The
Serbs in Hungary
(
Hungarian
:
Magyarorszagi szerbek
,
Serbian
:
Срби у Ма?арско?
/
Srbi u Mađarskoj
) are recognized as an
ethnic minority
, numbering 7,210 people or 0.1% of the total population (2011 census).
[1]
The number of Serbs in Hungary has drastically diminished; in the 16th, 17th and 18th centuries large Serb communities existed throughout Hungary, notably in
Buda
(western
Budapest
),
Baja
,
Szentendre
and
Szeged
. The Serb community in the territory of present-day Hungary has its origin in migrations from the territory of medieval Serbian states during and after the Ottoman conquest of these states.
Matthias Corvinus
and his successors are known to have welcomed Serbs from the other side of the Danube, giving the exiled military commanders fiefdoms to rule and defend from the Ottomans. After the dissolution of Austro-Hungarian monarchy in 1918 and after new borders were defined by the
Treaty of Trianon
in 1920, only a small fraction of ethnic Serbs remained within the borders of post-Trianon
Hungary
.
[6]
History
[
edit
]
The presence of Serbs in the territory of present-day Hungary date from the
Middle Ages
. The mother of the Hungarian king
Geza II
(1141-1162) was
Helena of Serbia
, a daughter of
Uro? I
, ruler of the
Grand Principality of Serbia
. During the rule of Geza II, her brother
Belo? Vukanovi?
was a
palatine
of the
Kingdom of Hungary
. When the Magyars arrived to the Pannonian Basin under Arpad in 896, they met there with the already well established Slavic population. This Slavic population however was quickly assimilated or otherwise exterminated. The Serbs who later migrated into the Pannonian Basin from the Balkans, were the descendants of those Slavs who in the 7th century migrated from the Pannonian Basin southwards into the Balkan peninsula.
Since the 14th century, escaping from the
Ottoman
threat, a large number of
Serbs
migrated to the Kingdom of Hungary where many of them served as soldiers. After the
Battle of Mohacs
in 1526, much of the territory of present-day Hungary came under Ottoman administration. During Ottoman administration towns in the territory of present-day Hungary began decaying and the former Hungarian and German population left them. In that time, especially in the 17th century, many Serb, and other South Slavic migrants settled in the territory of present-day Hungary. It is interesting that most of the Ottoman soldiers in the territory of present-day Hungary were
South Slavs
(mostly Serbs and Bosnian muslims).
Frontiersman from
Pomori?je
, first half of the 18th century.
After territory of present-day Hungary came under
Habsburg
administration, a new wave of Serb refugees migrated to the area in 1690, as a consequence of the Habsburg-Ottoman war.
[7]
After the devastating Ottoman wars these cities had a very low population.
In 1698, more than a half of population of
Pecs
were South Slavs (including Serbs). In 1715, the population of
Buda
numbered 1,539 houses, of which 769 were South Slavic (mostly Serb), 701 German, and 68 Hungarian. In 1715, the population of
Baja
numbered 237 houses, of which 216 were South Slavic (Serb and
Bunjevac
), 16 Hungarian, and 5 German. In 1720, 88% of population of
Szentendre
were South Slavs (mostly Serbs). In 1720, the population of
Szeged
numbered 193 houses, of which 99 were Serb.
Serbian Orthodox Museum and Church in
Szentendre
During the 18th and 19th century, the Hungarian-Serb ethnic border moved southward and fixed in the territory of present-day
Vojvodina
. Following the dissolution of
Austro-Hungarian Monarchy
in 1918, the Serbian army and
South Slavic People's Administration
from
Novi Sad
controlled not only present-day Vojvodina, but also southern parts of present-day Hungary.
The
Treaty of Trianon
from 1920 defined the border between Hungary and the
Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes
and assigned most of
Baranya
and the northern part of
Bacska
(around city of
Baja
) to Hungary. As a response to this, a short-lived Serb-Hungarian
Baranya-Baja Republic
was formed in this area in 1921. The president of the republic was Serb,
Petar Dobrovi?
.
After the Serb-Croat-Slovene army evacuated the territory of the
Baranya-Baja Republic
the two countries signed a citizenship treaty. According to that treaty, members of the Serb minority in Hungary gained right to opt for citizenship of the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes. About two-thirds of the Serbs (called
optants
) left Hungary in the following decade. Almost the whole Serb population of
Sarok
,
Deszk
,
Ujszentivan
,
Sz?reg
,
Majs
and
Dunaszekcs?
became optants.
In 1910, 26,248 people in the territory of present-day Hungary spoke
Serbian
. In 1920, number of Serbian speakers was 17,132, in 1930 7,031, in 1941 5,442, in 1970 11,177, in 1980 3,426, in 1990 2,953, 2001 3,388 and in 2011 3,708(compared with 7,210 declared Serbs in the same year).
[8]
[1]
Geography
[
edit
]
Serbian Street (“
Szerb utca
”) in
Budapest
Small Serb communities are scattered in the southern part of the country. There are also some Serbs who live in the central part of the country - in bigger towns like
Budapest
,
Szentendre
, etc. The only settlement with an ethnic Serb majority in Hungary is
Lorev
(Serbian: Lovra / Ловра) on
Csepel Island
. This small village of 307 people had 180 Serb inhabitants (and 202 people with a Serb "cultural heritage"). But there are other small Serb settlements in the town of
Rackeve
and the village of
Szigetcsep
, also on Csepel Island. Not far to the north the
Bunjevci
settlement of
Tokol
is to be found. A tradition of mutual weddings between
Lorev
and
Tokol
existed as well as strong connections with Serbs from the villages of Medina in the south, three villages north of
Budapest
--
Budakalasz
,
Pomaz
and
Csobanka
. We also find Serbs and Bunjevci living together in other Hungarian towns,
Baja
,
Gara
and
Katymar
, and in the following villages,
Csavoly
,
Fels?szentivan
,
Bacsalmas
,
Csikeria
,
Bacsbokod
,
Matetelke
and
Vaskut
.
[
citation needed
]
Heritage
[
edit
]
Serbian Kovin Monastery
built in 1487
Serbian Kindergarten, Primary School, High School and Students' Home
Embassy of Serbia (“
Serbian house
”) across the
Heroes Square
in
Budapest
Serbs left a valuable architectural heritage in
Hungary
. The number of
Serbian Orthodox
churches is higher than we should expect by the small number of present-day Serb population. These
Baroque
churches were mostly built in the 18-19th centuries when Serb merchants formed rich and influential communities in Hungarian towns. Village churches show the historical presence of Serbs in places from where they absolutely disappeared by now.
Towns, cultural institutions, churches and monasteries:
- The most complex example of Serb architectural heritage in Hungary is the old town of
Szentendre
(Serbian:
Sentandreja
), next to the
Danube
, with 7 Orthodox Churches (two of which have been sold), brightly coloured merchant houses and the
Museum of Serbian Orthodox Heritage
.
- In
Budapest
, the Serbian Orthodox Cathedral in the
Taban
district was damaged in WWII and later demolished. There is an old Serbian Orthodox Church in Serb Street,
Pest
and the famous Serb college,
Thokolyanum
(Serbian:
Tekelijanum
).
- Churches in
Vac
(
Vac
),
Szekesfehervar
(
Stoni Beograd
) with a Serbian open-air village museum,
Szeged
(
Segedin
),
Baja
(
Baja
) with two churches,
Mohacs
(
Moha?
),
Siklos
(
?iklo?
),
Eger
(
Jegra
),
Gy?r
(
đur
),
Esztergom
(
Ostrogon
),
Hodmez?vasarhely
(
Va?arhelj
),
Adony
(
D?untaran
, demolished after World War II).
- Village churches in
Pomaz
(
Pomaz
),
Csobanka
(
?obanac
),
Izbeg
,
Rackeve
(
Srpski Kovin
, rare example of Serb
Gothic architecture
from the 15th century),
Lorev
(
Lovra
),
Szigetcsep
(
?ip
),
Budakalasz
(
Kalaz
),
Magyarcsanad
(
?anad
),
Battonya
(
Batanja
),
Deszk
(
Deska
),
Sz?reg
(
Sirig
),
Dunapentele
(
Pantelija
, now
Dunaujvaros
),
Szazhalombatta
(
Bata
),
Dunafoldvar
(
Feldvar
),
Alsonana
(
Donja Nana
),
Bataszek
(
Batsek
, demolished in the 1960s),
Medina
(
Medina
),
Illocska
(
Ilo?ac
),
Magyarboly
(
Mad?arboja
),
Dunaszekcs?
(
Se?uj
),
Villany
(
Viljan
),
Sarok
(
?arok
),
Majs
(
Maj?
),
Lippo
(
Lipova
),
Beremend
(
Breme
),
Erd?smecske
(
Racme?ka
),
Somberek
(
?umberak
),
Vemend
(
Vemend
, demolished in 1964),
Nagybudmer
(
Veliki Budmir
, demolished in 2001),
Hercegszanto
(
Santovo
),
Ujszentivan
(
Novi Sentivan
),
Pecsvarad
(
Pe?var
, demolished in 1925),
Liptod
(
Litoba
, demolished in 1951).
- The Serbian Orthodox Monastery of
Graboc
(
Grabovac
).
Notable people
[
edit
]
Mihaly Vitkovics
(Mihailo Vitkovi?)
Notable Serbs and notable persons of Serb descent from the territory of present-day Hungary include:
- Helena
(ca. 1109?1146),
Queen consort of Hungary
.
- Jovan Avakumovi?
(1748?1810), poet. Born in
Szentendre
.
- Milo? Crnjanski
(1893?1977), Serbian poet, author, and a diplomat. Born in
Csongrad
.
- Janos Damjanich
(born Jovan Damjani?) (1804?1849), a general of the Hungarian army in 1848/1849 revolution. Damjani? is a controversial historical figure; being an ethnic Serb, he led the army that fought against his own people during the revolution. After the collapse of the Hungarian revolution in 1849, he was sentenced to death and executed together with twelve other Hungarian generals. Therefore, the Hungarians consider Damjani? a national hero, while the Serbs gave him a nickname
?ута гу?а, српска изда?ица
(ljuta guja, srpskа izdajica; i.e. "a venomous serpent, the traitor of the Serbs").
- Petar Dobrovi?
(1890?1942), a painter, politician, and president of the short lived
Baranya-Baja Republic
.
- Soma Orlai Petrich
(1822?1880), Hungarian painter whose father was Serbian.
- Konstantin Danil
, a well-known painter of Serbo-Russian roots.
- Jakov Ignjatovi?
(1822?1899), Serb novelist and prose writer. Born in
Szentendre
.
- Radovan Jela?i?
(born in 1968 in Baja), a governor of the National Bank of Serbia.
- Vikentije Jovanovi?
(1698?1737), Serbian Orthodox Metropolitan of Karlovci from 1732 to 1737
- Jovan Pa?i?
(1771?1849), poet and officer. He was born in
Baja
.
- Sandor Pet?fi
(Aleksandar Petrovi?) (1823?1849), a Hungarian national poet of mixed Serb and Slovak descent.
- Zoran Sztevanovity
(Zoran Stevanovi?) (born in 1942), singer, guitar player.
- Dome Sztojay
(Dimitrije Stojakovi?) (1883?1946), a Hungarian soldier and diplomat of Serbian origin, who served as Prime Minister of Hungary during World War II.
- Sava Tekelija
(1761?1842), the first Serb doctor of law, president of the Matica srpska, philanthropist, noble, and merchant.
- Mihaly Vitkovics
(Mihailo Vitkovi?) (1778?1829), Hungarian and Serb poet.
- Sebo Vukovics
(Sava Vukovi?) (1811?1872), a Hungarian politician of Serb descent, who served as Minister of Justice in 1849 during the Hungarian Revolution.
- Emil Uzelac
, one of the earlier aviators.
- Beni Kallay
, a Hungarian statesman of Serbian roots.
- Gavrilo Rodi?
, one of the highest ranking generals in the Austro-Hungarian Armed Forces in the 19th century.
- Jeronim Ljubibrati?
in 1730 joined the regiment of
Grenzer
.
- Dragomir Dujmov
, A Serbian poet, born in Hungary.
- Rajko Tomovi?
, Serbian scientist, born in Hungary.
- Milo Dor
, Austrian writer of Serbian origin, born in Hungary.
Sportspeople:
- Mom?ilo Tapavica
(1872?1949), Hungarian tennis player, weightlifter and wrestler
- Nata?a Jani?
, Hungarian canoer, Serbian-born
- Bojana Radulovi?
, Hungarian handball player, Serbian-born
- Nenad Puljezevi?
, Hungarian handball player, Serbian-born
- Nikola Eklemovi?
, Hungarian handball player, Serbian-born
- Milorad Krivokapi?
, Hungarian handball player, Serbian-born
- Uro? Vilovski
, Hungarian handball player, Serbian-born
- Tijana Kriva?evi?
, Hungarian basketball player, Serbian-born
- Predrag Bo?njak
, Hungarian football player, Serbian-born
- Nemanja Nikoli?
, Hungarian football player, Serbian-born
Serb noble families:
See also
[
edit
]
References
[
edit
]
Sources
[
edit
]
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"Saint John Capistran and Despot George Brankovi?: An Impossible Compromise"
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[
History of the Serbian People
] (in French). Lausanne: L’Age d’Homme.
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(2004).
The Serbs
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ISBN
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.
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The Late Medieval Balkans: A Critical Survey from the Late Twelfth Century to the Ottoman Conquest
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ISBN
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.
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ISBN
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.
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Serbs in European Civilization
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.
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Geschichte der Serben
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ISBN
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.
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.
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ISBN
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.
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.
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An Orthodox Festival Book in the Habsburg Empire: Zaharija Orfelin's Festive Greeting to Mojsej Putnik (1757)
. Aldershot: Ashgate Publishing.
ISBN
9780754656111
.
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