Baranya or
Baranja is a geographical region between the
DanubeThe Danube is a river in the Central Europe and the Europe's second longest river after the Volga. It is classified as an international waterway....
and the
DravaDrava or Drave is a river in southern Central Europe, a tributary of the Danube. It sources in Toblach/Dobbiaco, Italy, and flows east through East Tirol and Carinthia in Austria, into Slovenia , and then southeast, passing through Croatia and forming most of the border between Croatia and...
rivers. Its territory is divided between
HungaryHungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
and
CroatiaCroatia , officially the Republic of Croatia , is a unitary democratic parliamentary republic in Europe at the crossroads of the Mitteleuropa, the Balkans, and the Mediterranean. Its capital and largest city is Zagreb. The country is divided into 20 counties and the city of Zagreb. Croatia covers ...
. In Hungary, the region is included into
BaranyaBaranya is the name of an administrative county in present Hungary, in the Baranya region, and also in the former Kingdom of Hungary ....
county, while in Croatia, it is included into
Osijek-Baranja countyOsijek-Baranja county is a county in Croatia, located in northeastern Slavonia and Baranja. Its center is Osijek; other cities include Đakovo, Našice, Valpovo, Belišće, Beli Manastir.-Administrative divisions:Osijek-Baranja county is divided into:...
.
Name
The name of the region come from the
SlavicThe Slavic languages , a group of closely related languages of the Slavic peoples and a subgroup of Indo-European languages, have speakers in most of Eastern Europe, in much of the Balkans, in parts of Central Europe, and in the northern part of Asia.-Branches:Scholars traditionally divide Slavic...
word 'bara', which means 'swamp', thus the name of Baranya means 'a swamp land'. Even today large parts of the region are swamps, such as the natural reservation
Kopački RitKopački Rit , is a nature park in eastern Croatia. It is located northwest of the confluence of the Drava and the Danube, situated at the border with Serbia. It comprises many backwaters and ponds along the Danube...
in its southeast. Another theory states that the name of the region come from the Hungarian word 'bárány', which means 'lamb'.
History
During the history, the region of Baranya was part of the
Roman EmpireThe Roman Empire was the post-Republican period of the ancient Roman civilization, characterised by an autocratic form of government and large territorial holdings in Europe and around the Mediterranean....
, the
Hunnic EmpireThe Huns were a group of nomadic people who, appearing from east of the Volga River, migrated into Europe c. AD 370 and established the vast Hunnic Empire there. Since de Guignes linked them with the Xiongnu, who had been northern neighbours of China 300 years prior to the emergence of the Huns,...
, the Kingdom of the Ostrogoths, the Kingdom of the
LombardsThe Lombards , also referred to as Longobards, were a Germanic tribe of Scandinavian origin, who from 568 to 774 ruled a Kingdom in Italy...
, the
Avar KingdomThe Eurasian Avars or Ancient Avars were a highly organized nomadic confederacy of mixed origins. They were ruled by a khagan, who was surrounded by a tight-knit entourage of nomad warriors, an organization characteristic of Turko-Mongol groups...
, the
Frankish EmpireFrancia or Frankia, later also called the Frankish Empire , Frankish Kingdom , Frankish Realm or occasionally Frankland, was the territory inhabited and ruled by the Franks from the 3rd to the 10th century...
, the
Balaton PrincipalityThe Principality of Lower Pannonia was a Slavic principality located in the western part of the Pannonian plain, between the rivers Danube to its east The Principality of Lower Pannonia (also called Pannonia, Lower Pannonia, Pannonian Principality, Transdanubian Principality, Slavic Pannonian...
, the
Bulgarian EmpireBulgarian Empire is a term used to describe two periods in the medieval history of Bulgaria, during which it acted as a key regional power in Europe in general and in Southeastern Europe in particular, rivalling Byzantium...
, the
Kingdom of HungaryThe Kingdom of Hungary comprised present-day Hungary, Slovakia and Croatia , Transylvania , Carpatho Ruthenia , Vojvodina , Burgenland , and other smaller territories surrounding present-day Hungary's borders...
, the
Ottoman EmpireThe Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
, the
Habsburg MonarchyThe 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...
, the
Austrian EmpireThe Austrian Empire was a modern era successor empire, which was centered on what is today's Austria and which officially lasted from 1804 to 1867. It was followed by the Empire of Austria-Hungary, whose proclamation was a diplomatic move that elevated Hungary's status within the Austrian Empire...
and the
Austria-HungaryAustria-Hungary , more formally known as the Kingdoms and Lands Represented in the Imperial Council and the Lands of the Holy Hungarian Crown of Saint Stephen, was a constitutional monarchic union between the crowns of the Austrian Empire and the Kingdom of Hungary in...
. Since 1918/1921, the region was divided between
HungaryHungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
and the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes (later known as
YugoslaviaYugoslavia refers to three political entities that existed successively on the western part of the Balkans during most of the 20th century....
).
The region of Baranya was settled by the Slavs in the 6th century, and in the 9th century, it was part of the Slavic
Balaton PrincipalityThe Principality of Lower Pannonia was a Slavic principality located in the western part of the Pannonian plain, between the rivers Danube to its east The Principality of Lower Pannonia (also called Pannonia, Lower Pannonia, Pannonian Principality, Transdanubian Principality, Slavic Pannonian...
. Hungarians arrived to the area in the 9th century, and Baranya county arose as one of the first comitatus of the
Kingdom of HungaryThe Kingdom of Hungary comprised present-day Hungary, Slovakia and Croatia , Transylvania , Carpatho Ruthenia , Vojvodina , Burgenland , and other smaller territories surrounding present-day Hungary's borders...
, in the 11th century. This county included not only present-day region of Baranya, but also one part of present-day
SlavoniaSlavonia is a geographical and historical region in eastern Croatia...
, on the southern side of the river
DravaDrava or Drave is a river in southern Central Europe, a tributary of the Danube. It sources in Toblach/Dobbiaco, Italy, and flows east through East Tirol and Carinthia in Austria, into Slovenia , and then southeast, passing through Croatia and forming most of the border between Croatia and...
. In the 16th century, the
Ottoman EmpireThe Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
captured Baranya, and included it into the
sanjakSanjaks were administrative divisions of the Ottoman Empire. Sanjak, and the variant spellings sandjak, sanjaq, and sinjaq, are English transliterations of the Turkish word sancak, meaning district, banner, or flag...
of
MohácsMohács is a town in Baranya county, Hungary on the right bank of the Danube.-History:Two famous battles took place there:# Battle of Mohács, 1526# Battle of Mohács, 1687...
, an Ottoman administrative unit, with the seat in the town of
MohácsMohács is a town in Baranya county, Hungary on the right bank of the Danube.-History:Two famous battles took place there:# Battle of Mohács, 1526# Battle of Mohács, 1687...
.
In the end of the 17th century, Baranya was captured by
Habsburg MonarchyThe 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 was included into restored Baranya County within the
Habsburg Kingdom of HungaryThe Kingdom of Hungary comprised present-day Hungary, Slovakia and Croatia , Transylvania , Carpatho Ruthenia , Vojvodina , Burgenland , and other smaller territories surrounding present-day Hungary's borders...
. In 1848, the proclaimed borders of
Serbian VojvodinaThe Serbian Vojvodina was a Serbian autonomous region within the Austrian Empire...
included Baranya, but the
SerbianThe 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...
troops did not manage to take control of the region. In 1918, the entire region was captured by Serbian troops and was administered by the newly created Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes (later known as Yugoslavia). For a short time (in 1918-1919), Baranya was part of
Banat, Bačka and BaranjaBanat, Bačka and Baranja was a de facto province of the Kingdom of Serbia and the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes between October 1918 and March 1919...
region, which was governed by the People's Administration from
Novi SadNovi Sad is the capital of the northern Serbian province of Vojvodina, and the administrative centre of the South Bačka District. The city is located in the southern part of Pannonian Plain on the Danube river....
. By the
Treaty of TrianonThe Treaty of Trianon was the peace agreement signed in 1920, at the end of World War I, between the Allies of World War I and Hungary . The treaty greatly redefined and reduced Hungary's borders. From its borders before World War I, it lost 72% of its territory, which was reduced from to...
(part of the Versailles peace) in 1920, the Baranya region was formally divided between Hungary and the Yugoslavia, but de facto remained under the administration of the latter until 1921.
On August 14, 1921, the Serb-Hungarian
Baranya-Baja RepublicThe Serb-Hungarian Baranya-Baja Republic was a short-lived, Soviet-oriented mini-state, proclaimed in Pécs on 14 August 1921, on occupied Hungarian territory during the peacemaking aftermath of the first World War, tolerated and fostered by...
was proclaimed. It included northern parts of Baranya and
BačkaBačka is a geographical area within the Pannonian plain bordered by the river Danube to the west and south, and by the river Tisza to the east of which confluence is located near Titel...
regions, which were assigned to Hungary by the treaty. The republic was led by the President of the Executive Committee
Petar DobrovićPetar Dobrović was a famous Serbian painter and politician born in Hungary.A proponent of Serbian colorism, he was known for portraits and landscapes...
(14–25 August 1921). On August 21–25, 1921, the Republic was abolished and its territory was included into Hungary (represented by Hungarian Commissioner Károly Soós Bádoki), as was previously decided by the Treaty of Trianon. The northern part of Baranya in Hungary was included into Baranya county. The southern (Yugoslav) part of the region was part of Novi Sad county between 1918 and 1922, part of Bačka oblast between 1922 and 1929, and in 1929 it was included into the
Danube BanovinaThe Danube Banovina or Danube Banate was a province of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia between 1929 and 1941. This province consisted of the geographical regions of Syrmia, Bačka, Banat, Baranja, Šumadija, and Braničevo. The capital city of the Danube Banovina was Novi Sad...
, a province of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia. In 1941, the
Yugoslav Baranya was occupied by HungaryThe Hungarian occupation of Bačka and Baranja regions of Yugoslavia lasted from 1941 to 1944. It began on 11 April 1941 with the deployment of 80,000 troops. The Hungarian Third Army met no resistance. However, the local Volksdeutsche minority, which was mostly pro-Nazi oriented, had already...
, but it was returned to Yugoslavia in 1944.
In 1944-1945, Yugoslav Baranya was part of
VojvodinaVojvodina, officially called Autonomous Province of Vojvodina is an autonomous province of Serbia. Its capital and largest city is Novi Sad...
, while in 1945 it was assigned to the People's Republic of Croatia. During the War in Croatia in 1991 it came under control of the SAO
Eastern Slavonia, Baranja and Western SremEastern Slavonia, Baranja and Western Syrmia was a self-proclaimed Serb political entity in eastern Croatia, established during Yugoslav wars. Eastern Slavonia, Baranja and Western Syrmia was one of three SAO Krajina proclaimed at the territory of Socialist Republic of Croatia and last and the...
, which became part of the
Republic of Serbian KrajinaThe Republic of Serbian Krajina was a self-proclaimed Serb entity within Croatia. Established in 1991, it was not recognized internationally. It formally existed from 1991 to 1995, having been initiated a year earlier via smaller separatist regions. The name Krajina means "frontier"...
. After the war ended (in 1995), it was peacefully integrated into Croatia in 1998, by the
Erdut AgreementThe Erdut Agreement , officially the Basic Agreement on the Region of Eastern Slavonia, Baranja and Western Sirmium, was the agreement reached on November 12, 1995 between the authorities of the Republic of Croatia and the local Serb authorities of the Eastern Slavonia, Baranja and Western Syrmia...
. According to the agreement, it was administered by the administration of the United Nations from 1996 to 1998, when it was returned to full sovereignty of Croatia. Today, it is part of that republic's
Osijek-Baranja countyOsijek-Baranja county is a county in Croatia, located in northeastern Slavonia and Baranja. Its center is Osijek; other cities include Đakovo, Našice, Valpovo, Belišće, Beli Manastir.-Administrative divisions:Osijek-Baranja county is divided into:...
.
Hungarian Baranya
Some of the important cities and towns in the Hungarian Baranya (with population figures from 2001 census):
- Pécs
Pécs is the fifth largest city of Hungary, located on the slopes of the Mecsek mountains in the south-west of the country, close to its border with Croatia. It is the administrative and economical centre of Baranya county...
(158,942)
- Komló
Komló is a town in Baranya county, Hungary. The name of the settlement is derived from the local crop of hops , an ingredient of beer. By the 18th century a depiction of this plant running up a support already featured on the herald of the town....
(27,462)
- Mohács
Mohács is a town in Baranya county, Hungary on the right bank of the Danube.-History:Two famous battles took place there:# Battle of Mohács, 1526# Battle of Mohács, 1687...
(19,085)
- Szigetvár
-History:The town's fortress was the setting of the Battle of Szigetvár in 1566. It was a sanjak centre at first in Budin Province , later in Kanije Province .There was already a bum in the marshland back in the Celtic and Roman times...
(11,492)
- Siklós
Siklós is a town in Baranya county, Hungary. It is located around .-Notable people:* George Mikes , Hungarian-born British author most famous for his humorous commentaries on various countries....
(10,384)
- Szentlőrinc
Szentlőrinc is a town in Baranya county, Hungary....
(7,265)
- Pécsvárad
-Sightseeings:Among the most significant Hungarian heritage from the Middle Ages is the castle built on a Benedictine monastery commissioned by King St Stephen. The building complex is now used as a museum and a hotel.-External links:*...
(4,104)
- Bóly
Bóly is a town in Baranya county, Hungary....
(3,715)
- Sásd
Sásd is a town in Baranya county, Hungary....
(3,570)
- Harkány
Harkány is a town in Baranya county, Hungary.-History:The area has been inhabited since medieval times, the name Nagh Harkan was mentioned in a document from the year 1323...
(3,519)
- Sellye
Sellye is a town in Baranya county, Hungary. It is the centre of the Ormánság, a region located in the southern part of Baranya county....
(3,248)
- Villány
Villány is a town in Baranya county, Hungary that is famous for its wine.-Etymology:The name derives from the Hungarian word for lightning, villám...
(2,793)
Croatian Baranja
Municipalities in Croatian Baranja (with population figures from 2001 census):
http://www.dzs.hr/Hrv/censuses/Census2001/Popis/H01_02_02/H01_02_02_zup14.html
- Beli Manastir
Beli Manastir is a town and municipality in eastern Croatia, the principal town of the Croatian part of Baranja, in the Osijek-Baranja county.-Name:...
(10,986)
- Darda
Darda is a village and a municipality just north of Osijek, Croatia, across the Drava river in Baranja. The population is 7,062 people.-Geography:The municipality of Darda includes following settlements:...
(7,062)
- Bilje
Bilje is a village and municipality on the outskirts of nature park Kopački Rit in the region of Baranja, Osijek-Baranja County, Croatia, situated 8 km northeast of Osijek.-Geography:...
(5,480)
- Kneževi Vinogradi
Kneževi Vinogradi is a village and municipality in Croatia. It is situated in the Osijek-Baranja County, on the southern slopes of Bansko Brdo, 11 km southeast of Beli Manastir. Its elevation is 103 m...
(5,186)
- Draž
- External links :* * http://www.tzbaranje.hr/hr/odredista/draz/ * http://www.zbirka-draz.net/...
(3,356)
- Čeminac
Čeminac is a village and municipality in Osijek-Baranja county, Croatia. There are 2,856 inhabitants in the municipality.-Geography:Čeminac is located in the central part of Croatian Baranja and it is surrounded by the municipalities of: Jagodnjak, Beli Manastir, Kneževi Vinogradi, Bilje, and...
(2,856)
- Petlovac
Petlovac is a village and municipality in the western part of Baranja, which comprise the northern part of Osijek-Baranja County in Croatia.-Demographics:Municipality of Petlovac has 2,743 inhabitants , including: *71.35% Croats...
(2,743)
- Jagodnjak
Jagodnjak is a village and a municipality in the Osijek-Baranja County, Croatia. Jagodnjak development index is less than 50% of the Croatian average, which classifies them into 10% of the poorest municipalities...
(2,537)
- Popovac
Popovac is a village and municipality in Osijek-Baranja County, Croatia. There are 2,427 inhabitants in the municipality.-Name:Its name derived from the Slavic word "pop"...
(2,427)
The main settlement in the Croatian Baranja is
Beli ManastirBeli Manastir is a town and municipality in eastern Croatia, the principal town of the Croatian part of Baranja, in the Osijek-Baranja county.-Name:...
with a population of 8,671 (2001 census). Most of the municipalities in Croatian Baranja has a
CroatCroats are a South Slavic ethnic group mostly living in Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and nearby countries. There are around 4 million Croats living inside Croatia and up to 4.5 million throughout the rest of the world. Responding to political, social and economic pressure, many Croats have...
ethnic majority. The municipality of
JagodnjakJagodnjak is a village and a municipality in the Osijek-Baranja County, Croatia. Jagodnjak development index is less than 50% of the Croatian average, which classifies them into 10% of the poorest municipalities...
has a
SerbThe 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...
ethnic majority and the municipality of
Kneževi VinogradiKneževi Vinogradi is a village and municipality in Croatia. It is situated in the Osijek-Baranja County, on the southern slopes of Bansko Brdo, 11 km southeast of Beli Manastir. Its elevation is 103 m...
has a Hungarian relative majority.
Historical Baranya
According to the census of 1910, the whole Baranya region (Baranya county) had 352,478 inhabitants. Population by language (1910 census):
- Hungarian
Hungarian is a Uralic language, part of the Ugric group. With some 14 million speakers, it is one of the most widely spoken non-Indo-European languages in Europe....
= 199,659 (56.64%)
- German
German is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
= 112,297 (31.86%)
- Serbian
Serbian is a form of Serbo-Croatian, a South Slavic language, spoken by Serbs in Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Croatia and neighbouring countries....
= 13,048 (3.70%)
- Croatian
Croatian is the collective name for the standard language and dialects spoken by Croats, principally in Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Serbian province of Vojvodina and other neighbouring countries...
= 10,159 (2.88%)
Hungarian Baranya
In 2001, the population of Hungarian Baranya (Baranya county) numbered 407,448 inhabitants, including:
http://www.nepszamlalas.hu/eng/volumes/06/00/tabeng/4/load01_11_0.html
- Hungarians = 375,611 (92.19%)
- Germans
The Germans are a Germanic ethnic group native to Central Europe. The English term Germans has referred to the German-speaking population of the Holy Roman Empire since the Late Middle Ages....
= 22,720 (5.58%)
- Roma = 10,623 (2.61%)
- Croats
Croats are a South Slavic ethnic group mostly living in Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and nearby countries. There are around 4 million Croats living inside Croatia and up to 4.5 million throughout the rest of the world. Responding to political, social and economic pressure, many Croats have...
= 7,294 (1.79%)
- others.
Croatian Baranja
In 2001, the population of Croatian Baranja numbered 42,633 inhabitants, including:
http://www.dzs.hr/Hrv/censuses/Census2001/Popis/H01_02_02/H01_02_02_zup14.html
- Croats
Croats are a South Slavic ethnic group mostly living in Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and nearby countries. There are around 4 million Croats living inside Croatia and up to 4.5 million throughout the rest of the world. Responding to political, social and economic pressure, many Croats have...
= 23,693 (55.57%)
- 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...
= 8,592 (20.15%)
- Hungarians = 7,114 (16.69%)
- others.
See also
- Baranya (historic county)
- Baranya (county)
Baranya is the name of an administrative county in present Hungary, in the Baranya region, and also in the former Kingdom of Hungary ....
- Osijek-Baranja county
Osijek-Baranja county is a county in Croatia, located in northeastern Slavonia and Baranja. Its center is Osijek; other cities include Đakovo, Našice, Valpovo, Belišće, Beli Manastir.-Administrative divisions:Osijek-Baranja county is divided into:...
- Srem-Baranja Oblast
- Baranya-Baja Republic
The Serb-Hungarian Baranya-Baja Republic was a short-lived, Soviet-oriented mini-state, proclaimed in Pécs on 14 August 1921, on occupied Hungarian territory during the peacemaking aftermath of the first World War, tolerated and fostered by...
Sources and references
External links