page_title: History of Niš
section_title: Contemporary history
hierarchical_section_title: History of Niš / Contemporary history
caption_attribution_description: Čeština: Panorama náměstí krále Milana v Niši, Srbsko English: Panorama picture of the square of king Milan in Niš, Serbia Српски / srpski: Панорама слика трга краља Милана у Нишу
context_page_description: Niš is one of the oldest cities in the Balkans and Europe, and has from ancient times been considered a gateway between the East and the West. The Paleo-Balkan Thracians inhabited the area in the Iron Age, and Triballians dwelled here prior to the Celtic invasion in 279 BC which established the Scordisci as masters of the region. Naissus was among the cities taken in the Roman conquest in 75 BC. The Romans built the Via Militaris in the 1st century, with Naissus being one of the key towns. Niš is also notable as the birthplace of Constantine the Great, the first Christian Roman Emperor and the founder of Constantinople, as well as two other Roman emperors, Constantius III and Justinian I. It is home to one of Serbia's oldest Christian churches dating to the 4th century in the suburb of Mediana.
context_section_description: In the first few years after the war, Niš was recovering from the damage. The tram system in Niš started to run in November 1930. The national airline Aeroput included Niš as a regular destination for the route Belgrade—Niš—Skopje—Thessaloniki in 1930.
  During the time of German occupation in World War II, the first Nazi concentration camp in Yugoslavia was located near Niš. On February 12, 1942, 147 prisoners staged a mass escape. In 1944 the city was heavily bombed by the Allies. On October 14, 1945, after a long and exhausting battle, the 7th German SS Division 'Prince Eugen' was defeated and Niš was liberated by the Bulgarian Army, and Partisans. The city was heavily bombed by the Allies in 1944 along with other cities in Axis Serbia.
  In 1996, Niš was the first city in Serbia to stand against the government of Slobodan Milošević. A coalition of democratic opposition parties called Zajedno (Together) won the local elections in Niš in 1996. The first democratic mayor of the City of Niš was Zoran Živković, who later became the Prime Minister of Serbia in 2003. On May 7, 1999 it was the site of the NATO Cluster bombing of Niš that resulted in many civilian casualties and no military losses. During the local elections held in September 2004, Smiljko Kostić of Nova Srbija was elected as mayor. The democratic party provoked a referendum to recall Kostić in November 2005. The majority voted against recall. In the local elections held in May 2008, the Democratic Party, G17+ and the coalition assembled around the Socialist Party of Serbia won, and Miloš Simonović from the Democratic party became the elected mayor.
caption: Panorama picture of the square of king Miland in modern Niš.
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