Banatski Karlovac
Encyclopedia
Banatski Karlovac is a town located in the Alibunar
municipality, in the South Banat District
of Serbia
. It is situated in the Autonomous Province of Vojvodina
. The town has a Serb ethnic majority and its population numbering 5,820 people (2002 census). The nearby settlement of Devojački Bunar
is also officially part of Banatski Karlovac.
, the town is known as Banatski Karlovac (Банатски Карловац), in German
as Karlsdorf, and in Hungarian
as Nagykárolyfalva. Adjective "Banatski" (i.e. "Banatian") was given to differentiate the town from the town Karlovac
in Croatia
.
, as well as in the 3rd and 4th century AD. During the Ottoman
administration, settlement named Hoča or Oča existed at this location. Settlement named Oča was also mentioned in 1764. During the 18th century, the settlement was populated by Serbs
.
Ethnic Germans
settled in the settlement starting in 1803, and in the same year some Slavic Krašovani settlers from eastern Banat settled here as well. In 1921, name of the settlement was Karlovo Selo, and in 1926, it was officially named Banatski Karlovac. In the same year, the reading room was founded and monument dedicated to Serbs killed in 1848 revolution was built.
Before the end of World War II, most of the inhabitants of this town were ethnic Germans. After the war, their property was confiscated by the state and Germans were expelled or killed in concentration camps run by Yugoslav
communist authorities. A German Lutheran church was razed off soon after the expulsion of Germans.
After the war, 615 (mostly Serb) families with 3,775 family members settled in the town. They originated from Central Serbia
, Bosnia and Montenegro
, mostly from area around Užice
and Čačak
. Some settlers were not satisfied with life conditions in the town, so about 80 families returned to their place of origin. In 1949, town was named Banatsko Rankovićevo, and this name was in use until 1956, when old name Banatski Karlovac was returned.
Alibunar
Alibunar is a town and municipality in South Banat District of Vojvodina, Serbia. Alibunar town has a population of 3,402, and Alibunar municipality 22,856.-Name:...
municipality, 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...
. The town has a Serb ethnic majority and its population numbering 5,820 people (2002 census). The nearby settlement of Devojački Bunar
Devojacki Bunar
Devojački Bunar is a small settlement in Serbia. It is situated in the Alibunar municipality, South Banat District, Vojvodina province. Officially, Devojački Bunar is not classified as a separate settlement, but as part of the town of Banatski Karlovac.-External links:*...
is also officially part of Banatski Karlovac.
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....
, the town is known as Banatski Karlovac (Банатски Карловац), 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 Karlsdorf, and 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 Nagykárolyfalva. Adjective "Banatski" (i.e. "Banatian") was given to differentiate the town from the town Karlovac
Karlovac
Karlovac is a city and municipality in central Croatia. The city proper has a population of 49,082, while the municipality has a population of 59,395 inhabitants .Karlovac is the administrative centre of Karlovac County...
in Croatia
Croatia
Croatia , officially the Republic of Croatia , is a unitary democratic parliamentary republic in Europe at the crossroads of the Mitteleuropa, the Balkans, and the Mediterranean. Its capital and largest city is Zagreb. The country is divided into 20 counties and the city of Zagreb. Croatia covers ...
.
History
This area was inhabited by humans during the bronze ageBronze Age
The Bronze Age is a period characterized by the use of copper and its alloy bronze as the chief hard materials in the manufacture of some implements and weapons. Chronologically, it stands between the Stone Age and Iron Age...
, as well as in the 3rd and 4th century AD. During the 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...
administration, settlement named Hoča or Oča existed at this location. Settlement named Oča was also mentioned in 1764. During the 18th century, the settlement was populated by 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...
.
Ethnic 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....
settled in the settlement starting in 1803, and in the same year some Slavic Krašovani settlers from eastern Banat settled here as well. In 1921, name of the settlement was Karlovo Selo, and in 1926, it was officially named Banatski Karlovac. In the same year, the reading room was founded and monument dedicated to Serbs killed in 1848 revolution was built.
Before the end of World War II, most of the inhabitants of this town were ethnic Germans. After the war, their property was confiscated by the state and Germans were expelled or killed in concentration camps run by Yugoslav
Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia refers to three political entities that existed successively on the western part of the Balkans during most of the 20th century....
communist authorities. A German Lutheran church was razed off soon after the expulsion of Germans.
After the war, 615 (mostly Serb) families with 3,775 family members settled in the town. They originated from Central Serbia
Central Serbia
Central Serbia , also referred to as Serbia proper , was the region of Serbia from 1945 to 2009. It included central parts of Serbia outside of the autonomous provinces of Kosovo and Vojvodina. The region of Central Serbia was not an administrative division of Serbia as such; it was under the...
, Bosnia and Montenegro
Montenegro
Montenegro Montenegrin: Crna Gora Црна Гора , meaning "Black Mountain") is a country located in Southeastern Europe. It has a coast on the Adriatic Sea to the south-west and is bordered by Croatia to the west, Bosnia and Herzegovina to the northwest, Serbia to the northeast and Albania to the...
, mostly from area around Užice
Užice
Užice is a city and municipality in western Serbia, located at the banks of the Đetinja river. It is the administrative center of the Zlatibor District...
and Čačak
Cacak
Čačak is a city in central Serbia. It is the administrative center of the Moravica District of Serbia. Čačak is also the main industrial, cultural and sport center of the district...
. Some settlers were not satisfied with life conditions in the town, so about 80 families returned to their place of origin. In 1949, town was named Banatsko Rankovićevo, and this name was in use until 1956, when old name Banatski Karlovac was returned.