Gacko (Serbian Cyrillic: Гацко) is a town and municipality in Republika Srpska, Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is situated in the region of East Herzegovina. As of 2013, the town has a population of 5,784 inhabitants, while the municipality has 8,990 inhabitants.

Gacko
Гацко
Gacko
Gacko
Coat of arms of Gacko
Location of Gacko
Location of Gacko
Coordinates: 43°10′N 18°32′E / 43.167°N 18.533°E / 43.167; 18.533
Country Bosnia and Herzegovina
Entity Republika Srpska
Geographical regionHerzegovina
Boroughs71 (as of 2008)
Government
 • Municipal mayorVukota Govedarica (SDS)
 • Municipality735.88 km2 (284.12 sq mi)
Population
 (2013 census)
 • Town
5,784
 • Municipality
8,990
 • Municipality density12/km2 (32/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC+1 (CET)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+2 (CEST)
Area code59
Klinje lake
Gacko

Geography

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The municipality covers an area of 736 km2 (284 sq mi), making it one of the largest municipalities in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

The town is near the state border with Montenegro.

History

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Middle Ages

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In the 14th century the region was governed by the powerful Vojinović family.[1]

In 1359, veliki čelnik Dimitrije controlled the region.[2]

Ottoman period

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The rebels were defeated at the field of Gacko. This was ultimately due to the lack of foreign support.[3]

Modern history

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Austro-Hungarian authorities took it over in 1878, a decision which was made at the Berlin Congress. In 1908, Austria-Hungary annexed Bosnia and Herzegovina sparking the Bosnian Crisis, which eventually led to World War I.

After the war, Gacko joined the State of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes, and later the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes by the end of 1918. These were the first moments of Yugoslavia's existence.

The Croatian fascist Ustaše movement committed the Gacko massacre on 4 June 1941. In response, on 6 June 1941 the rebels from Gacko under the command of Orthodox priest Radojica Perišić started the uprising against the genocidal Independent State of Croatia known as the June 1941 uprising in eastern Herzegovina. The communist historiography intentionally ignored the pre-22 June rebels in Eastern Herzegovina and Sanski Most, because they occurred in the period of collaboration between the communists and fascists, therefore contradicting the communist narrative about rebels being led by communists.[4] On the other hand, the first Partisan battalion established in Gacko at the end of 1941 was named "6th June" in honor of the first date of the uprising.[5] During the period after the Fall of the Berlin Wall, the Gacko municipality proclaimed 6 June as their holiday in honor of the beginning of the uprising and held public ceremonies on 6 June named the Day of Gacko.[6]

During the Bosnian War most of the non-Serb population of Gacko and East Herzegovina was driven out or murdered by the VRS and affiliated Serb nationalist paramilitary[7][8] groups during the creation of the then self-declared Republika Srpska entity.

Settlements

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Aside from the town of Gacko, the municipality includes the following settlements:

Demographics

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Population

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Population of settlements – Gacko municipality
Settlement 1879. 1885. 1895. 1910. 1921. 1931. 1948. 1953. 1961. 1971. 1981. 1991. 2013.
Total 9,295 10,582 12,675 15,107 13,667 15,235 14,424 14,628 13,296 12,033 10,279 10,788 8,990
1 Avtovac 594 261
2 Dobrelji 143 257
3 Gacko 1,527 5,911 1,368 1,604 2,602 4,584 5,784
4 Lipnik 253 214
5 Miholjače 334 604

Ethnic composition

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Parish home
 
Serbian Orthodox Church in Dobrelji
 
Church of St. Elijah in Nadinići
 
Serbian traditional clothing from Gacko
Ethnic composition – Gacko town
2013. 1991. 1981. 1971.
Total 5,784 (100,0%) 4,584 (100,0%) 2,602 (100,0%) 1,604 (100,0%)
Bosniaks 2,253 (49,15%) 1,235 (47,46%) 776 (48,38%)
Serbs 2,144 (46,77%) 1,100 (42,28%) 776 (48,38%)
Others 81 (1,767%) 10 (0,384%) 6 (0,374%)
Yugoslavs 78 (1,702%) 207 (7,955%) 15 (0,935%)
Croats 28 (0,611%) 17 (0,653%) 10 (0,623%)
Montenegrins 31 (1,191%) 20 (1,247%)
Macedonians 1 (0,038%)
Albanians 1 (0,038%)
Slovenes 1 (0,062%)
Ethnic composition – Gacko municipality
2013. 1991. 1981. 1971.
Total 8,990 (100,0%) 10,788 (100,0%) 10,279 (100,0%) 12,033 (100,0%)
Serbs 8,556 (95,17%) 6,661 (61,74%) 6,215 (60,46%) 7,634 (63,44%)
Bosniaks 369 (4,105%) 3,858 (35,76%) 3,424 (33,31%) 4,184 (34,77%)
Others 50 (0,556%) 156 (1,446%) 22 (0,214%) 33 (0,274%)
Croats 15 (0,167%) 29 (0,269%) 21 (0,204%) 15 (0,125%)
Yugoslavs 84 (0,779%) 380 (3,697%) 20 (0,166%)
Montenegrins 215 (2,092%) 142 (1,180%)
Macedonians 1 (0,010%) 3 (0,025%)
Albanians 1 (0,010%) 1 (0,008%)
Slovenes 1 (0,008%)

Economy

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The Dam on the Klinje Lake is the biggest in the municipality
 
Gacko Power Plant

The Gacko coal mine and thermoelectric powerplant is located in the municipality, and is also the largest employer in the area.

The following table gives a preview of the total number of registered people employed in professional fields per their core activity (as of 2018):[9]

Professional field Total
Agriculture, forestry and fishing 28
Mining and quarrying 682
Manufacturing 31
Electricity, gas, steam and air conditioning supply 1,246
Water supply; sewerage, waste management and remediation activities 129
Construction 230
Wholesale and retail trade, repair of motor vehicles and motorcycles 155
Transportation and storage 78
Accommodation and food services 75
Information and communication 16
Financial and insurance activities 21
Real estate activities -
Professional, scientific and technical activities 15
Administrative and support service activities 2
Public administration and defense; compulsory social security 183
Education 185
Human health and social work activities 79
Arts, entertainment and recreation 39
Other service activities 36
Total 3,230

Sporta

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The local football club, FK Mladost Gacko, plays in the First League of the Republika Srpska.

Volleyball teams, both men's and women's, are among the most successful in Bosnia and Herzegovina, with the women's volleyball team being vice champions multiple times, also winning the Cup of Republika Srpska once.

Notable people

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See also

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References

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  1. ^ Fine, John Van Antwerp Jr. (1994). The Late Medieval Balkans: A Critical Survey from the Late Twelfth Century to the Ottoman Conquest. University of Michigan Press. p. 53. ISBN 978-0-472-08260-5.
  2. ^ Glas. Vol. 78–80. SANU. 1908. p. 196.
  3. ^ Ćorović, Vladimir (2001) [1997]. "Преокрет у држању Срба". Историја српског народа (in Serbian). Belgrade: Јанус.
  4. ^ Mandić, Petar. "Prva puška hercegovačka". Novosti. Večernje Novosti. Retrieved 28 April 2020.
  5. ^ Književnost. Prosveta. 2004. p. 7. Да је овај Устанак почео 6. а не 7. јуна, зна се и по томе што се први партизански батаљон, који је настао у Гацку крајем 1941. године, звао Батаљон 6. јун
  6. ^ Crnogorac, Svetozar. "DAN ZA ISTORIJU – 6. JUN 1941: Hercegovci započeli prvi ustanak u porobljenoj Evropi". Herceg TV. Retrieved 28 April 2020.
  7. ^ Mackic, Erna. "War Crimes Shrouded in Silence in East Herzegovina". Balkan Insight. Retrieved 2 May 2024.
  8. ^ Dzidic, Denis (20 May 2019). "Bosnia Charges Ex-Policeman with Abusing, Killing Bosniaks". Balkan Insight.
  9. ^ "Cities and Municipalities of Republika Srpska" (PDF). rzs.rs.ba. Republika Srspka Institute of Statistics. 25 December 2019. Retrieved 31 December 2019.

Bibliography

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