Zenica


Zenica, an administrative center and a seat of the City of Zenica, is a city and an administrative and economic center of the Zenica-Doboj Canton in the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina entity of Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is located in the valley of river Bosna, about north of the country's capital Sarajevo. The city is known for Ironworks Zenica and the second heavy industry but also as a significant university center. According to the final results of 2013 population census in BiH, the settlement of Zenica itself counts 70,553 citizens and the Zenica City 110,663.
The urban part of today's city is formed in several phases, including Neolithic, Illyrian, Roman Municipium Bistua Nuova with early Christian dual basilica. Traces of an ancient settlement have been found here as well; villa rustica, thermae, a temple and other buildings were present too. Earliest findings in the place date from the period 3,000–2,000 B.C.; they were found on the localities of Drivuša and Gradišće. Zenica's current name was first mentioned on the 20 March 1436. Medieval church has been unearthed in Zenica, as well as Franciscan Monastery of St. Mary. Time of the independence of the Medieval Bosnia is directly connected to Zenica. During the Ottoman rule, Zenica became a Muslim town ; at the very end of the 17th century, Zenica had 2,000 citizens, mostly Muslims; Orthodox and Catholic Christians get mentioned again from the end of the 18th century, and Jews in the 19th century. Zenica has been mostly built in the Austro-Hungarian and Yugoslavian periods. Number of citizens has been rising rapidly during the 20th century, and from the Bosnian War until 2013 city lost a quarter of its population. Municipality of Zenica became the City of Zenica in 2014.
The city is geographically located in the heart of Bosnia. Area of the settled place is and of the City. The relief is valley-basin and the elevation. Rivers Bosna, Lašva, Babina and Kočeva flow through the city itself. The moderate continental climate prevails. The city has 13 urban local settlements and the City consists of total 81 spread rural settlements.
The city has nine national monuments. The football club Čelik is a landmark of Zenica, as is one of the tallest buildings on the Balkans – Lamela. Some of the most famous Zenicans are Semir Osmanagić, Anabela Basalo, Danis Tanović, Amar Jašarspahić Gile, Nihad Fetić Hakala, Mladen Krstajić, Dejan Lovren, Mervana Jugić-Salkić and Amel Tuka.

Etymology

There are several theories about the name.
; Tradition and legend
According to the orally transmitted tradition, city got its name after the pupil of the eye.
The legend about the name is connected with the saddest of times of the medieval Bosnian state and Croat people on the Balkans; fall of the Bosnia under Ottomans in 1463. In the folk stories of Catholic Croats, there is a legend that Zenica got its name after Queen Katarina Kosača Kotromanić's words, who was leaving Bobovac and said the following: "My pupil is left behind!"
Because of its location in the center of Zenica field, city associates to the eye pupil indeed.
Name of the city can also be derived from the word :wikt:zenit#Serbo-Croatian|zenit, because the city is in the center of the Bosnia and Herzegovina i.e. Bosnia.

History

The urban part of the today's Zenica formed through several determined phases which chronologically include the time of Neolithic community, Illyrian 'gradina', Roman Municipium Bistua Nuova, the most important founding in which the monumental early Christian basilica is mostly present, besides which only one other is identified in the Europe.
In the city Zenica's settlement of Bilimišće, traces of ancient settlement were found; in the City of Zenica's villages Putovići and Tišina, where villa rustica dominates, thermae, temple and a series of other following objects are present, too.

Prehistory

Earliest findings in the Zenica place date from the period 3,000 B.C. to 2,000 B.C.; they were found on the localities of Drivuša and Gradišće. The following findings are from the Metal Age in Orahovički stream near Nemila, Gračanica, Ravna and other places; metal axes, arrows, ornamental fibulae and ceramic remains were unearthed here.
Illyrians came to this region on the transition from Bronze to Iron Age. Their defensive buildings 'gradinas' are the most famous.
The urban part of today's Zenica has already formed in the younger Stone Age – Neolithic, and especially later in the time of Illyrians – today, toponyms of their 'gradinas' are proof for that; Gradišće, Gračanica, Gradac. That is how the royal city of Vranduk probably existed in the time of Illyrians, under the name Arduba.
There is a dilemma on the presence of the Illyrian tribe Desitiates in Zenica region. Solution are direct proofs from toponomastic material – such as toponym gradina which survived until today in the names of the mentioned settlements Gradac, Gradišće and Gračanica.
Recent international archaeological research, conducted by the Vienna, Zenica and Sarajevo students and scientists using modern technology, shows that settlements with people and animals were near Zenica over 3,100 years ago. Skeletons of pigs, cattle, and goats were found in Kopilo, an elevated place, indicating that humans then lived there; two tombs, two tumuli and a completely new prehistorical settlement 'Ravna gradina' were found, too.

Old Age

Romans have conquered these parts from the very end of the 3rd century B.C. Bellum Batonianum from 6th to 9th century was present in this area too. The Romans ruled continuously until the end of the 4th century. Roman authority did not remove settlements in the Illyrian 'gradinas'.
Today's area of Zenica had its peak in the first six centuries of the new era, when in the parts of nowadays Zenica – aside from Bistua Vetus and Delminium – one of the three most important municipiums and centers of Christian dioceses in Bosnia has been found: Bistua Nuova – seat of the Bistuenska diocese, seat of the Roman Christianity in the Bosnia area all time until the Slavs' arrival. Information that Bistua Nuova's bishop Andrew took part in and was a signer of Solin sinodas in 530 and 533 underlines its importance. Ancient tombstone monuments are from ancient Bistua Nuova, as well as remains of old Christian basilica etc. In the urban settlement of Odmut, and rural settlements of Putovići and Tišina, archaeologists found various findings; epigraphs stand out by their importance, which guided them towards conclusion that Bistua Nuova was in the Zenica area. It is not excluded that Bistua Nuova was right at the place of today's Zenica.
An important road towards Salona, Argentarium and Sirmium was passing through Bistua Nuova.
Barbarian invasions from the north stopped civilization continuity and shortly forced Christianity to retreat from these areas. During the invasions at the beginning of the 7th century Bistua Nuova was destroyed, along with its basilica. Four centuries of emptiness in the wells follow after the retreat of Christianity.
It is believed that Barbarian invasions destroyed a huge part of ancient inheritance. Goths, Avars and Slavs passed through this location. After their invasions almost one century was needed for first the Slav countries to form.

Medieval Bosnia

History on Medieval Zenica of 13th and 14th centuries is very insufficient. There is but a single item of evidence from 1244 about Croatian-Hungarian king Béla IV's charter. According to the documents that have been studied until so far, the city's current name was first mentioned on 20 March 1436, and later – Zenica is mentioned in a series of documents related to Republic of Ragusa.
In the period of Middle Ages, in 1370 more precisely, settlement Klopče was mentioned, as well as family of that name; on 8 January 1404, the Bosnian bishop from Janjići sent dispatches to the Ragusan prince Vlaho Sorkočević. In the Zenica settlement of Varošište, a medieval church has been unearthed and Franciscan monastery of St. Mary, which was built by sculptor Ivan Hrelić, a student of Juraj Dalmatinac.
Time of the political independence of the Middle Ages Bosnia is directly connected to Zenica, before all with Gradješa's plate and act of abjuration, by which Kulin ban's time was continued and it denotes facts of political power, too. Near the fortified city of Vranduk, the seat of Bosnian kings, Janjići and homes of the bishops of the Bosnian Church, with stećci in Puhovac and Pojske, several scribes and builders – among other – are the facts and proofs of a special significance of this place in the Middle Ages. Also with its names, and Zenica after 20 March 1436, this city is tied for central part of the country and river Bosna.

Ottoman era

In the times of Ottoman rule, the change of the direction of the main trade route in turn changed the city and except for a short period when it was a seat of Brod judge 'kadija' Zenica was a kasaba, again with characteristic lookalike made by several mosques, Madrasah, several maktabs, various nishans, shadirvans, inns, caravansaries, etc.
In one description from 1697 Zenica is discussed – where melons grow successfully "and whole place is very tame". According to the presumptions, Zenica had 2,000 citizens, among which Muslims dominated; at the end of 18th century Orthodox and Catholic Christians are mentioned again, and in 19th century Jews.
After ruination and exodus after the intrusion of Eugene of Savoy in 1697, time of stabilization begins for Zenica, and in administrative, urban, business and topographic sense Zenica čaršija stands out with its characteristic marks.

Austro-Hungarian era

After the Berlin Congress, held in 1878, the Austro-Hungarian monarchy was given the rights to occupy Bosnia and Herzegovina; armed resistance to occupying troops soon arose. It is believed that exactly Zenica, more precisely the Hadži Mazića house, was the place of negotiations between the representatives of the Ottoman authorities in the Bosnian vilayet, Hafiz-pasha and the commander of the Austro-Hungarian occupying forces, General Filipović, on the conditions of the cessation of the conflict.
Capital objects of wider social-economic importance were built; they became important for Zenica. They include the railway from Bosanski Brod to Zenica, the coal mine, the paper factory, the ironworks, and the penitentiary. In 1908 a power station was built in Zenica, which enabled the introduction of electric public lighting. State schools were also opened, the first in 1885, and the second in 1910; in this period in Zenica there were also confessional schools, one for the Catholic and Orthodox churches, and for three maktabs, madrasahs and rozdios ; Muhamed Seid Serdarević, the muallim in the Sultan Ahmed Madrasah in Zenica, advocated for the reform of the teaching, where the lectures began to be conducted in the local language and the program modernized in accordance with the requirements of the time. Cultural societies were organized, on a strictly national-confessional basis, such as the Croatian Singing Society, Zvečaj, the Czech Word and others; at the same time, other societies of general character are established, such as firefighters, hunters, mountaineers and others. In 1910 the first cinema, called Helios, was opened in Zenica, which raised the city culture to a new level. This will, aside from other things, cause a series of changes – both qualitative and quantitative shifts in the city's development.

End of the 19th century; 20th century

By the end of the 19th and at the beginning of the 20th century, urbanization was underway and the number of citizens increased several fold, according to the 1910 census in this place there were 7,215 men and women. The rapid growth was reflected by a construction boom: Orthodox Church of the Nativity of Our Lady in 1885, two Catholic churches in 1910, a synagogue in 1903 and several lodgings for the night, hotels, schools, water supply, and modern roads.
After World War I, the Kingdom of SHS was formed, which in 1929 became the Kingdom of Yugoslavia; Bosnia and Herzegovina belonged to these countries. The political, economic and social life of Bosnia and Herzegovina from 1918 to 1941 stagnated, although the situation changed slightly before the beginning of World War II, when certain investments in Ironworks Zenica came.
20th century in Zenica is generally marked with series of different characteristic phenomena, increased industrialization, especially after 1938 with Harsh railway being built, the :wikt:pauperization|pauperization of the part of the citizenry, its proletarization, as well as mixing of advanced urban European and still domestic Bosnian mentality and habits.
Specific-functions-and-purposes city develops, especially bordered with two facts – Penitentiary and Ironworks Zenica – but also precious confirmation of the coexistence of the Zenicans with different histories; the stone bridge has connected house of Kosta Jefić and Osmanaga Mehmedić, and Jewish Havra, for over 90 years.

Yugoslavia

In the period between 1941 and 1945, domestic people show evident effort to retain respect and consideration as well as protection of bare life from non-Muslims, through formation of their authentic sign, Muslim militias – in Šerići, Doglodi, Babino and through partisan units, what gave and had certain demands and weight.
It was a dimension of Zenica way to have anti-fascist resistance; this city had no major destruction, terror and victims. The dimension of the anti-fascist struggle were determined by their nationalist) ideology – which surfaced during the war and declined after the war.
After liberation of Zenica achieved by partisans on 12 April 1945, the city started to grow rapidly – as a quickly developed industrial center. It expanded and included the former villages of Bilino Polje, Klopče and Radakovo; new flat blocks were built for more numerous coalminers and workers in the steelworks. Number of citizens in 1948 was only about 15,000, and by 1961 it grew up to over 30,000; in year 1981, there was over 63,000 citizens in Zenica, and after the last Yugoslavian census made in Yugoslavia – Zenica was city with over 96,000 citizens. For the time of the Yugoslavian period, which has lasted for about 50 years, the population increased sixfold.

Bosnian War

One year before the outbreak of the Bosnian War, in 1991, Zenica became the seat of one of the first private and independent radio stations in Eastern Europe – Radio CD-CEMP. In the spring of 1993, journalist and owner of the Radio CD-CEMP, won a Belgian accolade for independent journalism – "The Pen Of Peace".
The first official civil victim of the Bosnian War in Zenica was a two-year-old Croat girl Matea Jurić, who was killed by a gunshot during the blockade of the military barrack of JNA in the urban settlement of Bilimišće. Today, meeting to remember Jurić is traditionally organized in Radakovo, where she has a memorial panel to lay flowers next to it.
On 19 April 1993, during the Muslim–Croat War, 16 civilians were killed and 50, injured, when HVO's grenade from a howitzer hit the central bazaar of Zenica. The grenade was shot from the village of Putićevo . A total of six grenades hit the target, three series of two. During this period Zenica was isolated from the rest of the world for a year and a half. The city suffered significant loss of the civic society from sniper fire, arson and hunger. The fourth-biggest city of BiH had neither water nor electricity.
During the war, an economic meeting ZEPS was still organized.
Zenica's populace changed much during the war, with the arrival of Muslims from other parts of BiH and the departure of Serbs to areas under Serb control.

21st century

Zenica recovers from the war and continues to slowly progress. The ruling party in the City of Zenica for 20 years was the majority Bosniak and Muslim Party of Democratic Action, for which i.e. time of its mayors the development of the settled place Zenica / city of Zenica advanced slowly, partly because of corruption and various types of misappropriation; many areas of the populated place itself did not get city lights, water supply and canalization and solidly asphalted roads even after 20 years.
The drastic population decrease was seen from 1991 to 2013 and it is ≈26%.
In 2014, Zenica – as well as other FBiH cities – saw violent citizen protests. The Municipality Building was smashed, RMK buildings also demolished, tens of people taken to the cantonal hospital and some officials resigned.
Municipality of Zenica was recategorised on 20 November 2014 as the City of Zenica.
2016 Bosnian-Herzegovinian municipal elections made independent politician a Zenica mayor for the first time in the recent city history; he planned to make the city a modern, European and regional center. During the three years of his term he accelerated development, focused on the city's core i.e. settled place Zenica; for the locations of priority importance, the city introduced city lights and water supply with canalization, road asphalting and transport improvement, plans for introducing a new heating system for the city are being made, New Year's concerts began to be held on the main city square open for all citizens and visitors as the main act, various new manifestations are organized for citizens and tourists while the trade-economic fair with a long history ZEPS expands – thus improving tourist i.e. economic potential. These are all reasons because of which city has more visitors from all continents, of which it is significant to mention Africa and Asia. The issue of stray dogs in the urban core was handled, pollution that culminated at the beginning and in the mid-2010s was reduced significantly, public transport was improved... There are plans to resolve a huge problem of unemployment and to modernize the education system, build city underground garage, as well as projects of warming the public city flat buildings with styrofoam facades. Manifestation Čimburijada, that have been present for several decades in Zenica, took place in 2019, too, with video-broadcast on TV Zenica.

Geography

Zenica is located in the heart of the Bosnia, in the central part of the river Bosna's flow, after which country BiH bears name. Coordinates of the city are 44° 12′ 14″ N and 17° 54′ 28″ E. It has average elevation of above sea level.
Area of Zenica is .

Location


Relief and spread

Relief of the City of Zenica is valley-basin. It is made up of a series of alluvial planes, hills, mountain passes and the like. The average altitude of the city itself surrounded by hills is ; however, there are many higher positions, such as Tvrtkovac, a hikers' destination of Zenicans, whose altitude is. The Zenica basin extends from the canyon Lašva river in the south to the Vranduk canyon and Vranduk gorge in the north – of an average length of and with an average altitude of. Overview of the highest hills and mountains is given in the table below.
Mountains and hills
Tvrtkovac
Hum
Vepar
Lisac
Smetovi
Klopačke stijene
Golubak
Vučijak
Zmajevac
Volovska glava
Janjićki vrh

The lowest parts in the relief context are along the river Bosna. As one moves towards east and west, altitudes increase; thus, northwestern and northeastern areas of the city are the highest.

Waters

Zenica city is characterized by many small rivers and streams; all of them completely belong to the Bosna river basin.
River Bosna is the most important water flow in the Zenica area. Spring of the river Bosna in Ilidža, near Sarajevo, and mouth in the river Sava near Bosanski Šamac; thus, the river has a natural flow from south to the north, what is usually uncommon but characteristic for larger number of rivers in BiH. Out of a total of, which is the total length of the river Bosna, flows throughout the cityity. Along the river Bosna there are roads and railway built; also, most of the citizens is concentrated along river Bosna.
Except Bosna, in the city itself there are flows of the rivers Lašva, Babina and Kočeva, and farther are Bistričak, Orahovička, Nemilska, Gračanička, Starinska and Džulanova rivers. The most significant streams are Tetovski, Zvečajski, Janjićki, Svitački and streams of Perin han I, Perin han II, Bukovica etc.

Climate

In the Zenica City area, moderate continental climate prevails. Summers are hot and winters moderately cold. Mean annual temperature is, average annual precipitation and unevenly distributed during the year, provided that there are no exceptionally dry months. The coldest month is January while July is the hottest . The lowest mean monthly temperature in Zenica was in January 1964 and maximal mean monthly temperatures were registered in August 2003 . Relative air humidity is 70% and cloudiness 6.1 tenths. Air pressure is 976.3 millibars. Zenica has one meteorological station; it was founded in 1925 and is located at an elevation of a.s.l.

Ecology

Zenica's industry polluted and damaged the environment. After the Bosnian War, the main culprit for hard ecological state in Zenica, ironworks, was incapacitated. However, a few years ago, the old steelworks partially resumed its operations, so because of these and other reasons the non-partisan, citizen organisation "Eko pokret Zenica" was founded in Zenica, and later the Greens of Bosnia and Herzegovina political party as well – with their seat in Zenica. In the city there is also "Eko-forum Zenica" as an acting organization.
The Babina river basin was declared a nature park after their intercession. There are initiatives to create a dam on the Vranduk, what would cause ecological catastrophe. The Greens of Bosnia and Herzegovina, and "Eko pokret" as well, are against this and advocate declaring Vranduk a national park.
The regional depony "Mošćanica" d.o.o. Zenica is located between Mošćanica, Mutnica, Palinovići, Briznik, Arnauti, Ponihovo and Plavčići villages, southeast of Zenica city; it collects all waste from Zenica and its vicinity; the Zenica waste management company – which moves garbage to "Mošćanica" and curates city parks, streets, etc. – is the German company Alba d.o.o.

Urban settlements

The urban part of Zenica consists of the following settlements – urban entities:
  • Jalija
  • Odmut
  • Mokušnice
  • Londža
  • Pišće
  • Blatuša
  • Crkvice
  • Babina River
  • New Radakovo
  • Sejmen
  • Old Čaršija
  • New Zenica
  • Lukovo Field

    Demographics

Zenica's population increased from 7,215 citizens in 1910 to 15,550 in 1948 and 63,869 in 1981.
According to the Population census in SR BiH from 1991, Zenica had 96,027 citizens. Zenica Municipality had 145,517 citizens by same census data, in 81 settlements. According to the official data of the 2013 population census in Bosnia and Herzegovina for the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina published by the Federal Office of Statistics of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina and then re-published by the Federal Office of Statistics, the populated place Zenica had 70,553 residents, while the City of Zenica had 110,663 inhabitants.
Many Serbs after the Bosnian War fled from the Zenica ; now they live in Republika Srpska and elsewhere in the world, too; on the Federation of BiH level, they are reduced to a statistical error.

Population



Population of Zenica city



Population of Zenica municipality

Ethnic composition

Common surnames

The most common surname in Zenica is Delić. It is followed by Spahić, and the most common BiH surname – Hodžić. These are followed by Bajramović, Isaković, Imamović, Halilović, Beganović and Šišić. The previously mentioned surnames are borne by about 5.5% of the city's population. Other common surnames are Arnaut, Babić, Bašić, Durmić, Fejzić, Pašalić, Mahmić, Kovačević and Alić.
In Zenica-Doboj Canton, as of February 2020, most common surnames are :
  1. Hodžić
  2. Halilović
  3. Delić
  4. Spahić
  5. Bašić
  6. Imamović
  7. Kovačević
  8. Kadrić
  9. Tadić
  10. Marković
  11. Babić
  12. Begić
  13. Alić
  14. Šehić
  15. Selimović
  16. Beganović
  17. Hadžić
  18. Muratović
  19. Tomić
  20. Šišić
  21. Dedić
  22. Karić
  23. Smajić
  24. Sinanović
  25. Jukić
  26. Vidović
  27. Ramić
  28. Dizdarević
  29. Brkić
  30. Softić
  31. Avdić
  32. Pavlović
  33. Matijević
  34. Bošnjak
  35. Pašalić
  36. Šabanović
  37. Fejzić
  38. Radić
  39. Kovač
  40. Lukić
  41. Petrović
  42. Hasić

    Economy

Zenica is a famous industrial center. In the development politics until today, base branches of industry prevailed. Exploitation of brown coal in Zenica has begun in 1880, and production of steel in 1892.
In the pre-war period, Zenica produced, among others, 1.4 tons of steel and 924,000 tons of coal, of cloth, 158,000 hL of milk etc. Employed workers numbered 53,419 – 49,415 in the social sector, and 4,004 employed men and women in private sector.
Even though the Bosnian War did not bring destruction into Zenica to the extent it did elsewhere, the war damaged the economy. It is reflected in the interruption of the continuous process of steel production and a huge decrease in its production.
Farming and cattle breeding have significant preconditions for further increase in production, with greater application of agrotechnical measures. In the farming production, the most prominent is the production of high quality potatoes – with significant market surpluses, carrots, onion, maize, wheat and vegetables. Outside Zenica, the famous sheep cheese is praised and sought after.
;Metal-sector companies
The most notable metal-sector companies from Zenica are ArcelorMittal, Femetall, Cimos, RM-LH, Bosio, Treasure.

Politics

Official symbols

City of Zenica has a coat of arms and a flag, which are official for the populated place, too.

CoA

The coat of arms is a square vertical rectangular field with half-circularly rounded bottom part framed with two lines, that have equal thickness and interspace. It has six elements shown with black lines of the same thickness. On the left side, following the frame of the coat of arms' field, the contour of the Bosna river can be seen, cut by two horizontal lines in the lower part – symbol of communication. In the remaining part of the coat of arms, there are four circular symbols : the symbol of Vranduk – northern gate of the city; one of the six crosses from ban Kulin's plate, symbol of Christianity at the same time; crescent moon – symbol of Islam and Ottoman period; and crossed hammers – symbol of coalmining and heavy industry and indirectly symbol of Austro-Hungarian period, too. The field of the coat of arms is colored yellow and light green. Yellow covers the field until the upper two circle elements level and the rest of the field is green. The crescent moon in the lower part is yellow in the variant. The contour of the river is almost white.

Flag

Zenica's flag's background is of same yellow and light green color as CoA has. Width vs length relationship is 1:2. Flag needs not to be used vertically positioned in all its variants. At the middle part there is uncolored coat of arms ; in the white variant CoA is colored. The width of the coat of arms occupies around of the horizontal i.e. of the width of the vertical flag, and in the variant with white background the height of the coat of arms occupies of the vertical flag height.
;Usage
Conditions and the way of usage of the coat of arms of Zenica is regulated by a special decision of the Council .

Governance: The seat of administration of the City

In the populated place Zenica there is seat of the Authority of the City of Zenica and seat of City of Zenica ; the Authority consists of a City Mayor, the Council of the City of Zenica and City Attorney's Office.

Mayors and City Mayors

For Zenica city role of importance is consequently played by City Mayor of Zenica City. Below is a list of former Zenica Mayors1–34 + * and City Mayors**.
  1. Ahmetaga Mutapčić
  2. Ali Harmandić
  3. Mahmud Tarabar
  4. Osman Mutapčić
  5. Ivo Ghey
  6. Ahmed Mutapčić
  7. Abdulaziz Asko Borić
  8. Eniz Mutapčić
  9. Mehmedalija Tarabar
  10. Ismet Salčinović
  11. Mustafa Čolaković
  12. Mustafa Mujagić
  13. Abdulaziz Asko Borić
  14. Jozo Marčinković
  15. Veljko Bilanović
  16. Nikola Spaić
  17. Safet Uzunović
  18. Đuro Vekić
  19. Milko Križanović
  20. Ezher Ezo Arnautović
  21. Vinko Jelčić
  22. Muhamed Berberović
  23. Abdulah Mutapčić
  24. Vinko Jelčić
  25. Nikola Mirković
  26. Salim Tarabar
  27. Muhamed Pašalić
  28. Nikola Telebak
  29. Omer Filipović
  30. Bogdan Kolar
  31. Ibrahim Alispahić
  32. Besim Spahić
  33. Ferid Alić
  34. Zakir Pašalić
  35. Husejin Smajlović *, **
  36. Fuad Kasumović **
----

Non-governmental organizations

Scouts are a children's and youth movement, and they accomplish their goals and programs with help of adult members of the organization.
Scouts mainly acquaint nature, make friendships and learn useful skills that can help in the future of the life – both in the civilized world and nature. The scout organization in Zenica marked in 2017 its 65th anniversary of continuous existence. Since its founding there have been about 100,000 young people with different orientations in the Zenica scout organization.

Culture

The city has the following institutions of cultural importance: the Camera Symphony Orchestra; Bosnian People's Theater with the Great Scene, Small Scene, Scene in the Basement and Kabare; Youth chorus; Art gallery; Museum of the City of Zenica. At the Bosnian People's Theater, beside the permanent ensemble, the Children's scene is also active with its own program.
The Croat culture society "Napredak", Zenica affiliate, from 2010 has organized within Easter days every year "Tucijada", competition on the occasion of the biggest Catholic festivity Easter. The goal is to find a participant with the strongest Easter-egg shell. Manifestation takes place in the rooms of the Croat house.
Since 2010 CCS "Napredak", Zenica affiliate, organizes every year on the occasion of Easter days Festival of the natural rakijas and liqueurs, also in the Croat house.
The medieval musical ensemble Fugato is from Zenica, and so are the reggae/dub/rock band Dubioza Kolektiv and pop-rock band Nemoguće Vruće. GUD "Filigran" Zenica and tamburaši "Zlatna žica" on 30 July took part in the International tamburaši's meetings, that represented the eight-night show of Zenica summer fest 2019.

National monuments

There are several national monuments of Bosnia and Herzegovina in Zenica, at the former Municipality's i.e. City from 2014. On the list of national monuments of BiH for Zenica there are following monuments:

Attractions

Zenica has remarkable base for the development of sport and mass physical culture. Zenica sportspeople and sportsworkers achieved a series of noted results – both on Bosnia and Herzegovina and international sports scenes.
FC Čelik is a two-time winner of the former Central European Cup. From the recognition of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Čelik has been thrice state champion, and won the Cup twice.
Significant results were made also by rugby players of Čelik, who were eight-time champions of SFR Yugoslavia, won the Cup six times and were double champion of BiH.
Since 1992, noted international results were made by tennis player Mervana Jugić, high jumper Elvir Krehmić, shooter Šejla Kurtagić, karatist Arnel Kalušić etc.
Zenica has 45 working clubs in which there are many professionally and amateur sportsworkers employed. Zenica is also the only BiH city in which there is working Club of extreme sports, with focuses on alpinism and sports climbing.

Clubs list

  • Aeroklub "Zenica"
  • Asocijacija
  • Asocijacija "Zenica"
  • Atletski klub "Zenica"
  • Biciklistički klub "Zenica – Metalno"
  • Bokserski klub "Čelik"
  • Invalidski odbojkaški klub "Bosna"
  • Džudo klub "Policajac"
  • Karate klub ""
  • Karate klub "Zenica – Mladost"
  • Karate klub "Nico"
  • Košarkaški invalidski klub "Bosna"
  • Klub borilačkih vještina "Isak"
  • Klub ekstremnih sportova "Scorpio"
  • Košarkaški klub "Čelik"
  • Košarkaški klub "Čelik"
  • Košarkaški klub "Željezara – Zenica"
  • Klub sjedeće odbojke "Zenica 92"
  • Malonogomentni klub "Drugari"
  • Fudbalski klub "Borac"
  • Fudbalski klub "Iris"
  • Fudbalski klub "Čelik"
  • Fudbalski klub "Nemila"
  • Fudbalski klub "Zenica 97"
  • Fudbalski klub "Zlatni ljiljan"
  • Fudbalski klub "Željezničar"
  • Odbojkaški klub "Zenica"
  • Odbojkaški klub "Ruki"
  • Plivački klub "Željezara"
  • Plesni klub "Latino"
  • Rafting klub "Žara"
  • Rafting klub "Bosna"
  • Ragbi klub "Čelik"
  • Ragbi klub "Rudar"
  • Ragbi klub "Zenica 72"
  • Rukometni klub "Čelik"
  • Smučarski klub "Zenica"
  • Stonoteniski klub "Mladost"
  • Stonoteniski klub "Željezara"
  • Streljački klub "Zenica"
  • Šahovski klub "Čelik"
  • Šahovski klub "Preporod"
  • Teniski klub "Čelik"
  • Tekvondo klub "Zenica"
  • Udruženje građana sportskih ribolovaca RD "Bistro" Zenica
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Transportation and infrastructure

Zenica is connected with Sarajevo by railway and road lines – both of which follow the valley of the Bosna river. Highway А1 connects Zenica with Sarajevo and Mostar. The railway follows further to the south, and at the end it comes to the coast in Ploče.
Roads in the city are relatively bad. Exceptions are newly-built main city magistral and some parts of the main city roads in the center and New Zenica. Widening of the roads toward some surrounding settlements and villages is being prepared, and works have begun in some places already.
The most important infrastructure and transportation companies from Zenica are Almy Gradnja, ITC, Arcon, Arel, Uniprojekt Komerc – Inžinjering, Komgrad – Ze, Almy-transport, Geosonda, Engra, ŽGP – Zenica.
Closest airport is Sarajevo International Airport.
; Rebuild of Vranduk tunnel
During 2019, the city faces the problem of rebuilding the "Vranduk" tunnel, that will according to the plans last even until the end of the first quarter of the following year; transportation is basically done in one lane alternately, and sometimes there is complete stopping of traffic and accidents of many types occur very often.

Education

There are 19 elementary and 12 high schools in Zenica city. Among others, there are elementary and high music schools, an elementary special school, and Catholic school center "Saint Paul" which has an elementary school and a gymnasium.
Zenica is a university city. The University of Zenica consists of several faculties: Mechanical Engineering Faculty, Metallurgy and Materials Faculty, Philosophy, Law, Economics, Medicine, Islamic Pedagogical Faculty and Polytechnic Faculty.

Media

The main medium of communication in the city is its public service, Radio and Television of Zenica. It is seated in Boulevard of King Tvrtko I street, across the road where the main city bus station is located. There are no other television stations in the city; the closest is NTV IC Kakanj. There are many other radio stations, such as: Radio Zenit, Narodni Radio Zenica, Radio Mix, Radio TNT Zenica, Radio ZOS, Uživo radio, BM radio, Q radio Zenica, YUB radio, Radio Zeničko nebo, and Radio Dijaspora Zenica.
Zenica has one newspaper and it is free of charge, Superinfo, distributed to the citizens at street stands or by paper boys who bring them to most of the public flat buildings in the city. The city has an official gazette. The seats of the national Dnevni avaz and Oslobođenje and local Naša riječ newspapers correspondence offices are located in Zenica, in the "Jabuka" building below Hamida hill, in Masarykova and on the other side of the building where RTVZE has its seat, respectively.

Notable people


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International relations

Zenica is twinned with: