Preševo (, ; , ) is a town and municipality located in the Pčinja District of southern Serbia. As of the 2022 census, the municipality has a population of 33,449 inhabitants. It is the southernmost town in Central Serbia and largest in the geographical region of Preševo Valley.
Preševo is also a modern cultural center of Albanians in Serbia. Albanians form the ethnic majority of the municipality, followed by Serbs, Roma and other ethnic groups.
History
Slavs arrived roughly in the 7th century, when they first migrated to the Balkans, and by the Middle Ages, Preševo was part of the Kingdom of Serbia. According to Serbian Emperor Stefan Dušan's charter to the monastery of Arhiljevica dated August 1355, sevastokrator Dejan possessed a large province east of Skopska Crna Gora. It included the old župe (counties) of Žegligovo and Preševo (modern Kumanovo region with Sredorek, Kozjačija and the larger part of Pčinja).Историско друштво НР Србије 1951, pp. 20-21: Mandić 1986, p. 161: As despot under the rule of Serbian monarch Stefan Uroš V, Dejan was entrusted with the administration of the territory between South Morava, Pčinja, Skopska Crna Gora (hereditary lands) and in the east, the Upper Struma river with Velbuzhd, a province notably larger than during Dušan's life.Fajfric, 42Mihaljčić 1989, p. 81: After the death of Dejan, his province, besides the župe of Žegligovo and Upper Struma, was appropriated to nobleman Vlatko Paskačić.Fajfric, 45. Braća Mrnjavčević Dejan's eldest son Jovan also received the title of despot, like his father before, by Emperor Uroš.Samardzic 1892 p. 22: In the new redistribution of feudal power, after 1371, the brothers despot Jovan and gospodin Konstantin greatly expanded their province.Михаљчић 1975, p. 174Историјски гласник Друштва историчара СР Србије 1994, p. 31 Not only did they recreate their father's province but also at least doubled the territory, on all sides, but chiefly towards the south. Ottoman sources report that in 1373, the Ottoman army compelled Jovan (who they called Saruyar) in the upper Struma, to recognize Ottoman vassalage.Edition de lA̕cadémie bulgare des sciences, 1986, "Balkan studies, Vol. 22", p. 38 As King of Serbia Prince Marko had done, also the Dejanović brothers recognized Ottoman sovereignty.Ćorović 2001, ch. 3, XIII. Boj na Kosovu Although vassals, they had their own government. In the Wallachian victory at the Battle of Rovine (17 May 1395), both Marko and Konstantin died.Ćorović 2001, ch. 4, I. Srbi između Turaka i Mađara The provinces of Marko and Konstantin became Ottoman.
From 1877 to 1913, Preševo was part of Kosovo Vilayet of the Ottoman Empire. According to the statistics of the Bulgarian ethnographer Vasil Kanchov, from 1900, the settlement is recorded as Prešovo as having 2000 inhabitants, all Albanian Muslims.Vasil Kanchov. "Macedonia. "Ethnography and statistics." Sofia, 1900, p. 218 Following the First Balkan War in 1912, the Kingdom of Serbia returned the area.
Yugoslavia (1918–92) The Kingdom of Yugoslavia was formed after World War I. From 1929 to 1941, Preševo was part of the Vardar Banovina.
During the April War the Kingdom of Yugoslavia capitulated after 12 days of war against the Axis powers. On April 20, Bulgaria occupied part of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia, including Preševo. The royal authoritarian dictatorship of Bulgaria occupied the area until September 7, 1944, when they handed the area over to Nazi Germany. The Albanian collaborationist regime, along with Balli Kombëtar, subsequently took over the area. In mid-November, the Partisans forced the Balli Kombëtar to retreat.
From 1945 until 1992, Preševo was part of Socialist Republic of Serbia, within SFR Yugoslavia.
Breakup of Yugoslavia (1991–99)
In 1992, the Albanians separatists in the area organized a referendum in which they voted that Preševo, Medveđa and Bujanovac should join the self-declared assembly of the proto-state Republic of Kosova. However, no major events happened until the end of the 1990s.
During the NATO bombing of Yugoslavia in 1999, a total of 161 depleted uranium bullets have been recovered in Reljan near Preševo in southern Serbia. The Serbian government has funded the cleanup operation of the Reljan site with 350,000 euros.Current Issues – Depleted Uranium Weapons in the Balkans
Following the breakup of Yugoslavia, and nearby Kosovo War which lasted until 1999, between 1999 and 2001, an ethnic Albanian paramilitary separatist organization, the UÇPMB, raised an armed insurgency in the Preševo Valley, in the region mostly inhabited by Albanians, with a goal to occupy these three municipalities from Serbia and attempt to join them to the self-proclaimed proto-state Republic of Kosova.
Following the overthrow of Slobodan Milošević, the new Serbian government suppressed the violence by 2001 and defeated the separatists. NATO troops also helped the Serbian government by ensuring that the rebels do not import the conflicts back into Kosovo.
In 2009, Serbia opened a military base Cepotina 5 kilometers south of Bujanovac, to further stabilize the area.
Modern Today, Preševo is located in the Pčinja District of southern Serbia.
On 7 March 2017, the President of Albania Bujar Nishani made a visit to the municipalities of Bujanovac and Preševo, in which Albanians form the ethnic majority.
Settlements Aside from the town of Preševo, the municipality includes the following settlements:
Aliđerce Berčevac Bujić Bukarevac Bukovac Buštranje Cakanovac Cerevajka Crnotince Čukarka Depce Donja Šušaja Gare Golemi Dol Gornja Šušaja Gospođince Ilince Kurbalija Ljanik Mađare Miratovac Norča Oraovica Pečeno Rajince Ranatovce Reljan Sefer Slavujevac Stanevce Strezovce Svinjište Trnava Žujince
Demographics
According to the 2002 census results, the municipality of Preševo has 34,904 inhabitants. The 2011 census was largely boycotted by the majority (Albanians) of the municipality. As a result, only 3,080 were inhabitants were registered. As of the 2022 census, the municipality has a population of 33,449 inhabitants.
Ethnic groups According to the census conducted in 2002, Albanians form nearly 90% of the municipality, and over 95% of the town. Most of the remainder of its inhabitants are Serbs, who are mainly concentrated in the settlements of Ljanik, Svinjište, Slavujevac and Cakanovac. The rest of the settlements have an absolute Albanian majority.
The ethnic composition of the municipality: Ethnic group Population1961 Population1971 Population1981 Population1991 Population2002 Population20112022 CensusPopulation%Albanians18,22923,62528,96134,99231,09841631,34093.7Serbs6,7415,7774,2043,2062,9842,2941,6074.8Roma1463124345053222712190.6Macedonians437136 -211460.0Muslims407010011815210.0Montenegrins1481972 -10.0Yugoslavs94182735 -110.0Others1,43117616780462822740.8Total26,73830,05733,94838,94334,9043,08033,449
Notable people
Bardhly Osmani, Albanian guerrilla separatist for the UÇPMB Fidan Aliti, Kosovo-Albanian footballer, national team Idriz Seferi, Albanian nationalist figure, born in Sefer Iljasa Zulfiu, Albanian-Serbian footballer
Economy The average salary in Preševo (2025) is significantly below the national net wage average.
The following table gives a preview of the total number of registered people employed in legal entities per their core activity (as of 2022): Activity TotalAgriculture, forestry and fishing8Mining and quarrying43Manufacturing696Electricity, gas, steam and air conditioning supply2Water supply; sewerage, waste management and remediation activities68Construction231Wholesale and retail trade, repair of motor vehicles and motorcycles487Transportation and storage436Accommodation and food services198Information and communication25Financial and insurance activities30Real estate activities-Professional, scientific and technical activities96Administrative and support service activities24Public administration and defense; compulsory social security595Education690Human health and social work activities302Arts, entertainment and recreation107Other service activities122Individual agricultural workers19Total4,180
Politics
Elections In December 2005, the leader of the Albanian Democratic party (PDSH) Ragmi Mustafa became the president of the municipality. He was re-elected several times and served as the president of the municipality until 2016.
On 7 March 2017, the President of Albania Bujar Nishani made a historical visit to the municipalities of Preševo and Bujanovac, in which Albanians form the ethnic majority. Three days later, Ardita Sinani became the president of the municipality of Preševo, following the resignation of Shqiprim Arifi due to the termination of the municipal coalition.
Stele controversies 2012–13
On 21 November 2012, the municipality council of Preševo erected a stele in the center of the town honouring members of the former UÇPMB, who died during the Preševo Valley Conflict from 1999 to 2001, causing a public outcry throughout Serbia. The Prime Minister of Serbia, Ivica Dačić, said about this incident: "It's best that they remove it themselves, because this is a needless provocation, nowhere else in Europe can a memorial plaque be erected to those who are members of terrorist organizations and those who were directly involved in the murders of police officers and soldiers". He called for the removal of the stele by 17 January, then several Albanian politicians and organizations responded with criticism. Mayor of Preševo Ragmi Mustafa said that the stele shows the identity of the Albanians in the region and announced that it would end the cooperation with national authorities of Serbia if the monument were removed. Serbian Minister of Defence Aleksandar Vučić announced that they will act in frame of the law in connection with the controversial stele, and that no one can act against them for all are under the same applicable constitution. He added that Serbia wants peace but will respond to any provocation.
Deputies of the Assembly of Kosovo Rexhep Selimi and Nait Hasani, a former member of the Kosovo Liberation Army (UÇK), threatened armed conflict if the institutions of Serbia removed the memorial plaque. The former U.S. diplomat, United Nations regional representative of Mitrovica Gerard Gallucci said: "Serbs, do not fall for provocations like this with the memorial plaque in Preševo". President of the National Assembly of Serbia Nebojša Stefanović explained that it is unacceptable that in Serbia there is a memorial plaque to a terrorist organization and those who killed the citizens of Serbia. He added that is not an ethnic conflict, but the problem is the honoring of those who killed Serbs with a memorial plaque in Serbia. Nevertheless, a member of the Coalition of Albanians of the Preševo Valley, Jonuz Musliu, which has one seat in the Parliament of Serbia, said that the stele would not be removed. However, the stele was removed by a bulldozer which was guarded by members of the Serbian Gendarmery on 20 January 2013. Despite threats from various Albanian nationalist organizations, there were no incidents during and after the removal.
As a first reaction, the former commander of UÇPMB, Orhan Rexhepi, made the separatist statement that this is a "historic day", because "Preševo and Bujanovac will be a part of Kosovo." Ragmi Mustafa, Preševo's Mayor, confirmed shortly afterwards that the Albanians want a union with Kosovo for a long time.