Voivodship of Serbia and Tamiš Banat
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The Voivodship of Serbia and Tamiš Banat was a voivodship (duchy) of the Austrian Empire that existed between 1849 and 1860. It was a separate crown land and was formed in accordance with privilege given to Serbs by the Habsburg emperor in 1691, recognizing the right of Serbs to territorial autonomy within the Habsburg Monarchy. Its former area is now divided between Serbia, Romania, and Hungary. The Voivodship gave its name to the present Serbian Autonomous Province of Vojvodina.
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[edit] Names
In German, the Voivodship was known as Woiwodschaft Serbien und Temescher Banat, in Serbian as Војводство Србија и Тамишки Банат or Vojvodstvo Srbija i Tamiški Banat, in Hungarian as Szerb Vajdaság és Temesi Bánság, and in Romanian as Voivodina Sârbeascǎ şi Banatul Timişoarei.
[edit] History
The Voivodship was formed by a decision of the Austrian emperor in November 1849, after the Revolutions of 1848. It consisted of the regions of Banat, Bačka and Syrmia. An Austrian governor seated in Temeschwar ruled the area, and the title of voivod (duke) belonged to the emperor himself. The full title of the emperor was "Grand Voivod of the Voivodship of Serbia" (German: Großwoiwode der Woiwodschaft Serbien). Even after the Voivodship was abolished, the emperor kept this title until the end of Austro-Hungarian Monarchy in 1918.
In 1860 the Voivodship of Serbia and Tamiš Banat was abolished and most of its territory (Banat and Bačka) was incorporated into the Habsburg Kingdom of Hungary, although direct Hungarian rule began only in 1867, when Hungary gained autonomy within newly formed Austria-Hungary. Unlike Banat and Bačka, in 1860 Syrmia was incorporated into the Kingdom of Slavonia, another separate Habsburg crown land. However, Slavonia was subsequently also incorporated into Hungary in 1868.
[edit] Languages and ethnic groups
The two official languages of the Voivodship were German and "Illyrian" (what would become Serbo-Croatian), and its ethnic composition was as follows:
- Serbs, Bunjevci, Šokci, and Croats = 386,906
- Romanians = 347,459
- Germans = 335,080
- Hungarians = 221,845
- Rusins = 39,914
- Slovaks = 25,607
- Bulgarians = 22,780
- Jews = 15,507
- Gypsies = 11,440
- Czechs = 7,530
- Greeks and Cincars = 2,820
The Voivodship was ethnically very mixed, since the southern parts of Syrmia, Banat and Bačka with compact Serbian settlements were not included in it, while eastern Banat, with a Romanian majority was added to it.
[edit] Rulers
Great Voivods:
- Franz_Joseph_I, emperor of Austria and great voivod (great duke) of Voivodship of Serbia (1849-1916).
- Karl_I, emperor of Austria and great voivod of Voivodship of Serbia (1916-1918).
Governors:
- Ferdinand Mayerhofer, governor (1849-1851).
- Johann Coronini-Cronberg, governor (1851-1859).
- Josif Šokčević, governor (1859-1860).
- Karl Vigo de Senkanten, governor (1860).
[edit] References
- Dr Dušan J. Popović, Srbi u Vojvodini, knjiga 3, Novi Sad, 1990.
- Sima M. Ćirković, Srbi među evropskim narodima, Beograd, 2004.
- Lazo M. Kostić, Srpska Vojvodina i njene manjine, Novi Sad, 1999.
- Drago Njegovan, Prisajedinjenje Vojvodine Srbiji, Novi Sad, 2004.
- Dejan Mikavica, Srpska Vojvodina u Habsburškoj Monarhiji 1690-1920, Novi Sad, 2005.
