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Famous Serbs who emerged from historic Croatian territory, from left to right: Baltazar Bogišić, Svetozar Boroević, Milutin Milanković, Nikola Tesla, Patriarch Pavle, Rade Šerbedžija.

The Serbs of Croatia are the largest national minority in the Republic of Croatia.

Population

The total population of Serbs who originate from Croatia can safely be estimated at around 600,000 people. Due to various reasons, only a fraction of Croatian Serbs actually still live in their native homeland of Croatia: 201,631 according to the 2001 population census. They currently comprise around 4,5% of Croatia's total population.

The number of Serbs in Croatia was much larger in 1991, when they numbered at least 581,663 and over 12,2% of the total population of Croatia. The exact figure from 1991 is disputed since a large number of Serbs declared themselves as Yugoslavs, a group which at the time numbered another 106,041 people. The largest exactly recorded number of Serbs in a census was in 1971 when there were 626,789 Serbs in SR Croatia (over 14% of the total at the time). During World War II, Serbs comprised 30% of the population of the Independent State of Croatia and lived on one half of its soil. The 1931 census in the Kingdom of Yugoslavia recorded around 633,000 Serbs in the Croatian territories, but the state and province borders were different at the time so this number may not be precise. The 1840 Austrian population census conducted in Croatia and Slavonia, 504,179 Serbs were registered, which formed 32% of Croatia's population.

The large decrease in the number of Serbs in Croatia was caused by the Yugoslav wars, more specifically the 1991-1995 Croatian war of independence. The majority of the population continues to live in exile. The largest place is Serbia and Montenegro, where sources range from 150,000 up to 400,000 Serbs from Croatia. The second place is Bosnia and Herzegovina, where more than 150,000 Serbs of Croatia have settled. The exact number and percentage fluctuates as Serbs keep returning to Croatia, or in turn emigrating again.

State	Number	Percentage
Croatia	202,365	4.5%
Serbia and Montenegro	150,000-400,000
Bosnia and Herzegovina	150,000
Elsewhere in the world	100,000
Total	600,000-750,000

Geographical representation

Most Croatian Serbs are/were concentreted in regions of Banija, Kordun, Lika, Northern Dalmatia, Western and Eastern Slavonia, Srem and Baranja. Smaller groups of Serbs can be also found elsewhere in Slavonia and Dalmatia, Bilogora, Moslavina, Žumberak, Gorski kotar and Istria. Serbs can be also found in all major cities in Croatia; the largest concentration of Serbs in Croatia is probably in Zagreb.

In 2001 there were four counties where the Serbs numbered over 10% of the population: Vukovar-Srijem county, Sisak-Moslavina county, Karlovac county and Lika-Senj county. There were 18 municipalities with a Serb majority.

Culture

Prominent individuals

see also:List of Serbs

Many famed Serbs were, in fact, born on historic Croatian territory. Among these prominent foreign-borns include: scientist Nikola Tesla who had numerious inventions, the most famous arguably being the discovery of the trophase electricity, geophysicist Milutin Milanković who confounded the Theory of Ice Age, mathematician Jovan Karamata, Austro-Hungarian General Svetozar Boroević von Bojna, Josif Runjanin (the composer of the Croatian national anthem Our Beautiful Homeland), botanist Josif Pančić and writers Dejan Medaković, whose father was an appealed member of the Croatian Parliament; Vladan Desnica, whose ancestor Ivan Desnica was from a noble family and leader of the Military Frontier; Simo Matavulj; and Sava Mrkalj, the attempted reformer of the Serbian language. Ruđer Bošković from the Republic of Dubrovnik was one of the most prominent scientists of the 18th century.

The mother of the founder of the Croatian Party of Rights and father of modern Croatian national ideologies Ante Starčević was a Serb; as was the mother of the Croatian Ban Josip Jelačić. The wife of the Croatian Ban Mladen III Šubić, who was also the mother of Ban Mladen IV Šubić, Jelena Nemanjić, was a Serb.

Prince Beloš of the Uroš branch of the House of Voislav, after holding numerious offices in the Hugary and Rascia, finally settled as Ban of Croatia in the 12th century.

Benedikt Kraljević was implaced by Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte in 1810 as the first Episcope of the reformed Episcopy of Dalmatia. He promoted Napoleon's reforms in the Orthodox Church in Dalmatia and worked on subjecting it to the Metropolitan of Sremski Karlovci. After his conflicts with his vikar in Boka kotorska, Gerasim Zelić, he secretly worked on Greek Catholicism as soon as the Austrian Empire acquired Dalmatia. He was forced by the people and Metropolitan Stracimirović to leave in 1823. In 1828, Josif Rajačić was elected as Episcope of Dalmatia. He fiercly resisted attempts of the Catholic Church for conversion and uniating of his subjects; his plights were continued by his successors: Živković, Mutibarić and Knežević. A certain Ivanić was Vice-ban of the Croatian Banate in 1939 - 1941.

Dr Božidar Petranović founded in Zadar in the 19th century the first Serbian litteral and scientific paper in Dalmatia - the "Serbian-Dalmatian Magazine" (Srpsko-dalmatinski magazin).

Svetozar Pribićević was the main representator of the Serbs from Austro-Hungary, a politician in the State of Slovenes, Croats and Serbs, one of the most powerful men of the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes and creator of the Croato-Serbian opposition with Stjepan Radić. He died as a writer in Czechoslovakia's capital, Prague in exile.

Jovo Stanisavljević Čaruga was a famous outlaw in Slavonia during the Kingdom of Yugoslavia who started his own "revolution" by stealing from the rich and giving to the poor in the likehood of Robin Hood. Jovanka Budisavljević Broz was the wife of the leader of the World War II Yugoslav Partisans Josip Broz Tito. Jovan Rašković was the initiator of a movement for Serbian autonomy within Croatia.

Count Medo Pucić was one of the most prominent men of the 19th century Dubrovnik. Balthazzar Bogišić was the creator of the first constitution of Montenegro. Marko Car was the initiator of a movement to convert all Catholic Serbs to Orthodox Christians. Other famous Catholic writers were Milan Rešetar and Pero Budmani. Jovan Sundečić was also a prominent figure.

The current Patriarch of the Serbian Orthodox Church Pavle is from Slavonia. Father of politician Nenad Čanak in Serbia and Montenegro is from Lika. One of the world's greatest actors, Rade Šerbedžija, is from a village near Korenica. Đorđe Novković is one of the most prolific Croatian songwriters, while his son, Boris Novković, a popular Croatian musician.

Language

Most of Croatian Serbs speak neo-shtokavian dialect of Serbo-Croatian language with ijekavian pronunciation, while those mostly in Eastern Slavonia and Baranja have ekavian pronunciation. A Croatian Serb by the name of Sava Mrkalj had attempted to reform the language before Vuk Karadžić, but failed to finish his work.

Surnames

Religion

Most of Serbs in Croatia are Serbian Orthodox. There is one Metropolinate divided in 4 Dioceses:

Metropolitanate of Zagreb, Ljubljana and whole Italy, with a See in Zagreb
- Diocese of upper Karlovac, with a See in Karlovac
- Diocese of Dalmatia, with a See in Šibenik
- Diocese of Osječko polje and Baranja, with a See in Dalj
- Diocese of Slavonia, with a See in Daruvar

Smaller part, Serbs that live in Žumberak are Greek-Catholics and belong to Eparchy of Križevci.

History

Medieval

Toponyms and Early Appearences

The first mention of Serbs is a toponym - the ancient stronghold of Srb on Una as early as the 9th century.

According to the Royal Frankish Annals of the Frankish historian Einhard, Prince Liudevit of Pannonia (continental Croatia) fled to the Serbs in 822, tricked the Serbian ruler by killing him and taking the power over Serbs for himself. At this time, the Serbs controlled the greater part of Dalmatia (reffering to the ex Roman province), the western border being Una.

According to one of the theories of the coming of Serbs onto the Balkan peninsular, they first came to western Dalmatia to Srb (at Una) and then Solin (near Split).

Throughout the Late Medieval ages, the term "Vlach" was used for Serbs. That is because the majority of Serbian migrants that passed through Croatian lands were nomads. During the Tartar hordes that passed on a raiding campaign through Hungary in 1242, these Serbs are mentioned to have just been settled in Cetina, Knin and Lika. Wilhelm of Tyre explained during the second half of the 12th century that the Serbs live majorily in forests and have vast flocks and supplies of milk, cheese, butter, honey and wax, but do not know agriculture.

Southern Dalmatian Principalities, Duklja, Serbia and Rascia

Dalmatian Principalities

File:Principalities02.png

the southern Dalmatian principalities according to De administrando imperio

According to De Administrando Imperio from 950 by Byzantine Emperor Constantine VII Porfirogenitus speaks of the lower Dalmatian Principalities. The Serbs that lived on the islands of Mljet, Korčula, Brač and Hvar lived majorily of cattle breeding.

Paganians/Neretvians

The Pagans or Neretvians were descendent from unbaptised Serbs from the archont that escaped to Emperor Heraclius. "Pagans" on the Slavic language meant "the unbaptised". They were named this way because they did not accept Christiendom in the time when most Serbs did. Their largest cities were Mokro, Verulja, Ostrok and Slavineca and the following islands: the great islands Korčula, which has the same town on it, Mljet, Hvar and Brač.

Zachlumoi

The inhabitants of Zahumlje were then Serbs, descendent from the Serbs of the archont that fled to Emperor Heraclius. They were called by the mountain of Hum, and on the Slavic language their name means "those behind the hills". Their largest cities were Ston, Mokriskik, Josli, Galumaunik and Dobriskik.

Travunians and Konavlians

Kingdom of Syrmia

The former Serb King of Rascia Stefan Dragutin of the House of Nemanja was granted numerious lands by the Hungarian King Ladislaus IV, creating a vast independent realm known as the Kingdom of Syrmia. Slavonia was included in that realm which lasted from 1282 to 1316. His realm was inherited by his son, Vladislav II who reined shortly in 1316, but reigned almost all of Slavonia excepts for the fiefs of the Zrinski and Frangepan lords.

The first mention is a toponym of Srb in Lika. In 1242 first records of Serbian settlers have emerged in Knin and Lika. There are three major Serbian Orthodox monasteries in Northern Dalmatia: Krupa, started by King Stephen Uroš II Milutin in 1317. It was finished by Emperor Stephen Uroš IV Dušan in 1346; both being of the House of Nemanja. Krka was built in 1346 bz the wife of Ban Mladen Šubić, Jelena, sister of Stephen Dušan. Dragović was also built in the 14th century, but it was moved stone by stone during the construction of an artificial Peruča lake nearby during Communist Yugoslavia.

Most of the Serbs came in Croatia during Ottoman intrusions and were settled by Turkish authorities along the border with the Austrian empire. When they conquered these areas Austrians kept the special territorial organization of the area, called Military Frontier, mostly inhabited by Serbs. Serbs were required to serve certain amount of years in Austrian army and after it they would be granted land and be able to work free on becoming free peasents. This was requirement for their permanent stay in the region. Cause of this Serbs were regarded as some kind of Military class in the region. This tradition lasted till breakup of Yugoslavia where Serbs were over presented in military and law inforcement occupations in Croatia. The area of Military Frontier was merged with Banate of Croatia in 1881 after Bosnia and Herzegovina was annexed by Austro-Hungaria. Since unification of Croatia and Military Frontier vice-ban was always Serb.

During the last two decades of the 19th century Croatian viceroy Khuen Hedervary, a Hungarian, relied on Serb parties in the Croatian parliament to maintain a governing majority. Because of this the Serbs came to occupy a disproportionate share of civil service posts in Croatia, causing resentment on the part of the majority Croatian population.

External links

[www.rastko.org Serbian Culturual Rastko Database]

References

Development of Astronomy among Serbs II, Publications of the Astronomical Observatory of Belgrade, M. S. Dimitrijević, Belgrade, april 2002

Ilustrated History of Serbs, Books 1 - 6, Vladimir Ćorović, Politika, Narodna Knjiga, 2005

@@ Line 50: / Line 50: @@
 === Prominent individuals ===
 :''see also:[[List of Serbs]]''
-Many famed Serbs were, in fact, born on historic [[Croatian]] territory. Among these prominent foreign-borns include: [[scientist]] [[Nikola Tesla]] who had numerious inventions, the most famous arguably being the discovery of the [[trophase electricity]], [[geophysicist]] [[Milutin Milanković]] who confounded the [[Ice Age|Theory of Ice Age]], [[mathematician]] [[Jovan Karamata]], [[Austro-Hungarian]] [[General]] [[Svetozar Boroević|Svetozar Boroević von Bojna]], [[Josif Runjanin]] (the composer of the Croatian national anthem ''[[Lijepa naša domovino|Our Beautiful Homeland]]''), [[botanist]] [[Josif Pančić]] and writers [[Dejan Medaković]], whose father was an appealed member of the [[Croatian Parliament]]; [[Vladan Desnica]], whose ancestor [[Ivan Desnica]] was from a noble family and leader of the [[Military Frontier]]; [[Simo Matavulj]]; and [[Sava Mrkalj]], the attempted reformer of the [[Serbian language]].
+Many famed Serbs were, in fact, born on historic [[Croatian]] territory. Among these prominent foreign-borns include: [[scientist]] [[Nikola Tesla]] who had numerious inventions, the most famous arguably being the discovery of the [[trophase electricity]], [[geophysicist]] [[Milutin Milanković]] who confounded the [[Ice Age|Theory of Ice Age]], [[mathematician]] [[Jovan Karamata]], [[Austro-Hungarian]] [[General]] [[Svetozar Boroević|Svetozar Boroević von Bojna]], [[Josif Runjanin]] (the composer of the Croatian national anthem ''[[Lijepa naša domovino|Our Beautiful Homeland]]''), [[botanist]] [[Josif Pančić]] and writers [[Dejan Medaković]], whose father was an appealed member of the [[Croatian Parliament]]; [[Vladan Desnica]], whose ancestor [[Ivan Desnica]] was from a noble family and leader of the [[Military Frontier]]; [[Simo Matavulj]]; and [[Sava Mrkalj]], the attempted reformer of the [[Serbian language]]. [[Ruđer Bošković]] from the [[Republic of Dubrovnik]] was one of the most prominent scientists of the [[18th century]].
 The mother of the founder of the [[Croatian Party of Rights]] and father of modern Croatian national ideologies [[Ante Starčević]] was a Serb; as was the mother of the [[List of rulers of Croatia|Croatian Ban]] [[Josip Jelačić]]. The wife of the [[List of rulers of Croatia|Croatian Ban]] [[Mladen III Šubić]], who was also the mother of [[Ban (title)|Ban]] [[Mladen IV Šubić]], [[Stefan Dušan|Jelena Nemanjić]], was a Serb.
@@ Line 67: / Line 67: @@
 The current [[Patriarch]] of the [[Serbian Orthodox Church]] [[Pavle]] is from [[Slavonia]].
-Father of politician [[Nenad Čanak]] in [[Serbia and Montenegro]] is from [[Lika]]. One of the world's greatest actors, [[Rade Šerbedžija]], is from a village near [[Korenica]].
+Father of politician [[Nenad Čanak]] in [[Serbia and Montenegro]] is from [[Lika]]. One of the world's greatest actors, [[Rade Šerbedžija]], is from a village near [[Korenica]]. [[Đorđe Novković]] is one of the most prolific [[Croatian]] songwriters, while his son, [[Boris Novković]], a popular [[Croatian]] musician.
 === Language ===

Serbs of Croatia: Difference between revisions