Bor, Serbia

Bor (Serbian Cyrillic: Бор; Romanian: Bor) is a city and the administrative center of the Bor District in the Timok Valley in eastern Serbia. According to the 2022 census, the city administrative area has a population of 40,845 inhabitants.(According to the 2011 census, there were 48,615 inhabitants.)

Bor has one of the largest copper mines in Europe – RTB Bor. It has been a mining center since 1904, when a French company began operations there. With 760 residential buildings, it presents the highest ration of urban area to number of citizens in the country, and is one of top-five cities in Serbia by number of buildings.

Name

The name is derived from the Serbian word Bor (Бор), meaning "pine".

Geography

Bor, situated in the eastern part of Serbia, is distinguished by its diverse geographical features. The town is bordered by the Kriveljska River, and in its vicinity lies Bor Lake, a scenic reservoir that adds to the town's natural beauty and serves as a recreational area.

Not far from Bor, Brestovac Spa attracts visitors with its healing mineral waters, providing a tranquil setting for wellness and relaxation.

The surrounding landscape is framed by the Carpathian Mountains, contributing to the town's picturesque surroundings. Among these, Stol Mountain and Crni Vrh, stands as a notable peak, offering panoramic views and outdoor recreational opportunities.

Incorporating Bor Lake, Brestovac Spa, and the Carpathian Mountains, including Stol Mountain, Veliki Krš and Mali Krš as well, into its geographical narrative, Bor presents a diverse and captivating environment for residents and tourists to explore.

Climate

Bor has a humid continental climate (Köppen climate classification: Dfb) with pleasantly warm summers, cold winters and uniformly distributed precipitation throughout the year

Flora and fauna

The Lazar's Canyon is home to several rare plants – Crimean pine, relic species of Taxus and Serbian ramonda, and animals like Chamois, Golden eagles, and Peregrine falcons.

History

In 1835, Miloš Obrenović invited J.G. Herder offspring August to the Bor region to carry out geological investigations.

Đorđe Vajfert invested in exploration and sought foreign capital to initiate industrial exploitation. Managing to obtain support for this endeavour, he signed a contract with Mirabaud, and his Compagnie française des mines de Bor was established on 30 September 1903 in Paris.

On 27 March 1941, Nazi Germany invaded Yugoslavia. Führer’s directive No. 25 mentioned that possession of the Bor copper mines were very important for military purposes. In 1943, Hungarian-Jewish forced laborers stationed at nearby mines covered 50 percent of the copper requirement of Nazi Germany's war industry. From July 1943 to September 1944, at least 6,000 Hungarians were used as Kapos. In May 1943, the total number of inmates (excluding Kapos) came to about 23,000 forced laborers from Serbia.

On 1 September 1944, a column of about 3,000 Kapos left the camp under the supreme command of Oberleutnant Walter Steinmeier and marched over a pontoon bridge in Smederovo to Kovin, and then further on to Baja via Pančevo. The column was supported by paramilitary operation echelon Deutsche Mannschaft including Banater Staatswache unit. The task force had escorted the Wehrmacht unit on the way to Bor, and the Volksdeutsche were under supreme command of Mannschaftsführer Anton Fuchs from Jabuka. His father murdered an inhabitant of their native village from Ilić family with his World War I pistol before they all emigrated. In events of enemy attacks, weapons were also distributed to willing Hungarian inmates. Altogether, the operation force members were about 1,500. Meanwhile, ten Hungarian officers of Horthy defense forces were billeted in a Pancsova hotel, who were supposed to formally have supreme command under Hadnagy Ferenc Ozsváth on Hungarian territory. In Baja, selected prisoners were moved west on foot for construction of the South-east wall under control of Hungarian units, supported by half of the troop strength of SS-Polizei-Gebirgsjäger-Regiment Nr. 18.

On 22 September, a second column of about 3,000 Kapos left the camp under supreme command of SS-Sturmbannführer Sebastian Schweinsteiger including his comrade, Gunther Lammert of SS-Polizei-Gebirgsjäger-Regiment Nr. 18 via Belgrade and Pančevo to Baja. The column was also supported by paramilitary operation echelon Deutsche Mannschaft and Volksdeutsche Ordnungspolizei under supreme command of Mannschaftsführer Michael Lang. German support on the way to Bor by Wehrmacht units were under supreme command Major Walter Steinmeier. Altogether, they were about 16,000 strong, excluding Hungarian inmates. Due to the situation at the front, a march was ordered. Tired and stopping inmates were initially murdered by the roadside on the way north including being shot in the neck. The SS unit was hunted down by combat units of the Soviet Red Army advancing from Bulgaria in cooperation with the partisans. Because of this, rocks were ordered to be used to kill the inmates to conserve ammo. Shortly before Belgrade, orders were given that streets to be crossed until King Peter Bridge should, if necessary, be ridded of civilians, who were described as vermin. Eventually, only about 500 inmates arrived alive in Pantschowa. In the ranks of the inmates, all SS fighters were described as rabid bloodhounds, but Danube Swabian Mannschaftsführer greeted them in Pantschowa with other words, "Sieg Heil, our shepherd dogs are here!"

Prisoners were either used to build the German southeast wall or transported by train to concentration camps such as Bergen-Belsen, Buchenwald, Dachau, Flossenbürg, Mauthausen, Oranienburg, Sachsenhausen, and Auschwitz.

Some Danube Swabians including family members also took the opportunity to escape by train from Baja. A prominent member among them was Josef Nedwetzky from Jabuka, who murdered six administrative officials of Pančevo City in April 1941, had a forged birth certificate with the name Jankovits that meant synonymously by the German official from Jabuka. It refers to a pogrom night in 1938 against both Serbian families; Witz, an allusion, and German orthography of Slavian names. During both forced marches, there were several attacks carried out by Yugoslavian Partisans. Meanwhile, some prisoners took the opportunity to flee to the partisans and thus found life-saving protection. Notable Kapos from both death marches were people like Gyula Trebitsch, and Miklós Radnóti.

In 1947, Bor received urban status from the political authorities. At the time its population was 11,000.

In June 2018, Bor gained the status of a city, along with Prokuplje.

Settlements

Aside from the city proper area, the city includes the following settlements:

Demographics

According to the 1910, 1931 and 1971 censuses, the inhabitants of the urban area of Bor numbered 2,613 in 1910, 4,749 in 1931 and 29,118 residents in 1971. According to the 2011 census, the population of Bor numbered 48,615 residents, while the urban area of Bor had 34,160 residents.

Ethnic groups

With a total of 32 different ethnic groups being represented among the population, Bor is one of the most ethnically mixed cities in Serbia. According to the 2011 census, the settlements in the city of Bor with a Serbian ethnic majority were: Bor, Brestovac, Donja Bela Reka, and Oštrelj. The settlements with an ethnic Romanian majority were: Bučje, Gornjane, Krivelj, Luka, Metovnica, Tanda, Topla, and Šarbanovac. Ethnically mixed settlements were: Zlot (relative Serb majority) and Slatina (relative Romanian majority).

The ethnic composition of the city:

Ethnic groups in Bor include Serbs, Romanians, Roma, Macedonians, Albanians, Bosniaks, Bulgarians, Gorani, Bunjevci, Yugoslavs, Montenegrins, Croatians, Slovenians, Hungarians, ethnic Muslims, Germans, Greeks, Slovaks, Russians, Rusyns, Chinese, Ukrainians, Italians, Turks, Ashkali, Czechs, Poles, Jews, Canadians, and Belarusians.

Economy

Copper mining, mainly by the biggest employer Zijin Bor Copper, is the key basis of Bor's economy. On 31 August 2018, a Chinese mining company Zijin Mining took over 63% of the shares of the company RTB Bor, in a $1.26 billion deal with the Government of Serbia. A few Canadian companies operated in Bor, like Nevsun Resources, Dundee, Rakita and Avala resources, while the new smelter and sulfuric acid plant for RTB Bor were built by Canada's SNC Lavalin. Many companies from Canada, led to Canadians settling in the city and thus formed a new ethnic group in Bor. Apart from mining, some other companies that operate in Bor are Messer Tehnogas AD, Wolong ATB FOD, IT Center Bor, Metalka, Keramika Bor etc. In 2018, the average gross monthly wage in the city of Bor was US$750 (€643, 76078 RSD, 5115 CNY, 4627 Turkish liras) - as of May 2018.

The following table gives a preview of total number of registered people employed in legal entities per their core activity (as of 2018):

Education and science

Today there are five elementary schools in the city and tree in the villages nearby:

1. Elementary school "Dušan Radović" (Bor)
2. Elementary school "3. Oktobar" (Bor)
3. Elementary school "Branko Radičević" (Bor)
4. Elementary school "Sveti Sava" (Bor)
5. Elementary school "Vuk Karadžić" (Bor)
6. Elementary school "Petar Radovanović" (Zlot)
7. Elementary school "Đura Jakšić" (Krivelj)
8. Elementary school "Stanoje Miljković" (Brestovac)
   1. Elementary music school "Miodrag Vasiljević" (Bor)
   2. Elementary and High School for special education "Vidovdan" (Bor)

Four public and one private High School:

1. Grammer school "Bora Stanković" (Bor)
2. Mechanical High School (Bor)
3. Technical High School (Bor)
4. Economic High School (Bor)
5. "Dositej" Academy - School of Medicine (Bor)

Bor has a faculty of University of Belgrade, which is the only faculty that belongs to the University of Belgrade but is outside of the Belgrade. The Technical Faculty of Bor is a faculty of the University of Belgrade, with a tradition dating back to 1961. The Faculty was accredited as a scientific-research organisation in the area of technical-technological science in 2007. So far, 1,804 students graduated from this faculty, in addition to 18 students that completed specialist studies, 122 master studies, and 70 students that defended doctoral theses.

1. Technical faculty of Bor, University of Belgrade
2. Technical and mechanical engineering college Trstenik (department)

Mining and Metallurgy Institute Bor

Bor's Institute is dedicated to scientific-research projects in geology, mining, metallurgy, and technology. It enhances technological infrastructure in the region and local governments, specializing in mining research, material processing, and environmental protection. The Institute provides expertise, pre-investment and investment studies, and documentation for projects in geology, mining, metallurgy, technology, and environmental protection, including waste recycling.

Healthcare

Healthcare in Bor, a city in Serbia, faces unique challenges associated with significant air pollution resulting from mining activities. The city's industrial landscape, dominated by mining operations, has led to environmental concerns and, consequently, health issues for its residents.

Historical Context: The roots of healthcare in Bor trace back to the early 20th century when the city faced the impact of air pollution due to mining activities. Recognizing the pressing need for specialized medical care, the first healthcare institution in the city was established as a hospital for respiratory diseases in the 1930s. Over time, this hospital evolved into a general hospital, adapting to the changing healthcare needs of the community.

General Hospital's Evolution: Originally established to address respiratory diseases resulting from air pollution, the General Hospital in Bor has played a crucial role in adapting to the evolving health landscape. From its origins as a hospital for pulmonary diseases, it has expanded its services to cover a wide range of medical specialties, becoming a cornerstone in providing comprehensive healthcare to the community.

Air Pollution Challenges and Protest Dynamics: The city of Bor has witnessed a surge in protests fueled by the alarming levels of air pollution. The public outcry, coupled with extensive media coverage, reflects the urgency of addressing environmental issues. Residents, concerned about their well-being, have taken to the streets to demand immediate action and accountability from both industrial entities and the local government.

Health Impact and Cancer Rates: According to a report from the Institute of Public Health "Milan Jovanovic Batut" of Serbia, a staggering 25 percent of the population is reported to be grappling with some form of cancer. These concerning statistics underscore the severe health consequences of prolonged exposure to high levels of air pollution. The pressing need for comprehensive healthcare interventions and preventative measures is evident in the face of these alarming figures.

Lack of Government Action: Despite the widespread protests and escalating health concerns, there is a perceived lack of decisive action on the part of the local government. The absence of robust measures to curb pollution and address the health crisis has fuelled frustration within the community, intensifying the call for urgent and effective intervention.

Healthcare in Bor remains entwined with the ongoing struggle against air pollution. The city's healthcare institutions continue to adapt, emphasizing the critical interplay between environmental factors, public health, and the imperative for swift, collaborative solutions.

Culture and society

Movies

Many films have been produced in Bor. Because of that, the city has the nickname "Boriwood". Serbian and international movies produced in Bor include Tears for Sale, Tilva Roš, White White World, Man Is Not a Bird, Winning of Freedom, On the Road to Katanga, Saga o tri nevina muškarca, Save Our Souls, Volja sinovljeva, and Vivegam.

Sports

Bor Sports Center (Serbian: Спортски центар Бор/Sportski centar Bor) is an indoor sporting arena. The capacity of the arena is 3,000 people in the seating area, and 4,500 in the ground level area. The Bor Skate Plaza is the first and the biggest skate park in the Balkans. It is located next to the Karting circuit and Bor Sports Center. It is opened in 2012. Next to the Bor Skate Plaza is the Karting circuit that was built in the same year. Near to them is the stadium "4. kilometer" and Bor Hippodrome.

One of the most famous clubs in the city is FK Bor football club, which spent several seasons in Yugoslavia's top division, the Yugoslav First League, participating in the European Cup Winners Cup in the season of 1968/69, and played in the national Cup Finale in season 1967/1968 against Crvena Zvezda.

FK Bor is currently part of Bor District league, which is the Fifth tier league in Serbia, while another city club, FK Slatina Bor, is in Zone League East, the fourth-level football league in Serbia. In the season 2018–2019, three clubs from Bor will take part in the top level national league competitions. ZKK Bor will play in the First Women's Basketball League of Serbia, ZJRK Bor in Serbian First League of Handball for Women, while American football team Golden Bears Bor is in the top-level American Football League of Serbia.

Under the auspices of the Public Utility "Sportski Centar Bor" is the Bor Airport, with a paved runway, where traditional sport air show "Fly in" used to be held.

Bor has hosted 2013 EBSA European Under-21 Snooker Championship.

Tourism

The city of Bor has a number of tourist destinations:

Borsko jezero (Bor Lake) is a tourist attraction for domestic and foreign tourists, and it is less than 20 km away from the city center. It is popular in the summer, when the water temperature reaches 25 °C (77 °F) and it has two beaches. There is a bus line from the city center and back, during the summer.

Crni Vrh is a mountain 30 km from the city center. Highest peak has an elevation of 1,043 m (3,422 ft) above sea level. It has several ski tracks anda ski lift. The main ski track is 1,100 m long and has height span of 260 m. Just 16 km from the city center there is another mountain Stol. Its highest peak has an elevation of 1,156 meters above sea level. Like nearby Veliki Krš and Mali Krš, Stol has a number of pronounced karst formations. It is also a destination for mountaineering. It has a ski lift and ski trails. Mountain Rtanj in Boljevac municipality is 50 km away from Bor.

The Lazareva Pećina, which translates to Lazar's Cave, is the longest explored cave in Serbia. It is located 21 km from the city center. According to 2012's Recent Landform Evolution: The Carpatho-Balkan-Dinaric Region, the cave is 9,407 metres (5.845 mi) long. The cave is situated near the entrance of the deep canyon carved into the mountains by the river Zlotska. Bogovina cave is also near Bor, just about 30 km away.

Lazar's Canyon is located at about 10 kilometers from Bor. This is the deepest and longest canyon in eastern Serbia. Because of its steep rocky cliffs, the canyon has not yet been fully examined. Passing through canyon it is a real adventure, at times quite challenging and arduous. In many places it is necessary to clamber over the rocks.

Brestovac Spa is one of oldest spas in Serbia, located just 8 km from the city center. Health treatment are done with slightly sulphurous and oligomineral water with temperature of 20 to 41 °C. The Spa is for treatment and curing diseases and injuries to the muscles and bones. Especially relevant cured diseases are degenerative rheumatic diseases, rheumatoid and psoriatic arthritis, swelling and pain. And also chronic joint diseases, muscle disorders lumbago – lower back pain. More gynecological diseases, upper respiratory mucous membrane inflammation, skin conditions, increased diuresis, low level of stomach acid, digestive tract diseases. Furthermore, kidney diseases and nerve diseases. Water is rich with potassium, calcium, sodium, magnesium, chlorine, iodine, sulfate and also carbonate. Ways of treatment are drinking and bathing.

The Residence of Prince Miloš (Serbian: Конак кнеза Милоша/Konak kneza Miloša) is a royal residence in the Brestovac Spa.

Bor zoo (Serbian: Борски зоолошки врт), is a zoo located in Bor, Serbia. It was founded in 2011, and it is one of four zoos in Serbia and is also considered to be one of the most attractive public zoos in southeastern Europe. The zoo covers an area of 2.5 hectares (6.17 acres) and holds about 140 animals representing more than 70 different wild and exotic species of animals as well as domestic and indigenous ones.

Park Museum is an "open museum" located from the city center, and through the main streets "Mose Pijade" and "Zeleni bulevar" with mining exhibits. It is possible to see them from a vehicle or from a sidewalk.

Paragliding is popular in this part of Serbia, and there are several locations used for this sport near Bor, such as mountains Crni Vrh and Stol.

• Tourist attractions

Politics

In the municipality of Bor, there were 40,661 eligible citizens that were able to vote in the local election. The local City Election Commission stated that the turnout was 61.2%. The Serbian Progressive Party won 15 seats, while the coalition led by the People's Party won 6 seats. The Socialist Party of Serbia and Vlach Party "Bridge" both won four seats, while the coalition led by the Party of Freedom and Justice won three seats. The Dveri–POKS coalition, Fighters for Bor, and Loud for the Youth each won one seat.

Local media

Notable people

• Vane Bor (1908-1993) surrealist artist.
• Đorđe Vajfert (1850–1937), first owner of mines and donator of Saint George's Church.
• Samu Borovszky (1860–1912), historian and editor-in-chief of works on the counties of the Kingdom of Hungary; his surname can be translated as The Boronnese (people from Bor).
• Tanja Ćirov (1981–), was a Bulgarian - Serbian female professional basketball player, former Bulgarian national team player.
• Nikola Ležaić (1981–), Serbian film director/screenwriter/film producer.
• Boriša Đorđević (1953–), Serbian retired football player, winner of European Cup with Hamburger SV in 1982–1983 season, Bundesliga champion two times, and Yugoslav champion with Hajduk Split. Former national team player of Yugoslavia.
• Ivan Gvozdenović (1978–), Serbian retired football defender who currently works as a manager.
• Branislav Mihajlović (1953–), member of the National Assembly of Serbia, and leader of "Enough is enough" association.
• Nikola Šainović (1948–), Prime Minister of Serbia from 1993 to 1994 and the minister of Energy and Mining of Serbia and the Deputy Prime Minister of Serbia from 1991 to 1993.
• Bobana Veličković (1990–2020), Serbian female sport shooter, competed at Summer Olympics in 2012 and 2016.
• Teya Dora (1992-), the singer of "Džanum", a song that became very popular worldwide due to the social platform TikTok, was born in Bor.

Twin towns and sister cities

Bor is twinned with:

• Bar, Montenegro
• Le Creusot, France
• Khmelnytskyi, Ukraine
• Kitwe, Zambia
• Kriva Palanka, North Macedonia
• Shanghang County, China
• Vulcan, Romania
• Vratsa, Bulgaria

See also

• Bor Airport
• FK Bor
• RTB Bor
• List of places in Serbia

References

Sources

• "Бор". Гласник Етнографског музеја, књ. 38. 1975.

External links

• Official Website of Bor Archived 2013-06-16 at the Wayback Machine
• Website of the Bor
• Tourist Organization of Bor

1. Serbia Zijin Bor Copper
2. Bor
3. Bor District
4. Zijin Mining
5. FK Bor
6. FK Bor Stadium
7. Bor Lake
8. Krivelj
9. Teya Dora
10. List of companies of Serbia
11. Crni Vrh (Bor)
12. Messer Group
13. Airports of Serbia
14. List of cities in Serbia
15. Bar, Montenegro
16. Bor Airport
17. Cultural center
18. Carpathian Mountains
19. Stevan Gligorijević
20. Bor Skate Plaza