First houses in the area were built in the 16th century. In the direction from today's Tašmajdan and "Cvijićeva" street there were gardens, vineyards, pastures but also mills and summer houses of the wealthier citizens of Belgrade. The neighborhood originated in the first half of the 18th century, when the Habsburg Monarchy occupied northern Serbia 1717–1739. The settlement, built as an outer suburb of Belgrade, was originally named "Karlstadt" and was known for agriculture and skilled crafts and was considered as the most beautiful part of Belgrade at that time. In the early 19th century, it became overwhelmingly populated by the Serbs and was described as "the village one quarter of the hour walk" away from Belgrade. At the time, the village was made of small huts and hovels and mostly populated by the inhabitants from eastern Serbia.