Croats are a recognized national minority in
Serbia, a status they received in 2002. The majority of the
Bunjevac and
Šokac communities traditionally identify as part of the Croatian minority as well. According to the 2011 census, there were 57,900 Croats in Serbia or 0.8% of the country's population.
[ Of these, 47,033 lived in Vojvodina, where they formed the fourth largest ethnic group, representing 2.8% of the population. A further 7,752 lived in the national capital ]Belgrade
Belgrade ( , ;, ; Names of European cities in different languages: B, names in other languages) is the Capital city, capital and List of cities in Serbia, largest city in Serbia. It is located at the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers a ...
, with the remaining 3,115 in the rest of the country.
History
During the 15th century, Croats mostly lived in the Syrmia
Syrmia ( sh, Srem/Срем or sh, Srijem/Сријем, label=none) is a region of the southern Pannonian Plain, which lies between the Danube and Sava rivers. It is divided between Serbia and Croatia. Most of the region is flat, with the exce ...
region. It is estimated that they were a majority in 76 out of 801 villages that existed in the present-day territory of Vojvodina.
According to 1851 data, it is estimated that the population of the Voivodeship of Serbia and Banat of Temeschwar, the historical province that was predecessor of present-day Vojvodina, included, among other ethnic groups, 62,936 Bunjevci and Šokci and 2,860 Croats. Subsequent statistical estimations from the second half of the 19th century (conducted during Austro-Hungarian period) counted Bunjevci and Šokci as "others" and presented them separately from Croats (in 1910 Austro-Hungarian census, 70,000 Bunjevci were categorized as "others").[Juraj Lončarević: Hrvati u Mađarskoj i Trianonski ugovor, Školske novine, Zagreb, 1993, ]
The 1910 Austro-Hungarian
Austria-Hungary, often referred to as the Austro-Hungarian Empire,, the Dual Monarchy, or Austria, was a constitutional monarchy and great power in Central Europe between 1867 and 1918. It was formed with the Austro-Hungarian Compromise of ...
census also showed large differences in the numbers of those who considered themselves Bunjevci and Šokci, and those who considered themselves Croats. According to the census, in the city of Subotica
Subotica ( sr-cyrl, Суботица, ; hu, Szabadka) is a List of cities in Serbia, city and the administrative center of the North Bačka District in the autonomous province of Vojvodina, Serbia. Formerly the largest city of Vojvodina region, ...
there were only 39 citizens who declared Croatian as their native language, while 33,390 citizens were listed as speakers of "other languages" (most of them declared Bunjevac as their native language). In the city of Sombor, 83 citizens declared Croatian language, while 6,289 citizens were listed as speakers of "other languages" (mostly Bunjevac). In the municipality of Apatin, 44 citizens declared Croatian and 7,191 declared "other languages" (mostly Bunjevac, Šokac and Gypsy).
In Syrmia
Syrmia ( sh, Srem/Срем or sh, Srijem/Сријем, label=none) is a region of the southern Pannonian Plain, which lies between the Danube and Sava rivers. It is divided between Serbia and Croatia. Most of the region is flat, with the exce ...
, which was then part of the Kingdom of Croatia-Slavonia
The Kingdom of Croatia-Slavonia ( hr, Kraljevina Hrvatska i Slavonija; hu, Horvát-Szlavónország or ; de-AT, Königreich Kroatien und Slawonien) was a nominally autonomous kingdom and constitutionally defined separate political nation with ...
, according to the 1910 census results Croats were a relative or absolute majority in Gibarac (843 Croats or 86.46% out of total population), Kukujevci (1,775 or 77.61%), Novi Slankamen (2,450 or 59.22%), Petrovaradin (3,266 or 57.02%), Stari Slankamen (466 or 48.19%), Hrtkovci (1,144 or 45.43% ) and Morović (966 or 41.67%). Other places which had a significant minority of Croats included Novi Banovci (37.70%), Golubinci (36.86%), Sremska Kamenica (36.41%), Sot (33.01%), Sremska Mitrovica
Sremska Mitrovica (; sr-Cyrl, Сремска Митровица, hu, Szávaszentdemeter, la, Sirmium) is a city and the administrative center of the Srem District in the autonomous province of Vojvodina, Serbia. It is situated on the left bank ...
(30.32%), Sremski Karlovci (29.94%) and Ljuba (29.86%).
In 1925, Bunjevac-Šokac Party and Pučka kasina organized in Subotica
Subotica ( sr-cyrl, Суботица, ; hu, Szabadka) is a List of cities in Serbia, city and the administrative center of the North Bačka District in the autonomous province of Vojvodina, Serbia. Formerly the largest city of Vojvodina region, ...
the 1000th-anniversary celebration of the establishment of Kingdom of Croatia, when in 925 Tomislav of Croatia became first king of the Croatian Kingdom. On the King Tomislav Square in Subotica
Subotica ( sr-cyrl, Суботица, ; hu, Szabadka) is a List of cities in Serbia, city and the administrative center of the North Bačka District in the autonomous province of Vojvodina, Serbia. Formerly the largest city of Vojvodina region, ...
a memorial plaque was unveiled with the inscription "The memorial plaque of millennium of Croatian Kingdom 925-1925. Set by Bunjevci Croats". Besides Subotica, memorial plaques of King Tomislav
Tomislav (, la, Tamisclaus) was the first king of Croatia. He became Duke of Croatia and was crowned king in 925, reigning until 928. During Tomislav's rule, Croatia forged an alliance with the Byzantine Empire against Bulgaria. Croatia's strug ...
were also revealed in Sremski Karlovci and Petrovaradin.
In 1990s, during the war in Croatia was persecution of Croats in Serbia during Yugoslav Wars
During the Yugoslav Wars, members of the Serbian Radical Party and Serbian Chetnik Movement conducted a campaign of intimidation and persecution against the Croats of Serbia through hate speech. These acts forced a part of the local Croat popul ...
, members of Serbian Radical Party organized and participated in the expulsion of the Croats in some places in Vojvodina. The President of the Serbian Radical Party, Vojislav Šešelj is indicted for participation in these events. According to some estimations, the number of Croats which have left Serbia under political pressure of the Milošević's regime might be between 20,000 and 40,000.[Hrvatska nacionalna manjina u Srbiji](_blank)
In 2020 the birth home of ban Josip Jelaćić built in the 18th century and located in Petrovaradin, was bought by the Republic of Serbia from private owners. It was later reconstructed and given as a gift to the Croatian community.
Coat of arms
Flag and coat of arms of Croats of Serbia were adopted on 11 June 2005 in a session of the Croat National Council, in Subotica
Subotica ( sr-cyrl, Суботица, ; hu, Szabadka) is a List of cities in Serbia, city and the administrative center of the North Bačka District in the autonomous province of Vojvodina, Serbia. Formerly the largest city of Vojvodina region, ...
.
Politics
The Croat National Council is a body of self-government of the Croatian minority in Serbia. On 11 June 2005 the Council adopted the historical coat of arms of Croatia, a checkerboard
A checkerboard (American English) or chequerboard (British English; see spelling differences) is a board of checkered pattern on which checkers (also known as English draughts) is played. Most commonly, it consists of 64 squares (8×8) of altern ...
consisting of 13 red and 12 white fields (the difference with the Croatian coat of arms being the crown on top).
Demographics
In the results of census taking is a disagreement between real ethnicity and declared ethnicity. Most citizens who declare that they belong to a specific ethnic/minority group, already come from families with mixed family backgrounds (e.g. mixed marriages between different nationalities/ethnicities, interreligious marriages). The Republic of Serbia is using in Vojvodina a ''"segregated model of multiculturalism"''. The national councils receive funds from the state and province to finance their own governing body, cultural, and educational organisations. The amount of money for the national councils, depends on the results of a census in which the Serbian population can register and self-declare as a member of a state-recognized minority of their choice. Today, most members of the Šokci community consider themselves Croats. The Bunjevci in the Serbian Bačka region and southern Hungary, are split between those who declare themselves as a distinct ethnic group with their own language and those who identify themselves as a Croatian sub-ethnic group. The latter are represented in Serbia by the Croat National Council, and the former by the Bunjevac National Council. Not al Croats in Serbia have Bunjevac or Sokac origins.
The number of Croats in Serbia was somewhat larger in previous censuses that were conducted between 1948 and 1991. However, the real number of declared Croats in the time when these censuses were conducted may have been smaller because the communist authorities counted those citizens who declared themselves Bunjevci or Šokci as Croats. The largest recorded number of Croats in a census was in 1961 when there were 196,409 Croats (including Bunjevci and Šokci) in the Socialist Republic of Serbia
, life_span = 1944–1992
, status = Constituent state of Yugoslavia
, p1 = Territory of the Military Commander in Serbia
, flag_p1 = Flag of German Reich (1935–1945).svg
, p2 ...
(around 2.57% of the total population of Serbia at the time). Since 1961 census, the Croat population in Serbia is in a constant decrease. This is caused by various reasons, including economic emigration, and ethnic tensions of the Yugoslav wars during the 1990s, more specifically the 1991-1995 War in Croatia. During this war-time period, Croats in Serbia were under pressure from the Serbian Radical Party and some Serb refugees
A refugee, conventionally speaking, is a displaced person who has crossed national borders and who cannot or is unwilling to return home due to well-founded fear of persecution. from Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina to move to Croatia. In that time, a transfer of population occurred between Croats from Serbia and Serbs from Croatia. Based on an investigation by the ''Humanitarian Law Fund'' from Belgrade in the course of June, July, and August 1992, more than 10,000 Croats from Vojvodina exchanged their property for the property of Serbs from Croatia, and altogether about 20,000 Croats left Serbia. According to other estimations, the number of Croats who have left Serbia under political pressure of the Milošević's regime might be between 20,000 and 40,000. According to Petar Kuntić of Democratic Alliance of Croats in Vojvodina, 50,000 Croats were pressured to move out from Serbia during the Yugoslav wars.
* - excluding Kosovo
Croats in Vojvodina
Croats are the fourth largest ethnic group in the Vojvodina province. According to the 2011 census, there are 47,033 Croats living in Vojvodina.[Republički zavod za statistiku Republike Srbije]
/ref>
In the 1990s, during the Milošević regime (1989–1997), it was life-threatening in Serbia to declare to be a Bunjevac Croat: "... to declare themselves as Bunjevac in order to avoid being stigmatised as Croats, thus increasing the number of self-declared Bunjevci in the 1990s."
Croats of Šokci origin constituting the largest part of population in three villages: Sonta
Sonta ( sr-cyr, Сонта) is a village located in the municipality of Apatin, West Bačka District, Vojvodina, Serbia. The village has a Croat ethnic majority and its population numbering 4,238 people (2011 census).
Name
According to some ...
(in the municipality of Apatin), Bački Breg
Bački Breg ( sr-cyr, Бачки Брег, hu, Béreg) is a village located in the Sombor municipality, in the West Bačka District of Serbia. It is situated in the autonomous province of Vojvodina. As of 2011, it has a population of 1,140 i ...
and Bački Monoštor (both in the municipality of Sombor).
source:
note1: The numbers were adjusted for the present borders of Vojvodina.
note2: Croats are counted together with Bunjevci and Šokci for data before 1991.
Language
Croatian
Croatian may refer to:
* Croatia
*Croatian language
*Croatian people
*Croatians (demonym)
See also
*
*
* Croatan (disambiguation)
* Croatia (disambiguation)
* Croatoan (disambiguation)
* Hrvatski (disambiguation)
* Hrvatsko (disambiguation)
* S ...
, a standard variety of the pluricentric language
A pluricentric language or polycentric language is a language with several interacting codified standard forms, often corresponding to different countries. Many examples of such languages can be found worldwide among the most-spoken languages, inc ...
Serbo-Croatian, is listed as one of the six official languages of Vojvodina, an autonomous province located in the northern part of the country which traditionally fosters multilingualism, multiculturalism and multiconfessionalism.
Bunjevac dialect
Some members of the Bunjevac community in Serbia and Hungary, preserved the Danubian branch (Bunjevac dialect - , also known as Bunjevac speech - ) of Shtokavian–Younger Ikavian dialect of the Serbo-Croatian pluricentric language
A pluricentric language or polycentric language is a language with several interacting codified standard forms, often corresponding to different countries. Many examples of such languages can be found worldwide among the most-spoken languages, inc ...
. Their accent is purely Ikavian, with /i/ for the Common Slavic vowels '' yat''. There are three sub-branches of the Stokavian Younger Ikavian dialect: Danubian, Littoral-Lika, and Dalmatian. Its speakers largely use the Latin alphabet and are living in parts of Bosnia and Herzegovina, parts of Croatia, southern parts (inc. Budapest) of Hungary as well in parts of the autonomous province Vojvodina of Serbia.
There have been three meritorious people who preserved the Bunjevac dialect in two separate dictionaries: Grgo Bačlija and Marko Peić with "''Ričnik bački Bunjevaca''" (editions 1990, 2018), and Ante Sekulić with "''Rječnik govora bačkih Hrvata''" (2005).
The dialect, of the in Serbia residating Danubian Bunjevci, was standardized in the Republic of Serbia in 2018 and officially approved as a standard dialect by the Ministry of Education for learning in schools. Speakers use in general the standardized dialect variety for writing and conversation in formal situations. Theodora Vuković has provided, in 2009, the scientific methodology for the finalization of the standardization proces of the Bunjevac dialect corpus in Serbia, classified as the Serbian Bunjevac dialect variety of the Danubian branch of the Shtokavian–Younger Ikavian dialect.
On March 4, 2021, the municipal council in Subotica
Subotica ( sr-cyrl, Суботица, ; hu, Szabadka) is a List of cities in Serbia, city and the administrative center of the North Bačka District in the autonomous province of Vojvodina, Serbia. Formerly the largest city of Vojvodina region, ...
has voted in favor of amending the city statute adding Bunjevac speech to the list of official languages in the municipality, in addition to Serbian
Serbian may refer to:
* someone or something related to Serbia, a country in Southeastern Europe
* someone or something related to the Serbs, a South Slavic people
* Serbian language
* Serbian names
See also
*
*
* Old Serbian (disambiguat ...
, Hungarian, and Croatian. This has created a special situation that contradicts the official position, of both the Government of Serbia
The Government of Serbia ( sr, Влада Србије, Vlada Srbije), formally the Government of the Republic of Serbia ( sr, Влада Републике Србије, Vlada Republike Srbije), commonly abbreviated to Serbian Government ( sr, ...
and Matica srpska, that classified Bunjevac speech as a dialect.
Popularly, the Bunjevac dialect is often referred to as "Bunjevac language" or Bunjevac mother tongue
A first language, native tongue, native language, mother tongue or L1 is the first language or dialect that a person has been exposed to from birth or within the critical period. In some countries, the term ''native language'' or ''mother tongu ...
. At the political level, depending on goal and content of the political lobby, the general confusion concerning the definition of the terms language, dialect, speech, mother tongue, is cleverly exploited, resulting in an inconsistent use of the terms.
The Institute of Croatian Language and Linguistics launched a proposal, in March 2021, to the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Croatia, to add Bunjevac dialect to the List of Protected Intangible Cultural Heritage
An intangible cultural heritage (ICH) is a practice, representation, expression, knowledge, or skill considered by UNESCO to be part of a place's cultural heritage. Buildings, historic places, monuments, and artifacts are cultural property. Int ...
of the Republic of Croatia and was approved on 8 October 2021.
Organizations
(Zavod za kulturu vojvođanskih Hrvata) Institute for Culture of Croats of Vojvodina
*Croatian Community in Belgrade “Tin Ujević”
Notable people
*Josip Jelačić
Count Josip Jelačić von Bužim (16 October 180120 May 1859; also spelled ''Jellachich'', ''Jellačić'' or ''Jellasics''; hr, Josip grof Jelačić Bužimski; hu, Jelasics József) was a Croatian lieutenant field marshal in the Imperial-Roy ...
, Ban of Croatia
*Ilija Okrugić
Ilija Okrugić-''Sr(i)emac'' (May 12, 1827, Sremski Karlovci - May 30, 1897, Petrovaradin) was a Croatian poet and playwright from Syrmia, one of members of Illyrian movement and a Catholic priest.
Biography
Ilija Okrugić was born in Sremski Karl ...
, poet and playwright
*Stjepan Horvat
Stjepan Horvat (November 29, 1895 – March 12, 1985) was a Croatian geodesist and professor, dean of the Technical Faculty in Zagreb, head of the University of Zagreb, editor of the journals ''Geodetski list'' and ''Hrvatska državna izmjera' ...
, geodesist and professor
* Marijan Beneš, former boxer born in Belgrade to a Croat father and a Serb mother
* Ratko Rudić, water polo coach and a former water polo player
*Stjepan Filipović
Stjepan Filipović (27 January 1916 – 22 May 1942) was a Yugoslav communist who led the Kolubara Company of the Valjevo Partisan Detachment during the 1941 Partisan uprising. He was captured and executed in 1942 in Valjevo. A photo of him ...
, People's Hero of Yugoslavia
* Franjo Mihalić, long-distance runner and Olympic silver medalist
* Josip Leko, politician who served as the Speaker of the Croatian Parliament
*Jovan Mikić
Jovan Mikić ( sh-Cyrl, Јован Микић, 13 May 1914 – 11 October 1944), known as Spartak, was a Yugoslav record holder in athletics, and was known for creating the nickname FK Spartak, FK Spartak Subotica. He competed in the Athletics at t ...
, athlete
* Davor Štefanek, wrestler and former world champion [27
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*Vanja Udovičić">7<_a><br>_nowiki>.html" ;"title="7">[27
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*Vanja Udovičić, politician and former professional water polo, Serb mother and Croat father [Vanja, koji je rođeni Beograđanin, dijete iz mješovitoga braka, od majke Srpkinje i oca Hrvata iz Istre. Krsno ime mu je Franjo, a kršten je u katoličkoj crkvi u Beogradu. Vanja, who is born in Belgrade, a child of mixed marriage, from a Serb mother and a Croat father from Istria. His baptismal name is Franjo, and he was baptized in the Catholic Church in Belgrade. 2010, https://www.jutarnji.hr/sport/vanja-udovicic-ima-tri-drzavljanstva-a-krsno-ime-mu-je-franjo/2129490/]
*Ivica Vrdoljak
Ivica Vrdoljak (; born 19 September 1983) is a Croatian professional retired footballer.
Club career
Vrdoljak started playing football at his homeclub, Serbian top league club FK Vojvodina, where he played for the youth teams until 1999, when h ...
, footballer
*Ivan Sarić
Ivan Sarić (27 June 1876 – 23 August 1966) was a Yugoslavian sportsman and aviator. He founded the athletic club ŽAK Subotica in his hometown of Subotica. He was also one of the most important pioneers of aviation in Eastern Europe. As a cycl ...
, sportsman
* Tomislav Žigmanov, Serbian Croat politician, author, publisher, and academic.
* Slavoljub Muslin, notable football player.
* Neda Arnerić, Serbian and Yugoslav actress, Serb mother and a Croatian father, she was considered a sex symbol of Yugoslav cinematography.
*Aljoša Vučković
Aljoša Vučković ( sr-cyrl, Аљоша Вучковић; born 17 December 1946) is a retired Yugoslav actor. He appeared in more than one hundred films since 1967.
Biography
He is of Croat
The Croats (; hr, Hrvati ) are a South Slavic e ...
, Serbian actor.
*Tamara Boroš
Tamara Boroš (born 19 December 1977) is a Croatian table tennis player. She is one of the relatively rare European players who competed at the highest level of the sport together with the players from the Far East.
Boroš was born in a Hungari ...
, table tennis player
See also
* Croatia-Serbia relations
* Serbs of Croatia
* Bunjevac dialect
* Bunjevci
* Croat National Council
* Croats of Vojvodina
* Ethnic groups of Vojvodina
* Flag of Croats of Serbia
* Operation Storm
* Persecution of Croats in Serbia during the war in Croatia
* Šokci
Notes
References
External links
Bunjevac Croatian Cultural and Educational Society in Serbia, Matija Gubec Tavankut, matijagubec.rs
*
Hrvatska riječ weekley
*
Zajednica protjeranih Hrvata iz Srijema Bačke i Banata
*
Hrvati Vojvodine: Josipoviću i Tadiću, zaštitite nas! Otvoreno pismo.
Published 17 Feb 2011 by Večernji list.
{{Ethnic groups in Serbia
—
Croats of Serbia
Croats are a recognized national minority in Serbia, a status they received in 2002. The majority of the Bunjevac and Šokac communities traditionally identify as part of the Croatian minority as well. According to the 2011 census, there were 57 ...
Serbia
Ethnic groups in Serbia