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Goražde

Coordinates: 43°40′N 18°59′E / 43.667°N 18.983°E / 43.667; 18.983
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
For the village in Montenegro, see Goražde, Berane Municipality.
Goražde
Горажде
City
Grad Goražde
Град Горажде
City of Goražde
Goražde
Goražde
Official seal of Goražde
Seal
Location of Goražde within Bosnia and Herzegovina
Location of Goražde within Bosnia and Herzegovina
Coordinates: 43°40′N 18°59′E / 43.667°N 18.983°E / 43.667; 18.983
Country Bosnia and Herzegovina
EntityFederation of Bosnia and Herzegovina
Canton Bosnian-Podrinje Canton
Geographical regionPodrinje
Government
 • MayorErnest Imamović (SDP BiH)
Area
 • City248.8 km2 (96.1 sq mi)
 • Urban
23.8 km2 (9.2 sq mi)
Elevation
345 m (1,132 ft)
Population
 (2013 census)
 • City20,897
 • Urban
11,806 (4 local communities 13,970)
Time zoneUTC+1 (CET)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+2 (CEST)
Postal code
73000
Area code+387 38
Websitewww.gorazde.ba

Goražde (Serbian Cyrillic: Горажде, pronounced [ɡǒraʒde]) is a city and the administrative center of the Bosnian-Podrinje Canton Goražde of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, an entity of Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is situated on the banks of the Drina river. As of 2013, the city has a population of 20,897 inhabitants, while the urban centre has 11,806 inhabitants.[1]

Location

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Goražde is situated on the banks of the River Drina in southeastern Bosnia. The city lies at the foot of the eastern slope of the Jahorina mountain at a height of 345 m (1,132 ft) above sea level. The settlement is situated on the alluvial terrace in a broad valley, formed by the erosion of the River Drina. The valley borders Biserna to the southeast (701 m (2,300 ft)), Samari to the south (696 m (2,283 ft)), Misjak to the southwest (618 m (2,028 ft)), Gubavica to the west (410 m (1,345 ft)) and Povrsnica to the north (420 m (1,378 ft)).

The River Drina flows between these and some other hills. Its valley, which, since ancient times has been part of the route going from the sea to the mainland (Dubrovnik–Trebinje–Gacko–Foča–the Drina valley), is the main traffic artery in the southeastern region of Bosnia. In Goražde this route meets another route coming from Sarajevo and central Bosnia via the Jabuka Mountain, passes down to the Drina valley and proceeds on to Plevlje.

History

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Medieval period

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The Drina river in Goražde.

With Gornje Podrinje, Goražde was part of the old Serbian State up to 1376, when it was annexed to the Bosnian State under the reign of King Tvrtko. After Tvrtko's death the town was ruled by the Hum Dukes among whom the best known was Herzog Stjepan Vukčić Kosača.

In 1379, Goražde was first mentioned as a trading settlement and in 1444 as a fortress. The origin of the town's name seems to have come from the Slavonic word "gorazd".

The Goražde market became well known in 1415 when merchants from Dubrovnik had intensive commercial relations with it.

Ottoman rule

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The Ottomans conquered Goražde in 1465 and the place assumed oriental features. In 1477 there were four mahals in the town. From 1550–1557 Mehmed-paša Sokolović built a stone bridge across the Drina and a caravanserai.

During the Turkish rule Goražde was a significant trading centre, being at the crossroads of two important roads: the Bosnian road and the Dubrovnik road. The gross state income from the land amounted to 24,256 akchi in 1477. In 1711 it amounted to 26,000 akchi.

Two mosques built by the Sijerčić beys date back to the 18th century. Near Goražde stands the Eastern Orthodox Church of Saint George, built in 1454 by Stjepan Vukčić Kosača for his wife. The Goražde printing house, located in the church complex, worked there from 1519 to 1521. This was the first printing house to be established in Bosnia and Herzegovina and the second in the Balkans.

The composition of the Goražde population can be traced from the times of the Austro-Hungarian occupation. The Orthodox inhabitants originate from Stari Vlah in Sandžak, Brda in Montenegro, Herzegovina and southern Serbia. Aside from a few ancestral inhabitants, the Muslim population began to come in great numbers to Goražde and its surroundings in the 17th century.

The decline of Goražde in the 18th century and the first half of the 19th century is attributed, among other things, to the plague. Up to the middle of the 19th century Goražde was part of the Herzegovinian Sandjak, when it then became part of the Sarajevo Sandjak.

Austro-Hungrian rule

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The period of the Austro-Hungarian occupation was marked by the decline of Goražde, although there was at the same time a certain rise. Due to its geographical position on the border Goražde was during World War I one of the main strongholds of Austria-Hungary used against Serbia and Montenegro.

Yugoslavia

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The interwar Yugoslav Goražde, being no longer a frontier town, had normal conditions under which it developed and prospered.

In 1941 German troops entered the town after an air raid on April 17. Later on Italian troops were also stationed there.

The National Liberation Army took over the town for the first time on January 27, 1942, and remained there until May of the same year. During this period the National Liberation Committees were formed for the town of Goražde on the basis of the Foča Stipulations. At the same time Goražde was the headquarters of the National Liberation Army for eastern Bosnia and Herzegovina. In early March 1942 the Commander-in-Chief, Marshal Tito stayed in Goražde. Goražde was liberated twice more, in 1943 and 1944, and on March 6, 1945 it was finally liberated from the occupation.

From the end of World War II to 1961, a considerable number of groups of families came to live in Goražde from the neighbouring villages and some from other further places, having been attracted by the economic growth of Goražde. According to the census of 1961 Goražde had 8,812 inhabitants.

Before World War II, the industry of Goražde consisted mainly of retail trade and to a certain extent wholesale trade, the catering industry, handicraft and transport. During the occupation, from 1941 to 1945, the industry was destroyed and about 45% of the existing houses as well.

After World War II, a new period marked by a tremendous social and economic rise began. A number of new industrial enterprises have been founded, among which the most significant is a nitrogen factory.

Since then Goražde's industry has been systematically developing, its main branches being manufacturing, building, transport, trade and crafts. In 1981 Goražde's GDP per capita was 70% of the Yugoslav average.[2]

Bosnian War

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Main article: Siege of Goražde
A mosque in Goražde

From 1992 to 1995 during the Bosnian War, Goražde was one of six Bosniak enclaves, along with Srebrenica and Žepa, surrounded and besieged by the Bosnian Serb Army. In April 1993 it was made into a United Nations Safe Area in which the United Nations was supposed to deter attacks on the civilian population.[3] Between March 30 and April 23, 1994, the Serbs launched a major offensive against the town. After air strikes against Serb tanks and outposts and a NATO ultimatum, Serbian forces agreed to withdraw their artillery and armored vehicles 20 km (12 mi) from the town.[4] On 28 May 1995 it was again targeted by the Bosnian Serbs, who launched an assault on UN guard posts, overwhelming 33 British UN servicemen from the Royal Welch Fusiliers manning four observation posts[5] on the west bank of the Drina. The remaining troops, who were stationed on the east bank, managed to slip away and helped Bosniak reinforcements to prevent Bosnian Serbs from taking a key hill overlooking the town. This action is credited with saving the town from suffering the same fate of Srebrenica, where the Bosnian Serbs continued the siege after the failed attempt.[6]

After the Dayton Agreement, a land corridor was established between Goražde and the Federation.

Settlements

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Demographics

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Population

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Population of settlements – Goražde municipality
Settlement 1961. 1971. 1981. 1991. 2013.
Total 31,303 34,685 36,924 37,505 20,897
1 Baćci 1,421 1,120
2 Bogušići 295 244
3 Budići 388 324
4 Čovčići 356 250
5 Dučići 277 273
6 Goražde 9,482 13,022 16,273 12,512
7 Grabovik 284 239
8 Mravinjac 387 249
9 Potrkuša 144 237
10 Sedlari 391 211
11 Vitkovići 1,080 942
12 Zupčići 792 382

Ethnic composition

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Ethnic composition – Goražde city
2013. 1991. 1981. 1971.
Total 12,512 (100,0%) 16,273 (100,0%) 13,022 (100,0%) 9,482 (100,0%)
Bosniaks 9,568 (58,80%) 6,746 (51,80%) 5,266 (55,54%)
Serbs 5,584 (34,31%) 4,376 (33,60%) 3,675 (38,76%)
Yugoslavs 663 (4,074%) 1,495 (11,48%) 100 (1,055%)
Others 396 (2,433%) 83 (0,637%) 55 (0,580%)
Croats 62 (0,381%) 75 (0,576%) 133 (1,403%)
Montenegrins 198 (1,521%) 212 (2,236%)
Albanians 23 (0,177%) 17 (0,179%)
Macedonians 13 (0,100%) 10 (0,105%)
Slovenes 13 (0,100%) 14 (0,148%)
Ethnic composition – Goražde municipality
2013. 1991. 1981. 1971. 1961.
Total 20,897 (100,0%) 37,573 (100,0%) 36,924 (100,0%) 34,685 (100,0%) 31,303 (100,0%)
Bosniaks 19,692 (94,23%) 26,296 (69,99%) 25,142 (68,09%) 24,544 (70,76%) 19,305 (61.67%)
Serbs 707 (3,383%) 9,843 (26,20%) 9,107 (24,66%) 9,293 (26,79%) 9,569 (30.57%)
Others 475 (2,273%) 565 (1,504%) 153 (0,414%) 115 (0,332%) 614 (1.96%)
Croats 23 (0,110%) 80 (0,213%) 99 (0,268%) 179 (0,516%) 314 (1.00%)
Yugoslavs 789 (2,100%) 2,017 (5,463%) 168 (0,484%) 1,501 (4.80%)
Montenegrins 243 (0,658%) 280 (0,807%)
Roma 89 (0,241%) 38 (0,110%)
Albanians 41 (0,111%) 26 (0,075%)
Slovenes 17 (0,046%) 30 (0,086%)
Macedonians 16 (0,043%) 12 (0,035%)

Environment

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Natural environment

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The surrounding region of Goražde is composed of Paleozoic and Permian shales, sandstones and carbon sedimentary rocks. The hills are for the most part rounded and with gentle slopes. The higher ones are composed of limestone. Goražde with its surroundings has a mainly equable and fresh mountainous climate. The average annual temperature is 10.8 °C and the rainfall is fairly evenly distributed throughout the year. The town is supplied with water from six springs. A part of the population gets drinking water from ordinary wells. The construction of a water supply system began in 1962 from a spring in Čajniče, 16.5 km (10.3 mi) from Goražde.

The River Drina has great significance for the founding and development of Goražde.

The greatest floods recorded since the 17th century occurred in 1677, 1731, 1737, 1896, 1911, 1922, 1952, 1974 and 2010.

Built environment

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The main characteristic of the layout of the town is its elongated shape along the Ustiprača–Foča road. From 1465 to 1878 Goražde was part of the Ottoman Empire. In the 18th and 19th centuries Goražde was inhabited by Muslim and Orthodox communities. Up to World War II Goražde was made up of two separate parts: A Muslim and an Orthodox part. Nowadays this divide is disappearing. After World War II the town began to expand and be modernized, new streets were built, public and residential buildings were built in the centre and in the outskirts. From 1945 to 1961, 1130 council flats and 680 private homes were built. In 1961 there were a total of 616 buildings in the town.

Climate

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Climate data for Goražde (1961–1990)
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °C (°F) 17.2
(63.0) 		21.2
(70.2) 		27.0
(80.6) 		31.2
(88.2) 		34.2
(93.6) 		35.8
(96.4) 		38.2
(100.8) 		38.2
(100.8) 		34.8
(94.6) 		30.5
(86.9) 		26.0
(78.8) 		20.6
(69.1) 		38.2
(100.8)
Mean daily maximum °C (°F) 2.6
(36.7) 		7.0
(44.6) 		12.5
(54.5) 		17.0
(62.6) 		22.1
(71.8) 		25.0
(77.0) 		27.4
(81.3) 		27.4
(81.3) 		23.6
(74.5) 		17.2
(63.0) 		9.5
(49.1) 		3.4
(38.1) 		16.2
(61.2)
Daily mean °C (°F) −1.0
(30.2) 		1.8
(35.2) 		5.8
(42.4) 		10.1
(50.2) 		14.5
(58.1) 		17.4
(63.3) 		19.0
(66.2) 		18.7
(65.7) 		15.4
(59.7) 		10.3
(50.5) 		5.0
(41.0) 		0.4
(32.7) 		9.8
(49.6)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F) −4.7
(23.5) 		−2.8
(27.0) 		−0.4
(31.3) 		3.2
(37.8) 		7.5
(45.5) 		11.1
(52.0) 		12.3
(54.1) 		12.0
(53.6) 		9.6
(49.3) 		5.5
(41.9) 		0.9
(33.6) 		−2.8
(27.0) 		4.3
(39.7)
Record low °C (°F) −23.5
(−10.3) 		−20.0
(−4.0) 		−15.0
(5.0) 		−5.0
(23.0) 		−2.0
(28.4) 		0.0
(32.0) 		4.5
(40.1) 		3.0
(37.4) 		−2.0
(28.4) 		−6.0
(21.2) 		−16.0
(3.2) 		−19.0
(−2.2) 		−23.5
(−10.3)
Average precipitation mm (inches) 55.2
(2.17) 		52.9
(2.08) 		51.6
(2.03) 		66.9
(2.63) 		70.6
(2.78) 		80.0
(3.15) 		63.1
(2.48) 		67.2
(2.65) 		68.2
(2.69) 		67.8
(2.67) 		85.1
(3.35) 		71.6
(2.82) 		800.0
(31.50)
Average precipitation days (≥ 0.1 mm) 9.7 10.3 10.2 11.9 11.2 12.7 9.1 8.2 8.8 8.3 11.0 11.8 123.2
Average snowy days (≥ 1.0 cm) 17.0 11.9 3.3 0.3 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.1 3.2 12.7 48.6
Average relative humidity (%) 89.7 87.2 83.7 80.7 80.1 80.5 79.3 80.6 83.6 87.7 89.1 90.4 84.4
Source: Meteorological Institute of Bosnia and Herzegovina[7]

In literature

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The 1992–1995 siege of Goražde is the subject of several books, two of which are available in English; both underline the mixture of brutality and humanity that punctuated the era. Savo Heleta's Not My Turn to Die is written by a survivor who was a Bosnian Serb teenager whose family was once under the Serb bombardments and also under suspicion as Serbs in the mostly Bosniak town.[8][9] Safe Area Goražde is a graphic novel by Joe Sacco, a reporter who visited the besieged town several times during that period.[10]

Another book that is centred heavily on Goražde is No Escape Zone authored by Nick Richardson. Richardson is a former Fleet Air Arm pilot who was shot down in the region of Goražde during a NATO bombing mission. He spent several weeks inside the city and mentions the conditions and daily shelling the residents and UN forces faced.[11]

Sports

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Local football club FK Goražde play in the Bosnian second tier — First League of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina and host their games at the Stadion Midhat Drljević.

Twin towns – sister cities

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See also: List of twin towns and sister cities in Bosnia and Herzegovina

Goražde is twinned with:[12]

Notable people

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See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Naseljena Mjesta 1991/2013" (in Bosnian). Statistical Office of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Retrieved April 9, 2022.
  2. ^ Radovinović, Radovan; Bertić, Ivan, eds. (1984). Atlas svijeta: Novi pogled na Zemlju (in Croatian) (3rd ed.). Zagreb: Sveučilišna naklada Liber.
  3. ^ Sophie Haspeslagh. "The Bosnian 'Safe Havens'" (PDF). Beyondtractabiliity.org. Retrieved 2013-11-23.
  4. ^ Regan Richard (1996). Just war: principles and cases. CUA Press, p. 203. ISBN 0-8132-0856-4
  5. ^ "Serbs take 33 Britons hostage". The Independent. 1995-05-28. Retrieved 2023-11-03.
  6. ^ "Fusiliers' battle to save Bosnians". BBC. 5 December 2002.
  7. ^ "Meteorlogical data for station Goražde in period 1961–1990". Meteorological Institute of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Archived from the original on 1 May 2018. Retrieved 30 April 2018.
  8. ^ "Dr Savo Heleta | Author of NOT MY TURN TO DIE: Memoirs of a Broken Childhood in Bosnia". Savoheleta.com. Retrieved 2013-11-23.
  9. ^ Heleta, Savo (2008). Not My Turn to Die: Memoirs of a Broken Childhood in Bosnia: Savo Heleta: 9780814401651: Amazon.com: Books. AMACOM. ISBN 978-0814401651.
  10. ^ "Safe Area Gorazde: The War in Eastern Bosnia 1992–1995 by Joe Sacco - Powell's Books". Powells.com. Retrieved 2013-11-23.
  11. ^ Richardson, Nick (2000). No Escape Zone. Little, Brown and Company. ISBN 0-316-85314-3.
  12. ^ "Pregled odluka, sporazuma, deklaracija o bratimljenju/prijateljstvu općine Goražde" (PDF). gorazde.ba (in Bosnian). Goražde. Retrieved 2021-02-25.
  13. ^ "Službene novine grada Goražda" (PDF). gorazde.ba (in Bosnian). Goražde. 2018-12-03. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2020-05-15. Retrieved 2020-11-13.
  14. ^ "Kardeş Şehirler". karatay.bel.tr (in Turkish). Karatay. Retrieved 2020-11-13.
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