Padina (Kovacica)
Encyclopedia
Padina is a village in Serbia
. Majority of the population are Slovaks
.
System of valleys surrounding Padina has two directions, which cross on southern part called BAUK. Northern part is called Upper valley, and southern - Lower valley.
Characteristic of Padina are large differences between summer and winter temperatures and low precipitation. July is the warmest month with average temperature about 22°C, and January is the coldest month with average about -1°C. Divergence between the lowest and the highest absolutely measured temperature is 70°C.
The highest precipitation is in May and June and also in November and December. It totals between 650 and 700 mm of rain per year.
The wind, which often blows from southeast is called "koshava". Košava blows from Montenegro for one to seven days (or even longer) with a speed of 100 km/h. It is most frequent in spring and autumn. Northern wind is dry, like koshava, but much colder. It comes in winter months and brings the coldest and driest weather.
Underground water is being found in depths about 20 meters. On deeper places water is more clear, and people are supplied from there. The soil in Padina is muddy.
The settlement was initiated by Archduke Ludwig to strengthen the Military Border between Austrian
and Ottoman Empire
s. The official name was related to the initiator - Ludwigsdorf in German or Lájosfalva in Hungarian (both meaning Ludwig's village). The inhabitants, however, kept calling it Padina.
In the beginning, the settlers had problem with drinkable water, as it is being found deep underground and the soil is unstable. The archduke promised them to build wells, which unfortunately took many years (until 1817) to fulfill. Thus in the first years of settlement, the settlers were depending on wells in Kovačica several kilometres away.
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...
. Majority of the population are Slovaks
Slovaks
The Slovaks, Slovak people, or Slovakians are a West Slavic people that primarily inhabit Slovakia and speak the Slovak language, which is closely related to the Czech language.Most Slovaks today live within the borders of the independent Slovakia...
.
Geography and climate
Padina lies in the middle of South Banat, at the border of Deliblato's shoal, on 52.75 km2, and in a southeast-northwest course. Geographical width of village is 45°7' N and 20°44' E. Altitude is between 105 and 120 meters above sea level (the church is on 111 m). Its name means slope or downhill. Padina covers 13% of Kovačica municipality, that is parting of the ways of roads to Belgrade, Zrenjanin, Novi Sad and Vrsac.System of valleys surrounding Padina has two directions, which cross on southern part called BAUK. Northern part is called Upper valley, and southern - Lower valley.
Characteristic of Padina are large differences between summer and winter temperatures and low precipitation. July is the warmest month with average temperature about 22°C, and January is the coldest month with average about -1°C. Divergence between the lowest and the highest absolutely measured temperature is 70°C.
The highest precipitation is in May and June and also in November and December. It totals between 650 and 700 mm of rain per year.
The wind, which often blows from southeast is called "koshava". Košava blows from Montenegro for one to seven days (or even longer) with a speed of 100 km/h. It is most frequent in spring and autumn. Northern wind is dry, like koshava, but much colder. It comes in winter months and brings the coldest and driest weather.
Underground water is being found in depths about 20 meters. On deeper places water is more clear, and people are supplied from there. The soil in Padina is muddy.
History
Padina was first settled by Romanians and later by Serbs but these settlements were abandoned. The current village was founded in 1806 by Slovak immigrants. There were two waves of Slovak immigration, each containing 80 families. The second wave came two years after the foundation of the village by the first wave.The settlement was initiated by Archduke Ludwig to strengthen the Military Border between Austrian
Habsburg Monarchy
The Habsburg Monarchy covered the territories ruled by the junior Austrian branch of the House of Habsburg , and then by the successor House of Habsburg-Lorraine , between 1526 and 1867/1918. The Imperial capital was Vienna, except from 1583 to 1611, when it was moved to Prague...
and Ottoman Empire
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...
s. The official name was related to the initiator - Ludwigsdorf in German or Lájosfalva in Hungarian (both meaning Ludwig's village). The inhabitants, however, kept calling it Padina.
In the beginning, the settlers had problem with drinkable water, as it is being found deep underground and the soil is unstable. The archduke promised them to build wells, which unfortunately took many years (until 1817) to fulfill. Thus in the first years of settlement, the settlers were depending on wells in Kovačica several kilometres away.