Zmajevac is the third largest settlement in the Municipality, with its 974 inhabitants living in 16 streets (1. maj St., Maršal Tito St., Dunavska St., Mala Dunavska St., Rajna St., Mala Rajna St., Košut Lajoš St., Rak, Sportska St., Jožef Atila St., Željeznička St., Adi Endre St., Vašarište St., Ružina St., Planina St.). The economy of Zmajevac is based on agriculture – husbandry as well as viticulture, fruit production and production of well-known wine. The south side of the Baranja Mountain that belongs to Zmajevac is the best prerequisite for the production of excellent wine. The Zmajevac Wine Roads – Katolički surduk and Reformatski surduk – are known far and wide for their rich offer of food and wine. The best known wine growers of the area include the Gerštmajer family with their family business “Vinotočje” Zmajevac, the family winery “Josić”, the Wine Cellar “Čočić” of families Kovač Lajoš and Majorić Ištvan as well as many other farming households. The gastronomy of the area is known for “Čokot čarda”, Hunting Lodge “Monjoroš” and “Baranjski dvori”. The Elementary School Zmajevac (grades 1-8) holds classes in Hungarian and Croatian. The daycare center is a branch of the Daycare Center “Zeko” and is also bilingual. The settlement is known for cultural and sports activities of its associations, of which the ones with the longest tradition include: the Folklore Society “Jožef Atila”, FC “Zmaj”, Sport Fishing Club “Udičar” and the Volunteer Firefighters Association. There are also other associations apart from the mentioned.
History
The ancient Romans had their colony on the territory of the village of Zmajevac. Medieval proprietors of the village were members of the Gara family. Zmajevac was a centre of the whole estate, prior to 1500, and was owned by Peter Gereb, a relative of Matija Korvin. A medieval legend related to the villages Zmajevac and Batina is about the proprietress, a red-headed girl called Marta who committed suicide throwing herself from the cliff into the abyss. Some even connect the legend with the old Hungarian name of the village, Vorosmarth.
A medieval Franciscan (capuchin) monastery was located near Zmajevac, on the current bank of the river Danube. Zmajevac was inhabited as one of the main settlements for the traffic regulation towards Bačka during the Turkish Empire. In the mid 18th century, when Zmajevac belonged to the Belje estate, vineyards covered one fifth of the area. 21 craftsmen used to work in the village (tailors, furriers, blacksmiths, coopers, butchers, weavers) and a merchant. Consequently, a lot of craftsmen were forced to sell their goods on fairs. Peasants used to sell wines and fruit while the other income source for living was fishing because there were two fish ponds. A manor house and an inn were in the village as well.
During the 19th century wine-growing and cattle-breeding were the main sources of income while some villagers lived on towing boats up the Danube River.
In 1872 the estate owners built a 32 km long dike from Zmajevac to Kopačevo in order to prevent flooding and protect Zmajevac and its surrounding. In 1881 Zmajevac was a real agricultural little town with 2276 residents. According to the census in 1767 two ethnic communities used to live in Zmajevac, Germans, Roman Catholics who for the first time inhabited the village in 1742 and Hungarians, members of the Calvinist Protestant Church who used to live there from time imemmorial.
A medieval legend tied to Zmajevac (and Batina) speaks of a red-haired girl, Marta, who committed suicide by throwing herself from a cliff into an abyss. Some tie the legend to the old (and Hungarian) name of the settlement – Vörösmarth.