Preševo

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Прешево
Preševo
Preshevë / Presheva
Прешево

View over Preševo

Preševo ​​coat of arms
Preševo ​​(Serbia)
Paris plan pointer b jms.svg
Basic data
State : Serbia
Province : Central Serbia
Okrug : Pčinja
Coordinates : 42 ° 19 '  N , 21 ° 39'  E Coordinates: 42 ° 18 '33 "  N , 21 ° 38' 52"  E
Height : 510  m. i. J.
Residents : 13,426 (2011 Decrease)
Telephone code : (+381) 017
Postal code : 17523
License plate : VR
Structure and administration (as of 2016)
Community type: city
Mayor : Shqiprim Arifi ( APN )

Preševo ( Serbian - Cyrillic Прешево , Albanian  Preshevë / Presheva ) is a small town with about 13,500 inhabitants in the extreme south of Serbia near the border with North Macedonia and Kosovo . The administrative headquarters of Opština Preševo is located in the southern Morava river valley and houses a border station . Most of the residents are Albanians .

geography

The town of Preševo ​​is located at the entrance of a small river valley, from which a small tributary of the Southern Morava rises from the west . The urban area extends into the Preševo ​​valley to the east. The built-up area borders seamlessly in the north on the settlement area of Oraovica / Rahovica and in the south also seamlessly on the built-up area of Norča , so the agglomeration has around 19,000 inhabitants. This valley is surrounded by mountain ranges to the west and east. The plain continues north and south. The border with Kosovo at Mučibaba / Muçibaba is around 14 kilometers away and the one with Macedonia at Tabanovce around 15 kilometers away.

There is a continental climate . Summers are dry and warm while winters are cold and snowy.

history

With the migration of the Avars in the 6th and 7th centuries, Slavs settled in the region. Preševo ​​was founded later. Among the Dejanovići Preševo ​​(together with Bujanovac ) is mentioned in 1381 as a village.

Modern times

Parts of the Albanian population of Preševo ​​were involved in the League of Prizren , which campaigned for Albanian autonomy within the Ottoman Empire. Between 1840 and 1912, many Albanians fled the Okrug Toplica and Surdulica , northeast of Vranje , into the Preševo ​​valley. Some villages are still inhabited by their descendants today. After the Balkan Wars of 1912/13, Preševo ​​became part of the Kingdom of Serbia and from 1918 part of the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes , later the Kingdom of Yugoslavia . During the Second World War , the Preševo ​​Valley was one of those parts of Yugoslavia that were occupied by Bulgarian troops from 1941 to 1944 and annexed by Bulgaria . After the Second World War, the area came back to Yugoslavia. Preševo ​​lay within the Socialist Republic of Serbia . After the Yugoslav Wars , the city became part of Serbia in 2006 .

Albanian uprisings 2000/2001

After the end of the Kosovo war , successor organizations of the KLA emerged in southern Serbia and Macedonia , which continued the armed struggle in predominantly Albanian regions. In 2001, especially in the north-west of Macedonia, conditions similar to civil war broke out when Albanian guerrilla fighters occupied some villages and fought with the police and the army. The conflict spilled over into the Preševo ​​Valley. Preševo, together with the neighboring town of Bujanovac and the somewhat more northerly Medve ina , hit the headlines in 2000 and 2001 when the UÇPMB , an organization of militant, nationalist Albanians from the region and neighboring Kosovo, tried these three in an armed uprising To connect communities to Kosovo. The UÇPMB was formed in a zone five kilometers wide and several kilometers long, which was set up between the province and central Serbia immediately after the Kosovo war to keep KFOR and the Serbian troops away from each other. When the conflict in Preševo, Bujanovac and Medveđa (together often also known as the Preševo ​​Valley , Alb. Lugina e Preshevës , Serbian Preševska dolina ) threatened to escalate, NATO approved the Serbian army to return to the security zone . The UÇPMB withdrew from the zone to Kosovo, where it was disarmed by KFOR. This enabled the Albanian uprising to be dissolved without violence. The social situation of the Albanians in Serbia has continuously improved since then. Since the late 2000s, there has been an increasing number of Albanian police officers, and Albanian is officially used alongside Serbian in the administration.

Stelae Conflict 2012/13

From November 21, 2012, the political situation in Preševo ​​worsened again, because the city administration erected a stele in the city center in honor of the UÇPMB fallen during the uprising. The Serbian Prime Minister Ivica Dačić described this as "unnecessary provocation and that it is best that they (the city administration) remove them themselves", since "nowhere else in Europe are steles for terrorists set up". He asked for the stele to be removed by January 17th; various Albanian politicians and organizations reacted with sharp criticism. On January 12, the Assembly of the Albanian Councils (Kuvendi i Këshilltarëve Shqiptar) defended the right of the Albanians of Serbia to use symbols that express the national Albanian identity. And before that, the chairman of the largest Albanian party in Macedonia , Ali Ahmeti ( BDI ), and the deputy prime minister of Kosovo, Hajredin Kuçi ( PDK ), sharply criticized the demands of the Serbian government. For his part, the city's mayor, Ragmi Mustafa, threatened the immediate termination of cooperation with the Serbian authorities if the stele were removed. It is of great importance for the identity of the Albanians in the region.

The Serbian Defense Minister Aleksandar Vučić announced on January 13th that action would soon be taken within the law in connection with the controversial stele, and that no one would be allowed to act against the Serbian constitution, which applies equally to all ethnicities, and tried to explain the reason in ethnic origin to search. He added that Serbia wanted peace but had to respond to provocations. On January 15, the two members of the Kosovar parliament , Rexhep Selimi and Nait Hasani , a former KLA member , threatened an armed conflict if the stele were removed. The former US diplomat and former regional UN representative, Gerard Gallucci , declared on January 15 that Serbia should not "fall for provocations like this one". On January 16, the President of the National Assembly of Serbia , Nebojša Stefanović , stated that this problem was not an ethnic conflict or had no ethnic background, but rather the problem of erecting a stele in Serbia for those who had killed Serbs.

The stele was finally removed undamaged by dozens of Serbian gendarmerie special forces with a bulldozer at 5 a.m. on January 20, 2013. Despite threats from various Albanian nationalist organizations, there were no incidents during the removal. As a first reaction, former UÇPMB commander Orhan Rexhepi made the separatist statement that this was a "historic day" because "Bujanovac and Preševo ​​will be part of Kosovo". Shortly afterwards, Preševo's mayor Ragmi Mustafa confirmed that the Albanians had long wanted a union with Kosovo. Former President of the National Council for Cooperation with the Hague Tribunal , the incumbent Serbian Minister of Domestic and Foreign Trade and Telecommunications, and incumbent President of the Social Democratic Party of Serbia (SDP), the Bosniak Rasim Ljajić , responded and said that the Preševo- Tal will not or cannot become part of Kosovo because the Albanian representatives from southern Serbia do not have the support of the international community; he also warned against the Albanians exploiting the situation. The operation by the Serbian gendarmerie caused horror and turmoil among the local population. During the day, several hundred people gathered at the place of the stele and laid flowers and candles in memory of the fallen of the UÇPMB. Albanian Prime Minister Sali Berisha said that "the Albanian government is calling on international institutions to stop the albanophobic storm that is constantly looming in the region and threatening its peace and stability," even though the US had previously announced that this was an internal Serbian matter that should solve their elected representatives. The Albanian nationalists under Kreshnik Spahiu ( Alliance Red and Black ) also declared that this mission stems from the “provocative and racist policies of Slobodan Milošević and which are still alive in the high leadership of Serbia”.

On the evening of January 20, a group of Albanians gathered in Djakovica to protest against the removal of the stele. Some of them tried to force their way into the Serbian monastery of the Blessed Virgin , in which several nuns still live. Strong KFOR and Kosovo police units prevented the attack . On the night of January 21, there were further attacks, for example in the Serbian enclave of Goraždevac the memorials to the Serbian victims of the NATO bombing in 1999, as well as those of the Serbian children who were bathed on the Bistrica river in 2003 were shot, desecrated or destroyed by Albanians. On January 21, thousands of people demonstrated in the streets of downtown Preševo ​​to express their indignation at the removal of the stele. Serbian Prime Minister Ivica Dačić said there was no reason for any kind of protest as the unauthorized stele was neither destroyed nor violence used. He added that he "does not believe that in the US al-Qaeda veterans or those who carried out various terrorist attacks in London or Paris would decide whether a memorial should be erected" .

Albanian Prime Minister Sali Berisha announced during a media conference in Tirana that Albania would review its relations with Serbia if necessary. He also stated that the Albanian state will do everything in its power in international organizations to help the Albanians of Serbia. Albin Kurti , leader of the Albanian organization Vetëvendosje , however, said that the main culprit for this situation was the Hashim Thaçi government in Kosovo. In response to the removal of the stele in Preševo, dozens of Albanians, led by UÇK veterans in Vitia, responded by destroying a WWII monument commemorating the struggle of the Serbs. This was not prevented by the Kosovo police present. By the evening of January 21, over 140 Serbian tombstones had been destroyed and a chapel and several crosses burned across Kosovo . Representatives of Serbia, the USA and the EU , as well as KFOR, OSCE , and EULEX reacted and strongly condemned the destruction of Serbian monuments and graves. They added that there was no justification for this violence, making these actions completely unacceptable.

traffic

Border station to Macedonia

Preševo ​​is on the Belgrade - Athens transit route . Economically, it is of great importance for Serbia, North Macedonia, Kosovo and Greece in particular . Here road and railway run parallel through the valley and follow the course of the Morava tributary. The European route 75 is marked here as the A1 motorway . At the same time it is the Pan-European Corridor X . The Železnice Srbije maintains a through station in Preševo, but outside the city in the east in the Tasian industrial zone. The first railway line from Niš to Skopje was built by the Ottomans in the 19th century .

media

For the ethnic Albanians of Serbia, the city plays an important role in communication. This is where the headquarters of Presheva Jonë (Our Preševo) newspaper , Radio Televizioni i Preshevës , Aldi TV and Radio Presheva are located .

politics

Since 2012 the Albanians of Serbia have been represented with a seat in the Serbian National Assembly. The Coalition of Albanians of the Preševo ​​Valley is an electoral group to which several parties belong.

Healthcare

There are several medical practices in Preševo. The closest hospital is in Vranje .

Although it had already been announced for the end of March 2014, a rebuilt maternity clinic did not open until summer 2015. For almost 26 years, women from the city and the surrounding area had to give birth in Vranje, about 50 kilometers away. In 2014, the governments of Albania and Kosovo jointly donated 100,000 euros to the Preševo ​​community for the project in order to provide targeted support to the Albanian minority in southern Serbia.

Personalities

See also

Web links

Commons : Preševo  - collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. See Enciklopedija Jugoslavije , 2nd edition. Vol. 6, Zagreb 1990, p. 282 (map: Podjela Jugoslavije na okupaciona područja 1941.).
  2. ^ Serbia: Maintaining Peace in the Presevo Valley. (No longer available online.) International Crisis Group , October 16, 2007, archived from the original on January 20, 2013 ; accessed on January 20, 2013 . Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.crisisgroup.org
  3. PM: Government will react to provocation in Preševo. (No longer available online.) B92 , November 21, 2012, formerly in the original ; Retrieved January 8, 2013 .  ( Page no longer available , search in web archivesInfo: The link was automatically marked as defective. Please check the link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.@1@ 2Template: Dead Link / www.b92.net  
  4. Dačić: Ponašaćemo se evropski, uklonićemo spomenik u Preševu. B92 , December 30, 2012, accessed January 8, 2013 (Serbian).
  5. Reagojnë shqiptarët e Preshevës. Top Channel , January 12, 2013, accessed January 14, 2013 (Albanian).
  6. Lapidari i dëshmorëve të UCPMB së. Top Channel , January 8, 2013, accessed January 14, 2013 (Albanian).
  7. Mustafa: Ako sklone spomenik nema saradnje sa Srbijom. Blic , January 12, 2013, accessed January 16, 2013 .
  8. Vučić najavio uklanjanje spomenika OVPMB u Preševu. Blic , January 13, 2013, accessed January 16, 2013 .
  9. Vučić najavio uklanjanje spomenika OVPMB u Preševu. Blic , January 13, 2013, accessed January 16, 2013 .
  10. Poslanici skupštine Kosova: Mogući oružani sukobi eg of the abovementioned spomenika u Preševu. B92 , January 15, 2013, accessed January 16, 2013 .
  11. Galuči: Srbija, ne na nasedajte provokacije u Preševu. Blic , January 15, 2013, accessed January 16, 2013 .
  12. Stefanović: Neprihvatljiv spomenik teroristima u Srbiji. Blic , January 16, 2013, accessed January 16, 2013 .
  13. ^ Gendarmes remove controversial monument. (No longer available online.) B92 January 20, 2013, archived from the original on October 16, 2013 ; accessed on January 20, 2013 . Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.b92.net
  14. Ragmi Mustafa: Nije novina da želimo pripajanje Kosovu. Blic , January 20, 2013, accessed January 20, 2013 .
  15. ^ Ljajić: Jug Srbije neće, niti može biti deo Kosova. Blic , January 20, 2013, accessed January 20, 2013 .
  16. Xhandarmëria serbe hoqi përmendoren e UÇPMB-së në Preshevë (The Serbian gendarmerie removed the UÇPMB monument in Preševo). (No longer available online.) Alsat-M , January 20, 2013, archived from the original on January 21, 2013 ; Retrieved January 20, 2013 (Albanian). Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / alsat-m.tv
  17. Stav SAD nepromenjen: Spomenik u Preševu unutrašnja stvar Serbia. Blic , January 21, 2013, accessed January 22, 2013 .
  18. Tirana: Millosheviqi është ende gjallë (Tirana: Milošević is still alive). (No longer available online.) Alsat-M , January 20, 2013, archived from the original on January 21, 2013 ; Retrieved January 20, 2013 (Albanian). Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / alsat-m.tv
  19. Demonstracije u Đakovici, pokušaj napada na manastir. Blic , January 21, 2013, accessed January 22, 2013 .
  20. Demonstracije u Đakovici, pokušaj napada na manastir. Blic , January 21, 2013, accessed January 22, 2013 .
  21. Demonstracije u Đakovici, pokušaj napada na manastir. Blic , January 21, 2013, accessed January 22, 2013 .
  22. Pomen ubijenoj deci u Goraždevcu. Blic , August 13, 2012, accessed January 21, 2013 .
  23. Oskrnavljena groblja i spomenik ubijenoj srpskoj deci u Goraždevcu. Blic , January 21, 2013, accessed January 22, 2013 .
  24. Protesta e shqiptarëve në Preshevë (The protests of the Albanians Preševos). Top Channel , January 21, 2013, accessed January 21, 2013 (Albanian).
  25. PM: No reason for Albanians in south to protest. (No longer available online.) B92 January 21, 2013, archived from the original on January 30, 2013 ; Retrieved January 22, 2013 . Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.b92.net
  26. nekoliko hiljada Albanaca protestovalo u Preševu eg of the abovementioned uklanjanja spomenika. Blic , January 21, 2013, accessed January 22, 2013 .
  27. Pogledajte: Albanci bagerom srušili spomenik antifašističkoj borbi u Vitini, policija Kosova samo gledala. Blic , January 22, 2013, accessed January 22, 2013 .
  28. Viti, rrënohet përmendorja e LNC-SE (vitia, Memorial of the National liberation war is removed). (No longer available online.) Alsat-M , January 21, 2013, archived from the original on January 23, 2013 ; Retrieved January 22, 2013 (Albanian). Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / alsat-m.tv
  29. OEBS, Euleks i Kfor osuđuju skrnavljenja groblja. Blic , January 21, 2013, accessed January 22, 2013 .
  30. Oskrnavljena groblja i spomenik ubijenoj srpskoj deci u Goraždevcu. Blic , January 21, 2013, accessed January 22, 2013 .
  31. Oskrnavljena groblja i spomenik ubijenoj srpskoj deci u Goraždevcu. Blic , January 21, 2013, accessed January 22, 2013 .
  32. OEBS, Euleks i Kfor osuđuju skrnavljenja groblja. Blic , January 21, 2013, accessed January 22, 2013 .
  33. Oskrnavljena groblja i spomenik ubijenoj srpskoj deci u Goraždevcu. Blic , January 21, 2013, accessed January 22, 2013 .
  34. OEBS, Euleks i Kfor osuđuju skrnavljenja groblja. Blic , January 21, 2013, accessed January 22, 2013 .
  35. OSCE condemns "repeated description of Orthodox graveyards". (No longer available online.) B92 January 21, 2013, archived from the original on February 3, 2014 ; Retrieved January 22, 2013 . Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.b92.net
  36. ^ Homepage of Presheva Jonë. Retrieved January 17, 2013 (Albanian).
  37. Materniteti i Preshevës. In: Top Channel . January 31, 2014, accessed February 1, 2014 (Albanian).
  38. Hapja e maternitetit në Preshevë në fund të muajit. In: kt.gov.rs. Trupi Coordinues për komunat Bujanoc, Preshevë dhe Medvegjë, April 23, 2015, accessed on January 27, 2019 (Albanian).
  39. Pas 26 vjetësh, lind fëmija i parë në maternitetin e Preshevës. In: gazetaexpress.com. Gazeta Express, July 28, 2015, accessed January 27, 2019 (Albanian).
  40. Ilir Vata: Qeveria e Kosovës, 50 mijë euro për maternitetin e Preshevës. In: ata.gov.al. Agjencia Telegrafike Shqiptare, March 14, 2014, accessed January 27, 2019 (Albanian).