Donja Badanja
Neolithic settlement (4500 BCE) named for water-mill pipes; 1889 spa discovery awaited 1938 development; 24% population loss by 2002, 2026 spa revival or decline.
The Starčevo culture left Neolithic traces here between 4500 and 3000 BCE, placing Donja Badanja among the earliest continuously inhabited sites in the Jadar region. The village name itself preserves hydraulic engineering memory: 'badanj' describes the wooden pipe carved from hollow tree trunks that directed water onto mill wheels along the Cernica River. Of the many water mills that once operated, only fragments remain—physical remnants of pre-industrial processing infrastructure.
Positioned at the base of Mount Cer and the Iverak elevation at 180 meters altitude, Donja Badanja developed within the Podrinje district's agricultural economy. The village sits safely elevated 50-60 meters above the river floodplain, eliminating the flood relocations that plagued lowland settlements. Thermal springs discovered here attracted attention by the late 19th century: Marko Leko performed the first water analysis in 1889, though serious spa development waited until 1938 when landowner Lazarević built the first bathhouse. Post-WWII investment created a new facility with treatment tubs and a motel.
The 1991 census recorded 670 inhabitants; by 2002, this had fallen to 510—a 24% decline. The village has produced notable scholars (Prof. Dr. Marko M. Ninković in nuclear physics, Momčilo Spremić in medieval history) but cannot retain educated youth. By 2026, Donja Badanja's trajectory depends on whether Banja Badanja spa development attracts investment or whether continued depopulation reduces the village below the threshold for maintaining essential services.