Croats of Vojvodina
| Total population | |
|---|---|
| 56,546 | |
| Languages | |
| Croatian, Serbian | |
| Religion | |
| Roman Catholicism | |
| Related ethnic groups | |
| Bunjevci, Šokci, Serbs, other South Slavs |
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| Croats |
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Croats of Vojvodina (Croatian: Hrvati u Vojvodini, [Хрвати у Војводини / Hrvati u Vojvodini] Error: {{Lang-xx}}: text has italic markup (help)) are the fourth largest ethnic group in the Vojvodina province of Serbia. According to the 2002 census, there are 78,422 ethnic Croats in Vojvodina.
Population
About two thirds of all Croats in Vojvodina have Bunjevci or Šokci origins.[1] Those of Bunjevci origin constituting the largest part of population in several villages in the Subotica municipality: Bikovo, Gornji Tavankut, Donji Tavankut, Đurđin, Mala Bosna, Ljutovo and Stari Žednik.
Croats of Šokci origin constituting the largest part of population in three villages: Sonta (in the municipality of Apatin), Bački Breg and Bački Monoštor (both in the municipality of Sombor).[2]
History
During 17th century, Roman Catholic Bunjevci from Dalmatia migrated to Vojvodina, where Šokci had already been living. According to some opinions, Šokci might be a descendants of medieval Slavic population of Vojvodina where their ancestors might lived since the 8th century. According to other opinions, medieval Slavs of Vojvodina mainly spoke ekavian dialect, which is today rather associated with standard Serbian. Between 1689, when the Habsburg Monarchy conquered parts of Vojvodina, and the end of the 19th century, a small number of Croats from Croatia [citation needed] also migrated to the region.
Before the 20th century, most of the Bunjevac and Šokac populations living in Habsburg Monarchy haven't been nationally awakened yet. Some of their leaders (like Ivan Antunović, Blaško Rajić, Pajo Kujundžić, Mijo Mandić, Lajčo Budanović, Stipan Vojnić Tunić, Vranje Sudarević, Petar Pekić, etc.) worked hardly to awake their Croatian or Yugoslav national feelings.
According to 1851 data, the population of the Voivodeship of Serbia and Banat of Temeschwar, the historical province that was predecessor of present-day Vojvodina, included, among other ethnic groups, 62,936 Bunjevci and Šokci and 2,860 Croats.[3] Subsequent statistical estimations from the second half of the 19th century (conducted during Austro-Hungarian period) counted Bunjevci and Šokci as "others" and presented them separately from Croats (in 1910 Austro-Hungarian census, 70,000 Bunjevci were categorized as "others").[4]
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The 1910 Austro-Hungarian census also showed large differences in the numbers of those who considered themselves Bunjevci and Šokci, and those who considered themselves Croats. According to the census, in the city of Subotica there were only 39 citizens who declared Croatian as their native language, while 33,390 citizens were listed as speakers of "other languages" (most of them declared Bunjevac as their native language).[5] In the city of Sombor, 83 citizens declared Croatian language, while 6,289 citizens were listed as speakers of "other languages" (mostly Bunjevac). [3] In the municipality of Apatin, 44 citizens declared Croatian and 7,191 declared "other languages" (mostly Bunjevac, Šokac and Gypsy).[6]
In the 20th century, most of the Šokci and part of the Bunjevci began to consider themselves Croats.
Expulsion of Croats
In 1990s, during the war in Croatia, members of Serbian Radical Party organized and participated in the expulsion of the Croats in some places in Vojvodina. The President of the Serbian Radical Party, Vojislav Šešelj is indicted for participation in these events.[7] According to some estimations, the number of Croats which have left Vojvodina under political pressure of the Milošević's regime might be between 20,000 and 40,000.[8]
Politics
The Croats of Vojvodina are politically represented by the Democratic League of Croats in Vojvodina. The former Croatian President Stjepan Mesić has urged the Serbian Government to make Croats a recognized minority with a seat in Parliament, as part of the new Constitution of Serbia.
Other parties of Croats in Vojvodina are: Demokratska zajednica Hrvata (Democratic Union of Croats), Hrvatska bunjevačko-šokačka stranka (Croatian Bunjevac-Šokac Party), Hrvatski narodni savez (Croatian national alliance) and Hrvatska srijemska inicijativa (Croatian Syrmian Initiative).
Hrvatsko nacionalno vijeće Republike Srbije (National Council of Croats of Republic of Serbia) is, according to its Statute, a body of self-government of Croat minority in Serbia.
Language
The Croatian language is one of the 6 official languages of Vojvodina.
Croatian names of settlements
| Settlement | Croatian names |
|---|---|
| Bajmok | Bajmak |
| Ljutovo | Mirgeš |
| Stari Žednik | Žednik |
| Sonta | Sonta |
| Bački Breg | Bereg |
| Bački Monoštor | Monoštor |
| Stara Bingula | Stara Bingula |
| Sot | Sot |
See also
- Croats of Serbia
- Persecution of Croats in Serbia during the war in Croatia
- Croats
- Ethnic groups of Vojvodina
- Bunjevci
- Šokci
References
- ^ Lazo M. Kostić, Srpska Vojvodina i njene manjine, Novi Sad, 1999.
- ^ Popis stanovništva, domaćinstva i stanova u 2002, Stanovništvo - nacionalna ili etnička pripadnost, podaci po naseljima, knjiga 1, Republički zavod za statistiku, Beograd, Februar 2003.
- ^ Dr Dušan J. Popović, Srbi u Vojvodini, knjiga 3, Novi Sad, 1990.
- ^ Juraj Lončarević: Hrvati u Mađarskoj i Trianonski ugovor, Školske novine, Zagreb, 1993, ISBN 953-160-004-X
- ^ [1]
- ^ [2]
- ^ Vojislav Seselj indictment
- ^ Hrvatska nacionalna manjina u Srbiji
- ^ Croatian National Council of the Republic of Serbia