Roma people of Vojvodina
Encyclopedia
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 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...
. According to the 2002 census, there were 29,057 Romanis in Vojvodina or 1.43% of the population. They are Roma. The largest concentration of Romanis could be found in the municipalities of Nova Crnja
Nova Crnja
Nova Crnja is a village and municipality in Central Banat District of Vojvodina, Serbia. The village has a population of 1,858, while Nova Crnja municipality has 12,661 inhabitants.-Inhabited places:Nova Crnja municipality includes the following villages:...
(6.83%), Beočin
Beocin
Beočin is a town and municipality in the Vojvodina province, Serbia. The population of the town is 8,037, whilst Beočin's municipality population is 16,029...
(6.51%), and Novi Kneževac
Novi Kneževac
Novi Kneževac is a town and municipality in the North Banat District of Vojvodina, Serbia. The town has a population of 7,567, while the Novi Kneževac municipality has 12,952 inhabitants .-Name:...
(5.04%).
History
First Romanis settled in the territory of present-day Vojvodina during OttomanOttoman 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...
rule in the 16th century. In Ottoman times, they mostly lived in the towns and cities, but also in the villages, usually in their separate quarters called "cigan-mala". They usually were forgers, manger makers or musicians. Especially large number of Romanis settled in the area in the 17th and 18th century, when Austrian
Habsburg Monarchy
The Habsburg Monarchy covered the territories ruled by the junior Austrian branch of the House of Habsburg , and then by the successor House of Habsburg-Lorraine , between 1526 and 1867/1918. The Imperial capital was Vienna, except from 1583 to 1611, when it was moved to Prague...
authorities issued several provisions about Romani (in 1761, 1767, and 1783). During the 1848/1849 revolution
Revolutions of 1848
The European Revolutions of 1848, known in some countries as the Spring of Nations, Springtime of the Peoples or the Year of Revolution, were a series of political upheavals throughout Europe in 1848. It was the first Europe-wide collapse of traditional authority, but within a year reactionary...
, Romanis were on the side of the Serbs. During 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...
, Romani people, together with 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...
and Jews
Jews
The Jews , also known as the Jewish people, are a nation and ethnoreligious group originating in the Israelites or Hebrews of the Ancient Near East. The Jewish ethnicity, nationality, and religion are strongly interrelated, as Judaism is the traditional faith of the Jewish nation...
, were persecuted by Axis
Axis Powers
The Axis powers , also known as the Axis alliance, Axis nations, Axis countries, or just the Axis, was an alignment of great powers during the mid-20th century that fought World War II against the Allies. It began in 1936 with treaties of friendship between Germany and Italy and between Germany and...
authorities, thus many Romanis participated in anti-fascist struggle against Axis occupation.
Geography
Number of Romanis in Vojvodina by district (2002 census):- South Bačka DistrictSouth Backa DistrictSouth Bačka District is a northern district of Serbia. It lies in the southern part of Bačka and northern part of Syrmia, in the autonomous province of Vojvodina. It has a population of 607,835...
: 6,053 - West Bačka DistrictWest Backa DistrictWest Bačka District is a northern district of Serbia. It lies in the region of Bačka, in the autonomous province of Vojvodina. It has a population of 215,916...
: 1,941 - North Bačka DistrictNorth Backa DistrictNorth 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...
: 1,680 - North Banat DistrictNorth Banat DistrictNorth Banat District is a northern district of Serbia. It lies in the regions of Banat and Bačka, in the autonomous province of Vojvodina. As of the 2002 census, the district has a population of 165,881. The seat of the district is Kikinda....
: 3,944 - Central Banat DistrictCentral Banat DistrictCentral 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...
: 5,682 - South Banat DistrictSouth Banat DistrictSouth Banat District is a northeastern district of Serbia with the seat of the district in Pančevo. It borders Romania to the east. The district lies in the region of Banat, in the autonomous province of Vojvodina...
: 6,268 - Srem DistrictSrem DistrictSyrmia or Srem District is a northwestern district of Serbia. It lies in the regions of Syrmia and Mačva, in the autonomous province of Vojvodina. It has a population of 309,981...
: 3,489
There are no settlements in Vojvodina with Romani majority, but there are several city neighbourhoods and suburbs populated mainly by Romanis:
- BangladešBangladešBangladeš is a suburban settlement near Novi Sad, Serbia. It is situated between Novi Sad and the village of Rumenka.-Population:...
, a Romani-inhabited suburb of Novi SadNovi SadNovi Sad is the capital of the northern Serbian province of Vojvodina, and the administrative centre of the South Bačka District. The city is located in the southern part of Pannonian Plain on the Danube river....
. - DepresijaDepresijaDepresija is a neighborhood of the city of Novi Sad in the Serbian province of Vojvodina. The word 'Depresija' is derived from the area's low physical elevation .-Location:...
, a Romani-inhabited neighbourhood of Novi Sad. - ŠangajŠangajŠangaj is a neighborhood and local community of Novi Sad, in Serbian province of Vojvodina. Šangaj is located in northeastern part of the city and it covering the area of 0.13 km².-Name and history:...
, a Romani-inhabited neighbourhood of Novi Sad. - Veliki RitVeliki Rit, Novi SadVeliki Rit is a neighborhood of the city of Novi Sad in the Serbian province of Vojvodina.-Location:Veliki Rit is located in the northern part of Novi Sad between Klisa and Slana Bara in the west, Mišin Salaš and Mali Beograd in the south, Deponija in the north, and Radna Zona Sever 4 in the...
, a Romani-inhabited neighbourhood of Novi Sad. - Mali London, a Romani-inhabited neighbourhood of PančevoPancevoPančevo is a city and municipality located in the southern part of Serbian province of Vojvodina, 15 km northeast from Belgrade. In 2002, the city had a total population of 77,087, while municipality of Pančevo had 127,162 inhabitants. It is the administrative center of the South Banat...
.
Subgroups
Living in the multiethnic region of Vojvodina, Romani people are integrated with other ethnic groups, especially with SerbsSerbs
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...
, Romanians
Romanians
The Romanians are an ethnic group native to Romania, who speak Romanian; they are the majority inhabitants of Romania....
and Hungarians, thus, depending of the group with which they are integrated, Romanis are usually known as Serbian Roma, Romanian Roma, Hungarian Roma, etc.
The Banyash (Rudari) Roma in Vojvodina
Vojvodina
Vojvodina, officially called Autonomous Province of Vojvodina is an autonomous province of Serbia. Its capital and largest city is Novi Sad...
, live in 30 settlements of 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...
and 7 in Bačka region. They are Romanian cultured Roma who were slaves in Wallachia
Wallachia
Wallachia or Walachia is a historical and geographical region of Romania. It is situated north of the Danube and south of the Southern Carpathians...
and Moldavia
Moldavia
Moldavia is a geographic and historical region and former principality in Eastern Europe, corresponding to the territory between the Eastern Carpathians and the Dniester river...
until 1864 when slavery was abolished in Romania, some eventually settled in Serbia. They are either Roman Catholic or Orthodox, all Romanian speaking although the majority are bilingual (they lost the Romani language in the 15th century and has since spoken Romanian, and later, Serbian), other communities of Banyash exist in Romania, Croatia, Hungary and Slovakia. The majority declares themselves as Romanians
Romanians
The Romanians are an ethnic group native to Romania, who speak Romanian; they are the majority inhabitants of Romania....
.
Culture
Radio Television of VojvodinaRadio Television of Vojvodina
Radio Television of Vojvodina is the public broadcaster in the Serbian province of Vojvodina...
broadcasts daily programme in Romani language
Romani language
Romani or Romany, Gypsy or Gipsy is any of several languages of the Romani people. They are Indic, sometimes classified in the "Central" or "Northwestern" zone, and sometimes treated as a branch of their own....
and there are other publications in the Romani language as well.
Notable Roma from Vojvodina
- Trifun Dimić, romologist and literate.
- Janika Balaž, a famous tamburitza musician.
- Boža Nikolić, folk singer.