Yugoslavia Germans

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

1 History
2 Current situation
3 Serbia
4 Croatia
5 Bosnia & Hercegovina
6 Slovenia
7 See also
8 References

[edit] History

Due to Hunnish incursions in Europe and the associated migration period in the 4th century, Germanic people migrated to the Danube and the Mediterranean as early as the year 375. The first Germans settled in areas of former Yugoslavia approximately 800 years ago. The majority of Germans in the area lived in the Danube basin between Hungary, Croatia and Serbia, and were known as Danube Swabians. The Danube Swabians developed their own distinct culture and dialect. There were most likely also German settlers on the Adriatic who were absorbed into the local population.

Among the Danube Swabians, mixed marriages of Germans with Hungarians, Croatians, Serbians and Romanians were common. After the second world war and the resultant "expulsion" of Germans from eastern Europe, the majority of German-speaking people living in Yugoslavia left for Austria and West Germany. However, some remained, particularly those married to local partners.

[edit] Current situation

There are currently approx 8,300 people in former Yugoslavia who consider themselves German. Many actively maintain their German culture, and some still speak the local form of the German language and dialect.

[edit] Serbia

The largest German minority in former Yugoslavia can be found in Serbia. The majority of the remaining population of German origin lives in the north of Serbia in Vojvodina, an area which also has a sizeable Hungarian minority. Around 3,900 people there consider themselves German, although they generally refer to themselves as Swabian, and are also referred to as such by the Hungarians and Serbians. They are known as the Danube Swabians or Banat Swabians

[edit] Croatia

In Croatia, there are still around 2,800 people who consider themselves German, most of these Danube Swabians. Germans and Austrians are officially recognized as a minority in Croatia and therefore have their own permanent seat in the Croatian parliament. They are mainly concentrated in the area around Osijek (German Esseg). There is a German culture centre in Osijek and a small number of German schools.

Outside of the main Germanic region of Syrmia (Croatian: Srijem, German: Symrien, Serbian: Srem), other areas formerly settled by Germans include:

Darda (Darda)
Jagodnjak (Katschfeld)
Josipovac-Kravice (Oberjosefsdorf-Krawitz)
Kula (Kula-Josefsfeld - there was also a German settlement known as Kula in Serbia)
Osijek (Esseg)
Sarvas (Sarwasch-Hirschfeld)
Satnica Djakovacka (Satnitz)
Slavonski Brod (Brod)

[edit] Bosnia & Hercegovina

No figures exist for people of German origin in Bosnia and Hercegovina. Areas formerly settled by Germans include:

Dubrava (Königsfeld)
Nova Topola (Windthorst)
Prosara (Hohenberg / Hindenburg)
Zenica (Senitza)
Zepce (Scheptsche)

[edit] Slovenia

There is a German-speaking minority in Slovenia of around 1,600 people, centred around Maribor (German: Marburg). They are Austrian in origin, and are unrelated to the other German minorities in Yugoslavia. There is a private school in Maribor where pupils receive all lessons in German.