--- title: Pristina — English Wikipedia · full text with trees description: Wikipedia's «Pristina», whole, every sentence with its dependency tree and pragmatics, CC BY-SA 4.0. It begins: Pristina (or Prishtina; /UKˈpriːʃtɪnə,_prɪʃˈtiːnə/ PREE-shtin-ə-,_-prish-TEE, /USˈprɪʃtɪnə/ PRISHT-in-ə) is the capital and largest city of Kosovo. --- [Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/) · [this page in HTML](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/wikipedia/en/Pristina/) [home](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/) / [corpora](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/) / [wikipedia](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/wikipedia/) / [en](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/wikipedia/en/) / Pristina # Pristina From Wikipedia, [«Pristina»](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pristina), revision of the 2026-09-01 dump, [CC BY-SA 4.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). The trees and pragmatics of these pages, Mova's parse of that text, are CC BY-SA 4.0 too. The English Wikipedia article «Pristina», whole: 35 sections, 327 sentences and 6110 words, its 147 notes at the end. The marks in brackets «[n]» are Wikipedia's own, each leading to its note and source; the small number after every sentence leads to the sentence's own page with its syntax tree and pragmatics, parsed by Mova itself. **1** [2](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/wikipedia/en/Pristina/page/2/) [3](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/wikipedia/en/Pristina/page/3/) | Facts | | | --- | --- | | | **Pristina · Prishtina or Prishtinë · Priština or Приштина** | | | **[Capital city](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capital_city) and [municipality](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Municipalities_of_Kosovo)** | | | Flag Seal | | | Coordinates: | | Country | [Kosovo](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kosovo) [corpus](../Kosovo/ "in our corpus") | | District | [District of Pristina](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/District_of_Pristina) | | [Municipality](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Municipalities_of_Kosovo) | Pristina | | **Government** | | | • Type | [Mayor–council](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mayor–council_government) | | • Mayor | [Përparim Rama](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Përparim_Rama) ([LDK](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Democratic_League_of_Kosovo)) | | • Council | Pristina Municipal Council | | **Area [\[1\]](page/3/#ref-1 "note 1")** | | | • Municipality | 523.13 km² (201.98 sq mi) | | • Rank | [6th in Kosovo](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Municipalities_of_Kosovo#List_of_municipalities) | | Elevation | 652 m (2,139 ft) | | **Population (2024)[\[2\]](page/3/#ref-2 "note 2")** | | | • Municipality | 227,466 | | • Rank | [1st in Kosovo](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_cities_and_towns_in_Kosovo) | | • Density | 434.8/km² (1,126.2/sq mi) | | • Ethnicity | 98% [Albanian](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Albanians); 2% [Other](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Demographics_of_Kosovo) | | Demonym(s) | Prishtinas (m), Prishtinase (f); [Gheg Albanian](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gheg_Albanian): Prishtinali (m), Prishtinalike (f) | | [Time zone](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Time_zone) | [UTC+01:00](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/UTC+01:00) ([CET](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Central_European_Time)) | | • Summer ([DST](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daylight_saving_time)) | [UTC+02:00](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/UTC+02:00) ([CEST](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Central_European_Summer_Time)) | | [Postal code](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Postal_codes_in_Kosovo) | [10000](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Postal_codes_in_Kosovo) | | Country code | [+383 (0) 38](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Telephone_numbers_in_Kosovo) | | [Vehicle registration](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vehicle_registration_plate) | [01](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vehicle_registration_plates_of_Kosovo) | | Major airport | [Adem Jashari Airport](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pristina_International_Airport) | Pristina (or Prishtina[\[4\]](page/3/#ref-4 "note 4"); /UKˈpriːʃtɪnə,\_prɪʃˈtiːnə/ PREE-shtin-ə-,\_-prish-TEE,[\[5\]](page/3/#ref-5 "note 5")[\[6\]](page/3/#ref-6 "note 6") /USˈprɪʃtɪnə/ PRISHT-in-ə)[\[8\]](page/3/#ref-8 "note 8") is the capital and largest city of [Kosovo](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kosovo) [corpus](../Kosovo/ "in our corpus").[1](1/ "tree and pragmatics") It is the administrative center of the eponymous municipality and [district](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/District_of_Pristina).[\[7\]](page/3/#ref-7 "note 7")[2](2/ "tree and pragmatics") In antiquity, the area of Pristina was part of the [Dardanian Kingdom](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dardanian_Kingdom).[3](3/ "tree and pragmatics") The heritage of the classical era is represented by the settlement of [Ulpiana](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ulpiana).[4](4/ "tree and pragmatics") After the [Roman Empire](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roman_Empire) was divided into a western and an eastern half, the area remained within the [Byzantine Empire](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Byzantine_Empire) between the 5th and 9th centuries.[5](5/ "tree and pragmatics") In the middle of the 9th century, it was ceded to the [First Bulgarian Empire](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_Bulgarian_Empire), before falling again under Byzantine occupation in the early 11th century and then in the late 11th century to the [Second Bulgarian Empire](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Second_Bulgarian_Empire).[6](6/ "tree and pragmatics") The growing [Kingdom of Serbia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kingdom_of_Serbia_%28medieval%29) annexed the area in the 13th century and it remained under the [Serbian Empire](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Serbian_Empire) in the 14th century up to the start of the [Ottoman](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ottoman_Empire) era (1389–1455).[7](7/ "tree and pragmatics") City was capital of Serbian lord family of Branković.[8](8/ "tree and pragmatics") The next centuries would be characterized by Ottoman rule.[9](9/ "tree and pragmatics") During this period, Pristina developed from a village to a major urban center of the region.[10](10/ "tree and pragmatics") Following the end of the [First Balkan War](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_Balkan_War) in 1914, it became a part of the newly formed [Kingdom of Serbia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kingdom_of_Serbia).[11](11/ "tree and pragmatics") In 1948, it was chosen as the capital of the province [SAP Kosovo](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Socialist_Autonomous_Province_of_Kosovo) under the statehood of [Yugoslavia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yugoslavia).[12](12/ "tree and pragmatics") Furthermore, Pristina would continue to serve as the capital of Kosovo after its [2008 independence](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2008_Kosovo_declaration_of_independence) from Serbia.[13](13/ "tree and pragmatics") Pristina seems to have been a small village before the late 15th century.[14](14/ "tree and pragmatics") It is first recorded in 1342 as a village during the reign of [Stefan Dušan](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stefan_Dušan); about a century later (and the beginning of the [Ottoman era](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ottoman_Empire)), in 1455, it had a small population of 300 households.[15](15/ "tree and pragmatics") In the following century, Pristina became an important mining and trading center due to its strategic position near the rich mining town of [Novo Brdo](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Novo_Brdo).[16](16/ "tree and pragmatics") The city was known for its trade fairs and items, such as [goatskin](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Goatskin_%28material%29) and goat hair as well as gunpowder.[\[9\]](page/3/#ref-9 "note 9")[17](17/ "tree and pragmatics") Pristina is the capital and the [economic](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Economic), [financial](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Financial), [political](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Political) and [trade](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trade) center of Kosovo, due to its location in the center of the country.[18](18/ "tree and pragmatics") It is the seat of power of the [Government of Kosovo](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Government_of_Kosovo), the residences for work of the [President](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/President_of_Kosovo) and [Prime Minister of Kosovo](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prime_Minister_of_Kosovo), and the [Parliament of Kosovo](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Assembly_of_the_Republic_of_Kosovo).[19](19/ "tree and pragmatics") Pristina is also the most important transportation junction of Kosovo for [air](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Air_transport), [rail](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rail_transport), and [roads](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Road_transport).[20](20/ "tree and pragmatics") [Pristina International Airport](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pristina_International_Airport) is the largest airport in the country and among the largest in the region.[21](21/ "tree and pragmatics") A range of expressways and motorways, such as the [R 6](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/R_6_%28Kosovo%29) and [R 7](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/R_7_%28Kosovo%29), radiate out the city and connect it to [Albania](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Albania) [corpus](../Albania/ "in our corpus") and [North Macedonia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_Macedonia) [corpus](../North_Macedonia/ "in our corpus").[22](22/ "tree and pragmatics") Pristina will host the [2030 Mediterranean Games](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2030_Mediterranean_Games).[23](23/ "tree and pragmatics") ## Etymology The origin of the name of the city is unknown.[24](24/ "tree and pragmatics") [Eric P. Hamp](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eric_P._Hamp) connected the word with an Indo-European derivative \*pṛ-tu- ([ford](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ford_%28crossing%29)) + \*stein (cognate to English stone) which in [Proto-Albanian](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Proto-Albanian_language), spoken in the region before the reign of Roman Emperor Trajan (1st–2nd century CE) produced Pristina.[\[10\]](page/3/#ref-10 "note 10")[25](25/ "tree and pragmatics") Thus the name in the pre-Slavic migrations era would mean in the local Albanian variety "ford-stone" (compare [Stanford](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wiktionary:Stanford)).[\[11\]](page/3/#ref-11 "note 11")[26](26/ "tree and pragmatics") Prišt in [Serbo-Croatian](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Serbo-Croatian) means "boil" and this may be a reference to the seething waters of the nearby river [Gračanka](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gračanka).[\[12\]](page/3/#ref-12 "note 12")[27](27/ "tree and pragmatics") [Marko Snoj](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marko_Snoj) proposes the derivation from a [Slavic](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slavic_languages) form \*Prišьčь, a possessive adjective from the personal name \*Prišьkъ,[\[13\]](page/3/#ref-13 "note 13") and the derivational suffix -ina 'belonging to X and his kin'.[28](28/ "tree and pragmatics") The name is most likely a [patronymic](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patronymic) of the personal name \*Prišь.[\[14\]](page/3/#ref-14 "note 14")[\[15\]](page/3/#ref-15 "note 15")[29](29/ "tree and pragmatics") According to [Aleksandar Loma](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aleksandar_Loma), Snoj's etymology would presuppose a rare and relatively late word formation process.[\[16\]](page/3/#ref-16 "note 16")[30](30/ "tree and pragmatics") According to Loma, the name of the city could be derived from the [Proto-Slavic](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Proto-Slavic) dialectal word \*pryščina, meaning "[spring (of water)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spring_%28hydrology%29)".[\[17\]](page/3/#ref-17 "note 17")[\[16\]](page/3/#ref-16 "note 16")[31](31/ "tree and pragmatics") The inhabitants of this city, most of whom are Albanians, call themselves Prishtinali in the local [Gheg Albanian](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gheg_Albanian).[\[18\]](page/3/#ref-18 "note 18")[32](32/ "tree and pragmatics") ## History ### Early development The area of Pristina has been inhabited since the Neolithic era by [Early European Farmers](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Early_European_Farmers) after 7,000 BCE in the Balkans: [Starčevo](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Starčevo_culture) followed by its successors [Vinča](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vinča_culture), [Baden](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baden_culture) and lastly Bubanj-Hum.[\[19\]](page/3/#ref-19 "note 19")[33](33/ "tree and pragmatics") The earliest recognized references were discovered in [Gračanica](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gračanica,_Kosovo), [Matiçan](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Matiçan) and [Ulpiana](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ulpiana).[\[9\]](page/3/#ref-9 "note 9")[34](34/ "tree and pragmatics") By the early Iron Age, the distinctly [Dardanian](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dardani) local variant of the [Illyrian](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Illyrians) [Glasinac-Mati culture](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glasinac-Mati_culture) appears in Kosovo with a particular spread in hilltop settlements.[35](35/ "tree and pragmatics") In the area of Pristina, a hilltop settlement appears since the 8th century BCE at an elevation of 685 metres near the village Teneshdoll, around 16 kilometres north of the Pristina city center.[36](36/ "tree and pragmatics") Pottery finds suggests that the area may have been in use since the Bronze Age.[37](37/ "tree and pragmatics") The settlement seems to have maintained long-distance trade contacts as the finding of a [skyphos](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Skyphos) vessel from Aegean Greece suggests.[\[20\]](page/3/#ref-20 "note 20")[38](38/ "tree and pragmatics") During the 4th century BC, the [Kingdom of Dardania](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kingdom_of_Dardania) was established in the region.[\[21\]](page/3/#ref-21 "note 21")[\[22\]](page/3/#ref-22 "note 22")[\[23\]](page/3/#ref-23 "note 23")[39](39/ "tree and pragmatics") [Ulpiana](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ulpiana) was an important Roman city on the Balkan Peninsula and in the 2nd century BC it was declared a [municipium](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Municipium).[40](40/ "tree and pragmatics") In the middle of the 9th century, it was ceded to the [First Bulgarian Empire](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_Bulgarian_Empire).[41](41/ "tree and pragmatics") ### 11th to 16th centuries In the early 11th century, Pristina fell under [Byzantine Empire](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Byzantine_Empire) rule and the area was included into a [theme](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theme_%28Byzantine_district%29) (province) called [Bulgaria](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bulgaria_%28theme%29).[42](42/ "tree and pragmatics") Between the late 11th and middle of the 12th century it was ceded several times to the [Second Bulgarian Empire](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Second_Bulgarian_Empire), before being annexed by the [Kingdom (later Empire) of Serbia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kingdom_of_Serbia_%281217–1346%29), which held it under its rule throughout the 13th and 14th centuries.[\[24\]](page/3/#ref-24 "note 24")[43](43/ "tree and pragmatics") In 1315, the nearby [Gračanica monastery](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gračanica_monastery) was founded by Serbian King [Stefan Milutin](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stefan_Milutin).[44](44/ "tree and pragmatics") King [Stefan Dušan](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stefan_Dušan) used a location in the area of Pristina as his court before moving eventually to the vicinity of Skopje as he moved his rule southwards.[\[25\]](page/3/#ref-25 "note 25")[\[26\]](page/3/#ref-26 "note 26")[45](45/ "tree and pragmatics") The first historical record mentioning Pristina by its name dates back to 1315–1318, in a [chrysobull of Banjska](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St._Stephen_Chrysobull) near Mitrovica.[\[27\]](page/3/#ref-27 "note 27")[46](46/ "tree and pragmatics") A first brief description of it as a town was given a few years later by the Byzantine Emperor [John VI Kantakouzenos](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_VI_Kantakouzenos), on his visit to Stefan Dušan at his royal court, describing Pristina as a 'unfortified village'.[\[9\]](page/3/#ref-9 "note 9")[\[28\]](page/3/#ref-28 "note 28")[\[25\]](page/3/#ref-25 "note 25")[47](47/ "tree and pragmatics") During the time of the Kingdom of Serbia in the early 14th century, the main route between the Western Balkans and [Constantinople](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Constantinople) ran through Pristina.[\[29\]](page/3/#ref-29 "note 29")[48](48/ "tree and pragmatics") Following the [Battle of Kosovo](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Kosovo), Pristina fell within the realms of the [Serbian Despotate](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Serbian_Despotate) under Prince [Stefan Lazarević](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stefan_Lazarević).[49](49/ "tree and pragmatics") A bitter feud between Lazarević and [Đurađ Branković](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Đurađ_Branković) developed and led to open conflict, with Pristina being the scene of heavy fighting in 1409 and 1410.[\[30\]](page/3/#ref-30 "note 30")[50](50/ "tree and pragmatics") At the turn of the 15th century, during the time of the Serbian Despotate, Pristina was a major trading post for [silver](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silver), with many traders hailing from the [Republic of Ragusa](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Republic_of_Ragusa).[\[31\]](page/3/#ref-31 "note 31")[51](51/ "tree and pragmatics") Between the end of the 14th and the middle of the 15th century, Ottoman rule was gradually imposed in the town.[52](52/ "tree and pragmatics") In 1477 Pristina had a small Muslim population.[\[32\]](page/3/#ref-32 "note 32")[\[33\]](page/3/#ref-33 "note 33")[53](53/ "tree and pragmatics") The settlement at the time had about 300 households.[54](54/ "tree and pragmatics") About 3/4 were Christian and 1/4 Muslim.[\[34\]](page/3/#ref-34 "note 34")[55](55/ "tree and pragmatics") In 1477 and 1525, Prishtina also had a Christian Albanian population.[\[35\]](page/3/#ref-35 "note 35")[56](56/ "tree and pragmatics") The 1487 defter recorded 412 Christian and 94 Muslim households in Pristina, which at the time was administratively part of the [Sanjak of Viçitrina](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sanjak_of_Viçitrina).[\[32\]](page/3/#ref-32 "note 32")[57](57/ "tree and pragmatics") By the late 16th century, 60% of the population in Pristina had converted to Islam.[58](58/ "tree and pragmatics") The Muslim households contained Muslim and Islamised Albanian names and the Christian ones Christian, Slavic and Albanian.[\[36\]](page/3/#ref-36 "note 36")[59](59/ "tree and pragmatics") ### 17th to 19th centuries During the [Austro-Turkish War](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Austro-Turkish_War_%281683–1699%29) in the late 17th century, citizens of Pristina under the leadership of the Catholic Albanian priest [Pjetër Bogdani](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pjetër_Bogdani) pledged loyalty to the Austrian army and supplied troops.[60](60/ "tree and pragmatics") He contributed a force of 6,000 Albanian soldiers to the Austrian army which had arrived in Pristina.[61](61/ "tree and pragmatics") According to [Noel Malcolm](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Noel_Malcolm), the city in the 17th century was inhabited by a majority population of 15,000 Muslims, probably Albanian but very possibly including some Slavs.[\[37\]](page/3/#ref-37 "note 37")[62](62/ "tree and pragmatics") Sources from the 17th century mention the town as "situated in Albania".[\[38\]](page/3/#ref-38 "note 38")[63](63/ "tree and pragmatics") Austrian military archives from the years of 1689-90 mention "5,000 Muslim [Albanians](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Albanians) in Prishtina who had risen against the Turks".[\[37\]](page/3/#ref-37 "note 37")[\[39\]](page/3/#ref-39 "note 39")[64](64/ "tree and pragmatics") Gjergj Bogdani, a nephew of Pjetër Bogdani, wrote later: 'My uncle, being found already dead and buried, was dug up from his grave and put out as food for the dogs in the middle of Prishtina'.[\[40\]](page/3/#ref-40 "note 40")[65](65/ "tree and pragmatics") During the 18th century, the history of the city is less documented, though recent data show a regular life unfolding in the city after the [Great Turkish War](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Turkish_War).[\[41\]](page/3/#ref-41 "note 41")[66](66/ "tree and pragmatics") While in the first few decades the city was rebuilding its infrastructure, in the second part of the century it is better known for the governing of the local feudal family, the Gjinollis.[\[42\]](page/3/#ref-42 "note 42")[67](67/ "tree and pragmatics") After the [League of Prizren](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/League_of_Prizren) (1878), the Ottoman authorities moved the capital of the vilayet of Kosovo to Prishtina, likely to weaken the influence of the League of Prizren and to strengthen their control by placing the capital in a more central position of the vilayet.[68](68/ "tree and pragmatics") Prishtina remained the capital from 1879 to 1888.[69](69/ "tree and pragmatics") During this time, Prishtina saw major economic and cultural growth, recovering from decades of decline.[70](70/ "tree and pragmatics") The first registered state printing press was moved to the city, and key buildings like today's [Kosovo Museum](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kosovo_Museum) (completed in 1885) were built.[\[43\]](page/3/#ref-43 "note 43")[71](71/ "tree and pragmatics") ### 20th century In May 1901, Albanians pillaged and partially burned Pristina.[\[44\]](page/3/#ref-44 "note 44")[72](72/ "tree and pragmatics") The [Kingdom of Serbia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kingdom_of_Serbia) opposed the plan for a [Greater Albania](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greater_Albania), preferring a partition of the European territory of the [Ottoman Empire](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ottoman_Empire) among the four [Balkan allies](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Balkan_League).[\[45\]](page/3/#ref-45 "note 45")[73](73/ "tree and pragmatics") On 22 October 1912, Serb forces took Pristina.[74](74/ "tree and pragmatics") However, Bulgaria, dissatisfied with its share of the first Balkan War, occupied Kosovo in 1915 and took Pristina under Bulgarian occupation.[\[46\]](page/3/#ref-46 "note 46")[75](75/ "tree and pragmatics") During the [Massacres of Albanians in the Balkan Wars](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Massacres_of_Albanians_in_the_Balkan_Wars), Pristina suffered many atrocities; the Serbian army entered Pristina on 22 October.[\[47\]](page/3/#ref-47 "note 47")[76](76/ "tree and pragmatics") Albanian and Turkish households were looted and destroyed, and women and children were killed.[\[48\]](page/3/#ref-48 "note 48")[77](77/ "tree and pragmatics") A Danish journalist based in Skopje reported that the Serbian campaign in Pristina "had taken on the character of a horrific massacring of the Albanian population".[\[47\]](page/3/#ref-47 "note 47")[\[48\]](page/3/#ref-48 "note 48")[78](78/ "tree and pragmatics") An estimated 5,000 people in Pristina were murdered in the early days of the Serbian occupation.[\[49\]](page/3/#ref-49 "note 49")[\[48\]](page/3/#ref-48 "note 48")[\[50\]](page/3/#ref-50 "note 50")[79](79/ "tree and pragmatics") The events have been interpreted as an early [attempt to change the region's demographics](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ethnic_cleansing).[\[47\]](page/3/#ref-47 "note 47")[80](80/ "tree and pragmatics") Serbian settlers were brought into the city, and [Serbian Prime Minister](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prime_Minister_of_Serbia) [Nikola Pašić](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nikola_Pašić) bought 1214 acre of land.[\[51\]](page/3/#ref-51 "note 51")[81](81/ "tree and pragmatics") Pristinans who wore a [plis](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Qeleshe) were targeted by the Serbian army; those who wore the Turkish [fez](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fez_%28hat%29) were safe, and the price of a fez rose steeply.[\[52\]](page/3/#ref-52 "note 52")[82](82/ "tree and pragmatics") In late October 1918, the 11th French colonial division took over Pristina and returned Pristina back to what then became the 'First [Yugoslavia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yugoslavia)' on 1 December 1918.[\[46\]](page/3/#ref-46 "note 46")[83](83/ "tree and pragmatics") In September 1920, the decree of the colonization of the new southern lands' facilitated the takeover by Serb colonists of large Ottoman estates in Pristina and land seized from Albanians.[\[46\]](page/3/#ref-46 "note 46")[84](84/ "tree and pragmatics") From 1929 to 1941, Pristina was part of the [Vardar Banovina](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vardar_Banovina) of the [Kingdom of Yugoslavia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kingdom_of_Yugoslavia).[85](85/ "tree and pragmatics") As part of [Yugoslav colonisation of Kosovo](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yugoslav_colonization_of_Kosovo), in an attempt by the Yugoslav government to change the ethnic composition of Kosovo, Prishtina was among the affected areas.[\[53\]](page/3/#ref-53 "note 53")[86](86/ "tree and pragmatics") During the period between the two World Wars, Serb colonist families were settled both in the city itself and across many villages, newly established settlements or within existing villages.[87](87/ "tree and pragmatics") These Serb settlers originated from Montenegro, Serbia, the Serb-inhabited regions of Bosnia and Herzegovina, and other regions where economic conditions were very difficult for them.[88](88/ "tree and pragmatics") In city of Prishtina, around 70 Serb families were settled across various neighborhoods.[89](89/ "tree and pragmatics") Then the Serb settlers were also to be found in the villages of Badofci, Ballabani, [Barilevë](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barilevë), Besia, [Çagllavicë](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Çagllavicë), Dabisheci, Gllogovica, [Hajkobillë](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hajkobillë), [Hajvalia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hajvalia), [Keçekollë](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Keçekollë), Koliçi, Lebana, Makoci, Mareci, [Bardhosh](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bardhosh), Nisheci, Orlloviqi, [Prapashticë](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prapashticë), Slivova, Teneshdolli, Truda, and [Vranidolli](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vranidoll), with the number of families in each area ranging from 2 to 70.[90](90/ "tree and pragmatics") These settlers contributed to the demographic composition of the municipality in the past.[\[53\]](page/3/#ref-53 "note 53")[91](91/ "tree and pragmatics") On 17 April 1941, Yugoslavia surrendered unconditionally to axis forces.[92](92/ "tree and pragmatics") On 29 June, [Benito Mussolini](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Benito_Mussolini) proclaimed a greater Albania, with most of Kosovo under Italian occupation united with Albania.[93](93/ "tree and pragmatics") There ensued mass killings of Serbs, in particular colonists, and an exodus of tens of thousands of Serbs.[\[54\]](page/3/#ref-54 "note 54")[\[55\]](page/3/#ref-55 "note 55")[94](94/ "tree and pragmatics") After the capitulation of Italy, [Nazi Germany](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nazi_Germany) took control of the city.[95](95/ "tree and pragmatics") In May 1944, 281 local Jews were arrested by units of the [21st Waffen Mountain Division of the SS Skanderbeg (1st Albanian)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/21st_Waffen_Mountain_Division_of_the_SS_Skanderbeg_%281st_Albanian%29).[96](96/ "tree and pragmatics") The Jews were later deported to Germany, where many were killed.[\[56\]](page/3/#ref-56 "note 56")[\[57\]](page/3/#ref-57 "note 57")[97](97/ "tree and pragmatics") This ended a long period when the institution had been run as an outpost of [Belgrade University](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Belgrade_University) and gave a major boost to Albanian-language education and culture in Kosovo.[98](98/ "tree and pragmatics") The Albanians were also allowed to use the Albanian flag.[99](99/ "tree and pragmatics") **1** [2](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/wikipedia/en/Pristina/page/2/) [3](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/wikipedia/en/Pristina/page/3/) - next →: [page 2](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/wikipedia/en/Pristina/page/2/) - ↑ back to [English Wikipedia](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/wikipedia/en/)