Nakovo
Encyclopedia
Nakovo is a village located in the Kikinda
municipality of the North Banat District
of Serbia
, in the Autonomous Province of Vojvodina
. It is situated near the border with Romania
. The population of the village numbers 2,419 inhabitants, of whom 2,301 (95%) are ethnic Serbs
.
, the village is known as Nakovo or Наково, in Croatian
as Nakovo, in Hungarian
as Nákófalva, and in German
as Nakodorf.
, a village by the name of Szollos (Seleš, Szőllős, Seleuš, Sellesch) existed on the location of present-day Nakovo. During Ottoman
rule (16th-17th century), Seleš was populated by ethnic Serbs. By the first half of the 18th century, the village no longer existed and the area was an uninhabited heath
.
In 1782, the area came under the possession of the Nako brothers, Greek
traders from Macedonia
. In order to provide a labour force for his estate, Kristifor Nako built 50 houses in 1784, and settled them with ethnic Hungarians.
In 1790, a new wave of colonists settled the village. This time, they were Germans
, who numbered 176 families with 706 family members. In 1793, the population of the village numbered 1,054 people, mostly Germans
and some French people
as well. During this time, Hungarians no longer inhabited the village - they departed from it because of the harsh conditions of life. In 1836, the village had 1,775 Catholic
and 6 Orthodox
inhabitants, while in 1911, the population of the village numbered 538 households with 2,834 inhabitants.
In 1918, after World War I
, the village became part of the newly formed Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes (future Yugoslavia
). During World War II
(1941–1944), it was included into the German
-occupied Banat region. As a consequence of events during the war and the Axis occupation, most of the German population fled from the village with the German Army in 1944. The smaller part of the population that stayed in the village was sent to prison camps. In 1945-1946, Serb
families from Bosnia
came to the settlement.
Kikinda
Kikinda is a town and a municipality located in Serbia, in the autonomous province of Vojvodina. It is the administrative centre of the North Banat District. The town has 42,000 inhabitants, while the municipality has approximately 67,000 inhabitants.The modern city was founded in 18th century...
municipality of the North Banat District
North Banat District
North Banat District is a northern district of Serbia. It lies in the regions of Banat and Bačka, in the autonomous province of Vojvodina. As of the 2002 census, the district has a population of 165,881. The seat of the district is Kikinda....
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...
, 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...
. It is situated near the border with Romania
Romania
Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea...
. The population of the village numbers 2,419 inhabitants, of whom 2,301 (95%) are ethnic 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...
.
Name
Its name originates from Count Nako, who founded the village in 1784. 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 Nakovo or Наково, 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 Nakovo, 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 Nákófalva, and 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 Nakodorf.
History
In the Middle AgesMiddle Ages
The Middle Ages is a periodization of European history from the 5th century to the 15th century. The Middle Ages follows the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 and precedes the Early Modern Era. It is the middle period of a three-period division of Western history: Classic, Medieval and Modern...
, a village by the name of Szollos (Seleš, Szőllős, Seleuš, Sellesch) existed on the location of present-day Nakovo. During 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...
rule (16th-17th century), Seleš was populated by ethnic Serbs. By the first half of the 18th century, the village no longer existed and the area was an uninhabited heath
Heath (habitat)
A heath or heathland is a dwarf-shrub habitat found on mainly low quality acidic soils, characterised by open, low growing woody vegetation, often dominated by plants of the Ericaceae. There are some clear differences between heath and moorland...
.
In 1782, the area came under the possession of the Nako brothers, Greek
Greeks
The Greeks, also known as the Hellenes , are a nation and ethnic group native to Greece, Cyprus and neighboring regions. They also form a significant diaspora, with Greek communities established around the world....
traders from 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...
. In order to provide a labour force for his estate, Kristifor Nako built 50 houses in 1784, and settled them with ethnic Hungarians.
In 1790, a new wave of colonists settled the village. This time, they were 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....
, who numbered 176 families with 706 family members. In 1793, the population of the village numbered 1,054 people, mostly 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....
and some French people
French people
The French are a nation that share a common French culture and speak the French language as a mother tongue. Historically, the French population are descended from peoples of Celtic, Latin and Germanic origin, and are today a mixture of several ethnic groups...
as well. During this time, Hungarians no longer inhabited the village - they departed from it because of the harsh conditions of life. In 1836, the village had 1,775 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"...
and 6 Orthodox
Eastern Orthodox Church
The Orthodox Church, officially called the Orthodox Catholic Church and commonly referred to as the Eastern Orthodox Church, is the second largest Christian denomination in the world, with an estimated 300 million adherents mainly in the countries of Belarus, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Georgia, Greece,...
inhabitants, while in 1911, the population of the village numbered 538 households with 2,834 inhabitants.
In 1918, after World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, the village became part of the newly formed Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes (future Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia refers to three political entities that existed successively on the western part of the Balkans during most of the 20th century....
). During World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
(1941–1944), it was included into the German
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
-occupied Banat region. As a consequence of events during the war and the Axis occupation, most of the German population fled from the village with the German Army in 1944. The smaller part of the population that stayed in the village was sent to prison camps. In 1945-1946, Serb
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...
families from Bosnia
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina , sometimes called Bosnia-Herzegovina or simply Bosnia, is a country in Southern Europe, on the Balkan Peninsula. Bordered by Croatia to the north, west and south, Serbia to the east, and Montenegro to the southeast, Bosnia and Herzegovina is almost landlocked, except for the...
came to the settlement.