| Srpska Crnja Српска Црња |
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| Settlement | ||
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| Country | Serbia | |
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| District | Central Banat | |
| Municipality | Nova Crnja | |
| Coordinates | ||
| Population | 4,383 (2002) | |
| Postal code | 23220 | |
| Area code | +381 23 | |
| Car plates | ZR | |
Srpska Crnja (Serbian Cyrillic: Српска Црња) is a town in Serbia, situated in central-east Banat alongside the border with Romania. It is located in Nova Crnja municipality, Central Banat District, Province of Vojvodina. It is about 150 km away from the capital city of Belgrade, 113 km from Novi Sad, 9 km south-east of Kikinda and 6 km south-west of Jimbolia, Romania. The town has a population of 4,383 people (2002 census) and most of its inhabitants are ethnic Serbs.
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Srpska Crnja is a very old settlement. The first historical records mentioning the town are from 1373, and the first time it appeared on a map was in 1723. The famous poet and artist Đura Jakšić was born and grew up in the town. Srpska Crnja has been also referred to as Deutsch-Zerne prior to 1944, referring to the western part of town where the population consisted mostly of ethnic Germans. Crnja, basically existed for two centuries as a twin-town—Srpska Crnja + Deutsch-Zerne (also known as Deutsch-Tschernja)
It is important to point out a number of other historical facts about the history of Deutsch-Zerne and Srpska Crnja, namely:
Under Austrian Empress Maria Theresia, and after Prince Eugene of Savoy expelled the Turks out of Serbia and Belgrade, the Banat region became a Crownland of Austria. Ethnic Germans, who founded Deutsch-Zerne (which adjoined Srpska Crnja) immigrated to the region in 1782. Eventually the German paopulation of Deutsch-Zerne increased and by 1944 had reached over 3,000 people.
In the aftermath of the second World War, and after Partisans gained control of the area in October 1944, a large number of the German-speaking male population were brutally murdered and buried in mass graves in the former Roma area outside Deutsch-Zerne. This fact is documented in several books and publications and readily available in most public libraries worldwide.
Likewise woman between the ages 20 and 35 were rounded up and sent to forced labor camps in Siberia. Once again this is a well-documented, and survivors exist to document this fact of history.
The rest of the ethnic Germans, mostly older women and young children, were send to labor camps in Molidorf, Gackovo, etc. where hundreds died due to malnutrition and sickness. The remaining were eventually became refugees and settled in Austria, Germany, or emigrated to the U.S.A and Australia.
Today Crnja's ethnic makeup is essentially 85% Serbian, and 105 Roma and no historic pointer aside from the Catholic church, the cemetery and most of the towns original buildings. The former railroad link to other towns is no longer in existence. Very little reminds visitors today that this was once a growing, healthy, and productive agricultural town and region (i.e known as the "foodbasket of Europe") supplying and exporting products to the rest of Europe.
As a result of the current dismal economic situation in the Banat region, a good number of Serbs are now going to Austria and Germany to find jobs. We consider that a great irony of history.
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