Burgenland Croats
Encyclopedia
Burgenland Croats are ethnic Croats
in the Austria
n state of Burgenland
. Although an enclave hundreds of kilometres away from their original homeland, they have managed to preserve culture and language for centuries. According to the estimation, the total number of Burgenland Croats is 50,000.
with a buffer zone between Vienna
and the Turks
in the South and East. The Croats fled the Turks from the riverland areas of Gacka
, Lika
and Krbava
, Moslavina
in Slavonia
and an area of present day Northern Bosnia
near Tuzla
. Because many villages had been pillaged by the Turks, the Crown gave the new settlers land rights and independent ecclesiastic rights. As the Croats had been driven from their homes and farms, they were happy to take up the offer granted by the Kaiser. They subsequently stayed and the present day Burgenland Croats are direct descendants from these settlers.
The Burgenland Croats also developed their own orthography during the counter-reformation
, however, assimilation soon followed with the language being banned from use in churches and schools.
After falling under Hungarian
rule in the Dual Monarchy
, liberal laws regarding ethnicity enabled them to rekindle their language and heritage. However, when a 1900 census revealed that only 18.8% of the population of Burgenland spoke Hungarian
, drastic measures of magyarisation were taken, thus revoking many individual and community rights.
Sadly the Burgenland Croats were persecuted by Austro-German Nationalists after the WWI and by the Nazis in WWII and were exposed to attempts of assimilation.
The Croats gained minority status in the Austrian Treaty of Independence of 1955. Since then they and their culture have undergone somewhat of a renaissance with the language being taught at schools and spoken in Church where there is a large enough minority.
. This dialect is mutually intelligible with standard Croatian
; however, Burgenland Croatian includes phrases no longer used in standard Croatian as well as certain phrases and words taken from German
and Hungarian
. Names are often written according to Hungarian orthography due to Magyarisation during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Nearly all Burgenland Croats are fluent in German.
Croats
Croats are a South Slavic ethnic group mostly living in Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and nearby countries. There are around 4 million Croats living inside Croatia and up to 4.5 million throughout the rest of the world. Responding to political, social and economic pressure, many Croats have...
in the Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
n state of Burgenland
Burgenland
Burgenland is the easternmost and least populous state or Land of Austria. It consists of two Statutarstädte and seven districts with in total 171 municipalities. It is 166 km long from north to south but much narrower from west to east...
. Although an enclave hundreds of kilometres away from their original homeland, they have managed to preserve culture and language for centuries. According to the estimation, the total number of Burgenland Croats is 50,000.
History
The Burgenland Croats were given landrights by the Austrian Crown during the Turkish wars (1533-1584). This gave the Croats refuge and also provided AustriaAustria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
with a buffer zone between Vienna
Vienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
and the Turks
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
in the South and East. The Croats fled the Turks from the riverland areas of Gacka
Lika
Lika is a mountainous region in central Croatia, roughly bound by the Velebit mountain from the southwest and the Plješevica mountain from the northeast. On the north-west end Lika is bounded by Ogulin-Plaški basin, and on the south-east by the Malovan pass...
, Lika
Lika
Lika is a mountainous region in central Croatia, roughly bound by the Velebit mountain from the southwest and the Plješevica mountain from the northeast. On the north-west end Lika is bounded by Ogulin-Plaški basin, and on the south-east by the Malovan pass...
and Krbava
Krbava
Krbava is a region of mountainous Croatia. It can be considered either located east of Lika, or indeed as the eastern part of Lika. The town of Udbina is the central settlement of the Krbava karst field....
, Moslavina
Moslavina
Moslavina is a microregion in Croatia, administratively divided into the counties of Zagreb, Sisak-Moslavina and Bjelovar-Bilogora. The main city in the region in terms of traffic, commerce and business is the city of Kutina , with 24,000 citizens. Other important centres are Ivanić grad , Čazma,...
in Slavonia
Slavonia
Slavonia is a geographical and historical region in eastern Croatia...
and an area of present day Northern Bosnia
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina , sometimes called Bosnia-Herzegovina or simply Bosnia, is a country in Southern Europe, on the Balkan Peninsula. Bordered by Croatia to the north, west and south, Serbia to the east, and Montenegro to the southeast, Bosnia and Herzegovina is almost landlocked, except for the...
near Tuzla
Tuzla
Tuzla is a city and municipality in Bosnia and Herzegovina. At the time of the 1991 census, it had 83,770 inhabitants, while the municipality 131,318. Taking the influx of refugees into account, the city is currently estimated to have 174,558 inhabitants...
. Because many villages had been pillaged by the Turks, the Crown gave the new settlers land rights and independent ecclesiastic rights. As the Croats had been driven from their homes and farms, they were happy to take up the offer granted by the Kaiser. They subsequently stayed and the present day Burgenland Croats are direct descendants from these settlers.
The Burgenland Croats also developed their own orthography during the counter-reformation
Counter-Reformation
The Counter-Reformation was the period of Catholic revival beginning with the Council of Trent and ending at the close of the Thirty Years' War, 1648 as a response to the Protestant Reformation.The Counter-Reformation was a comprehensive effort, composed of four major elements:#Ecclesiastical or...
, however, assimilation soon followed with the language being banned from use in churches and schools.
After falling under Hungarian
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
rule in the Dual Monarchy
Dual monarchy
Dual monarchy occurs when two separate kingdoms are ruled by the same monarch, follow the same foreign policy, exist in a customs union with each other and have a combined military but are otherwise self-governing...
, liberal laws regarding ethnicity enabled them to rekindle their language and heritage. However, when a 1900 census revealed that only 18.8% of the population of Burgenland spoke Hungarian
Hungarian language
Hungarian is a Uralic language, part of the Ugric group. With some 14 million speakers, it is one of the most widely spoken non-Indo-European languages in Europe....
, drastic measures of magyarisation were taken, thus revoking many individual and community rights.
Sadly the Burgenland Croats were persecuted by Austro-German Nationalists after the WWI and by the Nazis in WWII and were exposed to attempts of assimilation.
The Croats gained minority status in the Austrian Treaty of Independence of 1955. Since then they and their culture have undergone somewhat of a renaissance with the language being taught at schools and spoken in Church where there is a large enough minority.
Language
The Burgenland Croats speak Burgenland CroatianBurgenland Croatian language
Burgenland Croatian is a regional language variant of the Chakavian dialect of the Croatian language spoken in Austria, Hungary, the Czech Republic and Slovakia. Burgenland Croatian is recognized as a minority language in the Austrian state of Burgenland where it is spoken by 19,412 people...
. This dialect is mutually intelligible with standard Croatian
Croatian language
Croatian is the collective name for the standard language and dialects spoken by Croats, principally in Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Serbian province of Vojvodina and other neighbouring countries...
; however, Burgenland Croatian includes phrases no longer used in standard Croatian as well as certain phrases and words taken from German
German language
German is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
and Hungarian
Hungarian language
Hungarian is a Uralic language, part of the Ugric group. With some 14 million speakers, it is one of the most widely spoken non-Indo-European languages in Europe....
. Names are often written according to Hungarian orthography due to Magyarisation during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Nearly all Burgenland Croats are fluent in German.
See also
- Croats in Hungary
- Croats of SloveniaCroats of SloveniaThe Croats are an ethnic group in Slovenia. In the 2002 census 35,642 citizens of Slovenia identified themselves as being ethnically Croats.- History :...
- Croats in SlovakiaCroats in SlovakiaThe Croats are an ethnic minority in Slovakia, numbering 850 people according to the 2001 census, although the relatively compact Croatian community may number as many as 3500 people. The Croatian minority has a member in the Slovak Council for Minorities.Croats mainly live in the Bratislava Region...
- Marchfeld Croats (de)
- Moravian Croats (de)
- CroatsCroatsCroats are a South Slavic ethnic group mostly living in Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and nearby countries. There are around 4 million Croats living inside Croatia and up to 4.5 million throughout the rest of the world. Responding to political, social and economic pressure, many Croats have...
- Austria–Croatia relationsAustria–Croatia relationsAustria-Croatia relations are foreign relations between Austria and Croatia. Until 1918, Croatia was part of Austria–Hungary. Both countries established diplomatic relations on January 15, 1992. Austria has an embassy in Zagreb and 4 honorary consulates...
- Burgenland Hungarians (de)
- Burgenland Roma & SintiSintiSinti or Sinta or Sinte is the name of a Romani or Gypsy population in Europe. Traditionally nomadic, today only a small percentage of the group remains unsettled...
(de) - Carinthian SlovenesCarinthian SlovenesCarinthian Slovenes are the Slovene-speaking population group in the Austrian State of Carinthia. The Carinthian Slovenes send representatives to the National Ethnic Groups Advisory Council...
- Burgenland Slovenes