Veliki Gaj
Encyclopedia
Veliki Gaj is a village
located in the Plandište
municipality
, in the South Banat District
of Serbia
. It is situated in the Autonomous Province of Vojvodina
. According to the 2002 census, the population of the village was 790 people, of whom 670 were ethnic Serbs
.
and Croatian
, the village is known as Veliki Gaj or Велики Гај, in German
as Groß Gaj, in Hungarian
as Nagygáj and in Romanian
as Gaiu Mare.
and about 1 km SE of the Romania
n border.
.
Since 1716, the village was part of the Habsburg Monarchy
, which encouraged the settlement of German
-speaking Donauschwaben
(Danube Swabians) and others. In 1910, the population of the village numbered 2,930 inhabitants, including 1,456 Serbs
, 743 Hungarians, and 620 Germans
.
After the First World War, the village became part of the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats, and Slovenes (renamed to Yugoslavia
in 1929). During the Second World War (1941–1944), the village was under Axis
occupation, and was part of the autonomous Banat
region within German
-occupied Serbia
.
After the war, the village was part of the new socialist Yugoslavia, within the Socialist Autonomous Province of Vojvodina
and Socialist Republic of Serbia
. The Germans and most Hungarians were expelled in 1944-45. In 1991, the village had 897 inhabitants, including 883 Serbs
, and 14 ethnic Hungarians.
Since 1992, the village was part of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, that in 2003 was transformed into the State Union of Serbia and Montenegro
. Since the dissolution of this state in June 2006, the village became part of an independent Serbia
.
Village
A village is a clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet with the population ranging from a few hundred to a few thousand , Though often located in rural areas, the term urban village is also applied to certain urban neighbourhoods, such as the West Village in Manhattan, New...
located in the Plandište
Plandište
Plandište is a village and municipality in South Banat District of Vojvodina, Serbia. The village has a population of 4,248, while Plandište municipality has 13,355 inhabitants...
municipality
Municipality
A municipality is essentially an urban administrative division having corporate status and usually powers of self-government. It can also be used to mean the governing body of a municipality. A municipality is a general-purpose administrative subdivision, as opposed to a special-purpose district...
, in the South Banat District
South Banat District
South 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...
of 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 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...
. According to the 2002 census, the population of the village was 790 people, of whom 670 were 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
In 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....
and Croatian
Croatian language
Croatian is the collective name for the standard language and dialects spoken by Croats, principally in Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Serbian province of Vojvodina and other neighbouring countries...
, the village is known as Veliki Gaj or Велики Гај, in 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....
as Groß Gaj, 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....
as Nagygáj and 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...
as Gaiu Mare.
Geography
Veliki Gaj is located about 70 km NE of BelgradeBelgrade
Belgrade is the capital and largest city of Serbia. It is located at the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers, where the Pannonian Plain meets the Balkans. According to official results of Census 2011, the city has a population of 1,639,121. It is one of the 15 largest cities in Europe...
and about 1 km SE of the 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...
n border.
History
The village was first mentioned in 1355 under name Gaj. In the 17th century, the name of the village was changed to Veliki Gaj. During the Ottoman rule (16th-17th century), the village was mostly populated by ethnic 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...
.
Since 1716, the village was part of the Habsburg Monarchy
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...
, which encouraged the settlement of 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....
-speaking Donauschwaben
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...
(Danube Swabians) and others. In 1910, the population of the village numbered 2,930 inhabitants, including 1,456 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...
, 743 Hungarians, and 620 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....
.
After the First World War, the village became part of the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats, and Slovenes (renamed to Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia refers to three political entities that existed successively on the western part of the Balkans during most of the 20th century....
in 1929). During the Second World War (1941–1944), the village was under 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...
occupation, and was part of the autonomous 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 within German
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
-occupied 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...
.
After the war, the village was part of the new socialist Yugoslavia, within the Socialist 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...
and Socialist Republic of 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...
. The Germans and most Hungarians were expelled in 1944-45. In 1991, the village had 897 inhabitants, including 883 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 14 ethnic Hungarians.
Since 1992, the village was part of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, that in 2003 was transformed into the State Union of Serbia and Montenegro
Serbia and Montenegro
Serbia and Montenegro was a country in southeastern Europe, formed from two former republics of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia : Serbia and Montenegro. Following the breakup of Yugoslavia, it was established in 1992 as a federation called the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia...
. Since the dissolution of this state in June 2006, the village became part of an independent 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...
.
Historical population
- 1869: 2,761
- 1910: 2,926
- 1931: 3,213
- 1961: 1,532
- 1971: 1,308
- 1981: 1,039
- 1991: 898
- 2002: 790