The
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 ...
of Romania ( ro, Sârbii din România, sr, Срби у Румунији/Srbi u Rumuniji) are a recognized
ethnic minority numbering 18,076 people (0.1%) according to the 2011 census. The community is concentrated in western Romania, in the Romanian part of the
Banat
Banat (, ; hu, Bánság; sr, Банат, Banat) is a geographical and historical region that straddles Central and Eastern Europe and which is currently divided among three countries: the eastern part lies in western Romania (the counties of T ...
region (divided with
Serbia
Serbia (, ; Serbian: , , ), officially the Republic of Serbia (Serbian: , , ), is a landlocked country in Southeastern and Central Europe, situated at the crossroads of the Pannonian Basin and the Balkans. It shares land borders with Hungar ...
), where they constitute the absolute majority in two
communes
An intentional community is a voluntary residential community which is designed to have a high degree of social cohesion and teamwork from the start. The members of an intentional community typically hold a common social, political, relig ...
and the relative majority in one other.
History
Historical background
Slavic presence is attested in Romania since the Early Middle Ages. The
Avar Khaganate was the dominant power of the
Carpathian Basin
The Pannonian Basin, or Carpathian Basin, is a large Sedimentary basin, basin situated in south-east Central Europe. The Geomorphology, geomorphological term Pannonian Plain is more widely used for roughly the same region though with a somewh ...
between around 567 and 803. Most historians agree that
Slavs and
Bulgars, together with the remnants of the
Avars, and possibly with
Vlachs
"Vlach" ( or ), also "Wallachian" (and many other variants), is a historical term and exonym used from the Middle Ages until the Modern Era to designate mainly Romanians but also Aromanians, Megleno-Romanians, Istro-Romanians and other E ...
(or
Romanians
The Romanians ( ro, români, ; dated exonym '' Vlachs'') are a Romance-speaking ethnic group. Sharing a common Romanian culture and ancestry, and speaking the Romanian language, they live primarily in Romania and Moldova. The 2011 Roman ...
), inhabited the
Banat
Banat (, ; hu, Bánság; sr, Банат, Banat) is a geographical and historical region that straddles Central and Eastern Europe and which is currently divided among three countries: the eastern part lies in western Romania (the counties of T ...
region after the fall of the khaganate. Place names of
Slavic origin recorded already in the Middle Ages show the early presence of a Slavic-speaking population.
Early modern period
From the late 14th- to the beginning of the 16th century a large number of Serbs lived in
Wallachia
Wallachia or Walachia (; ro, Țara Românească, lit=The Romanian Land' or 'The Romanian Country, ; archaic: ', Romanian Cyrillic alphabet: ) is a historical and geographical region of Romania. It is situated north of the Lower Danube and s ...
and
Moldavia
Moldavia ( ro, Moldova, or , literally "The Country of Moldavia"; in Romanian Cyrillic alphabet, Romanian Cyrillic: or ; chu, Землѧ Молдавскаѧ; el, Ἡγεμονία τῆς Μολδαβίας) is a historical region and for ...
. Following Ottoman expansion in the 15th century, Serb mass migrations ensued into
Pannonia. Serbian Orthodox monasteries began to be built in the area from the 15th century, including Kusić and Senđurađ built by ''despot''
Jovan Branković
Jovan Branković ( sr-Cyrl, Јован Бранковић; ; c. 1465 – 10 December 1502) was the titular Despot of Serbia from 1493 until his death in 1502. The title of despot was given to him by Hungarian king Vladislas II of Hungary. From 14 ...
, and in the 16th century including Bezdin and Hodoš built by the
Jakšić family
The House of Jakšić ( sr-cyr, Јакшић, Јакшићи / ''Jakšići''; hu, Jaksics család) was a prominent Serbian noble family from the 15th and 16th century, in the Serbian Despotate and the Kingdom of Hungary. The eponymous founder, ...
. In the Ottoman period, some thirty Serbian Orthodox monasteries were built in the territory of Romania.
Ottoman pressure traditionally forced members of several
South Slavic communities to seek refuge in
Wallachia
Wallachia or Walachia (; ro, Țara Românească, lit=The Romanian Land' or 'The Romanian Country, ; archaic: ', Romanian Cyrillic alphabet: ) is a historical and geographical region of Romania. It is situated north of the Lower Danube and s ...
- although under Ottoman rule as well, the latter was always subject to less requirements than regions to south of the
Danube
The Danube ( ; ) is a river that was once a long-standing frontier of the Roman Empire and today connects 10 European countries, running through their territories or being a border. Originating in Germany, the Danube flows southeast for , p ...
.
The Serbian
Uprising in Banat
The Uprising in Banat was a rebellion organized and led by Serbian Orthodox bishop Teodor of Vršac and Sava Temišvarac against the Ottomans in the Eyalet of Temeşvar. The uprising broke out in 1594, in the initial stage of the Long Turkish ...
(1594) included territories that are part of modern Romania. There were reprisals, contemporary sources speaking of "the living envied the dead". After the crushing of the uprising in Banat, many Serbs migrated to Transylvania under the leadership of Bishop Teodor; the territory towards
Ineu and
Teiuș
Teiuș (, german: Dreikirchen, Dornstadt; hu, Tövis) is a town in Alba County, Transylvania, Romania, with a population of 7,284 inhabitants. The town, declared as such in 1994, administers four villages: Beldiu (''Marosbéld''), Căpud (''Ma ...
was settled, where Serbs had lived since earlier – the Serbs had their eparchies, opened schools, founded churches and printing houses.
Serbs-proper probably constituted the vast majority of
mercenary
A mercenary, sometimes also known as a soldier of fortune or hired gun, is a private individual, particularly a soldier, that joins a military conflict for personal profit, is otherwise an outsider to the conflict, and is not a member of any ...
troops known as ''
seimeni
Seimeni (plural of ''Seimen'') designates the group of flintlock-armed infantry mercenaries charged with guarding the ''hospodar'' (ruler) and his court in 17th and 18th century Wallachia and Moldavia. They were mostly of Serb and other Balkan ...
'', given that their nucleus is attested to have been formed by "Serb ''seimeni''" (as it was during their revolt in 1655), and that the rule of
Prince
A prince is a male ruler (ranked below a king, grand prince, and grand duke) or a male member of a monarch's or former monarch's family. ''Prince'' is also a title of nobility (often highest), often hereditary, in some European states. T ...
Matei Basarab
Matei Basarab (; 1588, Brâncoveni, Olt – 9 April 1654, Bucharest) was a Wallachian Voivode (Prince) between 1632 and 1654.
Reign
Much of Matei's reign was spent fighting off incursions from Moldavia, which he successfully accomplished in 1637 ...
had witnessed the arrival of a large group of Serb refugees.
The
Great Migrations of the Serbs
The Great Migrations of the Serbs ( sr, Велике сеобе Срба), also known as the Great Exoduses of the Serbs, refers mainly to two large migrations of Serbs from various territories under the rule of the Ottoman Empire to regions u ...
in 1690 and 1737–39 led to additional settlement of Serbs.
Modern
These groups are, however, hard to distinguish one from another in early Wallachian references, as the term "Serbs" is regularly applied to all Southern Slavs, no matter where they might have originated. This only changed in the 19th century, through a transition made clear by an official statistic of 1830, which reads "census of how many Serbs are resident here in the town of
Ploiești
Ploiești ( , , ), formerly spelled Ploești, is a city and county seat in Prahova County, Romania. Part of the historical region of Muntenia, it is located north of Bucharest.
The area of Ploiești is around , and it borders the Blejoi commune ...
, all of them
Bulgarians
Bulgarians ( bg, българи, Bǎlgari, ) are a nation and South Slavic ethnic group native to Bulgaria and the rest of Southeast Europe.
Etymology
Bulgarians derive their ethnonym from the Bulgars. Their name is not completely unders ...
" (Giurescu, p. 269).
The
Bărăgan deportations (1951–56) saw minorities (including Serbs) from the Banat region bordering Yugoslavia deported to south-eastern Romania due to the
deteriorating Yugoslav–USSR relations and the perceived "elements who present a danger through their presence in the area" to the Romanian Communist regime.
Demographics
According to the 2011 census, there was 18,076 people of the Serb minority,
down from 22,561 people in 2002.
In
Caraș-Severin County, the Serbs constitute an absolute majority in the commune of
Pojejena (52.09%) and a plurality in the commune of
Socol (49.54%). Serbs also constitute absolute majority in the municipality of
Svinița (87.27%) in the
Mehedinți County. The region where these three municipalities are located is known as ''
Clisura Dunării'' in
Romanian or ''Banatska Klisura'' (Банатска Клисура) in
Serbian.
Localities
The following localities had a Serb population greater than 1% according to the 2011 census. Serbian placenames are included in brackets.
*
Arad County
**
Felnac
Felnac ( hu, Fönlak; sr, Фелнак) is a commune in Arad County, Romania. Felnac commune is situated in the Vingăi Plateau, on the left side of the Mureș Valley and it surface occupies 5120 ha. It is composed of two villages, Călugăreni (' ...
(Фелнак/Felnak or Фенлак/Fenlak) — 5.52%
**
Secusigiu (Секусић/Sekusić) — 2.77%
*Caraș-Severin County
**
Socol (Соколовац/Sokolovac) — 50.38%
**
Pojejena ( sr, Пожежена) — 45.76%
**
Berzasca
Berzasca ( hu, Berszászka, german: Bersaska, sr, Берзаска ''Berzaska'') is a commune in Caraș-Severin County, in the Banat region of western Romania with a population of 3,123 people. It is composed of five villages: Berzasca, Bigăr, ...
( sr, Берзаска) — 20.82%
**
Naidăș ( sr, Најдаш) — 15.27%
**
Moldova Nouă ( sr, Нова Молдава) — 11.19%
*Mehedinți County
**
Svinița (Свињица/Svinjica) — 90.27%
*
Timiș County
Timiș () is a county ('' județ'') of western Romania on the border with Hungary and Serbia, in the historical region of Banat, with the county seat at Timișoara. It is the westernmost and the largest county in Romania in terms of land area. T ...
**
Beregsău Mic ( sr, Nemet) — 50%
**
Cenei ( sr, Ченеј) — 16.1%
**
Peciu Nou ( sr, Улбеч) — 13.52%
**
Sânpetru Mare
Sânpetru Mare ("Greater St. Peter"; hu, Nagyszentpéter or ''Rácszentpéter''; german: Großsanktpeter or ''Ratzsanktpeter''; sr, Велики Семпетар, Veliki Sempetar) is a commune in Timiș County, Romania. It is composed of two vill ...
( sr, Велики Семпетар) — 12.71%
**
Variaș
Variaș ( hu, Varjas; german: Warjasch; sr, Варјаш, Varjaš) is a commune in Timiș County, Romania. It is composed of three villages: Gelu, Sânpetru Mic and Variaș (commune seat).
Etymology
The name of the locality comes from ''varjú' ...
( sr, Варјаш) — 9.61%
**
Saravale ( sr, Саравола) — 7.38%
**
Giulvăz ( sr, Ђулвез) — 6.44%
**
Cenad ( sr, Чанад) — 6.39%
**
Foeni (Фењ/Fenj) — 5.87%
**
Topolovățu Mare ( sr, Велики Тополовац) — 5.43%
**
Giera ( sr, Ђир) — 4.51%
**
Recaș ( sr, Рекаш) — 4.27%
**
Denta (Дента/Denta) — 4.25%
**
Deta (Дета/Deta) — 3.96%
**
Birda
Birda ( Hungarian and German: ''Birda'') is a commune in Timiș County, Romania. It is composed of four villages: Berecuța, Birda (commune seat), Mânăstire and Sângeorge. Geography
Birda is located in the southeastern part of Timiș County, ...
— 3.46%
**
Sânnicolau Mare
Sânnicolau Mare (; hu, Nagyszentmiklós; german: Großsanktnikolaus; sr, Велики Семиклуш, Veliki Semikluš; Banat Bulgarian: ''Smikluš'') is a town in Timiș County, Romania, and the westernmost of the country. Located in the Ba ...
( sr, Велики Семиклуш) — 2.98%
**
Checea ( sr, Кеча) — 2.82%
**
Parța ( sr, Парац) — 2.02%
**
Săcălaz (Секелаз/Sekelaz) — 1.98%
**
Becicherecu Mic
Becicherecu Mic ( hu, Kisbecskerek; german: Fischdorf or ''Kleinbetschkerek''; sr, Мали Бечкерек, Mali Bečkerek) is a commune in Timiș County, Romania. It is composed of a single village, Becicherecu Mic. It also included Dudeștii ...
( sr, Мали Бечкерек) — 1.78%
**
Brestovăț
Brestovăț ( hu, Aga, until 1892 ''Bresztovác''; german: Brestowatz; sk, Brestovec) is a commune in Timiș County. It is composed of five villages: Brestovăț, Coșarii (until 1960 Chizdia; hu, Kisgye), Hodoș ( hu, Temeshódos; german: Hodosc ...
(Брестовац/Brestovac) — 1.63%
**
Timișoara
), City of Roses ( ro, Orașul florilor), City of Parks ( ro, Orașul parcurilor)
, image_map = Timisoara jud Timis.svg
, map_caption = Location in Timiș County
, pushpin_map = Romania#Europe
, pushpin_ ...
( sr, Темишвар) — 1.52%
**
Moravița (Моравица/Moravica) — 1.35%
Image:South slavs romania.png, Communes with a Serbian majority in Romania (2002 census)
Image:Sarbi Romania (2002).png, Distribution of Serbs in Romania (2002 census)
Culture
Most of the Serbs in Romania are
Orthodox Christians; the vast majority belong to
Serbian Orthodox Church Eparchy of
Timișoara
), City of Roses ( ro, Orașul florilor), City of Parks ( ro, Orașul parcurilor)
, image_map = Timisoara jud Timis.svg
, map_caption = Location in Timiș County
, pushpin_map = Romania#Europe
, pushpin_ ...
.
List of Serbian Orthodox monasteries in Romania:
*
Sveti Đurađ monastery (Манастир светог Ђорђа - Манастир свети Ђурађ / Manastir svetog Đorđa - Manastir sveti Đurađ). According to the legend, it was founded in 1485 by the Serbian
despot,
Jovan Branković
Jovan Branković ( sr-Cyrl, Јован Бранковић; ; c. 1465 – 10 December 1502) was the titular Despot of Serbia from 1493 until his death in 1502. The title of despot was given to him by Hungarian king Vladislas II of Hungary. From 14 ...
. It was rebuilt in the 18th century.
*
Šemljug monastery (Манастир Шемљуг / Manastir Šemljug). It was founded in the 15th century.
*
Sveti Simeon monastery (Манастир светог Симеона / Manastir svetog Simeona).
*
Bazjaš monastery (Манастир Базјаш / Manastir Bazjaš), built 1225
*
Bezdin monastery (Манастир Бездин / Manastir Bezdin).
*
Zlatica monastery (Манастир Златица / Manastir Zlatica).
*
Kusić monastery (Манастир Кусић / Manastir Kusić).
*The "St. Peter and Paul" Serbian Church, raised in 1698-1702 in
Arad, early Baroque architecture
Notable people
*
Milica Despina of Wallachia
Milica Despina ( sr-cyrl, Милица Деспина; ro, Milița Despina; – 30 January 1554) was the Princess consort of Wallachia by marriage to Neagoe Basarab (). She was regent of Wallachia from 1521 to 1522, on the behalf of her son Te ...
(c. 1485 – d. 1554), Princess consort of Wallachia, regent of Wallachia from 1521 to 1522.
*
Jovan Nenad (?–1527), Hungarian general and self-proclaimed "emperor", born in
Lipova (northern Banat).
*
Đorđe Branković (1645–1711),
Transylvania
Transylvania ( ro, Ardeal or ; hu, Erdély; german: Siebenbürgen) is a historical and cultural region in Central Europe, encompassing central Romania. To the east and south its natural border is the Carpathian Mountains, and to the west the Ap ...
n count, born in
Ineu.
*
Sava II Branković, Orthodox priest and Saint
*
Jovan Tekelija (1660s — 1721 or 1722), nobleman and military officer, born in Arad.
*
Peter Tekelija (1720–1792), Russian general-in-chief, born in Arad.
*
Dimitrie Eustatievici (1730 - 1796), Imperial Austrian philologist, scholar and pedagogue, born in Grid.
*
Dositej Obradović (1742–1811), Serbian writer and translator, born in
Ciacova
Ciacova ( hu, Csák; german: Tschakowa; sr, Чаково, Čakovo; tr, Çakova) is a town in Timiș County, Romania. It administers four villages: Cebza, Macedonia, Obad and Petroman. When it was declared a town in 2004, the villages of Gad and G ...
(Čakovo).
*
Sava Tekelija (1761–1842), doctor of law, born in Arad.
*
Konstantin Danil
Konstantin Danil ( sr-Cyrl, Константин Данил, ro, Constantin Dănilă, 1798-1873) was a Serbian painter of the 19th century. He is most famous for his portraits and religious painting. Danil is considered to be the most important ...
(1798-1873), Serbian painter, born in Lugoj.
*
Aleksa Janković (1806-1869), Prime Minister of Serbia, born in
Timișoara
), City of Roses ( ro, Orașul florilor), City of Parks ( ro, Orașul parcurilor)
, image_map = Timisoara jud Timis.svg
, map_caption = Location in Timiș County
, pushpin_map = Romania#Europe
, pushpin_ ...
.
*
Danilo Stefanović (1815-1886), Prime Minister of Serbia, born in
Timișoara
), City of Roses ( ro, Orașul florilor), City of Parks ( ro, Orașul parcurilor)
, image_map = Timisoara jud Timis.svg
, map_caption = Location in Timiș County
, pushpin_map = Romania#Europe
, pushpin_ ...
.
*
Pavel Petrović (1818–1887), a globe-trotting artist who painted the nobility and other interesting historical figures of his day from Europe to China and from Hawaii via South and North America back to Europe again.
*
Ion Ivanovici (1845–1902) Romanian military bandleader and composer.
*
Alexandru Macedonski
Alexandru Macedonski (; also rendered as Al. A. Macedonski, Macedonschi or Macedonsky; 14 March 1854 – 24 November 1920) was a Romanian poet, novelist, dramatist and literary critic, known especially for having promoted French Symbolism in h ...
(1854–1920), Romanian poet, novelist, and literary critic, paternal Serb descent.
*
Stevan Aleksic (1876–1923), Serbian painter, born in Arad.
*
Jovan Hadži
Jovan Hadži (; 22 November 1884 – 11 December 1972) was a Slovenian zoologist of Serbian origin.
Biography
Hadži was born in a Serbian family in Temišvar (today Timișoara, Romania) in what was then Austria-Hungary. He began his career in Zag ...
(1884-1972), zoologist, born in
Timișoara
), City of Roses ( ro, Orașul florilor), City of Parks ( ro, Orașul parcurilor)
, image_map = Timisoara jud Timis.svg
, map_caption = Location in Timiș County
, pushpin_map = Romania#Europe
, pushpin_ ...
.
*
Ivan Tabaković (1898–1977), Yugoslav painter, born in Arad.
*
Emil Petrovici
Emil Petrovici (; 1899–1968) was a Romanian linguist, dialectologist and Slavist. He studied both Romanian and Serbian languages. His studies included Romanian phonology, and Romanian, Serbian, and other Slavic dialectology.
Petrovici, of Ser ...
(1899–1968), Romanian linguist, born in Serbia.
*
Slavomir Gvozdenovici or Gvozdenović (b. 1953), writer and the founder of the
Union of Serbs of Romania
The Union of Serbs of Romania ( sr, Савез Срба у Румунији, SSR; ro, Uniunea Sârbilor din România, USR) is a political party representing the Serbian minority in Romania. It was founded in 1989 by a Romanian-Serbian writer, Sl ...
.
*
Miodrag Belodedici or Belodedić (b. 1964), Romanian footballer, born in
Socol (Sokol).
*
Slavoliub Adnagi
Slavoliub Adnagi (, born 26 December 1965) is a Romania, Romanian politician of Serbs of Romania, Serb descent.
Politics
He is a member of the Union of Serbs of Romania and has been serving as a Member of the Chamber of Deputies of Romania sin ...
or Adnađ (b. 1965), the current Serbian member of the
Chamber of Deputies.
*
Andrei Ivanovitch (b. 1968) an international classical pianist and winner of a number of international competitions.
*
Lavinia Miloșovici (b. 1976), Romanian gymnast, born in
Lugoj
Lugoj (; hu, Lugos; german: Lugosch; sr, Лугош, Lugoš; bg, Лугож; tr, Logoş) is a city in Timiș County, Romania. The Timiș River divides the city into two halves, the so-called "Romanian Lugoj" that spreads on the right bank and t ...
.
["Romanian Coach Keeps Up the Fight"]
Jane Perlez, ''New York Times,'' July 13, 1995
*
Srdjan Luchin
Srdjan Luchin ( sr, Срђан Лукин, Srđan Lukin; born 4 March 1986) is a former Romanian Association football, footballer, who played mainly as a Defender (football), center back, but also as a Defender (association football)#Full back, ...
(b. 1986) Romanian footballer
*
Iasmin Latovlevici (b. 1986) Romanian footballer
*
Deian Boldor (b. 1995) Romanian footballer
See also
*
Krashovani
The Krashovani ( ro, Carașoveni, hr, Krašovani) are a Croat community inhabiting Carașova and Lupac in the Caraș-Severin County within Romanian Banat. They are Catholic by faith and speak the Torlakian dialect. Glottolog lists "Karashevski ...
*
Romanians of Serbia
Romanians ( ro, Românii din Serbia, sr, Румуни у Србији, Rumuni u Srbiji) are a recognised national minority in Serbia. The total number of self-declared Romanians according to the 2011 census was 29,332, while 35,330 people decla ...
*
Raci (ethnonym)
References
Sources
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
External links
*
Sârbii din Romania*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Serbs In Romania
Romania
Romania ( ; ro, România ) is a country located at the crossroads of Central, Eastern, and Southeastern Europe. It borders Bulgaria to the south, Ukraine to the north, Hungary to the west, Serbia to the southwest, Moldova to the east, and ...
Serbian Orthodox Church in Romania
Romania
Romania ( ; ro, România ) is a country located at the crossroads of Central, Eastern, and Southeastern Europe. It borders Bulgaria to the south, Ukraine to the north, Hungary to the west, Serbia to the southwest, Moldova to the east, and ...
*
Ethnic groups in Romania
Romania
Romania ( ; ro, România ) is a country located at the crossroads of Central, Eastern, and Southeastern Europe. It borders Bulgaria to the south, Ukraine to the north, Hungary to the west, Serbia to the southwest, Moldova to the east, and ...
Romania
Romania ( ; ro, România ) is a country located at the crossroads of Central, Eastern, and Southeastern Europe. It borders Bulgaria to the south, Ukraine to the north, Hungary to the west, Serbia to the southwest, Moldova to the east, and ...
Romania
Romania ( ; ro, România ) is a country located at the crossroads of Central, Eastern, and Southeastern Europe. It borders Bulgaria to the south, Ukraine to the north, Hungary to the west, Serbia to the southwest, Moldova to the east, and ...
Romania
Romania ( ; ro, România ) is a country located at the crossroads of Central, Eastern, and Southeastern Europe. It borders Bulgaria to the south, Ukraine to the north, Hungary to the west, Serbia to the southwest, Moldova to the east, and ...