Olovo

Olovo (Serbian Cyrillic: Олово) is a town and municipality located in the Zenica-Doboj Canton of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, an entity of Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is situated about 50 kilometers northeast of the capital city of Sarajevo and is located on the road between Sarajevo and Tuzla.

For the village in Kupres municipality, see Olovo, Kupres.
Olovo
Олово
Town and municipality
View of Olovo
View of Olovo
Location of the Olovo Municipality within Bosnia and Herzegovina
Location of the Olovo Municipality within Bosnia and Herzegovina
Olovo is located in Bosnia and Herzegovina
Olovo
Olovo
Coordinates: 44°7′39″N 18°34′48″E
Country Bosnia and Herzegovina
EntityFederation of Bosnia and Herzegovina
Canton Zenica-Doboj
Government
 • Municipal mayorĐemal Memagić (SDA)
Area
 • Town and municipality4,078 km2 (1,575 sq mi)
Population
 (2013 census)
 • Town and municipality10,175
 • Density26/km2 (70/sq mi)
 • Urban
2,465
Time zoneUTC+1 (CET)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+2 (CEST)
Area code+387 32
Websitewww.olovo.ba

History

The town Olovo was first mentioned in the year 1382 under the name "Plumbum" (Latin for lead). The word olovo in Bosnian means lead, and the name was given to the town for its well-known lead ore deposits. Olovo stands on the Sarajevo–Tuzla highway M18, and is located 50 km northeast of Bosnia and Herzegovina's capital city of Sarajevo. Olovo is located in the Zenica-Doboj Canton. Recently, there have been attempts to make Olovo part of the Sarajevo Canton; however, the town remains within the Zenica-Doboj Canton . Since the Middle Ages, the town has been well known for its lead ore deposits, and Olovo was a mining town during medieval Bosnian state period, when the town and the region were part of the Pavlović's Land (Serbo-Croatian Latin: Zemlja Pavlovića).

Main article: Capture of Olovo (1941)

During WW2, Olovo came under the occupation of the Independent State of Croatia in 1941. On 1 November 1941, four Chetnik companies with 400 Chetniks and parts of Partisan Romanija Detachment (Knežina, Bjelogoračka and Crepoljska companies) and Zvijezda Detachment (Nišić battalion and Crnovrška and Vlahinjska company) with total of 800 Partisans organized an unsuccessful attack on Olovo.[1][2]

The insurgents then stopped their artillery fire and replaced it with barrages of rifle fire of the infantry insurgent units. The commander of the 4th company of Sarajevo Reserve Battalion, Ante Marinković was wounded during this attack and his company had to retreat from "Stijena". After being inforced by one reserve platoon this company managed to recapture "Stijena" for short time only to retreat after being attacked by more numerous Chetnik forces. When Chetniks permanently captured "Stijena" they burned straws as signal to other insurgents about their success. This boosted morale of the insurgents to attack more fiercely the positions of Olovo garrison that began retreating from their positions. To avoid capture of his forces, garrison commander Streharski retreat to the positions west of the village Solun. On 17 December 1941 Olovo was recaptured by Chetnik and Partisan rebel units.[3]

On 18 December Streharski continued his retreat under fire until his forces reached Careva Ćuprija.[4]

Bosnian War

At the beginning of the Bosnian War, Olovo came under the control of the government forces under the command of the ARBiH.[5]

Olovo was successfully defended by the Army of the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina and was included in the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina in the Dayton Agreement, which was signed on 14 December 1995, ending the Bosnian War.[6]

Features

Today, Olovo is best known for its coniferous forests, blue sky, and clear swift waters coming from three main mountain rivers (Stupčanica, Krivaja, and Bioštica). Olovo hosts annual bullfights and festivals. It is a popular nightlife spot for youth from nearby villages. Olovo is also well known for its spa, which dates back to the period of Roman reign in the area.

Olovo is also a stopover for travelers to rest and change directions when traveling to cities such as Zenica and Zavidovići.

Demographics

According to the 2013 census, its population was 10,175 with 2,465 living in Olovo town.[7]

Ethnic Composition
Year Serbs  % Bosniaks  % Croats  % Yugoslavs  % others  % Total
19613,63532.07%5,90352.09%3142.77%1,40212.37%11,333
19713,60123.68%10,54669.36%9306.11%460.30%800.55%15,203
19813,34920.49%11,59370.94%8024.91%5083.12%16,341
19913,19618.91%12,69975.14%6533.86%2821.67%16,901
2013770.75%9,70195.34%2302.26%0.000.00%1391.36%10,175

Inhabited places

There are many small villages in the vicinity of Olovo. These are: Boganovići, Čuništa, Solun, Hadre, Bukovdo, Milankovići, Kamensko, Jelaške, Careva Ćuprija, Lišći, Gurdići, Dugandžići, Čude, Petrovići, Klis, Kolakovići, Berisalići, Brda, Luke, Lavšići, Ponijerka, Grabovica, Dreželj, Paklenik, Majna, Radačići, Ajvatovići, Miljevići, Rudine, Ligatići and Bakići.

Notable people

References
  1. Hronologija narodnooslobodilačkog rata 1941-1945, Beograd: Vojnoizdavački zavod. 1964, p 147 " Delovi Romanijskog NOP odreda i NOP odreda -Zvijezda- i četiri četničke čete izvršili neuspeo napad na Olovo."
  2. (Institut 1953, p. 121): "Olovo su opsjedale jedinice Romaniskog NOP odreda (Knežinska, Bieloeoračka i Crepoliska četa) i NOP odreda »Zvijezda« (Nišički bataljon, Crnovrška i Vlahinjska četa), ka 0 i oko četiri čete četnika. U svemu, Olovo je napalo oko 1.200 boraca, od kojih 800 partizana i 400 četnika."
  3. Hercegovine, Društvo istoričara Bosne i (1962). Godišnjak Društva istoričara Bosne i Hercegovine: Annuaire de la Société historique de Bosnie et Herzégovine. Društvo istoričara Bosne i Hercegovine. p. 112. Приликом ослобођења Олова 17. де- пембра 1941. године и ликвидације појединих упоришта његове спољне ... Из сарајевске чете Одреда»Звијезда« један вод са четнички настројеним командиром напустио је положаје на ...
  4. (Institut 1953, pp. 466, 467)
  5. "Underground Hospital: How a Hidden Bosnian War Clinic Saved Lives". Balkan Insight. 2020-04-10. Retrieved 2022-12-14.
  6. Daalder, Ivo H. (1998-12-01). "Decision to Intervene: How the War in Bosnia Ended". Brookings. Retrieved 2022-12-14.
  7. "Naseljena Mjesta 1991/2013" (in Bosnian). Statistical Office of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Retrieved February 1, 2022.
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Olovo.
Wikivoyage has a travel guide for Olovo.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.