Bosnia and Herzegovina Bosnia and Herzegovina ( sh, / , ), abbreviated BiH () or B&H, sometimes called Bosnia–Herzegovina and often known informally as Bosnia, is a country at the crossroads of south and southeast Europe, located in the Balkans. Bosnia and ...

. It is situated in central Bosnia and Herzegovina, and is famous for the local

mining Mining is the extraction of valuable minerals or other geological materials from the Earth, usually from an ore body, lode, vein, seam, reef, or placer deposit. The exploitation of these deposits for raw material is based on the econom ...

activities and production of iron. As of 2013, it has a population of 8,892 inhabitants, with 2,917 in the town itself.

Geography

Vareš is a mountainous town located 45 km from

Sarajevo Sarajevo ( ; cyrl, Сарајево, ; ''see names in other languages'') is the capital and largest city of Bosnia and Herzegovina, with a population of 275,524 in its administrative limits. The Sarajevo metropolitan area including Sarajevo ...

in the valley of the small Stavnja River 828 m above sea level surrounded by the massive high Kapija, Stijene, Zvijezda and Perun Mountains, named after

Perun In Slavic mythology, Perun (Cyrillic: Перýн) is the highest god of the pantheon and the god of sky, thunder, lightning, storms, rain, law, war, fertility and oak trees. His other attributes were fire, mountains, wind, iris, eagle, f ...

/ Перун, the highest god of the Slavic pantheon (

Perkūnas Perkūnas ( lt, Perkūnas, lv, Pērkons, Old Prussian: ''Perkūns'', ''Perkunos'', Yotvingian: ''Parkuns'', Latgalian: ''Pārkiuņs'') was the common Baltic god of thunder, and the second most important deity in the Baltic pantheon after Di ...

/ Perkons). The town is rich with archeological findings from different epochs – on several surrounding locations are found remains of prehistorical period, such as copper artifacts in Brgula. In the town center itself, there is an old stone bridge that resembles to the majority of one arched bridges from Ottoman period. This bridge is considered to be similar by the building method to the Old Bridge in

Mostar , settlement_type = City , image_skyline = Mostar (collage image).jpg , image_caption = From top, left to right: A panoramic view of the heritage town site and the Neretva river from Lučki Bridge, Koski Mehmed Pasha ...

History

Early history

The town of Vareš has a long history with remains of metallurgical activities dating back to

Bronze Age The Bronze Age is a historic period, lasting approximately from 3300 BC to 1200 BC, characterized by the use of bronze, the presence of writing in some areas, and other early features of urban civilization. The Bronze Age is the second pri ...

. Also during the

Roman Roman or Romans most often refers to: * Rome, the capital city of Italy * Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD *Roman people, the people of ancient Rome *''Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a lett ...

era, the town was famous for its miners and smiths.

Middle ages

During

Middle Ages In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire ...

the Bosnian kings had their center in close proximity of the modern city of Vareš. Bosnia's greatest king, Tvrtko, considered the Vareš' village Duboštica for the center of his kingdom, since it was the mining center of his country.

Medieval

The remains of the medieval royal city and castle

Bobovac Bobovac ( sh-Cyrl, Бобовац) is a fortified city of medieval Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is located near today's Vareš and the village of Borovica. It is protected site as a National monument of Bosnia and Herzegovina. History The city was ...

were recently proclaimed as national monuments, as was the Catholic Church of St. Michael in the town of Vareš. Oldest preserved Catholic church in Bosnia can be found in the town, built in early 17th century. The town was earlier dominated by Catholic population. The church books are among the oldest preserved in Bosnia and date back to 1643.

Austro-Hungarian Empire

During the Austrian rule of Bosnia and Herzegovina the iron-works of Vareš were an important exporter of various iron products to the rest of the

Habsburg empire The Habsburg monarchy (german: Habsburgermonarchie, ), also known as the Danubian monarchy (german: Donaumonarchie, ), or Habsburg Empire (german: Habsburgerreich, ), was the collection of empires, kingdoms, duchies, counties and other polities ...

. In 1891, the first blast furnace in Bosnia and Herzegovina was built there. That blast furnace still exists, but it ceased its operations in 1990.

World War I

In the 1910s

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was List of wars and anthropogenic disasters by death toll, one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, ...

, men of the town were subject to draft, and served in the regiment BH-1, formally based in Sarajevo. They mostly saw action in the Italian and Galician fronts. The church bell was taken and melted so it could be used to produce war material.

World War II

During

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...

, following the invasion and occupation of Yugoslavia, Vareš was incorporated into the fascist puppet

Independent State of Croatia The Independent State of Croatia ( sh, Nezavisna Država Hrvatska, NDH; german: Unabhängiger Staat Kroatien; it, Stato indipendente di Croazia) was a World War II-era puppet state of Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy (1922–1943), Fascist It ...

(NDH), and controlled by the Croatian Ustashe quislings, as an important mining center whose natural resources, mainly iron ore, was exploited to support the NDH war efforts. In April 1945, the town was eventually liberated by the

Yugoslav Partisans The Yugoslav Partisans,Serbo-Croatian, Macedonian, Slovene: , or the National Liberation Army, sh-Latn-Cyrl, Narodnooslobodilačka vojska (NOV), Народноослободилачка војска (НОВ); mk, Народноослобод� ...

, and became a part of the

Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia The Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, commonly referred to as SFR Yugoslavia or simply as Yugoslavia, was a country in Central and Southeast Europe. It emerged in 1945, following World War II, and lasted until 1992, with the breakup of Yu ...

Bosnian War (1992–95)

In April 1992, the

Bosnian War The Bosnian War ( sh, Rat u Bosni i Hercegovini / Рат у Босни и Херцеговини) was an international armed conflict that took place in Bosnia and Herzegovina between 1992 and 1995. The war is commonly seen as having started ...

began and lasted until December 1995. The town of Vareš had 12,000 residents at the time, with Croats being small majority. Since the first democratic elections in 1991 until October 1993, the municipality was governed by the Social Democratic Party of Bosnia and Herzegovina, non-ethnic party, while the town's and municipality territory was under joint the

Croatian Defence Council The Croatian Defence Council ( hr, Hrvatsko vijeće obrane or HVO) was the official military formation of the Croatian Republic of Herzeg-Bosnia, an unrecognized entity that existed in Bosnia and Herzegovina between 1991 and 1996. The HVO wa ...

(HVO) and the

Army of the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina The Army of the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina ( bs, Armija Republike Bosne i Hercegovine or ARBiH), often referred to as Bosnian Army, was the military force of the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina. It was established by the government of ...

(ARBiH) control since the war begun. Despite the outbreak of the Croat-Bosniak War, the relations between the local HVO and the ARBiH units remained relatively good until the summer of 1993. As a consequence of broader conflict deepening between Croats and Bosniak, especially in Central Bosnia, the ARBiH overran the HVO in nearby

Kakanj Kakanj ( sr-cyrl, Какањ) is a town and municipality located in Zenica-Doboj Canton of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, an entity of Bosnia and Herzegovina. As of 2013, the town has a population of 11,796 inhabitants, with 38,937 in ...

resulting in few thousands of Croat refugees settling in Vareš. In October, the local HVO, supported by HDZ and structures of Herceg-Bosna, took full control of the town, while most of the Bosniak population has been forced to leave or fled. On 23 October, dozens of Bosniaks were killed by the HVO in the

Stupni Do massacre The Stupni Do massacre was a massacre committed by Croatian forces on Bosniak civilians during the Croat–Bosniak war in the village of Stupni Do in Vareš municipality. It was committed on 23 October 1993 by Croatian Defence Council (HVO) uni ...

. Following the massacre, ARBiH attacked the Vareš enclave and captured the town in early November. Most of the Croat and some Serb population fled through the Serb lines to

Kiseljak Kiseljak (Кисељак) is a town and municipality located in Central Bosnia Canton of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, an entity of Bosnia and Herzegovina. It lies in the valley of the Fojnica River, the Lepenica and the Kreševka ...

and

Kreševo Kreševo ( sr-cyrl, Крешево, ) is a town and municipality located in Central Bosnia Canton of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, an entity of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Kreševo is a mountainous town, located in a narrow valley of the ...

, while the town was looted after its capture. The remaining HVO units took hold in the village of Daštansko, where they remained until the

Dayton Agreement The General Framework Agreement for Peace in Bosnia and Herzegovina, also known as the Dayton Agreement or the Dayton Accords ( Croatian: ''Daytonski sporazum'', Serbian and Bosnian: ''Dejtonski mirovni sporazum'' / Дејтонски миро ...

was signed in November 1995. Many Croat, most of Bosniaks and аn insignificant number of Serbs have returned to Vareš in 1995, but the majority emigrated to United States, Canada, Australia and other West European countries. Many Croats from Vareš ended up in Croatia while Serbs fled to Republika Srpska and Serbia.

Demographics

According to the 2013 census results, it has a population 8,892 inhabitants. Population decline is evident since the end of the

, as nearly two thirds of the population from 1991 left Vareš in only twenty years.

Ethnic composition

Settlements

Aside from the town of Vareš, the municipality includes the following settlements: * Bijelo Borje * Blaža * Borovica Donja * Borovica Gornja * Borovičke Njive * Brda* Brezik * Brgule * Budoželje * Čamovine * Ćeće * Dabravine * Daštansko * Debela Međa * Diknjići * Dragovići * Draževići * Duboštica * Hodžići * Ivančevo * Javornik * Kadarići * Karići * Kokoščići * Kolovići * Kopališta * Kopijari * Krčevine * Kunosići * Letevci * Ligatići * Luke * Ljepovići * Mijakovići * Mir * Mižnović * Mlakve * Naseoci * Neprivaj * Oćevija * Okruglica * Orah * Osoje * Osredak * Ostrlja * Pajtov Han * Pajtovići * Planinica * Pobilje * Podjavor * Pogar * Položac * Poljanice * Pomenići * Pržići * Pržići Kolonija * Radonjići * Radoševići * Ravne * Rokoč * Samari * Semizova Ponikva * Seoci * Sjenokos * Slavin * Sršljenci * Strica * Striježevo * Stupni Do * Šikulje * Tisovci * Toljenak * Tribija * Vareš Majdan * Vijaka Donja * Vijaka Gornja * Višnjići * Zabrezje * Zaruđe * Zubeta * Zvijezda, * Žalja i Žižci

Tourism

The Vareš region also has possibilities for winter tourism development. Due to its position and elevation snow stays longer than in other regions, and the beautiful areas surrounding it are really good for skiing and skating. The mountain resort Doli is located on Zvijezda Mountain.

List of mayors

* Ivica Džoja 1954–1963;

League of Communists of Yugoslavia The League of Communists of Yugoslavia, mk, Сојуз на комунистите на Југославија, Sojuz na komunistite na Jugoslavija known until 1952 as the Communist Party of Yugoslavia, sl, Komunistična partija Jugoslavije mk ...

* Mile Markić 1963–197x;

* Slobodan Milanović 197x–197x;

* Salko Operta 1974–1978;

* Rešad Žutić 1981–1983;

* Željko Franjkić 1986–1988;

* Pero Jarčević 1988–1989;

* Mladen Zovko 1989–1990;

* Dario Andrijević 1990–1992; KPJ - SDP BiH * Anto Pejčinović 1992–1993

HDZ BiH The Croatian Democratic Union of Bosnia and Herzegovina ( hr, Hrvatska demokratska zajednica Bosne i Hercegovine or HDZ BiH) is a Christian democratic, nationalist political party in Bosnia and Herzegovina, representing the Croats of Bosnia and ...

* Mervana Hadžimurtezić 1992–1998 SDA * Samir Musa 1998–2000 SDA (joint mayor) * Pavao Vidović 1998–2000

(joint major) * Ermin Musa 2000–2001 SDA * Hamdo Fatić 2001–2012 SDP BiH * Avdija Kovačević 2012–2016 SDA * Zdravko Marošević 2016–present

Notable people

* Borislav Stjepanović, actor * Ipe Ivandić, musician * Milo Cipra, music composer * Slaven Stjepanović, footballer * Željko Ivanković, poet and writer * Matija Divković, Bosnian Franciscan writer * fra Grgo Ilić - Varešanin (1736-1813), Franciscan friar and bishop, served as provincial minister and apostolic vicar * Grigorije Durić

References

External links

* http://www.vares.pp.se/ * http://www.vares-x.com.ba/
Web magazine with current information on the city - in Croatian
* http://www.zupavares.com/ * http://www.vares.info/
Tragovima bosanskog kraljevstva
- Tourist route for medieval Bosnia
Trail of the Bosnian Kingdom
- Cultural Tourism in Vares {{DEFAULTSORT:Vares Cities and towns in the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina Populated places in Vareš Municipalities of Zenica-Doboj Canton