Serbs in Romania
Encyclopedia
The Romanian Serbs are an ethnic minority
in Romania
. According to the 2002 census, there were 22,518 Serbs in Romania or 0.1% of the population (the 1992 census recorded 29,408 Serbs, or 0.1% of the population). Serbs mostly live in western Romania, in the Romanian part of the Banat
region, where they constitute absolute majority in two communes and relative majority in one other.
, the Serbs constitute absolute majority in the commune of Pojejena
(52.09%) http://www.edrc.ro/recensamant.jsp?regiune_id=1832&judet_id=1909&localitate_id=1965 and a plurality in the commune of Socol
(49.54%) http://www.edrc.ro/recensamant.jsp?regiune_id=1832&judet_id=1909&localitate_id=1974. Serbs also constitute absolute majority in the municipality of Sviniţa
(87.27%) http://www.edrc.ro/recensamant.jsp?regiune_id=1407&judet_id=1579&localitate_id=1638, in the Mehedinţi County
. The region where these three municipalities are located is known as Clisura Dunării
in Romanian
or Banatska Klisura (Банатска Клисура) in Serbian
.
Timis:
Serb population in Romania was larger in the past. Although most of the Serbs lived in Banat
, there was also a Serb population living in what is now Arad County
of Romania (an area known as Pomorišje
in Serbian), and in the former Principality of Transylvania, where they served as soldiers of Transylvanian rulers.
In the beginning of the 18th century, the population of Timişoara, the main city of Romanian Banat, numbered 600-700 inhabitants, of which 446 were Serbs, 144 Jews
, and 35 Armenians
.
In 1720, the population of Arad
, the capital of present-day Arad County
, numbered 177 Romanian
, 162 Serbian, and 35 Hungarian families. After the Tisa
-Mureş
section of the Military Frontier
was abolished, many Serbs from Pomorišje left the region and immigrated to Russia (notably to Nova Serbia
and Slavo-Serbia
) in 1752.
When the Treaty of Versailles
(1919) defined the border between Romania and the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes, about 65,000 Serbs were left on the Romanian side of border.
During the early 1950s, the Romanian Communist regime
, having taken Soviet
side in the Informbiro crisis and entering a period of hostility towards the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia
, ordered a sizable part of the Serb community to be deported
to the Bărăgan Plain
(see Bărăgan deportations
). They were allowed to return to their homes after 1956.
pressure traditionally forced members of several South Slavic
communities to seek refuge in Wallachia
- although under Ottoman rule as well, the latter was always subject to less requirements than regions to south of the Danube
.
These groups are, however, hard to distinguish one from another in early Wallachian references, as the term "Serbs" is regularly applied to all Southern Slavs, no matter where they might have originated. This only changed in the 19th century, through a transition made clear by an official statistic of 1830, which reads "census of how many Serbs are resident here in the town of Ploieşti
, all of them Bulgarians
" (Giurescu, p. 269).
Serbs-proper probably constituted the vast majority of mercenary
troops known as seimeni
, given that their nucleus is attested to have been formed by "Serb seimeni" (as it was during their revolt in 1655), and that the rule of Prince Matei Basarab
had witnessed the arrival of a large group of Serb refugees.
; the vast majority belong to Serbian Orthodox Church
Eparchy of Timişoara
, while those living in the Sviniţa are Old Believers
.
Torlakian dialect
, inhabiting Caraş-Severin County
, where they constitute the majority of population in the municipalities of Caraşova
(84.60%) and Lupac (93.38%).
The Krashovani's origin can be traced back to the region around the Timok River
in eastern Serbia
, from where they migrated to Banat
in the 14th century. However, their Roman Catholic
religion has more recently set them apart from Orthodox
Serbs, and most of the Krashovani nowadays declare themselves as Croats
in censuses.
Minority group
A minority is a sociological group within a demographic. The demographic could be based on many factors from ethnicity, gender, wealth, power, etc. The term extends to numerous situations, and civilizations within history, despite the misnomer of minorities associated with a numerical statistic...
in Romania
Romania
Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea...
. According to the 2002 census, there were 22,518 Serbs in Romania or 0.1% of the population (the 1992 census recorded 29,408 Serbs, or 0.1% of the population). Serbs mostly live in western Romania, in the Romanian part of 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, where they constitute absolute majority in two communes and relative majority in one other.
Location
In the Caraş-Severin CountyCaras-Severin County
Caraș-Severin is a county of Romania, in the historical region of Banat and few villages in Transylvania, with the county seat at Reșița.-Demographics:The county is part of the Danube-Kris-Mureș-Tisza euroregion....
, the Serbs constitute absolute majority in the commune of Pojejena
Pojejena
Pojejena is a commune in Caraş-Severin County, Romania. Тhe commune is located in the geographical area known as Clisura Dunării . In 2002, its population numbered 3,300 people, of whom the majority are ethnic Serbs...
(52.09%) http://www.edrc.ro/recensamant.jsp?regiune_id=1832&judet_id=1909&localitate_id=1965 and a plurality in the commune of Socol
Socol
Socol is a commune in Caraş-Severin County, Romania . In 2002, the population of the commune numbered 2,301 people and its population was ethnically mixed. It is composed of five villages: Baziaş, Câmpia, Pârneaura, Socol and Zlatiţa.Sokol means "hawk" in Serbian...
(49.54%) http://www.edrc.ro/recensamant.jsp?regiune_id=1832&judet_id=1909&localitate_id=1974. Serbs also constitute absolute majority in the municipality of Sviniţa
Svinita
Sviniţa is a commune in Mehedinţi County, Romania, located on the Danube . It is composed of a single village, Sviniţa. In 2002, its population numbered 1,132 people and was mostly composed of Serbs...
(87.27%) http://www.edrc.ro/recensamant.jsp?regiune_id=1407&judet_id=1579&localitate_id=1638, in the Mehedinţi County
Mehedinti County
Mehedinţi is a county of Romania. It is mostly located in the historical province of Oltenia, with one municipality and three communes located in the Banat...
. The region where these three municipalities are located is known as Clisura Dunării
Clisura Dunarii
Defileul Dunării, locally known also as Clisura Dunării is a geographical region in Romania. It is located in southern Banat, along the northern bank of the river Danube...
in Romanian
Romanian language
Romanian Romanian Romanian (or Daco-Romanian; obsolete spellings Rumanian, Roumanian; self-designation: română, limba română ("the Romanian language") or românește (lit. "in Romanian") is a Romance language spoken by around 24 to 28 million people, primarily in Romania and Moldova...
or Banatska Klisura (Банатска Клисура) 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....
.
Timis:
- Variaş: 502 (12,4%)
- Sânpetru Mare: 525 (25,0%)
Banat, Pomorišje and Transylvania
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...
, there was also a Serb population living in what is now Arad County
Arad County
Arad is an administrative division of Romania roughly translated into county in the western part of the country on the border with Hungary, mostly in the region of Crişana and few villages in Banat. The administrative center of the county lies in the city of Arad...
of Romania (an area known as Pomorišje
Pomorišje
Pomorišje is a historical geographical region on the banks of the river Mureş that in the past has had a sizable ethnic Serb population. The region is mostly divided between Romania and Hungary, with small part of it in northern Serbia...
in Serbian), and in the former Principality of Transylvania, where they served as soldiers of Transylvanian rulers.
In the beginning of the 18th century, the population of Timişoara, the main city of Romanian Banat, numbered 600-700 inhabitants, of which 446 were Serbs, 144 Jews
History of the Jews in Romania
The history of Jews in Romania concerns the Jews of Romania and of Romanian origins, from their first mention on what is nowadays Romanian territory....
, and 35 Armenians
Armenians in Romania
Armenians have been present in what is now Romania and Moldova for over a millennium, and have been an important presence as traders since the 14th century...
.
In 1720, the population of Arad
Arad, Romania
Arad is the capital city of Arad County, in western Romania, in the Crişana region, on the river Mureş.An important industrial center and transportation hub, Arad is also the seat of a Romanian Orthodox archbishop and features two universities, a Romanian Orthodox theological seminary, a training...
, the capital of present-day Arad County
Arad County
Arad is an administrative division of Romania roughly translated into county in the western part of the country on the border with Hungary, mostly in the region of Crişana and few villages in Banat. The administrative center of the county lies in the city of Arad...
, numbered 177 Romanian
Romanians
The Romanians are an ethnic group native to Romania, who speak Romanian; they are the majority inhabitants of Romania....
, 162 Serbian, and 35 Hungarian families. After the Tisa
Tisá
Tisá is a village and municipality in Ústí nad Labem District in the Ústí nad Labem Region of the Czech Republic.The municipality covers an area of , and has a population of 786 ....
-Mureş
Mures River
The Mureș is an approximately 761 km long river in Eastern Europe. It originates in the Hășmașu Mare Range in the Eastern Carpathian Mountains, Romania, and joins the Tisza river at Szeged in southeastern Hungary....
section of the Military Frontier
Military Frontier
The Military Frontier was a borderland of Habsburg Austria and later the Austro-Hungarian Monarchy, which acted as the cordon sanitaire against incursions from the Ottoman Empire...
was abolished, many Serbs from Pomorišje left the region and immigrated to Russia (notably to Nova Serbia
Nova Serbia
New Serbia was a territory of Imperial Russia from 1752 to 1764. It was mostly located in the territory of present-day Kirovohrad Oblast of Ukraine, although some of its parts were located in the territory of present-day Cherkasy Oblast, Poltava Oblast and Dnipropetrovsk Oblast...
and Slavo-Serbia
Slavo-Serbia
Slavo-Serbia was a territory of Imperial Russia between 1753 and 1764. It was located by the right bank of the Donets River between the Bakhmut and Lugan rivers...
) in 1752.
When the Treaty of Versailles
Treaty of Versailles
The Treaty of Versailles was one of the peace treaties at the end of World War I. It ended the state of war between Germany and the Allied Powers. It was signed on 28 June 1919, exactly five years after the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand. The other Central Powers on the German side of...
(1919) defined the border between Romania and the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes, about 65,000 Serbs were left on the Romanian side of border.
During the early 1950s, the Romanian Communist regime
Communist Romania
Communist Romania was the period in Romanian history when that country was a Soviet-aligned communist state in the Eastern Bloc, with the dominant role of Romanian Communist Party enshrined in its successive constitutions...
, having taken Soviet
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
side in the Informbiro crisis and entering a period of hostility towards the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia
Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia
The Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia was the Yugoslav state that existed from the abolition of the Yugoslav monarchy until it was dissolved in 1992 amid the Yugoslav Wars. It was a socialist state and a federation made up of six socialist republics: Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia,...
, ordered a sizable part of the Serb community to be deported
Penal transportation
Transportation or penal transportation is the deporting of convicted criminals to a penal colony. Examples include transportation by France to Devil's Island and by the UK to its colonies in the Americas, from the 1610s through the American Revolution in the 1770s, and then to Australia between...
to the Bărăgan Plain
Baragan Plain
The Bărăgan Plain is a steppe plain in south-eastern Romania. It makes up much of the eastern part of the Wallachian Plain. The region is known for its black soil and a rich humus, and is mostly a cereal-growing area....
(see Bărăgan deportations
Baragan deportations
The Bărăgan deportations were a large-scale action of penal transportation, undertaken during the 1950s by the Romanian Communist regime. Their aim was to forcibly relocate individuals who lived within approximately 25 km of the Yugoslav border to the Bărăgan Plain.-Reasons:After relations...
). They were allowed to return to their homes after 1956.
Wallachia
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...
pressure traditionally forced members of several South Slavic
South Slavs
The South Slavs are the southern branch of the Slavic peoples and speak South Slavic languages. Geographically, the South Slavs are native to the Balkan peninsula, the southern Pannonian Plain and the eastern Alps...
communities to seek refuge 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...
- although under Ottoman rule as well, the latter was always subject to less requirements than regions to south of the Danube
Danube
The Danube is a river in the Central Europe and the Europe's second longest river after the Volga. It is classified as an international waterway....
.
These groups are, however, hard to distinguish one from another in early Wallachian references, as the term "Serbs" is regularly applied to all Southern Slavs, no matter where they might have originated. This only changed in the 19th century, through a transition made clear by an official statistic of 1830, which reads "census of how many Serbs are resident here in the town of Ploieşti
Ploiesti
Ploiești is the county seat of Prahova County and lies in the historical region of Wallachia in Romania. The city is located north of Bucharest....
, all of them Bulgarians
Bulgarians
The Bulgarians are a South Slavic nation and ethnic group native to Bulgaria and neighbouring regions. Emigration has resulted in immigrant communities in a number of other countries.-History and ethnogenesis:...
" (Giurescu, p. 269).
Serbs-proper probably constituted the vast majority of mercenary
Mercenary
A mercenary, is a person who takes part in an armed conflict based on the promise of material compensation rather than having a direct interest in, or a legal obligation to, the conflict itself. A non-conscript professional member of a regular army is not considered to be a mercenary although he...
troops known as seimeni
Seimeni
Seimeni designates the group of flintlock-armed infantry mercenaries charged with guarding the hospodar and his Court in 17th and 18th century Wallachia and Moldavia. They were mostly of Serb and other Balkan origin....
, given that their nucleus is attested to have been formed by "Serb seimeni" (as it was during their revolt in 1655), and that the rule of Prince Matei Basarab
Matei Basarab
Matei Basarab was a Wallachian Voivode between 1632 and 1654.-Reign:Much of Matei's reign was spent fighting off incursions from Moldavia, which he successfully accomplished in 1637, 1639, and 1653 - see Battle of Finta...
had witnessed the arrival of a large group of Serb refugees.
Religion
Most of the Serbs in Romania are Orthodox ChristiansEastern Orthodox Church
The Orthodox Church, officially called the Orthodox Catholic Church and commonly referred to as the Eastern Orthodox Church, is the second largest Christian denomination in the world, with an estimated 300 million adherents mainly in the countries of Belarus, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Georgia, Greece,...
; the vast majority belong to Serbian Orthodox Church
Serbian Orthodox Church
The Serbian Orthodox Church is one of the autocephalous Orthodox Christian churches, ranking sixth in order of seniority after Constantinople, Alexandria, Antioch, Jerusalem, and Russia...
Eparchy of Timişoara
Timisoara
Timișoara is the capital city of Timiș County, in western Romania. One of the largest Romanian cities, with an estimated population of 311,586 inhabitants , and considered the informal capital city of the historical region of Banat, Timișoara is the main social, economic and cultural center in the...
, while those living in the Sviniţa are Old Believers
Old Believers
In the context of Russian Orthodox church history, the Old Believers separated after 1666 from the official Russian Orthodox Church as a protest against church reforms introduced by Patriarch Nikon between 1652–66...
.
Serbian monasteries in Romania
List of Serbian Orthodox monasteries in Romania:- Sveti Đorđe monastery (Манастир светог Ђорђа / Manastir svetog Đorđa). According to the legend, it was founded in 1485 by the Serbian despot, Jovan BrankovićJovan BrankovićJovan Branković was the titular Despot of Serbia from 1496 until his death in 1502. He held the title of despot given to him by Vladislas II of Hungary, and ruled a region known as Racszag under the Kingdom of Hungary...
. It was rebuilt in the 18th century. - Šemljug monastery (Манастир Шемљуг / Manastir Šemljug). It was founded in the 15th century.
- Sveti Simeon monastery (Манастир светог Симеона / Manastir svetog Simeona).
- Bazjaš monasteryBazjaš monasteryThe Bazjaš or Baziaş monastery is a Serbian Orthodox monastery established in 1225 and located in Baziaş village, Socol Commune, Caraş-Severin County, Romania....
(Манастир Базјаш / Manastir Bazjaš), built 1225 - Bezdin monastery (Манастир Бездин / Manastir Bezdin).
- Zlatica monastery (Манастир Златица / Manastir Zlatica).
- Kusić monastery (Манастир Кусић / Manastir Kusić).
- Sveti Đurađ monastery (Манастир свети Ђурађ / Manastir sveti Đurađ).
- The "St. Peter and Paul" Serbian Church, raised in 1698-1702 in Arad, early Baroque architecture
Serbs born on present-day Romanian territory
- Jovan NenadEmperor Jovan NenadJovan Nenad was a 16th-century military commander of Serb mercenaries in the Kingdom of Hungary who took advantage of a Hungarian military defeat in the Battle of Mohács and subsequent struggle over the Hungarian throne to carve out his own state and styled himself emperor , ruling over a...
(?-1527), self-proclaimed "emperor", ruler of BačkaBackaBačka is a geographical area within the Pannonian plain bordered by the river Danube to the west and south, and by the river Tisza to the east of which confluence is located near Titel...
, northern Banat, and a part of Srem, born in LipovaLipova, AradLipova is a town in Romania, Arad County, located in the Banat region of western Transylvania. It is situated at a distance of 34 km from Arad, the county capital, at the contact zone of the Mureș River with the Zarand Mountains, Western Plateau and Lipovei Hills...
(northern Banat). - Dositej ObradovićDositej ObradovicDositej Dimitrije Obradović was a Serbian author, philosopher, linguist, polyglot and the first minister of education of Serbia...
(1742–1811), writer and translator, born in CiacovaCiacovaCiacova is a town in Timiş County, western Romania.It is located at from Timişoara. It administers four villages: Cebza, Macedonia, Obad and Petroman.According 2002 census it had a population of 7285 inhabitants. It received the status of town in 2004...
(Banat). - Sava TekelijaSava TekelijaSava Tekelija was the first Serbian doctor of law, president of the Matica srpska, philanthropist, noble, and merchant. Tekelija founded in Budapest the Tekelijanum in 1838 for Serb students studying in the city. Tekelija, the patron of the Matica Srpska, opened also a Matica library in the...
(1761–1842), politician and public worker, born in AradArad, RomaniaArad is the capital city of Arad County, in western Romania, in the Crişana region, on the river Mureş.An important industrial center and transportation hub, Arad is also the seat of a Romanian Orthodox archbishop and features two universities, a Romanian Orthodox theological seminary, a training...
. - Ivan TabakovićIvan TabakovicIvan Tabaković was an Austro-Hungarian-born Serbian painter.Born in Arad, Hungary , he studied at the Academy of Fine Arts in Budapest, and afterwards, at the Royal Academy of Applied Arts in Zagreb. In the autumn of 1922, he left for Munich, only temporarily interrupting his studies in Zagreb...
(1898–1977), painter, born in Arad. - Milan Tabaković, architect, born in Arad.
Romanian citizens of Serb ethnicity
- Miodrag BelodedićMiodrag BelodediciMiodrag Belodedici is a Romanian former football player.Nicknamed The deer due to his elegant tackles, he won the European Cup twice, in 1986 with Steaua Bucureşti and 1991 with Red Star Belgrade, thus becoming the first player to win the trophy with two different clubs...
(b.1964), football player, played for Romanian national team, Steaua Bucharest and Red Star BelgradeRed Star BelgradeRed Star Belgrade is a football club from Belgrade, Serbia. The club is a part of the Red Star Sports Society.Red Star Belgrade is the most successful Serbian club, with a record of 25 national championships and 23 national cups in both Serbian and ex-Yugoslav competitions...
, born in SocolSocolSocol is a commune in Caraş-Severin County, Romania . In 2002, the population of the commune numbered 2,301 people and its population was ethnically mixed. It is composed of five villages: Baziaş, Câmpia, Pârneaura, Socol and Zlatiţa.Sokol means "hawk" in Serbian...
. - Călin Mitici (1962–2009), journalist (Serbian mother).
- Lavinija MiloševićLavinia MilosoviciLavinia Corina Miloşovici is a Romanian Olympic gymnast. An exceptionally successful athlete on the international competition circuit, Miloşovici, also known as "Milo" in the gymnastics community, is considered to be one of Romania's top gymnasts of the 1990s and one of the most prolific female...
(b.1976), Romanian gymnast.
Krashovani
The Krashovani are a population speaking the SerbianSerbian 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....
Torlakian dialect
Torlakian dialect
Torlakian or Torlak is a name given to the group of South Slavic dialects of southeastern Serbia , northeastern Macedonia , western Bulgaria , which is intermediate between Serbian, Bulgarian and Macedonian.Some linguists classify it as an Old-Shtokavian dialect of Serbian or a fourth dialect of...
, inhabiting Caraş-Severin County
Caras-Severin County
Caraș-Severin is a county of Romania, in the historical region of Banat and few villages in Transylvania, with the county seat at Reșița.-Demographics:The county is part of the Danube-Kris-Mureș-Tisza euroregion....
, where they constitute the majority of population in the municipalities of Caraşova
Carasova
Carașova is a commune in Caraș-Severin County, Romania. It is known especially for its geographical placement and for the origin of its Croatian inhabitants, the Krashovani. The population of the commune numbered 3,260 people at the 2002 census...
(84.60%) and Lupac (93.38%).
The Krashovani's origin can be traced back to the region around the Timok River
Timok River
The Timok is a river in eastern Serbia and for the last 15 km of its run a border between eastern Serbia and western Bulgaria.It derives the names in all these from the name it had in antiquity, Latin: Timacus....
in eastern 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...
, from where they migrated to 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...
in the 14th century. However, their Roman Catholic
Roman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...
religion has more recently set them apart from Orthodox
Serbian Orthodox Church
The Serbian Orthodox Church is one of the autocephalous Orthodox Christian churches, ranking sixth in order of seniority after Constantinople, Alexandria, Antioch, Jerusalem, and Russia...
Serbs, and most of the Krashovani nowadays declare themselves as Croats
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 censuses.