Kelebija
Encyclopedia
Kelebija is a village close to Subotica
in Serbia
. It is situated in the municipality of Subotica
, North Bačka District
, Autonomous Province of Vojvodina
. The village has a Hungarian ethnic majority and its population numbering 2,168 people (2002 census). Near the village is a border crossing between Serbia
and Hungary
. Most of its inhabitants are farmers.
There is a small lake at the south-western part of the village, next to which there is a little hill often called "Church Hill" by the local people . Today, however, there is no church in this site, but there are some remnants of a medieval settlement here, among them also the foundations of a larger building, which was probably the church of the medieval settlement called Kalyb.
Kalyb, that is to say, today's Kelebija was mentioned first time in 1297 as the property of Simon Filins Wasa de Kelyb, an aristocrat in the Kingdom of Hungary
.
The village became destroyed and depopulated during the Ottoman occupation
of the region.
In 1702, the territory of the deserted village (puszta in Hungarian) became attached to Subotica
, the largest settlement in the region at that time.
According to a map drawn in 1783, the territory of today's Kelebija was completely intersect by many important roads going out from Subotica towards Baja
, Bácsalmás
, Tataháza
, Mátéháza, Mélykút
and Kiskunhalas
. Along these roads many people settled forming several rows of houses (houses close to each other). These rows of farmhouses are called sor in Hungarian language, and from the 19th century many of the relatively distant parts of the territory of Kelebia have been called sor with different names: Akasztai sor (Akasztai's row), Belső sor (inside row), Csajkás sor (the row of hard working men), Kertész sor (the row of gardener), Kernyájszky sor (Kernyájszky's row). This latter designation indicates the name of a wealthy man who had several servants living not too far from his villa. This is interesting to note, because Kernyájszky's row of houses is often called also as Szerb sor in Hungarian language, referring probably to the ethnic origin (szerb means Serb) of the inhabitants of this part of Kelebija.
The forming of Kelebija as a proper village took place, actually, in the 20th century, when a monumental Catholic church
was built (1937) for the numerous faithful living dispersed in the region. The church served as a meeting point for people and many of them started building their homes around the church, forming thus the center of a proper village.
After World War I
, Kelebija became part of the newly formed Kingdom of Serbs, Croat and Slovenes (later Yugoslavia
). A part of Kelebija's territory that traditionally belonged to the village remained in Hungary, forming thus a new settlement on the other side of the border, which is called with the same name, but with Hungarian spelling Kelebia
. That is why Hungarians often call Kelebija as Alsókelebia, that is to say Lower-Kelebija.
In 1978, the border crossing between Yugoslavia and Hungary was open, putting thus to end the relative isolation of the village from the rest of the world.
Today, Kelebija is the most northern settlement in Serbia, few hundred meters far from the border with Hungary.
Subotica
Subotica is a city and municipality in northern Serbia, in the Autonomous Province of Vojvodina...
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...
. It is situated in the municipality of Subotica
Subotica
Subotica is a city and municipality in northern Serbia, in the Autonomous Province of Vojvodina...
, North Bačka District
North Backa District
North Bačka District is a northern district of Serbia. It lies in the Bačka region in the autonomous province of Vojvodina. It has a population of 200,140...
, Autonomous Province of Vojvodina
Vojvodina
Vojvodina, officially called Autonomous Province of Vojvodina is an autonomous province of Serbia. Its capital and largest city is Novi Sad...
. The village has a Hungarian ethnic majority and its population numbering 2,168 people (2002 census). Near the village is a border crossing between 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...
and Hungary
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...
. Most of its inhabitants are farmers.
History
Kalyb, that is to say, today's Kelebija was mentioned first time in 1297 as the property of Simon Filins Wasa de Kelyb, an aristocrat in the Kingdom of Hungary
Kingdom of Hungary
The Kingdom of Hungary comprised present-day Hungary, Slovakia and Croatia , Transylvania , Carpatho Ruthenia , Vojvodina , Burgenland , and other smaller territories surrounding present-day Hungary's borders...
.
The village became destroyed and depopulated during the Ottoman occupation
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...
of the region.
In 1702, the territory of the deserted village (puszta in Hungarian) became attached to Subotica
Subotica
Subotica is a city and municipality in northern Serbia, in the Autonomous Province of Vojvodina...
, the largest settlement in the region at that time.
Baja
-Geography:* Baja California peninsula, a peninsula in North America* States of Mexico** Baja California** Baja California Sur* Baja Arizona* Baja, Hungary* Baja Verapaz, a department of Guatemala...
, Bácsalmás
Bácsalmás
Bácsalmás is a small town in southern Hungary in the region of Bácska close to the border with the Vojvodina region of Serbia, with a population of 7,694 people.- History :In the Middle Ages, the region came under the control of the Magyars who absorbed the Slavic and the...
, Tataháza
Tataháza
Tataháza is a village in Bács-Kiskun county, in the Southern Great Plain region of southern Hungary.-Geography:It covers an area of and has a population of 1532 people .- External links : Ljetna plesna škola u Aljmašu...
, Mátéháza, Mélykút
Mélykút
Mélykút is a town in Bács-Kiskun county, in the Southern Great Plain region of southern Hungary in Bacska [Page of Bacska]-Geography:It covers an area of and has a population of 5180 people ....
and Kiskunhalas
Kiskunhalas
- Railroad :The city is an important railway junction. It crosses the Budapest-Subotica-Belgrade railway line. The Kiskunfélegyháza railway ends in Kiskunhalas.- Name :...
. Along these roads many people settled forming several rows of houses (houses close to each other). These rows of farmhouses are called sor in Hungarian language, and from the 19th century many of the relatively distant parts of the territory of Kelebia have been called sor with different names: Akasztai sor (Akasztai's row), Belső sor (inside row), Csajkás sor (the row of hard working men), Kertész sor (the row of gardener), Kernyájszky sor (Kernyájszky's row). This latter designation indicates the name of a wealthy man who had several servants living not too far from his villa. This is interesting to note, because Kernyájszky's row of houses is often called also as Szerb sor in Hungarian language, referring probably to the ethnic origin (szerb means Serb) of the inhabitants of this part of Kelebija.
The forming of Kelebija as a proper village took place, actually, in the 20th century, when a monumental Catholic church
Catholic
The word catholic comes from the Greek phrase , meaning "on the whole," "according to the whole" or "in general", and is a combination of the Greek words meaning "about" and meaning "whole"...
was built (1937) for the numerous faithful living dispersed in the region. The church served as a meeting point for people and many of them started building their homes around the church, forming thus the center of a proper village.
After World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, Kelebija became part of the newly formed Kingdom of Serbs, Croat and Slovenes (later Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia refers to three political entities that existed successively on the western part of the Balkans during most of the 20th century....
). A part of Kelebija's territory that traditionally belonged to the village remained in Hungary, forming thus a new settlement on the other side of the border, which is called with the same name, but with Hungarian spelling Kelebia
Kelebia
Kelebia is a village in Bács-Kiskun county, in the Southern Great Plain region of southern Hungary. The railway crossing into the Serbian province of Vojvodina is located here.Croats in Hungary call this village Kelebija. - History :...
. That is why Hungarians often call Kelebija as Alsókelebia, that is to say Lower-Kelebija.
In 1978, the border crossing between Yugoslavia and Hungary was open, putting thus to end the relative isolation of the village from the rest of the world.
Today, Kelebija is the most northern settlement in Serbia, few hundred meters far from the border with Hungary.
Ethnic groups (2002 census)
- Hungarians = 1,275 (58.81%)
- SerbsSerbsThe Serbs are a South Slavic ethnic group of the Balkans and southern Central Europe. Serbs are located mainly in Serbia, Montenegro and Bosnia and Herzegovina, and form a sizable minority in Croatia, the Republic of Macedonia and Slovenia. Likewise, Serbs are an officially recognized minority in...
= 367 (16.93%) - 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...
= 138 (6.37%) - BunjevciBunjevciBunjevci are a South Slavic community and ethnic group living mostly in the Bačka region of Serbia and southern Hungary...
= 133 (6.14%) - YugoslavsYugoslavsYugoslavs is a national designation used by a minority of South Slavs across the countries of the former Yugoslavia and in the diaspora...
= 102 (4.71%) - others.