Hrtkovci
Encyclopedia
Hrtkovci is a village in Serbia
. It is located in the Ruma
municipality, in the Srem District
, Vojvodina
province. The village has a Serb ethnic majority and its population numbering 3,428 people (2002 census). According to previous census (from 1991), the village was ethnically mixed and its population numbered 2,684 people.
, the village is known as Hrtkovci (Хртковци), in Croatian
as Hrtkovci, and in Hungarian
as Herkóca. Vojislav Šešelj
tried to rename the village to Srbislavci (Србиславци) but failed.
In 1737, about 1,600 Catholic
Albanians
from Klimenti clan came to Srem
. They were settled in the villages of Hrtkovci and Nikinci
. Today, their descendants consider themselves Croats
.
Before the Yugoslav wars
, the village was ethnically mixed and largest ethnic group in Hrtkovci were Croats
, while the rest of population were Serbs
, Hungarians and Yugoslavs
. According to the ICTY indictment against Serbian Radical Party
leader Vojislav Šešelj
, he came to this village in May 1992 and gave an inflammatory speech calling for the expulsion of Croats from the area and reading a list of individual Croat residents who should leave for Croatia
. As a result of this speech, a number of Croat resident decided to leave Hrtkovci. After this speech, supporters and associates of Vojislav Šešelj, including members of Serbian Radical Party
and Serbian Chetnik Movement, began a campaign of harassment and intimidation of local Croats, forcing them to leave the area. In its indictment, the ICTY gave a list of 722 people who left Hrtkovci. (See also: Expulsions in Hrtkovci
)
Instead of Croats, Serb refugees from Croatia and Bosnia settled in the village. Most of the Croats from Hrtkovci moved to Croatia, and settled in the village of Kula near Požega
, while many Serb refugees from that place settled in Hrtkovci.
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 located in the Ruma
Ruma
Ruma is a town and municipality located in Vojvodina, Serbia at . In 2002 the town had a total population of 34,229, while Ruma municipality had a population of 60,006.-History:...
municipality, in the Srem District
Srem District
Syrmia or Srem District is a northwestern district of Serbia. It lies in the regions of Syrmia and Mačva, in the autonomous province of Vojvodina. It has a population of 309,981...
, Vojvodina
Vojvodina
Vojvodina, officially called Autonomous Province of Vojvodina is an autonomous province of Serbia. Its capital and largest city is Novi Sad...
province. The village has a Serb ethnic majority and its population numbering 3,428 people (2002 census). According to previous census (from 1991), the village was ethnically mixed and its population numbered 2,684 people.
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 village is known as Hrtkovci (Хртковци), in Croatian
Croatian language
Croatian is the collective name for the standard language and dialects spoken by Croats, principally in Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Serbian province of Vojvodina and other neighbouring countries...
as Hrtkovci, 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 Herkóca. Vojislav Šešelj
Vojislav Šešelj
Vojislav Šešelj, JD is a Serbian politician, writer and lawyer. He is the founder and president of the Serbian Radical Party and was vice-president of Serbia between 1998 and 2000...
tried to rename the village to Srbislavci (Србиславци) but failed.
History
Modern village was firstly mentioned in 1714. There are assumptions that some older settlements existed at this locality. These settlements were probably villages named Gomol (recorded in 1353) and Hudrovecz (recorded in 1477).In 1737, about 1,600 Catholic
Catholic
The word catholic comes from the Greek phrase , meaning "on the whole," "according to the whole" or "in general", and is a combination of the Greek words meaning "about" and meaning "whole"...
Albanians
Albanians
Albanians are a nation and ethnic group native to Albania and neighbouring countries. They speak the Albanian language. More than half of all Albanians live in Albania and Kosovo...
from Klimenti clan came to Srem
Syrmia
Syrmia is a fertile region of the Pannonian Plain in Europe, between the Danube and Sava rivers. It is divided between Serbia in the east and Croatia in the west....
. They were settled in the villages of Hrtkovci and Nikinci
Nikinci
Nikinci is a village in Serbia. It is located in the Ruma municipality, in the Srem District, Vojvodina province. The village has a Serb ethnic majority and its population numbering 2,216 people .-History:...
. Today, their descendants consider themselves Croats
Croats
Croats are a South Slavic ethnic group mostly living in Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and nearby countries. There are around 4 million Croats living inside Croatia and up to 4.5 million throughout the rest of the world. Responding to political, social and economic pressure, many Croats have...
.
Before the Yugoslav wars
Yugoslav wars
The Yugoslav Wars were a series of wars, fought throughout the former Yugoslavia between 1991 and 1995. The wars were complex: characterized by bitter ethnic conflicts among the peoples of the former Yugoslavia, mostly between Serbs on the one side and Croats and Bosniaks on the other; but also...
, the village was ethnically mixed and largest ethnic group in Hrtkovci were Croats
Croats
Croats are a South Slavic ethnic group mostly living in Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and nearby countries. There are around 4 million Croats living inside Croatia and up to 4.5 million throughout the rest of the world. Responding to political, social and economic pressure, many Croats have...
, while the rest of population were 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...
, Hungarians and Yugoslavs
Yugoslavs
Yugoslavs is a national designation used by a minority of South Slavs across the countries of the former Yugoslavia and in the diaspora...
. According to the ICTY indictment against Serbian Radical Party
Serbian Radical Party
The Serbian Radical Party is a far-right Serbian nationalist political party in Serbia, founded in 1991. Currently the second-largest party in the Serbian National Assembly, it has branches in three of the nations that currently border Serbia – all former federal republics of Yugoslavia...
leader Vojislav Šešelj
Vojislav Šešelj
Vojislav Šešelj, JD is a Serbian politician, writer and lawyer. He is the founder and president of the Serbian Radical Party and was vice-president of Serbia between 1998 and 2000...
, he came to this village in May 1992 and gave an inflammatory speech calling for the expulsion of Croats from the area and reading a list of individual Croat residents who should leave for 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 ...
. As a result of this speech, a number of Croat resident decided to leave Hrtkovci. After this speech, supporters and associates of Vojislav Šešelj, including members of Serbian Radical Party
Serbian Radical Party
The Serbian Radical Party is a far-right Serbian nationalist political party in Serbia, founded in 1991. Currently the second-largest party in the Serbian National Assembly, it has branches in three of the nations that currently border Serbia – all former federal republics of Yugoslavia...
and Serbian Chetnik Movement, began a campaign of harassment and intimidation of local Croats, forcing them to leave the area. In its indictment, the ICTY gave a list of 722 people who left Hrtkovci. (See also: Expulsions in Hrtkovci
Expulsions in Hrtkovci
Following the beginning of the Yugoslav wars, members of Serbian Radical Party and Serbian Chetnik Movement conducted a campaign of intimidation of Croats of Serbia in Vojvodina, Serbia, through hate speech and threats. These acts forced a part of the local Croat population to leave the area in...
)
Instead of Croats, Serb refugees from Croatia and Bosnia settled in the village. Most of the Croats from Hrtkovci moved to Croatia, and settled in the village of Kula near Požega
Požega, Croatia
Požega is a city in western Slavonia, eastern Croatia, with a total population of 26,403 . It is the administrative center of the Požega-Slavonia County.-Geography:...
, while many Serb refugees from that place settled in Hrtkovci.
1991 census
According to 1991 census, the population of the village numbered 2,684 people, including:- CroatsCroatsCroats are a South Slavic ethnic group mostly living in Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and nearby countries. There are around 4 million Croats living inside Croatia and up to 4.5 million throughout the rest of the world. Responding to political, social and economic pressure, many Croats have...
= 1,080 (40.24%) - 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...
= 550 (20.49%) - Hungarians = 515 (19.19%)
- YugoslavsYugoslavsYugoslavs is a national designation used by a minority of South Slavs across the countries of the former Yugoslavia and in the diaspora...
= 445 (16.58%)
2002 census
According to 2002 census, the population of the village numbered 3,428 people, including:- 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...
= 2,396 (69.90%) - Hungarians = 310 (9.04%)
- CroatsCroatsCroats are a South Slavic ethnic group mostly living in Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and nearby countries. There are around 4 million Croats living inside Croatia and up to 4.5 million throughout the rest of the world. Responding to political, social and economic pressure, many Croats have...
= 256 (7.47%) - YugoslavsYugoslavsYugoslavs is a national designation used by a minority of South Slavs across the countries of the former Yugoslavia and in the diaspora...
= 67 (1.96%)
Historical population of the village
- 1869: 1,239
- 1880: 1,816
- 1890: 2,253
- 1900: 2,594
- 1910: 2,515
- 1921: 2,764
- 1931: 2,916
- 1948: 2,800
- 1953: 3,195
- 1961: 3,265
- 1971: 3,102
- 1981: 2,855
- 1991: 2,684
- 2002: 3,428