Kragujevac

Kragujevac, city in central Serbia. It lies on the Lepenica River, a tributary of the Morava.

Kragujevac is the chief city of the Šumadija region, in which at the beginning of the 19th century Karadjordje led the first Serbian uprising against the Turks. It was the capital of Serbia from 1818 to 1841, during which time a high school, a theatre, a military school, and a printing press were established. The first newspaper in Serbia, Novine Srbske, was published there. In 1941 German military authorities executed 7,000 males between the ages of 14 and 70 from the area of Kragujevac and Kraljevo; a monument recalls the massacre.

Agricultural crops include wheat, corn (maize), and sugar beets. The breeding of livestock (cattle, pigs, and sheep) also contributes to the local economy, which is dominated by industry. Products include motor vehicles, electrical goods, machinery, weapons, industrial chains, and textiles. Publishing and printing also contributes to the local economy. Much of the city’s infrastructure was damaged during the NATO bombing of Yugoslavia in 1999. The city is the seat of the University of Kragujevac (founded 1976). Pop. (2002) 146,373; (2011) 150,835.