Early During the 7th millennium BC, the
Starčevo culture thrived for millennia, followed by the 6th millennium BC
Vinča culture which also flourished in the region. The
Paleo-Balkan tribes of
Dacians and
Thracians emerged in the area during the 2nd millennium BC, with the
Celtic Scordisci raiding the Balkans in the 3rd century BC. In the 1st century BC, the
Roman Empire conquered Vinceia. Subsequently, it was incorporated into
Moesia, later becoming part of
Moesia Superior. During the administrative reforms of
Diocletian (244–311), it was included in the
Diocese of Moesia, and later in the
Diocese of Dacia. Vinceia held significance as a principal town of Moesia Superior, situated near the confluence of the Margus and Brongus rivers.
Middle Ages The modern founder of the city was the Serbian despot
Đurađ Branković in the 15th century, who built Smederevo Fortress in 1430 as the new Serbian capital. According to the Greek historian
Theodore Spandounes, the fortress was constructed by
George Kantakouzenos, Branković's brother-in-law through his consort the Byzantine princess
Irene. Smederevo was the residence of the Branković house and the capital of the Serbian Despotate from 1430 until 1439, when it was
conquered by the Ottoman Empire after a siege lasting two months.
Sanjak of Smederevo In 1444, in accordance with the terms of the
Peace of Szeged between the
Kingdom of Hungary and the
Ottoman Empire, the Sultan returned Smederevo to Đurađ Branković, who was allied to the Hungarian commander
John Hunyadi. On 22 August 1444 the Serb prince peacefully took possession of the evacuated town. When Hunyadi broke the peace treaty, Đurađ Branković remained neutral. Serbia became a battleground between the Kingdom of Hungary and the Ottomans, and the angry Branković captured Hunyadi after his defeat at the
Second Battle of Kosovo in 1448. Hunyadi was imprisoned in Smederevo Fortress for a short time. In 1454 Sultan
Mehmed II besieged Smederevo and devastated Serbia. The town was liberated by Hunyadi. In 1459 Smederevo was again captured by the Ottomans after the death of Branković. The town became a Turkish border-fortress and played an important part in
Ottoman–Hungarian Wars until 1526. Due to its strategic location, Smederevo was gradually rebuilt and enlarged. For a long period, the town was the capital of the
Sanjak of Smederevo. In autumn 1476, a joint army of Hungarians and Serbs tried to capture the fortress from the Ottomans. They built three wooden counter-fortresses, but after months of siege, Sultan Mehmed II himself came to drive them away. After fierce fighting the Hungarians agreed to withdraw. In 1494
Pál Kinizsi tried to capture Smederevo from the Ottomans. In 1512 the Hungarian commander (later pretender to the throne)
John Zápolya unsuccessfully laid siege to the town.
Modern During the
First Serbian Uprising in 1806, the city became the temporary capital of Serbia, as well as the seat of the
Praviteljstvujušči sovjet ("governing council"), a government headed by
Dositej Obradović. The first basic school was founded in 1806. During World War II, the city was occupied by
German forces, who stored
ammunition in the fortress. On 5 June 1941, a
catastrophic explosion severely damaged the fortress, killing nearly 2,000 residents. After World War II, Smederevo became an industrial and cultural center of
Podunavlje District. Under the overall industrial development of the
Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, the city received a boost in infrastructure. Due to the ideal geographical position of Smederevo, the socialist government supported the building of roads, apartment buildings and dozens of factories. Some of the most notable factories built and renewed in period between 1950s until the end of 1980s were Zelvoz (called Heroj Srba under the SFR Yugoslavia), renewed in 1966, and a new steel plant built on outskirts of Smederevo at that time,
Sartid (formerly MKS), which was completely operational in 1971. ==Settlements==