Pančevo (Панчево, Hungarian: Pancsova, German: Pantschowa, Romanian: Panciova) is a city located in Serbia and Montenegro at 44.87° North, 20.66° East, 15 km northeast from Belgrade. In 2003, the city had a total population of 130,000. Pancevo has a strong industrial background with the petrochemical, fertilizer, machinery, and aircraft industries. It has a single oil refinery.

It is the administrative center of the South Banat District of Serbia.

History:Numerous archaeological sites in the town and its surroundings indicate that the area has been continuously populated since pre-historic times. Multi-layer finds from the Neolithic, Copper, Bronze and Iron Ages (Bahmans and Miloradovic's brickworks), remnants od Dacian material culture, the Ovarian decorative belt set, finds from the times of peoples migrations and those of 9th and 10th century Slavic material culture prove that this area was intensively colonized in the past.

The first and oldest known name of Pancevo was Panuka, dating back to the times of the Arpadovic family (9th century). In geographical work Idrizija from 1153. it was mentioned for the firs time as trading center, called Bansif, and then, in 1430, in the Charter of a Belgrade captain M.Talovac, as Panchal. Evliya Chelebi, the famous Turkish diplomat and traveler, mentioned it by the name of Panzova (1660.) and described the town, its fortress, mosque and public facilities.

From 1522. to 1716. Pancevo was under Turkish domination, as a part of the Temisoara sanjak (district). At that time it had all the features of an oriental, fortified settlement with mostly Christian population. With the arrival of the Austro-Hungarian troops in 1716. and the Treaty of Pozarevac, two years later, Pancevo was integrated into the Austro-Hungarian Monarchy.

The population consisted mainly of Serbs, Turks, Germans, Romanians and Jews. From 1720. to 1722. Serbs living in the Timisoara area migrated to Pancevo and founded the actual Upper Town. At the same time German colonists from the Upper Rhine came to Pancevo to form the Lower Town. Romanians settled there in 1767. and lived both in the Upper and Lower Towns. When these two settlements fused, in 1974, Pancevo assumed the appearance of a town with unique town government.

From the early 18th century on, many public and state buildings were constructed: Red and Wheat Warehouses (1724.), Salt-works (1718.), Kontumac (1726.), Brewery (1722.), General Hospital (1833.), Town-Hall (1833.-38.), Big and Small Barracks, Military Headquarters Building, Sun-Clock House, Frontiersmen House, Public Bank, Lighthouses at the Tamis river, Grammar School Building etc.

In 1918. Pancevo became a part of the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes. At the time the relations with economically less developed Serbia grew closer.

During the Second World War Pancevo was under German occupation. Pancevo was liberated on October 6, 1944 both partisan units and the Red Army.

The post-war period was marked by enthusiastic reconstruction of the town which was the beginning of its planned and extensive development. With the revival of economic and industrial activities, in the 60-ties and the 70-ties, the town extended rapidly into many new suburb settlements ("Tesla", "Misa", "Kotez", "Streliste").

In the near future the town will extend along the right bank of the Tamis river. ( Taken from -http://pancevo.com/town/history/indexe.htm )

See also: List of cities in Serbia and Montenegro