Železnik is located in the central part of the Čukarica municipality, southwest from downtown Belgrade. It borders Makiš to the north, and apart from a narrow strip of urbanized land alongside the Belgrade-Bar railway and Vodovodska Street towards Žarkovo in the northeast, it has no urban connection to other parts of Belgrade. Several streams flow through the neighborhood, the creeks of Krušik and Krušički potok and a small river of Čitačka reka. The Ibar Highway and the A1 motorway both pass nearby Železnik.
History and population
Železnik village was founded in the 17th century. Construction of the modern settlement began in 1947, as a worker's settlement for the employees of the newly constructed Ivo Lola Ribar factory. Soon, plans were made for a completely new settlement, a major and heavily industrialized suburb of Belgrade, with a population of 80.000, but that goal is not achieved. Until the 20th century, Železnik was separated from Žarkovo, and further to the north from Belgrade, by lush forests. The 1960s General urban plan of Belgrade envisioned the urban joining of Kneževac-Kijevo and Železnik, along the Kružni put road, creating a secondary center of Belgrade. The planned suburban city was to have 35,000 workers and 100,000 inhabitants, on an area of. The city was to have numerous business buildings, department stores, hotels, educational facilities, scientific venues and medical institutes. The project wasn't carried through and the two neighborhoods remained disconnected, though they both independently formed one urban unit with Belgrade in time and in 1972 were abolished as separate settlements and annexed to Belgrade as its neighborhoods. Formerly a separate municipality, it was a separate town until 1972, when was administratively annexed to the Belgrade City proper. Population of Železnik:
1921 - 1,987
1961 - 10,727
1971 - 16,912
1981 - 19,731
2002 - 20,851
Stari Železnik
Stari Železnik is the oldest part of Železnik. It is located in the northwestern part of the neighborhood, south of the old cemetery. In 1981 Stari Železnik had a population of 6,766, which was almost 35% of the entire neighborhood's population. The neighborhood is connected with line 55.
Novi Železnik
Novi Železnik is a completely new settlement, constructed in west of the Ivo Lola Ribar factory, in the northwestern corner of the settlement. It stretches from the grade separating junction of Ivo Lola Ribar Street on the west, to the stadium of the FK Železnik on the east. Unlike the village, it has straight streets, a clinic, post office, shopping mall, gas station, green market, etc. The neighborhood is connected with lines 58 and 88. The settlement was designed by architect Branko Petričić.
Economy
The major facility in the neighborhood is the Ivo Lola Ribar factory, specialized in production of heavy machines and machine tools. Accordingly, a machinery and metallurgy high school is located in the neighborhood as well. Železnik has a train station, and the railway passes on the western outskirts of the neighborhood. Also, a large train station and a Belgrade marshalling yard is located in the nearby neighborhood of Makiš. In Železnik there is also the headquarters of BT System company, which specializes in security systems
