Croats of Serbia
Encyclopedia
Croats of Serbia or Serbian Croats are the recognized Croat
national minority in Serbia
. They were recognized as national minority in 2005. According to the 2002 census, there were 70,602 Croats in Serbia or 0.94% of the population. 56,546 of them lived in Vojvodina
(constituting 2.78% of the population of the province and the fourth largest ethnic group in the region) and 14,056 in Central Serbia
(of which most in Belgrade
).
or Šokci origins. Those of Bunjevci origin constituting the largest part of population in several villages in the Subotica
municipality: Bikovo
, Gornji Tavankut
, Donji Tavankut
, Đurđin, Mala Bosna
, and Stari Žednik
.
Croats of Šokci origin constituting the largest part of population in three villages: Sonta
(in the municipality of Apatin
), Bački Breg
and Bački Monoštor
(both in the municipality of Sombor
).
About one third of the Croats in Vojvodina are neither of Šokac nor Bunjevac origin .
from Dalmatia
migrated to territory of present-day northern Serbia (Vojvodina region), where Šokci had already been living. According to some opinions, Šokci might be a descendants of medieval Slavic
population of Vojvodina
where their ancestors might lived since the 8th century. According to other opinions, medieval Slavs of Vojvodina mainly spoke ekavian dialect, which is today rather associated with standard Serbian
. Between 1689, when the Habsburg Monarchy conquered parts of Vojvodina, and the end of the 19th century, a small number of Croats from Croatia
also migrated to the region.
Before the 20th century, most of the Bunjevac and Šokac populations living in Habsburg Monarchy haven't been nationally awakened yet. Some of their leaders (like Ivan Antunović
, Blaško Rajić
, Pajo Kujundžić, Mijo Mandić, Lajčo Budanović, Stipan Vojnić Tunić, Vranje Sudarević, Petar Pekić
, etc.) worked hardly to awake their Croatian or Yugoslav national feelings.
According to 1851 data, 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").
The 1910 Austro-Hungarian
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
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). http://www.talmamedia.com/php/district/district.php?county=B%E1cs-Bodrog In the municipality of Apatin
, 44 citizens declared Croatian and 7,191 declared "other languages" (mostly Bunjevac, Šokac and Gypsy).
In the 20th century, most of the Šokci and part of the Bunjevci began to consider themselves Croats.
In 1990s, during the war in Croatia
, 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 Vojvodina under political pressure of the Milošević's regime might be between 20,000 and 40,000.
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. Today, most members of the Šokci community consider themselves Croats, while one part of the Bunjevci population see themselves as members of the distinct Bunjevci ethnicity or as Yugoslavs, while other part sees themselves as Croats. Some individuals of Croat origin might also declare themselves as Yugoslavs
in the census; it is questionable whether they could be counted as Croats since Yugoslavs are recognized as a separate nationality in Serbia.
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
(around 2.57% of the total population of Serbia at the time).
population in Serbia is in a constant decrease. This is caused by various reasons, including low birth rates among members of Croat ethnicity, economic emigration, and ethnic tensions of the Yugoslav wars
during 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 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 Vojvodina. According to Petar Kuntić of Democratic Alliance of Croats in Vojvodina, 50,000 Croats moved out from Serbia during the Yugoslav wars.
Note: In the 1991 and 2002 censuses, Bunjevci were listed as a separate ethnicity, while Šokci were listed in the category "Others". Before that, from 1948 to 1981, census results listed declared members of these two communities as Croats, due to the order issued by the Yugoslav communist authorities in May 14, 1945. The number of people in Serbia who had declared themselves as members of the Bunjevac nationality was 20,012 in the 2002 census, while the number of declared Šokci was not given separately, but it is estimated between 1,000 and 2,000 people. From 1948 to 1991, the census results are given for the entire territory of Serbia, while the 2002 census results are given for the territory of Serbia that exclude Kosovo.
has urged the Serbian Government to make Croats a recognized minority with a seat in Parliament, as part of the new Constitution of Serbia
.
The Croats of Serbia are politically represented by several political parties, including: Democratic League of Croats in Vojvodina
, Demokratska zajednica Hrvata (Democratic Union of Croats), Hrvatska bunjevačko-šokačka stranka (Croatian Bunjevac-Šokac Party), Hrvatski narodni savez (Croatian national alliance) and Hrvatska srijemska inicijativa (Croatian Syrmian Initiative).
Hrvatsko nacionalno vijeće Republike Srbije (National Council of Croats of Republic of Serbia) is, according to its Statute, a body of self-government of Croat minority in Serbia.
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...
national minority in Serbia
Serbia
Serbia , officially the Republic of Serbia , is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeast Europe, covering the southern part of the Carpathian basin and the central part of the Balkans...
. They were recognized as national minority in 2005. According to the 2002 census, there were 70,602 Croats in Serbia or 0.94% of the population. 56,546 of them lived in Vojvodina
Vojvodina
Vojvodina, officially called Autonomous Province of Vojvodina is an autonomous province of Serbia. Its capital and largest city is Novi Sad...
(constituting 2.78% of the population of the province and the fourth largest ethnic group in the region) and 14,056 in Central Serbia
Central Serbia
Central Serbia , also referred to as Serbia proper , was the region of Serbia from 1945 to 2009. It included central parts of Serbia outside of the autonomous provinces of Kosovo and Vojvodina. The region of Central Serbia was not an administrative division of Serbia as such; it was under the...
(of which most in Belgrade
Belgrade
Belgrade is the capital and largest city of Serbia. It is located at the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers, where the Pannonian Plain meets the Balkans. According to official results of Census 2011, the city has a population of 1,639,121. It is one of the 15 largest cities in Europe...
).
Geographic distribution
About two thirds of all Croats in Vojvodina have BunjevciBunjevci
Bunjevci are a South Slavic community and ethnic group living mostly in the Bačka region of Serbia and southern Hungary...
or Šokci origins. Those of Bunjevci origin constituting the largest part of population in several villages in the Subotica
Subotica
Subotica is a city and municipality in northern Serbia, in the Autonomous Province of Vojvodina...
municipality: Bikovo
Bikovo
Bikovo is a village located in the Subotica municipality, in the North Bačka District of Serbia. It is situated in the autonomous province of Vojvodina...
, Gornji Tavankut
Gornji Tavankut
Gornji Tavankut is a village located in the Subotica municipality, in the North Bačka District of Serbia. It is situated in the autonomous province of Vojvodina...
, Donji Tavankut
Donji Tavankut
Donji Tavankut is a village located some 16 km west of Subotica, Serbia. It is located in the Subotica municipality, in the North Bačka District of Serbia, in the Autonomous Province of Vojvodina.-1991:...
, Đurđin, Mala Bosna
Mala Bosna
Mala Bosna is a village located in the Subotica municipality, in the North Bačka District of Serbia. It is situated in the autonomous province of Vojvodina. The village is ethnically mixed and its population numbering 1,245 people...
, and Stari Žednik
Stari Žednik
Stari Žednik , also known as Žednik , is a village located in the Subotica municipality, in the North Bačka District of Serbia. It is situated in the autonomous province of Vojvodina...
.
Croats of Šokci origin constituting the largest part of population in three villages: Sonta
Sonta
Sonta is a village located in the Apatin municipality, in the West Bačka District of Serbia. It is situated in the autonomous province of Vojvodina...
(in the municipality of Apatin
Apatin
Apatin is a town and municipality in the Vojvodina administrative region of Serbia, located in the West Bačka District, at . The town of Apatin is the administrative, economic, cultural, educational and tourist centre of the municipality of Apatin...
), Bački Breg
Backi Breg
Bački Breg is a village located in the Sombor municipality, in the West Bačka District of Serbia. It is situated in the autonomous province of Vojvodina.Bački Breg is in the very northwest of Serbia, on an important highway linking Serbia and Hungary together...
and Bački Monoštor
Backi Monoštor
Bački Monoštor is a village located in the Sombor municipality, in the West Bačka District of Serbia. It is situated in the autonomous province of Vojvodina. The village has a Croat majority . Population of Bački Monoštor is numbering 3,920 people...
(both in the municipality of Sombor
Sombor
Sombor is a city and municipality located in northwest part of Serbian autonomous province of Vojvodina. The city has a total population of 48,749 , while the Sombor municipality has 87,815 inhabitants...
).
About one third of the Croats in Vojvodina are neither of Šokac nor Bunjevac origin .
History
During 17th century, Roman Catholic BunjevciBunjevci
Bunjevci are a South Slavic community and ethnic group living mostly in the Bačka region of Serbia and southern Hungary...
from Dalmatia
Dalmatia
Dalmatia is a historical region on the eastern coast of the Adriatic Sea. It stretches from the island of Rab in the northwest to the Bay of Kotor in the southeast. The hinterland, the Dalmatian Zagora, ranges from fifty kilometers in width in the north to just a few kilometers in the south....
migrated to territory of present-day northern Serbia (Vojvodina region), where Šokci had already been living. According to some opinions, Šokci might be a descendants of medieval Slavic
Slavic
Slav, Slavic or Slavonic may refer to:*Slavic peoples**Slavic languages**Slavic mythology**Slavic names** Slavic surnames**the Church Slavonic language, and its earliest form, the Old Church Slavonic language...
population of Vojvodina
Vojvodina
Vojvodina, officially called Autonomous Province of Vojvodina is an autonomous province of Serbia. Its capital and largest city is Novi Sad...
where their ancestors might lived since the 8th century. According to other opinions, medieval Slavs of Vojvodina mainly spoke ekavian dialect, which is today rather associated with standard Serbian
Serbian language
Serbian is a form of Serbo-Croatian, a South Slavic language, spoken by Serbs in Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Croatia and neighbouring countries....
. Between 1689, when the Habsburg Monarchy conquered parts of Vojvodina, and the end of the 19th century, a small number of Croats from Croatia
Croatia
Croatia , officially the Republic of Croatia , is a unitary democratic parliamentary republic in Europe at the crossroads of the Mitteleuropa, the Balkans, and the Mediterranean. Its capital and largest city is Zagreb. The country is divided into 20 counties and the city of Zagreb. Croatia covers ...
also migrated to the region.
Before the 20th century, most of the Bunjevac and Šokac populations living in Habsburg Monarchy haven't been nationally awakened yet. Some of their leaders (like Ivan Antunović
Ivan Antunovic
Ivan Antunović was the bishop of Kalocsa, Hungary, Croatian writer and one of the most prominent people among the Bunjevci and Šokci of his time...
, Blaško Rajić
Blaško Rajic
Blaško Stipan Rajić was a Bačka Croat Catholic priest, writer and politician. He wrote poetry and prose works....
, Pajo Kujundžić, Mijo Mandić, Lajčo Budanović, Stipan Vojnić Tunić, Vranje Sudarević, Petar Pekić
Petar Pekić
Petar Pekić was Croatian historian, Slavist and writer from Bácska, southern Hungary.The quality of his works opened him the place in the Geza Kikić's antology of prose and poetry of Bunjevci Croats....
, etc.) worked hardly to awake their Croatian or Yugoslav national feelings.
According to 1851 data, 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").
The 1910 Austro-Hungarian
Austria-Hungary
Austria-Hungary , more formally known as the Kingdoms and Lands Represented in the Imperial Council and the Lands of the Holy Hungarian Crown of Saint Stephen, was a constitutional monarchic union between the crowns of the Austrian Empire and the Kingdom of Hungary in...
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
Subotica is a city and municipality in northern Serbia, in the Autonomous Province of Vojvodina...
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
Sombor
Sombor is a city and municipality located in northwest part of Serbian autonomous province of Vojvodina. The city has a total population of 48,749 , while the Sombor municipality has 87,815 inhabitants...
, 83 citizens declared Croatian language, while 6,289 citizens were listed as speakers of "other languages" (mostly Bunjevac). http://www.talmamedia.com/php/district/district.php?county=B%E1cs-Bodrog In the municipality of Apatin
Apatin
Apatin is a town and municipality in the Vojvodina administrative region of Serbia, located in the West Bačka District, at . The town of Apatin is the administrative, economic, cultural, educational and tourist centre of the municipality of Apatin...
, 44 citizens declared Croatian and 7,191 declared "other languages" (mostly Bunjevac, Šokac and Gypsy).
In the 20th century, most of the Šokci and part of the Bunjevci began to consider themselves Croats.
In 1990s, during the war in Croatia
Croatian War of Independence
The Croatian War of Independence was fought from 1991 to 1995 between forces loyal to the government of Croatia—which had declared independence from the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia —and the Serb-controlled Yugoslav People's Army and local Serb forces, with the JNA ending its combat...
, 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
Serbian Radical Party
The Serbian Radical Party is a far-right Serbian nationalist political party in Serbia, founded in 1991. Currently the second-largest party in the Serbian National Assembly, it has branches in three of the nations that currently border Serbia – all former federal republics of Yugoslavia...
, Vojislav Šešelj
Vojislav Šešelj
Vojislav Šešelj, JD is a Serbian politician, writer and lawyer. He is the founder and president of the Serbian Radical Party and was vice-president of Serbia between 1998 and 2000...
is indicted for participation in these events. According to some estimations, the number of Croats which have left Vojvodina under political pressure of the Milošević's regime might be between 20,000 and 40,000.
Population
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
Bunjevci
Bunjevci are a South Slavic community and ethnic group living mostly in the Bačka region of Serbia and southern Hungary...
or Šokci as Croats. Today, most members of the Šokci community consider themselves Croats, while one part of the Bunjevci population see themselves as members of the distinct Bunjevci ethnicity or as Yugoslavs, while other part sees themselves as Croats. Some individuals of Croat origin might also declare themselves as Yugoslavs
Yugoslavs
Yugoslavs is a national designation used by a minority of South Slavs across the countries of the former Yugoslavia and in the diaspora...
in the census; it is questionable whether they could be counted as Croats since Yugoslavs are recognized as a separate nationality in Serbia.
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
Socialist Republic of Serbia
Socialist Republic of Serbia was a socialist state that was a constituent country of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. It is a predecessor of modern day Serbia, which served as the biggest republic in the Yugoslav federation and held the largest population of all the Yugoslav...
(around 2.57% of the total population of Serbia at the time).
Demographic trends
Since 1961 census, the CroatCroats
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...
population in Serbia is in a constant decrease. This is caused by various reasons, including low birth rates among members of Croat ethnicity, economic emigration, and ethnic tensions of the Yugoslav wars
Yugoslav wars
The Yugoslav Wars were a series of wars, fought throughout the former Yugoslavia between 1991 and 1995. The wars were complex: characterized by bitter ethnic conflicts among the peoples of the former Yugoslavia, mostly between Serbs on the one side and Croats and Bosniaks on the other; but also...
during 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
Serbian Radical Party
The Serbian Radical Party is a far-right Serbian nationalist political party in Serbia, founded in 1991. Currently the second-largest party in the Serbian National Assembly, it has branches in three of the nations that currently border Serbia – all former federal republics of Yugoslavia...
and some Serb refugees from Croatia
Croatia
Croatia , officially the Republic of Croatia , is a unitary democratic parliamentary republic in Europe at the crossroads of the Mitteleuropa, the Balkans, and the Mediterranean. Its capital and largest city is Zagreb. The country is divided into 20 counties and the city of Zagreb. Croatia covers ...
and Bosnia and Herzegovina
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...
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 Vojvodina. According to Petar Kuntić of Democratic Alliance of Croats in Vojvodina, 50,000 Croats moved out from Serbia during the Yugoslav wars.
Census results
Number of Croats in Serbia according to various censuses:- 1948: 169,864 (2.60%)
- 1953: 173,246 (2.48%)
- 1961: 196,409 (2.57%)
- 1971: 184,913 (2.19%)
- 1981: 149,368 (1.60%)
- 1991: 105,406 (1.08%) or (excluding the territory of Kosovo) 97,344 (1.24%)
- 2002: (excluding the territory of Kosovo) 70,602 (0.94%)
Note: In the 1991 and 2002 censuses, Bunjevci were listed as a separate ethnicity, while Šokci were listed in the category "Others". Before that, from 1948 to 1981, census results listed declared members of these two communities as Croats, due to the order issued by the Yugoslav communist authorities in May 14, 1945. The number of people in Serbia who had declared themselves as members of the Bunjevac nationality was 20,012 in the 2002 census, while the number of declared Šokci was not given separately, but it is estimated between 1,000 and 2,000 people. From 1948 to 1991, the census results are given for the entire territory of Serbia, while the 2002 census results are given for the territory of Serbia that exclude Kosovo.
Politics
The former Croatian President Stjepan MesićStjepan Mesić
Stjepan "Stipe" Mesić is a Croatian politician and former President of Croatia. Before his ten-year presidential term between 2000 and 2010 he held the posts of Speaker of the Croatian Parliament , Prime Minister of Croatia , the last President of the Presidency of Yugoslavia , Secretary General...
has urged the Serbian Government to make Croats a recognized minority with a seat in Parliament, as part of the new Constitution of Serbia
Constitution of Serbia
The Constitution of the Republic of Serbia is Serbia's fundamental law. The current constitution was approved in a constitutional referendum, held from on 28–29 October 2006...
.
The Croats of Serbia are politically represented by several political parties, including: Democratic League of Croats in Vojvodina
Democratic League of Croats in Vojvodina
The Democratic Alliance of Croats in Vojvodina is a political party of ethnic Croats in the Serbian province of Vojvodina, Founded July 15, 1990. It is the only parliamentary ethnic Croat minority party in Serbia...
, Demokratska zajednica Hrvata (Democratic Union of Croats), Hrvatska bunjevačko-šokačka stranka (Croatian Bunjevac-Šokac Party), Hrvatski narodni savez (Croatian national alliance) and Hrvatska srijemska inicijativa (Croatian Syrmian Initiative).
Hrvatsko nacionalno vijeće Republike Srbije (National Council of Croats of Republic of Serbia) is, according to its Statute, a body of self-government of Croat minority in Serbia.
See also
- Croats in Bosnia and Herzegovina
- Croats of Montenegro
- Croats in Kosovo
- Croats of RomaniaCroats of RomaniaThe Croats are an ethnic minority in Romania, numbering 6,786 people according to the 2002 census. Croats mainly live in the southwest of the country, particularly in Caraş-Severin County. Declared Croatians form a majority in two Romanian localities: the communes of Caraşova and Lupac...
- Croats in Hungary
- 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...
- Demographic history of SerbiaDemographic history of SerbiaThis article presents the demographic history of Serbia through census results. See Demographics of Serbia for a more detailed overview of the current demographics from 2002 census.- 1349 :...
- Ethnic groups of VojvodinaEthnic groups of VojvodinaThere are many ethnic groups in Vojvodina.-Serbs:*Serbs – Serbs constitute an absolute majority of people in Vojvodina. According to the 2002 census, there were 1,321,807 Serbs in Vojvodina or 65.05% of the population...
- BunjevciBunjevciBunjevci are a South Slavic community and ethnic group living mostly in the Bačka region of Serbia and southern Hungary...
- Šokci
- Expulsions in HrtkovciExpulsions in HrtkovciFollowing the beginning of the Yugoslav wars, members of Serbian Radical Party and Serbian Chetnik Movement conducted a campaign of intimidation of Croats of Serbia in Vojvodina, Serbia, through hate speech and threats. These acts forced a part of the local Croat population to leave the area in...