List of former and proposed municipalities of Belgrade

This is a list of former and proposed municipalities of Belgrade. Belgrade, the capital of Serbia currently consists of 17 municipalities, 10 urban and 7 suburban, but after World War II, over 30 more municipalities were created, abolished and merged with each other.

Metropolitan area of the City of Belgrade (click to enlarge)

Territorial changes

It took 27 years (from 1944 to 1971) to territorially shape the modern metropolitan area of the City of Belgrade. Even after 1971 some changes occurred, but due to the internal reorganization, leaving the outer borders of the area intact. Certain ideas of the enlarging further the metropolitan area appeared in the early 1990s but were not realized (see "Further expansion" below). Some of the most important changes include:

• after 1944 - Belgrade consisted of the City of Belgrade, which covered the urban area (divided into raions), and the Zemun and Vračar districts (srez), which covered the suburban areas. As the city expanded, almost entire area of the Vračar District today also makes urban section.
• 1952 - Raions were abolished and the urban section was divided into municipalities.
• 1955 - City of Belgrade and parts of the Zemun, Vračar and Podunavlje districts merged into the new, Belgrade District. At this point, the area was enlarged to 2,090 km², followed by the creation of many new urban municipalities.
• 1957 - New reorganization of the municipalities which reduced their number by merger.
• 1960 - Another reorganization and abolition of some municipalities (including Rakovica which was annexed to Čukarica). Metropolitan area enlarged as many municipalities from the bordering districts were annexed to the Belgrade's municipalities.
• 1965 - Abolition of the municipalities of Surčin (annexed to Zemun) and Krnjača (annexed to Palilula), reducing number of municipalities to 13: Barajevo, Čukarica, Grocka, Novi Beograd, Obrenovac, Palilula, Savski Venac, Sopot, Stari Grad, Voždovac, Vračar, Zemun and Zvezdara.
• 1971 - Fourteenth and fifteenth municipalities, Lazarevac and Mladenovac, annexed to the City of Belgrade, shaping its present territory (3,222 km²).
• 1974 - Sixteenth municipality, Rakovica, split from Čukarica.
• 2003 - Seventeenth municipality, Surčin, split from Zemun.

Former municipalities

The least deals with all the municipalities which existed on the territory of the modern City of Belgrade since 1945, regardless if they were administratively part of Belgrade during their existence or not.

• Batajnica - now part of the municipality of Zemun (see the "Proposed municipalities" below).
• Beljina - short-lived municipality created in 1956. Consisted of the villages of Beljina, Arnajevo, Manić and Rožanci. Already in 1957 it was abolished and annexed to the municipality of Barajevo to which it still belongs. If it would exist today, it would have a population of only 2,737 according to the census of population of 2002 and would be the second least populous municipality in the entire Serbia, after Crna Trava in the Jablanica District.
• Bežanija - municipality abolished and annexed to the municipality of Novi Beograd in 1955.
• Boljevci - now part of the municipality of Surčin (incorporated into Zemun 1965-2003).
• Borča - municipality abolished in 1955 and annexed to the municipality of Krnjača, which in turn was incorporated into the municipality of Palilula in 1965. See Dunavski Venac below at "Proposed municipalities".
• Dobanovci - now part of the municipality of Surčin (incorporated into Zemun 1965-2003; see "Proposed municipalities" below).
• Draževac - municipality abolished in the 1960s and annexed to the municipality of Obrenovac.
• Dudovica - municipality abolished in the 1960s and annexed to the municipality of Lazarevac. Technically, it was never municipality of Belgrade as Lazarevac was not part of the City of Belgrade at that time (it was part of the Valjevo District), but it was located on the territory of the modern metropolitan area of Belgrade.
• Grabovac - municipality abolished in the 1960s and annexed to the municipality of Obrenovac.
• Istočni Vračar - municipality created on September 1, 1955 with division of the municipality of Vračar. Merged with the municipality of Neimar and the part of the municipality of Terazije on January 1, 1957 to re-create the municipality Vračar.
• Karaburma - municipality created on September 1, 1955, on January 3, 1957 incorporated into the municipality of Palilula. It had an estimated population of 10,000 while it existed. Modern local communities which make the modern neighborhood of Karaburma had a combined population of 34,343 in 2002.
• Krnjača - municipality was much enlarged in 1955 when the municipalities of Borča, Ovča and Padinska Skela were annexed to it. However, in 1965 Krnjača was itself incorporated into the municipality of Palilula (see Dunavski Venac at the "Proposed municipalities" below). Today, it would have a population of 72,704 (2002).
• Lekino Brdo - municipality created in 1952, incorporated into the municipality of Voždovac on September 1, 1955. It had an estimated population of 25,000. The neighborhood was known as Pašino Brdo until the 1950s when was renamed Lekino Brdo, but the original name was restored in the late 1990s.
• Mali Mokri Lug - municipality abolished on January 1, 1957 and incorporated into the municipality of Zvezdara. Other settlements in the municipality (Kaluđerica, Leštane, Vinča) were later detached and annexed to the municipality of Grocka. If it would exist today, the municipality would have a population of 48,764 (2002).
• Neimar - municipality merged with the municipality of Istočni Vračar and the part of the municipality of Terazije on January 1, 1957 to (re-)create the municipality Vračar.
• Ovča - municipality abolished in 1955 and annexed to the municipality of Krnjača, which in turn was incorporated into the municipality of Palilula in 1965. See Dunavski Venac below at the "Proposed municipalities".
• Padinska Skela - municipality abolished in 1955 and annexed to the municipality of Krnjača, which in turn was incorporated into the municipality of Palilula in 1965. See Dunavski Venac below at the "Proposed municipalities".
• Ralja - municipality abolished in the 1960s and annexed to the municipality of Sopot.
• Ripanj - municipality abolished and incorporated into the municipality of Voždovac in the 1960s. (see Avalski Venac at the "Proposed municipalities" below).
• Ropočevo, municipality abolished in the 1950 and annexed to the municipality of Sopot.
• Skadarlija - municipality abolished on January 1, 1957 and annexed to the municipality of Stari Grad.
• Skela - municipality abolished in the 1960s and annexed to the municipality of Obrenovac.
• Stari Đeram - municipality abolished on January 1, 1957 and incorporated into the municipality of Zvezdara.
• Stepojevac - municipality abolished in 1960 and divided between the municipalities of Lazarevac and Barajevo (villages of Veliki Borak and Šiljakovac).
• Stubline - municipality abolished in the 1960s and annexed to the municipality of Obrenovac.
• Terazije - municipality abolished on January 1, 1957 and divided between the municipalities of Stari Grad and Vračar.
• Topčidersko Brdo - municipality merged with Zapadni Vračar on January 1, 1957 to create the municipality of Savski Venac.
• Umčari - municipality abolished in the 1960s and annexed to the municipality of Grocka. Prior to that, it was part of the Vračar District to 1955, then of the Smederevo district. It comprised the villages of Umčari, Begaljica, Dražanj, Živkovac, Kamendol, Brestovik and Pudarci. It had an estimated population of 10,500 in 1959, while if it would exist today it would have a population of 11,616 in 2002.
• Umka - municipality was abolished in 1960 and divided between the municipalities of Barajevo (villages of Vranić and Meljak) and Čukarica (villages of Umka, Rucka, Pećani, Velika Moštanica, Sremčica). It had an estimated population of 10,500 in 1959, while if it would exist today it would be three times more populous: 33,426 in 2002. (see Posavski Venac below, at the proposed municipalities).
• Vrčin - now part of the municipality of Grocka (see Avala at the "Proposed municipalities" below).
• Zapadni Vračar - municipality created on September 1, 1955 with division of the municipality of Vračar. Merged with the municipality of Topčidersko Brdo on January 1, 1957 to create the municipality of Savski Venac.
• Žarkovo - now part of the municipality of Čukarica. As a minor village, Čukarica split from the municipality of Žarkovo in 1911, but today it is Žarkovo which belong to the municipality of Čukarica.
• Železnik - now part of the municipality of Čukarica (see Posavski Venac below).

Proposed municipalities

With successful 2000-2002 campaigning for Surčin's split from the municipality of Zemun (proclaimed separate municipality on November 24, 2003, separate administration from November 3, 2004), several other motions for the creation of new municipalities appeared. Acting mayor of Belgrade Zoran Alimpić stated in November 2007 that probably no new municipalities will be created before 2011 or 2012.^[1]

• Avalski Venac - a movement originated from 1996. A motion for the re-creation of the municipality of Ripanj appeared in 2002. It sought the split from the municipality of Voždovac of its distant, suburban settlements in the area of the Avala mountain: Ripanj, Beli Potok, Pinosava and Zuce. Later, a motion for Vrčin's split from the municipality of Grocka and creation of a joint sub-Avalan municipality also appeared, but wasn't that much vocal. If created, the new municipality would have a population of 27,688 (2002). In September 2007 an official motion was started by the municipality of Voždovac to create this new municipality, which would also include Resnik from the municipality of Rakovica which would raise population to 43,922.^[1][2][3]
• Batajnica - a movement was very active in 2002, when Surčin also campaigned, but wasn't that much in the public media. Proposed municipality of Batajnica would split from the municipality of Zemun and comprise Batajnica and Ugrinovci (with Busije and Grmovac), with a population of 37,371 in 2002.
• Dobanovci - a motion for splitting from Zemun ceased when Surčin split from Zemun in 2003.^[1]
• Dunavski Venac - the most vocal of all movements, asking for the area on the left bank of the Danube to split from the municipality of Palilula and basically re-create the municipality of Krnjača (under the new name), abolished in 1965. In 2003 a petition signed by 17,000 inhabitants from the area was handed to the Belgrade City Assembly which, at the time, judged that conditions for creation of new municipality were not fulfilled. The movement continued gaining a momentum until in 2005 Municipal assembly of Palilula finally accepted to support the move but later decided the opposite so the organization of the establishment of the municipality of Dunavski Venac announced it will sue the municipality of Palilula. The proposed new municipality, if accepted and confirmed by the Belgrade City assembly, would have an area of 407 km² and a population of 72,704 (2002).^[1]
• Mirijevo - a movement which gained momentum during the ongoing protest from the local population against construction of the power transformer in the center of the neighborhood. Municipality, which would have a population of 36,590 (2002 Census), and comprise the neighborhood of Mirijevo, should split from the municipality of Zvezdara. However, the idea is on hiatus at the moment.^[1]
• Posavski Venac - a movement began in 2006 for separation from the municipality of Čukarica. Basically, it soughts the re-creation of the former Umka municipality (that is, section that belongs to Čukarica). It should consist of Železnik, Rušanj, Sremčica, Umka, Velika Moštanica, Pećani, Rucka, Ostružnica and Makiš, with a population of 62,311 in 2002.^[1]
• Vinča - a motion, as a result of big economic and demographic discrepancy between the western and eastern parts of the municipality of Grocka, mentions Vinča as the possible seat of the future municipality formed from the western part of the municipality of Grocka, comprising also Kaluđerica, Boleč, Leštane, and Ritopek, with a population of 44,593 in 2002.

Future changes

Expansion of the metropolitan area of Belgrade was actual in the 1991-1992 when a new territorial reorganization was prepared for the entire Serbia. The government of Radoman Božović proposed the detachment of the municipality of Mladenovac, for example, but also the incorporation of the municipalities of the province of Vojvodina (Opovo and Pančevo) into Belgrade. A new map, with such borders was even printed in the daily newspaper of Večernje novosti at the time, but in the end the borders remained unchanged.

• Čenta - the village in the Vojvodina's municipality of Zrenjanin (population of 3,119 in 2002) is located on the northern border of the municipality of Palilula. Now and then, motions by the locals, not very vocal though, appear, asking for Čenta to be annexed to the City of Belgrade. Majority of population work on the territory of Belgrade and one regular bus line of the Belgrade City public transportation is connecting Čenta to Belgrade.
• Opovo - the municipality in Vojvodina with a population of 11,016 in 2002, considered by the state government for the incorporation into the City of Belgrade in 1992.
• Pančevo - the municipality in Vojvodina with a population of 127,162 in 2002, considered by the state government for the incorporation into the City of Belgrade in 1992. Though a city and large industrial center of its own (77,087 inhabitants in 2002), Pančevo already functions as de facto Belgrade's suburb: only 16 kilometer away from Belgrade, many people from Pančevo work in Belgrade with a very dense commuting, including a railway line "Beovoz" (Belgrade train) which connects the two cities, and two cities also make an almost continuous built-up area as the Belgrade spawned along the road which connects them (the industrial zone of the Belgrade's neighborhood of Krnjača). During the 1929-1941 period in the Kingdom of Yugoslavia, Pančevo, together with Belgrade and Zemun formed the Area of the City of Belgrade, official administrative entity within the kingdom. In 1957 idea of establishing trolleybus line Pančevo-Belgrade appeared in connection with future development of Pančevo industrial zone, but was dropped later.^[4]
• Stara Pazova - the municipality in Vojvodina with a population of 67,576, one of the fastest growing in the province. Not officially considered for incorporation into the Belgrade, being on the outskirts of the city's metropolitan area, just like Pančevo, gravitates toward Belgrade. A commuter railway line "Beovoz" connects Stara Pazova, Belgrade and Pančevo and some of the largest settlements in the municipality, like Nova Pazova or Novi Banovci, almost make one continuous built-up area with the Belgrade's extreme north-western extension of Batajnica in the municipality of Zemun.

In an interview in April 2008, regarding the upcoming general elections, jointly with the local and provincial as well, former mayor of Belgrade in 2000-2001 period, Milan St. Protić stated that rural municipalities (like Obrenovac and Mladenovac) should be detached from Belgrade as they can't funcion efficiently as part of urban agglomeration.^[5]

Geographical sources

• Mala Enciklopedija Prosveta, First edition (1959); Prosveta-Beograd
• Mala Enciklopedija Prosveta, Third edition (1985); Prosveta-Beograd; ISBN 86-07-00001-2
• Jovan Đ. Marković (1990): Enciklopedijski geografski leksikon Jugoslavije; Svjetlost-Sarajevo; ISBN 86-01-02651-6

References

1. Politika, November 4, 2007, p.23
2. Politika, October 20, 2007, p.27
3. Politika, October 29, 2007, p.27
4. Politika, November 1, 2007, p.27 (reprint from 1957 edition)
5. Politika, April 20, 2008, p.14