Serbs in Sweden
Encyclopedia
The Swedish Serbs
constituted a low percentage of the Swedish population prior to the 1960s. Some came after World War II, mostly seeking political asylum. The greatest proportion of Serbs came together with Greeks
, Italians and Turks
under the visa agreements in times of severe labour shortages or when particular skills were deficient within Sweden. During the '60s and '70s, agreements were signed with the governments of Yugoslavia
to help Sweden overcome its severe labour shortage.
Bosnian and Croatian Serbs migrated in another wave during and after the Yugoslav wars
. Another wave of Kosovar Serbs came during the Kosovo war
in 1999.
s from southern Europe, see related Gastarbeiter
).
has made the Serbian community develop an informal, but characteristic form of Swedish speech as other immigrant groups.
The Serbian language is a rich contributor in the Rinkeby Swedish
, a socio-
and ethnolect
of the Swedish language
.
and Pljeskavica
are two Serbian dishes that has become popular in Sweden.
are both Balkan Brass Band
s, a musical style from southern Serbia
.
The Stockholm Eagles is a Serbian-Swedish basketball team that has become very successful since its establishment in 2007. They won the Swedish Final4 in april 2011 and became the best team in the Swedish first division (Basketettan).
, prior to the forming the Serbs were headed by Swedish Orthodox priest Christofer Klasson, previously priest in the Church of Sweden
. Later, the same year a parish was formed in Malmö (of Saints Cyrils and Methodius) and in 1973 one in Stockholm (of Saint Sava
). Later, parishes have been formed in Göteborg (of Stefan Decanski), Jönköping (of Nativity of Mary
), Helsingborg (of St Basil the Great) and one more in Stockholm. The parishes have their own head-priest.
In Malmö, 1982, the Church of Saint Cyril and Methodius was opened, the first Serbian church in Sweden. The parish of Saint Sava opened its church in Enskede, in 1983, the parish in Göteborg also has a church.
The parish in Malmö suffered several attacks in 1990, the premises were firebombed but the church was not damaged, the perpetrators were racist youths who were later convicted of arson
.
The SOC has parishes and churches in the cities of:
Tv and Music
Other
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...
constituted a low percentage of the Swedish population prior to the 1960s. Some came after World War II, mostly seeking political asylum. The greatest proportion of Serbs came together with Greeks
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....
, Italians and Turks
Turkish people
Turkish people, also known as the "Turks" , are an ethnic group primarily living in Turkey and in the former lands of the Ottoman Empire where Turkish minorities had been established in Bulgaria, Cyprus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia, Greece, Kosovo, Macedonia, and Romania...
under the visa agreements in times of severe labour shortages or when particular skills were deficient within Sweden. During the '60s and '70s, agreements were signed with the governments of Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia refers to three political entities that existed successively on the western part of the Balkans during most of the 20th century....
to help Sweden overcome its severe labour shortage.
Bosnian and Croatian Serbs migrated in another wave during and after 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...
. Another wave of Kosovar Serbs came during the Kosovo war
Kosovo War
The term Kosovo War or Kosovo conflict was two sequential, and at times parallel, armed conflicts in Kosovo province, then part of FR Yugoslav Republic of Serbia; from early 1998 to 1999, there was an armed conflict initiated by the ethnic Albanian "Kosovo Liberation Army" , who sought independence...
in 1999.
History
The majority of Serbs in Sweden came 1965-1969, during the Arbetskraftsinvandring (influx of Migrant workerMigrant worker
The term migrant worker has different official meanings and connotations in different parts of the world. The United Nations' definition is broad, including any people working outside of their home country...
s from southern Europe, see related Gastarbeiter
Gastarbeiter
Gastarbeiter is German for "guest worker." It refers to migrant workers who had moved to West Germany mainly in the 1960s and 70s, seeking work as part of a formal guest worker programme...
).
Language
The Serbs in Sweden are bilingual, Code-switchingCode-switching
In linguistics, code-switching is the concurrent use of more than one language, or language variety, in conversation. Multilinguals—people who speak more than one language—sometimes use elements of multiple languages in conversing with each other...
has made the Serbian community develop an informal, but characteristic form of Swedish speech as other immigrant groups.
The Serbian language is a rich contributor in the Rinkeby Swedish
Rinkeby Swedish
Rinkeby Swedish is any of a number of varieties of Swedish spoken mainly in suburbs with a high proportion of immigrants and immigrant descendants, which emerged as a linguistic phenomenon in the 1980s. Rinkeby in Stockholm is one such suburb, but the term Rinkeby Swedish may sometimes be used for...
, a socio-
Sociolect
In sociolinguistics, a sociolect or social dialect is a variety of language associated with a social group such as a socioeconomic class, an ethnic group, an age group, etc....
and ethnolect
Ethnolect
Ethnolect is a variety of a language spoken by a certain ethnic/cultural subgroup and serves as a distinguishing mark of social identity. The term combines the concepts of an ethnic group and dialect....
of the Swedish language
Swedish language
Swedish is a North Germanic language, spoken by approximately 10 million people, predominantly in Sweden and parts of Finland, especially along its coast and on the Åland islands. It is largely mutually intelligible with Norwegian and Danish...
.
Cuisine
The ĆevapčićiCevapcici
Ćevapi or ćevapčići is a grilled dish of minced meat, a type of kebab, found traditionally in the countries of southeastern Europe. They are considered a national dish in Bosnia and Herzegovina and in Serbia...
and Pljeskavica
Pljeskavica
Pljeskavica is a Serbian patty dish popular in the Balkan region of Southeastern Europe.Pljeskavica is eaten in Serbia, Slovenia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Macedonia and Croatia, and can be found in Romania, and Bulgaria. Traditional pljeskavica is made from mixture of ground meats...
are two Serbian dishes that has become popular in Sweden.
Music
Stockholm-based Östblocket and Macedonian-Swedish Andra GenerationenAndra Generationen
Andra Generationen is a Swedish band with Balkan roots. It was formed in 1988. The group's debut album, Kärlekens land, charted at #31 on the Swedish Albums Chart on 27 February 2004. Four years later they appeared in Melodifestivalen with the song "Kebabpizza Slivovitza", which became their first...
are both Balkan Brass Band
Balkan Brass Band
Balkan Brass Band or Chochek is a distinctive style of music originating in 19th century Serbia when trumpeters in the military transposed folk music during harsh times. It is popular throughout the Balkans, especially Serbia, Macedonia and Bulgaria. The beats are usually fast and accompanied by...
s, a musical style from southern 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...
.
Sport
Swedish Serbs have been very successful in sports, among most notable areThe Stockholm Eagles is a Serbian-Swedish basketball team that has become very successful since its establishment in 2007. They won the Swedish Final4 in april 2011 and became the best team in the Swedish first division (Basketettan).
Serbian Orthodox Church
In 1972 the first Serbian Orthodox parish (of St. Nicholas) was formed in VästeråsVästerås
Västerås is a city in central Sweden, located on the shore of Lake Mälaren in the province Västmanland, some 100 km west of Stockholm...
, prior to the forming the Serbs were headed by Swedish Orthodox priest Christofer Klasson, previously priest in the Church of Sweden
Church of Sweden
The Church of Sweden is the largest Christian church in Sweden. The church professes the Lutheran faith and is a member of the Porvoo Communion. With 6,589,769 baptized members, it is the largest Lutheran church in the world, although combined, there are more Lutherans in the member churches of...
. Later, the same year a parish was formed in Malmö (of Saints Cyrils and Methodius) and in 1973 one in Stockholm (of Saint Sava
Saint Sava
Saint Sava was a Serbian Prince and Orthodox monk, the first Archbishop of the autocephalous Serbian Church, the founder of Serbian law and literature, and a diplomat. Sava was born Rastko Nemanjić , the youngest son of Serbian Grand Župan Stefan Nemanja , and ruled the appanage of Hum briefly in...
). Later, parishes have been formed in Göteborg (of Stefan Decanski), Jönköping (of Nativity of Mary
Nativity of Mary
The Nativity of Mary, or Birth of the Virgin and various permutations, is celebrated as a liturgical feast in the Roman Catholic calendar of saints and in most Anglican liturgical calendars on 8 September, nine months after the solemnity of her Immaculate Conception, celebrated on 8 December...
), Helsingborg (of St Basil the Great) and one more in Stockholm. The parishes have their own head-priest.
In Malmö, 1982, the Church of Saint Cyril and Methodius was opened, the first Serbian church in Sweden. The parish of Saint Sava opened its church in Enskede, in 1983, the parish in Göteborg also has a church.
The parish in Malmö suffered several attacks in 1990, the premises were firebombed but the church was not damaged, the perpetrators were racist youths who were later convicted of arson
Arson
Arson is the crime of intentionally or maliciously setting fire to structures or wildland areas. It may be distinguished from other causes such as spontaneous combustion and natural wildfires...
.
The SOC has parishes and churches in the cities of:
- StockholmStockholmStockholm is the capital and the largest city of Sweden and constitutes the most populated urban area in Scandinavia. Stockholm is the most populous city in Sweden, with a population of 851,155 in the municipality , 1.37 million in the urban area , and around 2.1 million in the metropolitan area...
(2)- Church of Saint Sava
- EskilstunaEskilstunaEskilstuna is a city and the seat of Eskilstuna Municipality, Södermanland County, Sweden with 60,185 inhabitants in 2005. Eskilstuna has a large Sweden Finn population....
- VästeråsVästeråsVästerås is a city in central Sweden, located on the shore of Lake Mälaren in the province Västmanland, some 100 km west of Stockholm...
- Göteborg
- Holy Stefan Decanski church
- JönköpingJönköping-Notable people:*Lillian Asplund, RMS Titanic survivor*John Bauer, illustrator, painter*Amy Diamond, singer*Agnetha Fältskog, ABBA*Carl Henrik Fredriksson, editor-in-chief and co-founder of Eurozine*Anders Gustafsson, kayaker, Olympian...
- KristianstadKristianstadKristianstad is a city and the seat of Kristianstad Municipality, Skåne County, Sweden with 35,711 inhabitants in 2010.-History:The city was founded in 1614 by King Christian IV of Denmark, the city's name literally means 'Town of Christian', as a planned city after the burning of the town of Vä...
- HelsingborgHelsingborgHelsingborg is a city and the seat of Helsingborg Municipality, Skåne County, Sweden with 97,122 inhabitants in 2010. Helsingborg is the centre of an area in the Øresund region of about 320,000 inhabitants in north-west Scania, and is Sweden's closest point to Denmark, with the Danish city...
- Holy Basil the Great church
- MalmöMalmöMalmö , in the southernmost province of Scania, is the third most populous city in Sweden, after Stockholm and Gothenburg.Malmö is the seat of Malmö Municipality and the capital of Skåne County...
- Church of Saints Cyril and Methodius
- Laholm
- Smedjeryd monastery
Notable Serb-Swedes
Sportspeople- Dalibor Doder, handball player
- Bojan ĐorđićBojan DjordjicBojan Djordjic is a Swedish footballer of ethnic Serbian descent...
, footballer (AIKAIK FotbollAIK, , an abbreviation for Allmänna Idrottsklubben, , when needed internationally AIK Stockholm, is a Swedish football club based at Råsunda stadium in Solna, a municipality in Stockholm County bordering to Stockholm City Centre...
, championAllsvenskanAllsvenskan is a Swedish professional league for association football clubs. At the top of the Swedish football league system, it is the country's primary football competition. Contested by 16 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with Superettan...
09') - Dušan Ðurić, footballer (FC Zürich, championSwiss Super LeagueThe Swiss Super League or Axpo Super League is the top tier of the Swiss Football League. The Swiss Super League is currently ranked 16th according to UEFA's ranking of league coefficients, which is based upon Swiss team performances in European competitions.-Names:-Participating clubs:The teams...
09') - Zoran LukićZoran LukićZoran Lukić is a Bosnian football manager and a former player.-Personal life:His father is Bosnian Serb and his mother is Bosnian Croat. Radovan Karadžić persuaded Zoran to leave Yugoslavia, as the Yugoslav war was about to start.-External links:* in Zerodic.* in Playerhistory.* in Worldfootball....
, football manager (Djurgårdens IF, championsAllsvenskanAllsvenskan is a Swedish professional league for association football clubs. At the top of the Swedish football league system, it is the country's primary football competition. Contested by 16 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with Superettan...
02' and 03') - Danijel MajstorovićDaniel MajstorovicDaniel Majstorović is a Swedish footballer of Serbian origin who plays as a centre back for Scottish Premier League club Celtic and the Swedish national team....
, footballer (FC BaselFC BaselFussball Club Basel 1893, widely known as FC Basel is a Swiss football club based in Basel. They are one of the most successful clubs in Swiss football, having won the Swiss Super League 14 times, the third most for any Swiss club. They were most successful in the late 1960s and 1970s, winning the...
, championSwiss Super LeagueThe Swiss Super League or Axpo Super League is the top tier of the Swiss Football League. The Swiss Super League is currently ranked 16th according to UEFA's ranking of league coefficients, which is based upon Swiss team performances in European competitions.-Names:-Participating clubs:The teams...
08') - Nebojša NovakovićNebojša NovakovicNebojša Novaković is a Bosnian-born Swedish former football player of Serbian ethnicity. He is currently assistant manager in AIK.-Biography:...
, former footballer-assistant manager (AIKAIK FotbollAIK, , an abbreviation for Allmänna Idrottsklubben, , when needed internationally AIK Stockholm, is a Swedish football club based at Råsunda stadium in Solna, a municipality in Stockholm County bordering to Stockholm City Centre...
, champion 98') - Peter PopovićPeter PopovicPeter "Poppe" Popovic is a retired Swedish ice hockey defenceman and currently an assistant coach of Tre Kronor. Popovic was drafted by the Montreal Canadiens in the 5th round of the 1988 NHL Entry Draft....
, ice hockey player (NHL; CanadiensMontreal CanadiensThe Montreal Canadiens are a professional ice hockey team based in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The club is officially known as ...
, RangersNew York RangersThe New York Rangers are a professional ice hockey team based in the borough of Manhattan in New York, New York, USA. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . Playing their home games at Madison Square Garden, the Rangers are one of the...
, PenguinsPittsburgh PenguinsThe Pittsburgh Penguins are a professional ice hockey team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The franchise was founded in 1967 as one of the first expansion teams during the league's original...
and BruinsBoston BruinsThe Boston Bruins are a professional ice hockey team based in Boston, Massachusetts, USA. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The team has been in existence since 1924, and is the league's third-oldest team and its oldest in the...
) - Rade PricaRade PricaRade Stanislav Prica is a Swedish footballer currently playing for Rosenborg BK of Norway.Prica is the only player who has won league championships in the three Scandinavian countries - Sweden, Denmark and Norway.- Club career :...
, footballer (Danish Superliga Top scorer: 06–07', Norwegian Premier League Top scorer: 09') - Danijela RundqvistDanijela RundqvistDanijela Rundqvist is a Swedish ice hockey player.-Career:Rundqvist plays hockey at the forward position. She was trained in Kälvesta Iof. In 2001, she joined AIK IF...
, female ice hockey player (Olympic Silver 2006, Bronze 2002) - Stefan SelakovicStefan SelakovicStefan Selaković is a Swedish footballer who plays for IFK Göteborg as a forward. He previously played for SC Heerenveen, Halmstads BK and Varbergs GIF. Selaković can also play as a midfielder...
, footballer (IFK GöteborgIFK GöteborgIFK Göteborg is a Swedish professional football club based in Gothenburg. Founded in 1904, the club has won 18 national championship titles, five national cup titles, and two UEFA Cups....
, championAllsvenskanAllsvenskan is a Swedish professional league for association football clubs. At the top of the Swedish football league system, it is the country's primary football competition. Contested by 16 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with Superettan...
07') - Dragan UmičevićDragan UmicevicDragan Umičević is a Swedish ice hockey player of Serbian descent. He is currently playing with the Malmö Redhawks in HockeyAllsvenskan . Umicevic has represented the Sweden national ice hockey team in 2006 and 2007, although not in international tournaments such as the World Championships or the...
, ice hockey player (NHL; OilersEdmonton OilersThe Edmonton Oilers are a professional ice hockey team based in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. They are members of the Northwest Division in the Western Conference of the National Hockey League ....
) - Ljubomir VranješLjubomir VranjesLjubomir Vranjes is a former Swedish handball player who competed in the 2000 Summer Olympics....
, handball player (Gold; EC 1998, WC 1999, EC 2000, EC 2002, Silver; WC 1997, 2000 Olympics2000 Summer OlympicsThe Sydney 2000 Summer Olympic Games or the Millennium Games/Games of the New Millennium, officially known as the Games of the XXVII Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event which was celebrated between 15 September and 1 October 2000 in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia...
, WC 2001)
Tv and Music
- Aleks, R&B artist
- Oscar DronjakOscar DronjakOscar Fredrick Dronjak is the rhythm and lead guitarist and founder of the Heavy Metal band HammerFall. Prior to the success of HammerFall, he also played and released albums with the death metal acts Ceremonial Oath and Crystal Age....
, guitarist of power-metal band HammerFall - Lilleman, Rap artist
- Jelena Mila, actress
- Dragomir Mrsić, actor (2009 Snabba CashSnabba Cash (film)Easy Money is a Swedish thriller film directed by Daniel Espinosa that was released on 15 January 2010. It is based on the 2006 novel of the same name by Jens Lapidus. Joel Kinnaman stars in the lead role of Johan "JW" Westlund, a rather poor man living a double life in the upper class areas of...
) - Slađan Osmanagić, TV-Host
- Jovan Radomir, TV-Host
- Nikola SarčevićNikola SarcevicNikola Šarčević is the bassist, vocalist, and primary songwriter in the punk rock band Millencolin. He lives in Gothenburg, Sweden with his wife Lisa, and three daughters....
, musician - Sven StojanovićSven StojanovicSven Nikola Stojanović is a Swedish director of Serbian origin mostly involved with Swedish TV productions, notably Melodifestivalen....
, director (Eurovision Song Contest 2000,2003,2004,2005,2008)
Other
- Biljana SrbljanovićBiljana SrbljanovicBiljana Srbljanović is a Serbian playwright and politician.She has written seven plays for the theater and one TV screenplay for Otvorena vrata TV series that ran on Radio Television of Serbia during the mid-1990s. Her plays have been staged in some 50 countries. Srbljanović is also a part-time...
, playwright and politician