Beli Manastir is a town in eastern
Croatia
, image_flag = Flag of Croatia.svg
, image_coat = Coat of arms of Croatia.svg
, anthem = "Lijepa naša domovino"("Our Beautiful Homeland")
, image_map =
, map_caption =
, capit ...
. It is the principal town of the Croatian part of
Baranja, located in the
Osijek-Baranja County
Osijek-Baranja County (, hr, Osječko-baranjska županija, hu, Eszék-Baranya megye) is a county in Croatia, located in northeastern Slavonia and Baranja. Its center is Osijek. Other towns include Đakovo, Našice, Valpovo, Belišće, and B ...
.
Name
The name means "white monastery" in
Serbo-Croatian
Serbo-Croatian () – also called Serbo-Croat (), Serbo-Croat-Bosnian (SCB), Bosnian-Croatian-Serbian (BCS), and Bosnian-Croatian-Montenegrin-Serbian (BCMS) – is a South Slavic language and the primary language of Serbia, Croatia, Bosnia an ...
. Originally called Monoštor, the current name was adopted in 1923. It is also known as ''Pélmonostor'' in
Hungarian, and ''Manoster'' in German.
Other names formerly used for the town were: ''Pél'', ''Bell'', and ''Monostor''. All names are connected with monasteries that existed in history at this location. The first monastery was built in the 9th century during the rule of
Slavic duke
Kocelj but was later razed, and all that remained of it was ''pil'' (''obelisk'' in English), hence the later Hungarian name ''Pél'', which was a version of the Slavic word.
History
In the 9th century, this area was part of the
Slavic Principality of Lower Pannonia
Early Slavs settled in the eastern and southern parts of the former Roman province of Pannonia. The term ''Lower Pannonia'' ( la, Pannonia inferior, hu, Alsó-pannoniai grófság, sh-Latn-Cyrl, Donja Panonija, Доња Панонија, sl, Spo ...
and a Slavic monastery was situated here. The monastery was founded during the visit of
Cyril and Methodius
Cyril (born Constantine, 826–869) and Methodius (815–885) were two brothers and Byzantine Christian theologians and missionaries. For their work evangelizing the Slavs, they are known as the "Apostles to the Slavs".
They are credited wit ...
, who spread Christianity among Slavs. After Methodius died, his students were expelled and the monastery was razed.
After the arrival of the
Hungarians
Hungarians, also known as Magyars ( ; hu, magyarok ), are a nation and ethnic group native to Hungary () and historical Hungarian lands who share a common culture, history, ancestry, and language. The Hungarian language belongs to the Urali ...
in the 10th century, this area was included in the newly founded
Hungarian state
) was a short-lived state that existed for 4 months in the last phase of the Hungarian Revolution of 1848–49.
Constitutional tensions between the Hungarian parliament and Franz Joseph
On 2 December 1848 Ferdinand V of Hungary "abdicated" in fa ...
and the settlement was built at this locality. The town was first mentioned in 1212 under name ''Pél''. During Hungarian administration, another monastery was built here (in the 13th century), but it was destroyed by the
Mongols
The Mongols ( mn, Монголчууд, , , ; ; russian: Монголы) are an East Asian ethnic group native to Mongolia, Inner Mongolia in China and the Buryatia Republic of the Russian Federation. The Mongols are the principal membe ...
in 1241. It was later rebuilt, but was again destroyed during the
Ottoman conquest in the 16th century. Between 11th and 16th centuries, the area administratively belonged to the
Baranya county
Baranya ( hu, Baranya megye, ) is a county () in southern Hungary. It is part of the Southern Transdanubia statistical region and the historical Baranya region, which was a county (''comitatus'') in the Kingdom of Hungary dating back to the ...
.
In the 16th–17th century, the area was part of the
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman Empire, * ; is an archaic version. The definite article forms and were synonymous * and el, Оθωμανική Αυτοκρατορία, Othōmanikē Avtokratoria, label=none * info page on book at Martin Luther University) ...
and administratively belonged to the Sanjak of
Mohaç. Since the end of the 17th century, the area was part of the
Habsburg monarchy and administratively belonged to the
Baranya county
Baranya ( hu, Baranya megye, ) is a county () in southern Hungary. It is part of the Southern Transdanubia statistical region and the historical Baranya region, which was a county (''comitatus'') in the Kingdom of Hungary dating back to the ...
, which was part of the
Habsburg Kingdom of Hungary.
Until the end of
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...
, the Inhabitants was
Danube Swabians
The Danube Swabians (german: Donauschwaben ) is a collective term for the ethnic German-speaking population who lived in various countries of central-eastern Europe, especially in the Danube River valley, first in the 12th century, and in grea ...
, also called locally as ''Stifolder'', because there Ancestors once came around 1720 from
Fulda (district)
The Fulda District (; ) is a ''Kreis'' (district) in the north-east of Hesse, Germany. Neighboring districts are Hersfeld-Rotenburg, Wartburgkreis, Schmalkalden-Meiningen, Rhön-Grabfeld, Bad Kissingen, Main-Kinzig, Vogelsbergkreis.
History
T ...
. Mostly of the former German Settlers was expelled to
Allied-occupied Germany
Germany was already de facto occupied by the Allies from the real fall of Nazi Germany in World War II on 8 May 1945 to the establishment of the East Germany on 7 October 1949. The Allies (United States, United Kingdom, Soviet Union, and Franc ...
and
Allied-occupied Austria in 1945-1948, about the
Potsdam Agreement.
Since 1918, the town was part of the
Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes
Kingdom commonly refers to:
* A monarchy ruled by a king or queen
* Kingdom (biology), a category in biological taxonomy
Kingdom may also refer to:
Arts and media Television
* ''Kingdom'' (British TV series), a 2007 British television drama s ...
(later renamed to
Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia (; sh-Latn-Cyrl, separator=" / ", Jugoslavija, Југославија ; sl, Jugoslavija ; mk, Југославија ;; rup, Iugoslavia; hu, Jugoszlávia; rue, label=Pannonian Rusyn, Югославия, translit=Juhoslavija ...
). From 1918 to 1922, it was part of the
Novi Sad
Novi Sad ( sr-Cyrl, Нови Сад, ; hu, Újvidék, ; german: Neusatz; see below for other names) is the second largest city in Serbia and the capital of the autonomous province of Vojvodina. It is located in the southern portion of the Pan ...
county, from 1922 to 1929 part of the
Bačka
Bačka ( sr-cyrl, Бачка, ) or Bácska () is a geographical and historical area within the Pannonian Plain bordered by the river Danube to the west and south, and by the river Tisza to the east. It is divided between Serbia and Hunga ...
Oblast, and from 1929 to 1941 part of the
Danube Banovina. From 1941 to 1944, it was occupied by
Hungary
Hungary ( hu, Magyarország ) is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Spanning of the Pannonian Basin, Carpathian Basin, it is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine to the northeast, Romania to the east and southeast, Serbia to the ...
and was administratively included into
Baranya county
Baranya ( hu, Baranya megye, ) is a county () in southern Hungary. It is part of the Southern Transdanubia statistical region and the historical Baranya region, which was a county (''comitatus'') in the Kingdom of Hungary dating back to the ...
. It was returned to
Yugoslav control in 1944 and was administratively part of
Vojvodina
Vojvodina ( sr-Cyrl, Војводина}), officially the Autonomous Province of Vojvodina, is an autonomous province that occupies the northernmost part of Serbia. It lies within the Pannonian Basin, bordered to the south by the national capital ...
until 1945, when it was transferred to the
People's Republic of Croatia
The Socialist Republic of Croatia ( sh-Latn-Cyrl, separator=" / ", Socijalistička Republika Hrvatska, Социјалистичка Република Хрватска), or SR Croatia, was a constituent republic and federated state of the Sociali ...
.
During the
Croatian War of Independence (1991–1995), Beli Manastir was occupied by Serbian paramilitaries and incorporated along with some other
towns into the
Republic of Serbian Krajina
The Republic of Serbian Krajina or Serb Republic of Krajina ( sh, Република Српска Крајина, italics=no / or РСК / ''RSK'', ), known as the Serbian Krajina ( / ) or simply Krajina, was a self-proclaimed Serb proto-state, ...
. It was returned to Croatian control after the war, following the short period of UN administration (1996–1998). Beli Manastir is an underdeveloped municipality which is statistically classified as the
First Category Area of Special State Concern by the
Government of Croatia.
Town of Beli Manastir
Geography
The Town of Beli Manastir is composed of 4 settlements:
*Beli Manastir, population 8,049
*
Branjin Vrh, population 993
*
Šećerana, population 540
*
Šumarina
Šumarina ( hu, Benge, sr-cyr, Шумарина) is a settlement in the region of Baranja, Croatia. Administratively, it is located in the Beli Manastir municipality within the Osijek-Baranja County
Osijek-Baranja County (, hr, Osječko-bar ...
, population 486
Demographics
1910
According to the 1910 census, the town had 2,447 inhabitants, of which:
*
Germans
, native_name_lang = de
, region1 =
, pop1 = 72,650,269
, region2 =
, pop2 = 534,000
, region3 =
, pop3 = 157,000
3,322,405
, region4 =
, pop4 = ...
– 1,496 (61.1%)
*
Serbs
The Serbs ( sr-Cyr, Срби, Srbi, ) are the most numerous South Slavic ethnic group native to the Balkans in Southeastern Europe, who share a common Serbian ancestry, culture, history and language.
The majority of Serbs live in their na ...
– 478 (19.5%)
*
Hungarians
Hungarians, also known as Magyars ( ; hu, magyarok ), are a nation and ethnic group native to Hungary () and historical Hungarian lands who share a common culture, history, ancestry, and language. The Hungarian language belongs to the Urali ...
– 443 (18.1%)
*
Croats
The Croats (; hr, Hrvati ) are a South Slavic ethnic group who share a common Croatian ancestry, culture, history and language. They are also a recognized minority in a number of neighboring countries, namely Austria, the Czech Republic, ...
– 6 (0.24%)
* others – 24 (0.98%)
1929
In 1929 the population was made of:
*
Hungarians
Hungarians, also known as Magyars ( ; hu, magyarok ), are a nation and ethnic group native to Hungary () and historical Hungarian lands who share a common culture, history, ancestry, and language. The Hungarian language belongs to the Urali ...
– 33.8%
*
Germans
, native_name_lang = de
, region1 =
, pop1 = 72,650,269
, region2 =
, pop2 = 534,000
, region3 =
, pop3 = 157,000
3,322,405
, region4 =
, pop4 = ...
– 32.6%
*
Croats
The Croats (; hr, Hrvati ) are a South Slavic ethnic group who share a common Croatian ancestry, culture, history and language. They are also a recognized minority in a number of neighboring countries, namely Austria, the Czech Republic, ...
– 18.8%
*
Serbs
The Serbs ( sr-Cyr, Срби, Srbi, ) are the most numerous South Slavic ethnic group native to the Balkans in Southeastern Europe, who share a common Serbian ancestry, culture, history and language.
The majority of Serbs live in their na ...
– 12%
1981
53,409 total
*
Croats
The Croats (; hr, Hrvati ) are a South Slavic ethnic group who share a common Croatian ancestry, culture, history and language. They are also a recognized minority in a number of neighboring countries, namely Austria, the Czech Republic, ...
– 19,136 (35.83%)
*
Serbs
The Serbs ( sr-Cyr, Срби, Srbi, ) are the most numerous South Slavic ethnic group native to the Balkans in Southeastern Europe, who share a common Serbian ancestry, culture, history and language.
The majority of Serbs live in their na ...
– 12,857 (24.07%)
*
Hungarians
Hungarians, also known as Magyars ( ; hu, magyarok ), are a nation and ethnic group native to Hungary () and historical Hungarian lands who share a common culture, history, ancestry, and language. The Hungarian language belongs to the Urali ...
– 9,920 (18.57%)
*
Yugoslavs
Yugoslavs or Yugoslavians ( Bosnian and Croatian: ''Jugoslaveni'', Serbian and Macedonian ''Jugosloveni''/Југословени; sl, Jugoslovani) is an identity that was originally designed to refer to a united South Slavic people. It has b ...
– 8,850 (16.57%)
*
Slovenes
The Slovenes, also known as Slovenians ( sl, Slovenci ), are a South Slavic ethnic group native to Slovenia, and adjacent regions in Italy, Austria and Hungary. Slovenes share a common ancestry, culture, history and speak Slovene as their na ...
– 353 (0.66%)
*
Montenegrins
Montenegrins ( cnr, Црногорци, Crnogorci, or ; lit. "Black Mountain People") are a South Slavic ethnic group that share a common Montenegrin culture, history, and language, identified with the country of Montenegro.
Genetics
Accordi ...
– 276 (0.52%)
*
Romani – 262 (0.49%)
*
Muslims
Muslims ( ar, المسلمون, , ) are people who adhere to Islam, a monotheistic religion belonging to the Abrahamic tradition. They consider the Quran, the foundational religious text of Islam, to be the verbatim word of the God of Abrah ...
– 82 (0.15%)
*
Albanians – 56 (0.11%)
*
Macedonians – 45 (0.08%)
2001
The town had a population of 8,671, while total municipality population was 10,986. Ethnic composition of Beli Manastir municipality by 2001 census was:
*
Croats
The Croats (; hr, Hrvati ) are a South Slavic ethnic group who share a common Croatian ancestry, culture, history and language. They are also a recognized minority in a number of neighboring countries, namely Austria, the Czech Republic, ...
= 6,085 (55.39%)
*
Serbs
The Serbs ( sr-Cyr, Срби, Srbi, ) are the most numerous South Slavic ethnic group native to the Balkans in Southeastern Europe, who share a common Serbian ancestry, culture, history and language.
The majority of Serbs live in their na ...
= 2,920 (26.58%)
*
Hungarians
Hungarians, also known as Magyars ( ; hu, magyarok ), are a nation and ethnic group native to Hungary () and historical Hungarian lands who share a common culture, history, ancestry, and language. The Hungarian language belongs to the Urali ...
= 933 (8.49%)
*
Romani = 153 (1.39%)
*
Germans
, native_name_lang = de
, region1 =
, pop1 = 72,650,269
, region2 =
, pop2 = 534,000
, region3 =
, pop3 = 157,000
3,322,405
, region4 =
, pop4 = ...
= 122 (1.11%)
Buildings and structures
In 1966, a broadcasting mast standing 202 metres high was erected.
Economy
Beli Manastir is home to the STARCO Beli steel wheel factory.
Beli Manastir (settlement)
Parts of settlement (hamlets)
''Beli Manastir'', ''Beli Manastir-Planina'', ''Haljevo'' and ''Palača''. Till 1991. part of settlement was also
Sudaraž which is now independent settlement.
Population
Ethnic composition, 1991. census
Austria-Hungary 1910. census
*
''In 1910. census together with settlement Sudaraž''.
See also
*
Osijek-Baranja County
Osijek-Baranja County (, hr, Osječko-baranjska županija, hu, Eszék-Baranya megye) is a county in Croatia, located in northeastern Slavonia and Baranja. Its center is Osijek. Other towns include Đakovo, Našice, Valpovo, Belišće, and B ...
*
Baranya Baranya or Baranja may refer to:
* Baranya (region) or Baranja, a region in Hungary and Croatia
* Baranya County, a county in modern Hungary
* Baranya County (former), a county in the historic Kingdom of Hungary
* Baranya, Hungarian name of villag ...
*
Baranya County (former)
Baranya ( hu, Baranya, hr, Baranja, sr, Барања / ''Baranja'', ger, Branau) was an administrative county (comitatus) of the Kingdom of Hungary. Its territory is now divided between present-day Baranya County of Hungary and Osijek-Baran ...
References
Literature
* Book: "Narodnosni i vjerski sastav stanovništva Hrvatske, 1880–1991: po naseljima, autor: Jakov Gelo, izdavač: Državni zavod za statistiku Republike Hrvatske, 1998., , ;
External links
Croatia struggles for post-war harmonyTheater of Beli Manastir
{{authority control
Cities and towns in Croatia
Populated places in Osijek-Baranja County
Baranya (region)
Municipalities of Croatia
1212 establishments in Europe
13th-century establishments in Croatia