Dimitrovgrad, Serbia
Encyclopedia
Dimitrovgrad is a town and 483 km² large municipality located in the Pirot District
of the Republic of Serbia
. According to 2011 census, the municipality of Dimitrovgrad has a population of 10,056 people and the town 6,247.
name is Dimitrovgrad (Димитровград), but the name Caribrod (Цариброд) is also used in Serbian. In Bulgarian
, the name Tsaribrod (Цариброд) is preferred because there is another town called Dimitrovgrad on the Maritsa river in Bulgaria and Tsaribrod was used before the town became part of Serbia; it can sometimes be transliterated as Caribrod or Tzaribrod.
Dimitrovgrad was named after Georgi Dimitrov
, a Bulgaria
n Communist
leader.
There have been attempts to return the old name, Caribrod, but the last referendum, held on Sunday, June 13, 2004, was invalid due to a low turnout. Only 47.8% of the 9,811 voters on the electoral roll turned out to vote, while 50% was the required minimum. Of those who voted on the issue, 2,586 were in favour of keeping the name Dimitrovgrad, while 1,786 wanted the name Caribrod to be returned. http://www.danas.rs/20040619/vikend5.html#1
According to the 1991 census, the absolute ethnic majority in the municipality were ethnic Bulgarians
, while according to the 2002 census, the municipality was ethnically mixed, with relative Bulgarian ethnic majority.
According to the 2002 census data, the population of the Dimitrovgrad municipality was 11,748 people, and it was composed of:
Regardless of ethnic self-identification, most of the town's population speaks a South Slavic dialect usually called shopski
which includes linguistic features of both Serbian
(noun declension
) and Bulgarian
(postposed definite article
s and lack of the infinitive
verb form), as well as some entirely unique vocabulary
.
The Roman road
"Via Militaris
" was built in the 1st century AD and went through the town. In May 2010, well-preserved remains of the road were excavated during the work on Corridor 10.
An Ottoman military base operated in the west of Dimitrovgrad prior to the Balkan nations full independence.
The Serbian and Bulgarian Prime ministers met at Tsaribrod in 1912 to discuss the disputed territories in Macedonia
.
The Kingdom of Yugoslavia
gained parts of Bulgaria
(known in Bulgaria as Western Outlands) which included Tsaribrod following the Treaty of Neuilly
, signed on November 27, 1919. Between 1920 and 1941 the population of the region was denied any right to education or church services in Bulgarian and was officially regarded as Serbian by the Yugoslav authorities, including changed Bulgarian
names to Serbian
. Its interests were protected by the paramilitary organization Internal Western Outland Revolutionary Organisation
known as Vrtop.
Pirot District
The Pirot District expands in the south eastern parts of Serbia. It has a population of 92,277. Its seat is in the city of Pirot.-Municipalities:It encompasses the municipalities of:*Bela Palanka*Pirot*Babušnica...
of the 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...
. According to 2011 census, the municipality of Dimitrovgrad has a population of 10,056 people and the town 6,247.
Name
The official 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....
name is Dimitrovgrad (Димитровград), but the name Caribrod (Цариброд) is also used in Serbian. In Bulgarian
Bulgarian language
Bulgarian is an Indo-European language, a member of the Slavic linguistic group.Bulgarian, along with the closely related Macedonian language, demonstrates several linguistic characteristics that set it apart from all other Slavic languages such as the elimination of case declension, the...
, the name Tsaribrod (Цариброд) is preferred because there is another town called Dimitrovgrad on the Maritsa river in Bulgaria and Tsaribrod was used before the town became part of Serbia; it can sometimes be transliterated as Caribrod or Tzaribrod.
Dimitrovgrad was named after Georgi Dimitrov
Georgi Dimitrov
Georgi Dimitrov Mikhaylov , also known as Georgi Mikhaylovich Dimitrov , was a Bulgarian Communist politician...
, a Bulgaria
Bulgaria
Bulgaria , officially the Republic of Bulgaria , is a parliamentary democracy within a unitary constitutional republic in Southeast Europe. The country borders Romania to the north, Serbia and Macedonia to the west, Greece and Turkey to the south, as well as the Black Sea to the east...
n Communist
Communism
Communism is a social, political and economic ideology that aims at the establishment of a classless, moneyless, revolutionary and stateless socialist society structured upon common ownership of the means of production...
leader.
There have been attempts to return the old name, Caribrod, but the last referendum, held on Sunday, June 13, 2004, was invalid due to a low turnout. Only 47.8% of the 9,811 voters on the electoral roll turned out to vote, while 50% was the required minimum. Of those who voted on the issue, 2,586 were in favour of keeping the name Dimitrovgrad, while 1,786 wanted the name Caribrod to be returned. http://www.danas.rs/20040619/vikend5.html#1
Demographics
| class="wikitable"> | |
| Year | Population (Town) |
|---|---|
| 1948 | 2,944 |
| 1953 | 2,891 |
| 1961 | 3,665 |
| 1971 | 5,488 |
| 1981 | 7,055 |
| 1991 | 7,196 |
| 2002 | 6,968 |
According to the 1991 census, the absolute ethnic majority in the municipality were ethnic Bulgarians
Bulgarians
The Bulgarians are a South Slavic nation and ethnic group native to Bulgaria and neighbouring regions. Emigration has resulted in immigrant communities in a number of other countries.-History and ethnogenesis:...
, while according to the 2002 census, the municipality was ethnically mixed, with relative Bulgarian ethnic majority.
According to the 2002 census data, the population of the Dimitrovgrad municipality was 11,748 people, and it was composed of:
- BulgariansBulgariansThe Bulgarians are a South Slavic nation and ethnic group native to Bulgaria and neighbouring regions. Emigration has resulted in immigrant communities in a number of other countries.-History and ethnogenesis:...
= 5,836 (49.68%) - SerbsSerbsThe 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...
= 3,005 (25.58%) - Others.
Regardless of ethnic self-identification, most of the town's population speaks a South Slavic dialect usually called shopski
Shopi
Shopi is a regional term referring to people that speak a transitional dialect group of South Slavic, self-identifying as Bulgarians, Macedonians and Serbs. The areas traditionally inhabited by the Shopi is called Shopluk Shopi (scientific transliteration of Bulgarian, Macedonian, ; Serbian latin...
which includes linguistic features of both Serbian
Serbian 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....
(noun declension
Declension
In linguistics, declension is the inflection of nouns, pronouns, adjectives, and articles to indicate number , case , and gender...
) and Bulgarian
Bulgarian language
Bulgarian is an Indo-European language, a member of the Slavic linguistic group.Bulgarian, along with the closely related Macedonian language, demonstrates several linguistic characteristics that set it apart from all other Slavic languages such as the elimination of case declension, the...
(postposed definite article
Definite Article
Definite Article is the title of British comedian Eddie Izzard's 1996 performance released on VHS. It was recorded on different nights at the Shaftesbury Theatre...
s and lack of the infinitive
Infinitive
In grammar, infinitive is the name for certain verb forms that exist in many languages. In the usual description of English, the infinitive of a verb is its basic form with or without the particle to: therefore, do and to do, be and to be, and so on are infinitives...
verb form), as well as some entirely unique vocabulary
Vocabulary
A person's vocabulary is the set of words within a language that are familiar to that person. A vocabulary usually develops with age, and serves as a useful and fundamental tool for communication and acquiring knowledge...
.
History
Thracians inhabited the area in ancient times. The Celtic Scordisci invaded the territory in 279 BC.The Roman road
Roman road
The Roman roads were a vital part of the development of the Roman state, from about 500 BC through the expansion during the Roman Republic and the Roman Empire. Roman roads enabled the Romans to move armies and trade goods and to communicate. The Roman road system spanned more than 400,000 km...
"Via Militaris
Via Militaris
Via Militaris or Via Diagonalis was an ancient Roman road, starting from Singidunum , passing by Danube coast to Viminacium , through Naissus , Serdica , Philippopolis , Adrianopolis , and reaching Constantinople...
" was built in the 1st century AD and went through the town. In May 2010, well-preserved remains of the road were excavated during the work on Corridor 10.
An Ottoman military base operated in the west of Dimitrovgrad prior to the Balkan nations full independence.
The Serbian and Bulgarian Prime ministers met at Tsaribrod in 1912 to discuss the disputed territories in Macedonia
Macedonia (region)
Macedonia is a geographical and historical region of the Balkan peninsula in southeastern Europe. Its boundaries have changed considerably over time, but nowadays the region is considered to include parts of five Balkan countries: Greece, the Republic of Macedonia, Bulgaria, Albania, Serbia, as...
.
The Kingdom of Yugoslavia
Kingdom of Yugoslavia
The Kingdom of Yugoslavia was a state stretching from the Western Balkans to Central Europe which existed during the often-tumultuous interwar era of 1918–1941...
gained parts of Bulgaria
Bulgaria
Bulgaria , officially the Republic of Bulgaria , is a parliamentary democracy within a unitary constitutional republic in Southeast Europe. The country borders Romania to the north, Serbia and Macedonia to the west, Greece and Turkey to the south, as well as the Black Sea to the east...
(known in Bulgaria as Western Outlands) which included Tsaribrod following the Treaty of Neuilly
Treaty of Neuilly
The Treaty of Neuilly-sur-Seine, dealing with Bulgaria for its role as one of the Central Powers in World War I, was signed on 27 November 1919 at Neuilly-sur-Seine, France....
, signed on November 27, 1919. Between 1920 and 1941 the population of the region was denied any right to education or church services in Bulgarian and was officially regarded as Serbian by the Yugoslav authorities, including changed Bulgarian
Bulgarians
The Bulgarians are a South Slavic nation and ethnic group native to Bulgaria and neighbouring regions. Emigration has resulted in immigrant communities in a number of other countries.-History and ethnogenesis:...
names to Serbian
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...
. Its interests were protected by the paramilitary organization Internal Western Outland Revolutionary Organisation
Internal Western Outland Revolutionary Organisation
The Internal Western Outland Revolutionary Organization , IWORO, was a Bulgarian revolutionary organization active in the Western Outlands between 1921 and 1941 in the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes , and then its successor, the Kingdom of...
known as Vrtop.