Strezimirovci
Encyclopedia
Strezimirovci is a divided village
in easternmost Serbia
and westernmost Bulgaria
. The Bulgarian half of the village is part of Tran
municipality, Pernik Province
, whereas the Serbian part belongs to Surdulica
municipality, Pčinja District
. The village has a border checkpoint
and its residents on either side of the border are mostly Bulgarian
; however, its division has caused its population to decrease more than tenfold. It lies in the geographic region of Znepolje (Znepole), at 42°48′N 22°26′E, in a valley along the Jerma
(or Erma) River, 830 metres above mean sea level
.
The village was first mentioned in Ottoman
registers of 1451 as Stryazimirovtsi and in 1453 as İstrazumirofca. Its name is derived from the personal name Strezimir (Стрезимир). From the Liberation of Bulgaria
in 1878 until the post-World War I
Treaty of Neuilly-sur-Seine of 1919, Strezimirovci was located in Bulgaria and was administratively part of the Tran district of Sofia Province. As Bulgaria participated in the war
on the side of the Central Powers
, it was obliged to cede a Bulgarian-populated area of 1,545 km² to Serbia, a region afterwards known in Bulgaria as the "Western Outlands". The new border did not take the location of extant communities, property, roads and rivers into account, it was drawn so as to give Serbia a strategic importance in future wars. Strezimirovci was among 25 villages more or less divided into two by the new Serbian-Bulgarian border. Reputedly, four locals even tricked the international commission sent to mark the border by moving the temporary border stones
overnight in order to include more of the village in Bulgaria.
As a consequence of this bisection, the village's population has declined significantly on either side of the border. For example, the Serbian part had a population of 485 in 1948; by 2002, it had decreased to 53, of whom 47 Bulgarians (88.67%), 4 Yugoslavs
(7.54%) and 2 Serbs
(3.77%). The Bulgarian part of Strezimirovci is only inhabited by 25 people as of June 2008.
Divided cities
A divided city is one which, as a consequence of political changes or border shifts, presently constitutes two separate entities. Listed are the localities and the state they belonged to at the time of division...
in easternmost 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 westernmost Bulgaria
Bulgaria
Bulgaria , officially the Republic of Bulgaria , is a parliamentary democracy within a unitary constitutional republic in Southeast Europe. The country borders Romania to the north, Serbia and Macedonia to the west, Greece and Turkey to the south, as well as the Black Sea to the east...
. The Bulgarian half of the village is part of Tran
Tran, Bulgaria
Tran |thorn]]") is a small town in Pernik Province, western Bulgaria. It is 27 kilometres away from the town of Breznik and 15 km from the border with Serbia....
municipality, Pernik Province
Pernik Province
-Religion:Religious adherence in the province according to 2001 census:-Ethnic groups:Ethnic groups in the province according to 2001 census:145 642 Bulgarians ,3 035 Roma and 1155 others and unspecified .-Economy:...
, whereas the Serbian part belongs to Surdulica
Surdulica
Surdulica is a town and municipality situated in the southeast of Serbia . In 2011, the population of the town is 10,915, while population of the municipality is 20,265.-Geography:...
municipality, Pčinja District
Pcinja District
The Pčinja District expands to the southern parts of Serbia, bordering Bulgaria and the Republic of Macedonia. Its seat is in the city of Vranje....
. The village has a border checkpoint
Border checkpoint
A border checkpoint is a place, generally between two countries, where travellers and/or goods are inspected. Authorization often is required to enter a country through its borders. Access-controlled borders often have a limited number of checkpoints where they can be crossed without legal...
and its residents on either side of the border are mostly Bulgarian
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:...
; however, its division has caused its population to decrease more than tenfold. It lies in the geographic region of Znepolje (Znepole), at 42°48′N 22°26′E, in a valley along the Jerma
Jerma
The Jerma or Erma is a river in southeastern Serbia and western Bulgaria. Even though not very long , it is notable for passing the Serbian-Bulgarian border twice.- Serbia :...
(or Erma) River, 830 metres above mean sea level
Above mean sea level
The term above mean sea level refers to the elevation or altitude of any object, relative to the average sea level datum. AMSL is used extensively in radio by engineers to determine the coverage area a station will be able to reach...
.
The village was first mentioned in Ottoman
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...
registers of 1451 as Stryazimirovtsi and in 1453 as İstrazumirofca. Its name is derived from the personal name Strezimir (Стрезимир). From the Liberation of Bulgaria
Liberation of Bulgaria
In Bulgarian historiography, the term Liberation of Bulgaria is used to denote the events of the Russo-Turkish War of 1877-78 that led to the re-establishment of Bulgarian state with the Treaty of San Stefano of March 3, 1878, after the complete conquest of the Second Bulgarian Empire, which...
in 1878 until the post-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...
Treaty of Neuilly-sur-Seine of 1919, Strezimirovci was located in Bulgaria and was administratively part of the Tran district of Sofia Province. As Bulgaria participated in the war
Bulgaria during World War I
The Kingdom of Bulgaria participated in World War I on the side of the Central Powers between 15 October 1915, when the country declared war on Serbia, until 29 September 1918, when the Armistice of Thessalonica was signed....
on the side of the Central Powers
Central Powers
The Central Powers were one of the two warring factions in World War I , composed of the German Empire, the Austro-Hungarian Empire, the Ottoman Empire, and the Kingdom of Bulgaria...
, it was obliged to cede a Bulgarian-populated area of 1,545 km² to Serbia, a region afterwards known in Bulgaria as the "Western Outlands". The new border did not take the location of extant communities, property, roads and rivers into account, it was drawn so as to give Serbia a strategic importance in future wars. Strezimirovci was among 25 villages more or less divided into two by the new Serbian-Bulgarian border. Reputedly, four locals even tricked the international commission sent to mark the border by moving the temporary border stones
Boundary marker
A boundary marker, boundary stone or border stone is a robust physical marker that identifies the start of a land boundary or the change in a boundary, especially a change in a direction of a boundary...
overnight in order to include more of the village in Bulgaria.
As a consequence of this bisection, the village's population has declined significantly on either side of the border. For example, the Serbian part had a population of 485 in 1948; by 2002, it had decreased to 53, of whom 47 Bulgarians (88.67%), 4 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...
(7.54%) and 2 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...
(3.77%). The Bulgarian part of Strezimirovci is only inhabited by 25 people as of June 2008.
See also
- Bulgarians in SerbiaBulgarians in SerbiaBulgarians are an ethnic group in Serbia. This article focuses on Bulgarians in south-eastern Serbia, one of the two areas in which ethnic Bulgarians are concentrated....
- Western Outlands
- Other villages separated by the 1919 Bulgarian-Serbian border:
- Donja NevljaDonja NevljaDonja Nevlja is a village in the municipality of Dimitrovgrad, Serbia. According to the 2002 census, the village has a population of 31 people....
(SRB) / Dolna Nevlya (BUL) - PetačinciPetačinciPetačinci is a village in the municipality of Dimitrovgrad, Serbia. According to the 2002 census, the village has a population of 19 people....
(SRB) / Bogoyna (BUL) - VrabchaVrabchaVrabcha is a small divided village in Tran municipality, Pernik Province. It is located in western Bulgaria, 70 km from the capital city of Sofia and 10 km from the town of Tran. The village was first mentioned in 1453 as Vrabets ; its name is derived from the Bulgarian word for cock sparrow,...
(BUL) / Vrapča (SRB) - ŽeravinoŽeravinoŽeravino is a village in the municipality of Bosilegrad, Serbia. According to the 2002 census, the town has a population of 21 people....
(SRB) / Zheravino (BUL)
- Donja Nevlja