Dupnitsa, or Dupnica[2] (Bulgarian: Дупница (previously Дубница), pronounced [ˈdupnit͡sɐ]), is a town in Western Bulgaria.

During World War II over 4,000 Jews from parts of Greece and Yugoslavia annexed by Bulgaria were arrested on 4 March 1943 and deported, some to an internment camp in Dupnitsa.

[4] After 11 to 12 days in the Dupnitsa camp, on 18 – 19 March they were transferred by train to Lom on the Danube for extermination at Treblinka.

[4] Nowadays Dupnitsa is a fast-developing town combining new buildings with modern architecture with its historical monuments.

One of the main branches of industry is the pharmaceutical company Actavis (formerly HeFeKa, in Bulgarian ХФК), which gives employment to about 30 to 40 percent of the citizens.

In recent years the town has become notorious due to the activities of an organised crime group led by pair of Bulgarian gangsters, former policemen Angel Hristov and Plamen Galev, known as the "Galevi brothers".

Using intimidation and extortion, and with the help of corrupt policemen, they controlled Dupnitsa to the extent that they have been described as "the owners of the first private town in Bulgaria".

Marek was a dominant force in Bulgarian football in the mid-late 1970s, finishing 3rd in the domestic league, and winning the National Cup.

The team played with success in Europe, defeating at home powerhouses such as Bayern Munich, Aberdeen and Ferencvaros.