Sombor

• Name — Sombor • Native Name — sr-Cyrl Zombor • Official Name — City of Sombor • Settlement Type — City • Subdivision Type — Country • Subdivision Name — Serbia • Subdivision Type1 — Province • Subdivision Name1 — Vojvodina • Subdivision Type2 — Region • Subdivision Name2 — Bačka • Subdivision Type3 — District • Subdivision Name3 — West Bačka • Subdivision Type4 — Municipality • Subdivision Name4 — Sombor • Parts Type — Settlements • Parts Style — para • P1 — 16 • Leader Title — Mayor • Leader Name — Antonio Ratković • Leader Party — SNS • Established Title2 — City status • Established Date2 — 17 February 1749 • Area Blank1 Title — Urban • Area Blank1 Km2 — 289.23 • Area Blank2 Title — Administrative • Area Blank2 Km2 — 1216.80 • Area Rank — 7th in Serbia • Elevation M — 90 • Population As Of — 2022 census • Population Blank1 Title — Urban • Population Blank1 — 41814 • Population Density Blank1 Km2 — auto • Population Blank2 Title — Administrative • Population Blank2 — 70818 • Population Density Blank2 Km2 — auto • Population Rank — 19th in Serbia • Timezone — CET • Utc Offset — +1 • Timezone Dst — CEST • Utc Offset Dst — +2 • Postal Code Type — Postal code • Postal Code — 25000 • Area Code Type — Area code • Area Code — +381 25 • Blank Name — Car plates • Blank Info — SO • Website — www.sombor.rs • Iso Code — SRB • Blank Name Sec1 — Official languages • Blank Info Sec1 — Serbian together with Hungarian on the entire territory and Croatian in Bački Monoštor, Bački Breg and Svetozar Miletić

In Serbian, the city is known as Sombor (Сомбор), and in Hungarian as Zombor. The older Hungarian name for the city was Czoborszentmihály. The name originates from the Czobor family, who were the owners of this area in the 14th century. The family name came from the Slavic name Cibor. The city was mentioned in historical documents under several different names. An unofficial name for the city is Ravangrad (Раванград), which literally means "flat town" in Serbian.

• Illustration — Sombor in 1698, displaying a mix of Christian and Islamic architecture • Illustration — A scale model of the fortified central district of 17th century Sombor located in the Sombor City Museum • Illustration — Wax seal of the Sombor city merchant guild from 1778 • Illustration — Main pedestrian street The first historical record relating to the city is from 1340. The city was administered by the Kingdom of Hungary until the 16th century, when it became part of the Ottoman Empire. During the establishment of Ottoman authority, the local Hungarian population left the region. As a result, the city became populated mostly by ethnic Serbs. It was called "Sonbor" during Ottoman administration and was a kaza centre in the Sanjak of Segedin at first in Budin Province until 1596, and then in Eğri Province between 1596 and 1687. In 1665, a well-known traveller, Evliya Çelebi, visited Sombor and wrote: "All the folk (in the city) are not Hungarian, but Wallachian-Christian (Serb). These places are something special; they do not belong to Hungary, but are a part of Bačka and Wallachia. Most of the inhabitants are traders, and all of them wear frontiersmen clothes; they are very polite and brave people." According to Celebi, the city had 200 shops, 14 mosques and about 2,000 houses. From 12 September 1687, the city was under Habsburg administration, and was included into the Habsburg Military Frontier. Ottomans attempted to recapture it during the Battle of Zenta on 11 September 1697. However their attack was repulsed. In 1717, the first Orthodox elementary school was opened. Five years later a Roman Catholic elementary school was opened as well. In 1745, Sombor was excluded from the Military Frontier and was included into Bacsensis County. In 1749, Sombor gained royal free city status and acquired 11 additional areas on which farm settlements were founded over time. In 1786, the city became the seat of Bacsensis-Bodrogiensis County. According to 1786 data, the population of the city numbered 11,420 people, mostly Serbs. As a royal free city, Sombor was entitled to a democratically elected civil government that consisted of three chambers, the Upper House (Exteriori Senatus), the Lower House (Inferiori Senatus), and the Selected Community (Selecta Comunitatis). There was also a city Captain, a Chief Judge, a Tribune, and dozens of other appointed city officials. According to the 1843 data, Sombor had 21,086 inhabitants, of whom 11,897 were Orthodox Christians, 9,082 Roman Catholics, 56 Jewish, and 51 Protestants. The main language spoken in the city at that time was Serbian, and the second-largest language was German. In 1848/1849, Sombor was part of the Serbian Vojvodina, a Serb autonomous region within Austrian Empire, while between 1849 and 1860, it was part of the Voivodeship of Serbia and Temes Banat, a separate Austrian crown land. Sombor was a seat of the district within voivodship. After the abolishment of this crown land, Sombor again became the seat of the Bacsensis-Bodrogiensis (Bács-Bodrog, Bačka-Bodrog) County. According to the 1910 census, the population of Sombor was 30,593 people, of whom 11,881 spoke Serbian, 10,078 spoke Hungarian, 6,289 spoke Bunjevac, and 2,181 spoke German. In 1918, Sombor became part of the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes (later known as the Kingdom of Yugoslavia). Between 1918 and 1922 it was part of Bačka County, between 1922 and 1929 part of Bačka Oblast, and between 1929 and 1941 part of Danube Banovina. In 1941, the city was occupied by the Axis powers and annexed by Hungary. Many prominent citizens from the Serb community were interned and later executed. In 1944, the Yugoslav Partisans and Soviet Red Army expelled the Axis forces from the city. Since 1944, Sombor was part of the Autonomous Province of Vojvodina of the new Socialist Yugoslavia and (since 1945) socialist Serbia. Today, Sombor is the seat of the West Bačka District in the Autonomous Province of Vojvodina in the Republic of Serbia.

Climate in this area has mild differences between highs and lows, and there is adequate rainfall year-round. The Köppen Climate Classification subtype for this climate is "Cfa" (Warm Temperate Climate/humid subtropical climate).

• Illustration — Neighborhoods of urban Sombor The city administrative area of Sombor includes following villages: • Aleksa Šantić • Bački Breg • Bački Monoštor • Bezdan • Gakovo • Doroslovo • Kljajićevo • Kolut • Rastina • Riđica • Svetozar Miletić • Stanišić • Stapar • Telečka • Čonoplja Smaller and suburban settlements, "Salaši" include • Bukovački Salaši • Rančevo • Kruševlje • Bilić • Lugomerci • Žarkovac • Šaponje • Obzir • Milčići • Gradina • Lenija • Nenadić • Radojevići

According to the last official census done in 2011, the city of Sombor has 85,903 inhabitants.

Settlements with Serb ethnic majority (as of 2002) are: Sombor, Aleksa Šantić, Gakovo, Kljajićevo, Kolut, Rastina, Riđica, Stanišić, Stapar, and Čonoplja. Settlements with Croat/Šokac ethnic majority (as of 2002) are: Bački Breg and Bački Monoštor. Settlements with Hungarian ethnic majority (in 2002) are: Bezdan, Doroslovo, and Telečka. Ethnically mixed settlement with relative Hungarian majority is Svetozar Miletić. The ethnic composition of the city: • Ethnic group — Population — % • Serbs — 54,370 — 63.29% • Hungarians — 9,874 — 11.49% • Croats — 7,070 — 8.23% • Bunjevci — 2,058 — 2.40% • Roma — 1,015 — 1.18% • Yugoslavs — 852 — 0.99% • Montenegrins — 541 — 0.63% • Germans — 494 — 0.58% • Macedonians — 171 — 0.20% • Albanians — 118 — 0.14% • Slovaks — 117 — 0.14% • Others — 9,223 — 10.74% • Total — 85,903

• Illustration — Building of former Sombor Norma where first civil school with Serbian as the language of instruction was established. • Illustration — Carmelite monastery and church in the centre of the town. Sombor is famous for its greenery, cultural life and beautiful 18th and 19th century center. The most important cultural institutions are the National Theater, the Sombor City Museum, the Modern Art Gallery, the Milan Konjović Art Gallery, the Teacher's College (Preparandija), the Serbian Reading House, and the Sombor Gymnasium. Teacher's College (Preparandija) founded in 1778, is the oldest college in Serbia and the region. There are two monasteries in this city: • Sombor Orthodox Monastery, founded in 1928–1933 • Discalced Carmelite Catholic monastery, founded in 1904

• Illustration — Županija building housing city and city administration • Illustration — The old town hall of Sombor and the Holy Trinity Square • Illustration — Sombor theater building • Illustration — Sombor main street with the water fountain • Illustration — Catholic church in Sombor

The following table gives a preview of total number of registered people employed in legal entities per their core activity (as of 2022): • Activity — Total • Agriculture, forestry and fishing — 803 • Mining and quarrying — 3 • Manufacturing — 4,985 • Electricity, gas, steam and air conditioning supply — 197 • Water supply; sewerage, waste management and remediation activities — 257 • Construction — 903 • Wholesale and retail trade, repair of motor vehicles and motorcycles — 3,344 • Transportation and storage — 1,224 • Accommodation and food services — 823 • Information and communication — 284 • Financial and insurance activities — 332 • Real estate activities — 51 • Professional, scientific and technical activities — 687 • Administrative and support service activities — 991 • Public administration and defense; compulsory social security — 1,355 • Education — 1,697 • Human health and social work activities — 2,055 • Arts, entertainment and recreation — 315 • Other service activities — 443 • Individual agricultural workers — 976 • Total — 21,727

• Illustration — FIBA Korać Cup Trophy Radnički Sombor is the main football club from the city competing in the 5th-tier PFL Sombor. They once played at the country's second level. Sombor is the hometown of Radivoj Korać, the FIBA Hall of Fame basketball player. Korać holds the EuroLeague record for points in a game at 99. Sombor is the hometown of 3x NBA MVP, NBA Champion and Finals MVP Nikola Jokić. The local basketball club where he began his playing career renamed itself KK Joker in 2017 after his English-language nickname, and was promoted to the top-level Basketball League of Serbia at the end of the 2022–23 season.

• Somborske novine

• K-54 • Spektar • RTV Sreće

• Radio Marija (95.7) • Radio Sombor (97.5) • Radio Fortuna (106.6)

• Novi Radio Sombor • SOinfo.org

Twin cities: • Baja, Hungary • Kispest, Hungary • Veles, North Macedonia • Istočno Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina Regional cooperation: • Osijek, Croatia • Tuzla, Bosnia and Herzegovina • Vukovar, Croatia

Buses offer direct connections to major Serbian cities including Belgrade, Novi Sad and Subotica, as well as many regional towns. Among the companies operating in the area is Severtrans.

Sombor is linked by direct rail links to Novi Sad and Subotica, among others.

The city houses Sombor Airport.

• Illustration — Basketball player Nikola Jokić was born in Sombor • József Schweidel (b. 1796), Home Guard General, Martyr of Arad, his statue stood in the square in front of the County Hall until 1918. • Samuilo Maširević (1804–1870), Orthodox Patriarch of Karlovci • Laza Kostić (1841–1910), poet, prose writer, lawyer, philosopher, polyglot, publicist, and politician • Ernest Bošnjak (1876–1963), cameraman, film director and printer. One of the founders of the filmography in the area • Sándor Gombos (1895–1968), Olympic champion fencer • Milan Konjović (1898–1993), prominent painter • Joseph Kish (1899–1969), Academy Award winning Art Director • Gustav Mezey (1899–1981), artist • Andrija Konc (1919–1945), singer, born in Sombor. • Sava Stojkov (1925–2014), naive art painter • Bogdan Maglić (1928–2017), nuclear physicist • Radivoj Korać (1938–1969), basketball player in the FIBA Hall of Fame • Zvonko Bogdan (b. 1942), performer of traditional folk songs • Iván Gutman (b. 1947), chemist and mathematician • Nemanja Milić (b. 1990), professional football player • Filip Krajinović (b. 1992), professional tennis player • Nikola Jokić (b. 1995), professional basketball player, NBA Champion and Olympic silver medalist • Filip Rebrača (b. 1997), professional basketball player