The city of Mitrovicë, Kosovo is mainly known for two things: that river Ibër splits the city and the country itself into the Serbian north and the Albanian south and for its mining tradition. On Serbian-controlled territory in the northeast you can find the Miniera e Trepçës or Rudnik Trepča – the largest mine for lead and zinc ore in Europe (which is additionally also gathering silver and gold). Up to 23000 workers were once employed there at the same time.
On a mountain called ‘miners hill’ close to the city center you can find a huge Soviet-style memorial for the miners made of concrete. It was created in 1973 by Bogdan Bogdanović and shows a mining cart held by two columns – symbolizing Serbs and Albanians. It is a symbol of unity in a divided city. And it is also often called partisans memorial because it was said that the memorial is for the miners of both ethnic groups who fell in World War II. Not a beautiful memorial but one that could remind the inhabitants of the city that they have a common history – and hopefully a mutual future.
Northern Mitrovica / Косовска Митровица
Kosovo
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