Industrial Heritage in Serbia

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State of Preservation and Research

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Rifat Kulenovic, Museum of Science and Technology, Industrial Heritage Research Sector

Serbian Academy of Sciences and Arts,,Department of  Archaeology,,Belgrade, Novi Sad,and,Museum of Scence and Technology

Department for Industrial Archaeology, Belgrade

   

Subject of research

Industrial heritage in Serbia has been dealt with within the Serbian Academy of Sciences and Arts, Department of Archaeology, and the Museum of Science and Technology, Department for Industrial Archaeology. The focus of research is on physical remains of old industries, regardless of whether the original production processes are retained or not, while the realms of crafts, non-mechanized manufacture and history of technical sciences are of secondary interest. The research has been conducted for a few years and its current phase could be defined as initial. At this point, the priority is field survey and the formation of a database intended for a future catalogue of industrial heritage.

 

Area

The research covers the territory of the Republic of Serbia. Two zones differing in the type and scale of industrial development have been outlined. The divergence is due to different historical backgrounds, i.e. to the fact that present-day Serbia includes the territory of the former Kingdom of Serbia and that of Vojvodina, formerly within Austria-Hungary.

The industrialization of Vojvodina began in the eighteenth century, and was centred upon food production and processing, irrigation systems and transport network. The same process in Serbia was delayed, and it only began in the second half of the nineteenth century. In addition to the food industry and transport network, it was also characterized by larger industrial plants, the production of electricity and the military industry.

The discrepancies in the type, pace and scale of industrialization and the different historical backgrounds of the two geopolitical wholes will not be taken into consideration in this review of the research done so far.

 

Chronological frame

The research covers the period between the beginning of the eighteenth and mid-twentieth centuries.

 

Sources 

In addition to historical and oral sources, the archives of Belgrade keep a considerable amount of material for the period between 1920 and 1941. Though incomplete, analyses indicate a poorer archival coverage for two preceding centuries. There are a number of publications directly and/or indirectly related to the subject, but none of them is exclusively dedicated to the industrial heritage of eighteenth-, nineteenth- and twentieth-century Serbia.  

 

State of research

Some eighty per cent of the industrial heritage in Vojvodina has been surveyed, and about fifty per cent in Serbia. From a comparison between oral reports, historical sources and field survey I have inferred that a considerable number of the investigated industrial sites are either devastated or underwent extensive change in terms of purpose and appearance.

It has been reliably established that some of the as yet uninvestigated sites contain well-preserved industrial units, some of which are still functioning or even maintain the original production processes. Provided that the ongoing field survey keeps its steady pace, it is to be expected that most of them will be investigated and that part of the results will be published in the next two years.

 

State of preservation

The most important and the most interesting category of monuments comprises those that have never ceased functioning or are still operable. In most cases, it means that they are well preserved, that their maintenance is constant and competent, and that original technologies have been retained. Some of them have to a lesser extent been renewed or, rarely, renovated.

This group includes industrial units of varied purposes, mostly up to a hundred years old. For example, water-pump stations forming part of irrigation systems such as those round Carsko jezero (Imperial Lake) near Ecka, or those in Srem and Banat, all dating from about 1900. 

– Dubovac Water-Pump Station, Dubovac on the Danube, 1910

– Boljevci Water-Pump Station, Boljevci on the Sava, about 1900

– Fenek Water-Pump Station, Boljevci on the Sava, about 1900

The group also includes power-driven mills, built mostly in the first half of the twentieth century, for example:

– Maric Mill, in Beli Potok near Belgrade, about 1930

– T. and P. Meda Mill, Vladimirovac near Vrsac, about 1905

– Mill in Alibunar, near Kovin, about 1910

– Mill in Grocka near Belgrade, about 1930

– Dimitrijevic Mill, in Barajevo near Belgrade, about 1920

– Mill of, Straza near Vrsac, built about 1930, renovated

There are several hydroelectric plants built in the early twentieth century:

– HE Plant Saint Petka on the Nisava River near Nis, 1908;

There are also a number others, for example:

– Jasenovo railway station, near Vrsac, 1858

– Sawmill in Obrenovac near Belgrade, 1905

– Brickyard, Kovin, 1880

 

The second category of monuments includes either complexes of industrial units or individual structures within modern plants with old machinery or even original production processes preserved. The state of preservation of these structures, machinery and processes, however, is very varied. (Zorka Chemicals, Subotica, 1904: Old Foundry, Kragujevac, 1880; Senj Mines, Senj, about 1853; with a unique steam engine powering the lift taking the miners up and down the shaft). In most cases, the owners are aware that relics of the past deserve to be protected and they do it. Consequently, in addition to maintaining the old machinery operable, some modern factories have founded their own museums.:

– Zorka Chemicals, Sabac, 1934; the original technology of blue vitriol (cupric sulfate) production has been preserved.

– SARTID Steelworks, Smederevo, 1921

 

The third category includes monuments reduced to a building with some machinery or none at all, and usually disused for ten years or more. When their architecture or building construction and/or location are attractive enough, such structures often undergo a change of purpose, are renovated and well maintained. Not infrequently, this new function is an exclusive gastronomy and/or office space.

– Weifert Brewery, Pancevo, 1722, situated in the then industrial and customs zone. Unfortunately, only buildings have survived and nothing of the original technology. Its purpose has been changed.

– Aman Brewery, Apatin, 1756. Its buildings, along with some disused machinery, have been largely preserved, converted into offices and incorporated into the modern brewery.

– Milan Vapa’s Paper Factory, Belgrade, 1924

This plentiful category also includes structures that are neither revitalized nor given a new purpose. Their state of preservation, regardless of their size and importance, ranges from very good to devastated. Some examples are:

– Thermoelectric Plant Snaga i svetlost (Strength and Light), Belgrade, 1934. It was shut down some forty years ago and has nothing of the old machinery. Its planned adaptation for a cultural centre has had to be postponed indefinitely for the lack money.

– Mill of the First Shareholders’ Society, Belgrade, 1901. For quite some time the largest power-driven mill in the Balkans, it was in use until 1990. The old machinery has been sold off and, to add to misfortune, a part of the complex was gutted by fire. The project of its renovation and adaptation for a new function is currently in preparation.

– Lighthouse, Pancevo, 1909

– Apel Mill, Kovin, about 1900

The third category of monuments also includes some that are completely abandoned and neglected. Although often solidly built, they are nothing but a gloomy sight.

On the periphery of Belgrade and Novi Sad there are a few such zones, (for example:)

– Old industrial zone, Novi Sad (Liman 4), about 1920

– Old industrial zone, Cement Factory, Belgrade, about 1930

 

Technical protection

A small number of the monuments of industrial heritage in Serbia have been revitalized. In addition to a systematic approach, this kind of protection requires considerable finances and is primary dependent on the motivation and means of owners.

 

Legal protection

Very few monuments are legally protected. The institutions in charge of protection and the Museum of Technology are currently taking action to amend that state of affairs.

 

The imminent steps

The imminent activity involves the finalization of field survey, the preparation and publication of a catalogue, legal protection for the major monuments, and support to the owners aimed at the best possible protection and presentation.

 

 

 

Congres of  Mitteleuropaische Union Technischer Museen

Praha, 3-5.10. 2001.