Knicanin
Encyclopedia
Knićanin is a village in Serbia
. It is located in the Zrenjanin
municipal area, in the Banat
region (Central Banat District
), Vojvodina
province. Its population is 2,034 (2002 census) and most of its inhabitants are ethnic Serbs
.
, who was the commander of the Serbia
n volunteer squads in the Serbian Vojvodina
during the 1848/1849 revolution. Another name for the village used in Serbian
was Knićaninovo (Книћаниново).
The former German
name of the village, Rudolfsgnad, was in use since 1868, when the village was named after Crown Prince Rudolf (1858-1889). In Hungarian
, the village was known as Rezsőháza.
ethnic majority; ethnic Serbs number 1,981 inhabitants of the village. Other ethnic groups include Hungarians, Yugoslavs, Slovaks, Croats, and others.
Before the end of the World War II
, the population of the village numbered about 3,000 people, and was mainly composed of ethnic Germans
(Danube Swabians
).
(Danube Swabian) population. In the 19th and the first half of the 20th century, the villagers were mainly farmers and artisans. In 1931, the population of the village numbered 3,072 inhabitants.
After the World War II
, the village was used as a concentration camp for Danube Swabian Yugoslavs of the Vojvodina
region (mostly from central and south Banat) who had their citizenships and all civil rights revoked by the AVNOJ
decrees of 1943 and 1944 by the Yugoslav
partisans
. The average number of people inside prison camp was 17,200, while the largest number was 20,500. The camp operated from 10 October 1945 until middle of March 1948 (total operating time was 29 months or 880 days). It is estimated that about 11,000 people died in the camp, of which 7,767 death cases are documented. Main causes of death were typhus, malaria, and malnutrition.
After the prison camp was closed, Serb families from Bosnia, Croatia, and Montenegro were settled in the emptied houses of the expelled [Danube Swabians]] village.
A memorial
to victims of a mass grave
was constructed nearby in 1998 with an inscription in both Serbian
and German
. The larger sign on the memorial reads: "Here rest our fellow citizens of German descent, who died of hunger, sickness, and cold in the camp 'Knićanin/Rudolfsgnad' 1946-1948. May they rest in peace". The smaller sign reads: "To the victims from German Elemir/Elemer in the camp of Knićanin/Rudolfsgnad 314".
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 located in the Zrenjanin
Zrenjanin
Zrenjanin is a city and municipality located in the eastern part of Serbian province of Vojvodina. It is the administrative centre of the Central Banat District of Serbia...
municipal area, in the Banat
Banat
The Banat is a geographical and historical region in Central Europe currently divided between three countries: the eastern part lies in western Romania , the western part in northeastern Serbia , and a small...
region (Central Banat District
Central Banat District
Central Banat District is a northeastern district of Serbia. It lies in the region of Banat, in the autonomous province of Vojvodina. It has a population of 208,456...
), Vojvodina
Vojvodina
Vojvodina, officially called Autonomous Province of Vojvodina is an autonomous province of Serbia. Its capital and largest city is Novi Sad...
province. Its population is 2,034 (2002 census) and most of its inhabitants are ethnic Serbs
Serbs
The 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...
.
Name
The village was named after voivod Stevan KnićaninStevan Knicanin
Stevan Petrović, KCMT , known simply as Stevan Knićanin was a Serbian voivode of the Serbian volunteer squads in Serbian Vojvodina during the 1848 revolution.-Life:...
, who was the commander of the 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...
n volunteer squads in the Serbian Vojvodina
Serbian Vojvodina
The Serbian Vojvodina was a Serbian autonomous region within the Austrian Empire...
during the 1848/1849 revolution. Another name for the village used in 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....
was Knićaninovo (Книћаниново).
The former 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....
name of the village, Rudolfsgnad, was in use since 1868, when the village was named after Crown Prince Rudolf (1858-1889). In 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....
, the village was known as Rezsőháza.
Population
Knićanin has a SerbSerbs
The 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...
ethnic majority; ethnic Serbs number 1,981 inhabitants of the village. Other ethnic groups include Hungarians, Yugoslavs, Slovaks, Croats, and others.
Before the end of the World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, the population of the village numbered about 3,000 people, and was mainly composed of ethnic Germans
Germans
The Germans are a Germanic ethnic group native to Central Europe. The English term Germans has referred to the German-speaking population of the Holy Roman Empire since the Late Middle Ages....
(Danube Swabians
Danube Swabians
The Danube Swabians is a collective term for the German-speaking population who lived in the former Kingdom of Hungary, especially alongside the Danube River valley. Because of different developments within the territory settled, the Danube Swabians cannot be seen as a unified people...
).
History
The village was founded in 1866. It formerly had a large GermanGermans
The Germans are a Germanic ethnic group native to Central Europe. The English term Germans has referred to the German-speaking population of the Holy Roman Empire since the Late Middle Ages....
(Danube Swabian) population. In the 19th and the first half of the 20th century, the villagers were mainly farmers and artisans. In 1931, the population of the village numbered 3,072 inhabitants.
After the World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, the village was used as a concentration camp for Danube Swabian Yugoslavs of the Vojvodina
Vojvodina
Vojvodina, officially called Autonomous Province of Vojvodina is an autonomous province of Serbia. Its capital and largest city is Novi Sad...
region (mostly from central and south Banat) who had their citizenships and all civil rights revoked by the AVNOJ
AVNOJ
The Anti-Fascist Council of the People's Liberation of Yugoslavia, known more commonly by its Yugoslav abbreviation AVNOJ, was the political umbrella organization for the national liberation councils of the Yugoslav resistance against the World War II Axis occupation, eventually becoming the...
decrees of 1943 and 1944 by the Yugoslav
Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia refers to three political entities that existed successively on the western part of the Balkans during most of the 20th century....
partisans
Partisans (Yugoslavia)
The Yugoslav Partisans, or simply the Partisans were a Communist-led World War II anti-fascist resistance movement in Yugoslavia...
. The average number of people inside prison camp was 17,200, while the largest number was 20,500. The camp operated from 10 October 1945 until middle of March 1948 (total operating time was 29 months or 880 days). It is estimated that about 11,000 people died in the camp, of which 7,767 death cases are documented. Main causes of death were typhus, malaria, and malnutrition.
After the prison camp was closed, Serb families from Bosnia, Croatia, and Montenegro were settled in the emptied houses of the expelled [Danube Swabians]] village.
A memorial
Memorial
A memorial is an object which serves as a focus for memory of something, usually a person or an event. Popular forms of memorials include landmark objects or art objects such as sculptures, statues or fountains, and even entire parks....
to victims of a mass grave
Mass grave
A mass grave is a grave containing multiple number of human corpses, which may or may not be identified prior to burial. There is no strict definition of the minimum number of bodies required to constitute a mass grave, although the United Nations defines a mass grave as a burial site which...
was constructed nearby in 1998 with an inscription in both 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....
and 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....
. The larger sign on the memorial reads: "Here rest our fellow citizens of German descent, who died of hunger, sickness, and cold in the camp 'Knićanin/Rudolfsgnad' 1946-1948. May they rest in peace". The smaller sign reads: "To the victims from German Elemir/Elemer in the camp of Knićanin/Rudolfsgnad 314".
People from Knićanin
- Henrik WerthHenrik WerthHenrik Werth was a Hungarian military officer, who served as Chief of Army Staff during the Second World War.-References:*...
(1881-1952), Hungarian general of German descent. - Béla Mattanovich (1907-1984), Hungarian journalist of South Slavic descent.
See also
- ZrenjaninZrenjaninZrenjanin is a city and municipality located in the eastern part of Serbian province of Vojvodina. It is the administrative centre of the Central Banat District of Serbia...
- Serbian Banat
- List of cities, towns and villages in Vojvodina