1.
Serbian Orthodox Church
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The Serbian Orthodox Church is one of the autocephalous Eastern Orthodox Christian churches. It is the second oldest Slavic Orthodox Church in the world, the Serbian Orthodox Church comprises the majority of population in Serbia, Montenegro, and the Republika Srpska entity of Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is organized into metropolises and eparchies located primarily in Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro and Croatia, the Serbian Orthodox Church is an autocephalous, or ecclesiastically independent, member of the Orthodox communion. Serbian Patriarch serves as first among equals in his church, the current patriarch is Irinej, the Church achieved autocephalous status in 1219 under the leadership of St. Sava, becoming independent Archbishopric of Žiča. Its status was elevated to that of a patriarchate in 1346 and this patriarchate was abolished by the Ottoman Turks in 1766. The modern Serbian Orthodox Church was re-established in 1920 after the unification of the Patriarchate of Karlovci, the Metropolitanate of Belgrade, Christianity spread to the Balkans beginning in the 1st century. Florus and Laurus are venerated as Christian martyrs of the 2nd century, Constantine the Great, born in Niš, was the first Christian Roman Emperor. Several bishops seated in what is today Serbia participated in the First Council of Nicaea, in 380, Eastern Roman Emperor Theodosius decreed that his subjects would be Christians according to the Council of Nicea formula. Greek was used in the Byzantine church, while the Roman church used Latin, with the definite split in 395, the line in Europe ran south along the Drina river. Tim Judah says that the Roman split resulted in that Serbs are Orthodox, among old Christian heritage is the Archbishopric of Justiniana Prima, established in 535, which had jurisdiction over the whole of present-day Serbia. However, the Archbishopric did not last, as the Slavs and Avars destroyed the region sometime after 602, in 731 Leo III attached Illyricum and Southern Italy to Patriarch Anastasius of Constantinople, transferring the papal authority to the Eastern Church. Slavs invaded and settled the Balkans in the 6th and 7th centuries, the history of the early medieval Serbian Principality is recorded in the work De Administrando Imperio, compiled by the Byzantine Emperor Constantine VII Porphyrogenitus. The DAI drew information on the Serbs from, among others, the Serbs were said to have received the protection of Emperor Heraclius, and Porphyrogenitus stressed that the Serbs had always been under Imperial rule. The Christianization was due partly to Byzantine and subsequent Bulgarian influence, at least during the rule of Kocel in Pannonia, communications between Serbia and Great Moravia, where Methodius was active, must have been possible. This fact, the pope was presumably aware of, when planning Methodius diocese as well as that of the Dalmatian coast, there is a possibility that some Cyrillomethodian pupils reached Serbia in the 870s, perhaps even sent by Methodius himself. Serbia was accounted Christian as of about 870, the first Serbian bishopric was founded at Ras, near modern Novi Pazar on the Ibar river. According to Vlasto, the affiliation is uncertain, it may have been under the subordination of either Split or Durazzo. The early Ras church can be dated to the 9th–10th century, the names of Serbian rulers through Mutimir are Slavic dithematic names, per the Old Slavic tradition
2.
Kosovo Serbs
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Kosovo Serbs are the largest ethnic minority group in Kosovo, numbering around 150,000 people. By the end of 19th century they were the majority population, Kosovo was the cultural, diplomatic and religious core of the medieval Serbian state. Because of Serbian medieval history and monuments, Kosovo has long called the Serbian Jerusalem. The Medieval Monuments in Kosovo, founded by the Nemanjić dynasty, is a combined World Heritage Site consisting of four Serbian Orthodox Christian churches and monasteries, after centuries of Ottoman rule, Kosovo was annexed by the Kingdom of Serbia in 1912, following the First Balkan War. The formal names for the Serb community in Kosovo is Serbs in Kosovo and Metohija or Serbs of Kosmet, in use by the community itself and they are also referred to as Serbs of Kosovo or Serbs in Kosovo. The term Kosovo Serbs is predominantly used in English and they are known by the demonym Kosovci, though this is properly used for inhabitants of the region of Kosovo, along with Metohijci. Sclaveni raided and settled the western Balkans in the 6th and 7th century, through linguistical studies, it is concluded that the Early South Slavs were made up of a western and eastern branch, of parallel streams, roughly divided in the Timok–Osogovo–Šar line. Parts of northwestern Kosovo were part of the Serbian Principality, in the late 9th century the region was seized by the Bulgar Khanate, while the region switched hands between the Byzantines and Bulgars until the Byzantine restoration of 1018–19. In 1040–41 a massive Slavic rebellion broke out, which included Kosovo, vukan, the new independent Serbian Grand Prince, began raiding Byzantine territories, first in Kosovo, advancing into Macedonia. He broke several peace treaties concluded personally with the Byzantine Emperor at Zvečan and Lipljan, in 1166, a Serbian prince, Stefan Nemanja, the founder of the Nemanjić dynasty, asserted independence after an uprising against the Byzantine Emperor Manuel I Comnenus. Nemanja defeated his brother, Tihomir, at Pantino near Pauni, Nemanja was eventually defeated and had to return some of his conquests, and vouched to the Emperor that he would not raise his hand against him. Nemanjas son, Stefan, ruled a realm reaching the river of Lab in the south, Stefan conquered all of Kosovo by 1208, by which time he had conquered Prizren and Lipljan, and moved the border of his realm to the Šar mountain. In 1217, Stefan was crowned King of Serbs, due to which he is known in historiography as Stefan the First-Crowned, in 1219, the Serbian Church was given autocephaly, with Hvosno, Prizren and Lipljan being the Orthodox Christian eparchies with territory in modern-day Kosovo. By the end of the 13th century, the centre of the Serbian Church was moved to Peć from Žiča. King Stefan Dušan founded the great Monastery of the Holy Archangel near Prizren in 1342–52, the Serbian Kingdom was elevated into an Empire in 1345–46. Stefan Dušan received John VI Kantakuzenos in 1342 at Pauni to discuss an alliance against the Byzantine Emperor, in 1346, the Serbian Archbishopric at Peć was upgraded into a Patriarchate, but it was not recognized before 1375. After the death of Dušan in 1355, the fall of the Serbian Empire began, with feudal disintegration during the reign of his successor, parts of Kosovo became domain of Vukašin Mrnjavčević, but Vojislav Vojinović expanded his demesne further onto Kosovo. The armies of Vukašin from Pristina and his allies defeated Vojislavs forces in 1369, after the Battle of Maritsa on 26 September 1371 in which the Mrnjavčević brothers lost their lives, Đurađ I Balšić of Zeta took Prizren and Peć in 1372. A part of Kosovo became the demesne of the Lazar of Serbia, the Ottoman Empire invaded the realm of Prince Lazar on 28 June 1389, at the Battle of Kosovo near Pristina, at Gazimestan
3.
Serbs in Vojvodina
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The Serbs of Vojvodina are the largest ethnic group in this northern province of Serbia. According to the 2011 census, there were 1,289,635 Serbs in Vojvodina or 66. 76% of the population of the province, before the Roman conquest in the 1st century BC, Illyrian, Thracian and Celtic tribes inhabited the territory of present-day Vojvodina region. During the Roman rule, original inhabitants were heavily Romanized, and it is thought that this original population had not entirely disappeared, leaving certain genetic traces among the modern Serb population of the region. The Slavs settled todays Vojvodina in the 6th and 7th centuries, until the 13th century, the region had dominant Slavic population. In the 9th century the region of present-day Vojvodina was ruled by the two local Bulgaro-Slavic dukes and their names were Salan and Glad. Salan ruled the territory of Bačka, and his city was Titel. The descendant of Glad was Ahtum, another local duke of Banat, the important local Bulgaro-Slavic duke was also Sermon, a vassal of the Bulgarian emperor Samuil, who ruled over Srem in the 11th century. Parts of Vojvodina were conquered by the Kingdom of Hungary between the 10th and 12th centuries and this was followed by the destruction of the local Slavic tribal organization and introduction of the county system of rule. The first known prefect of the Bač county was recorded in 1074 and his name was Vid, during the rule of the Hungarian king Coloman, the local Serb nobles in Bačka were Uroš, Vukan and Pavle. A record from 1309 speak about Schismatics, who lived in Bačka, arsenije I Bogdanović from Srem, the second Serb archbishop after Saint Sava, was born in Srem, in the village Dabar near Slankamen. From 1282 to 1316 Serbian King Stefan Dragutin Nemanjić reigned several lands as a King of Syrmia, the center of his realm was in Lower Syrmia, while he also possibly ruled Upper Syrmia. Stefan Dragutin died in 1316, and was succeeded by his son Vladislav, an increasing number of Serbs began settling in the Vojvodina region from the 14th century onward. By 1483, according to a Hungarian source, as much as half of the population of the Vojvodina territory of the Kingdom of Hungary at the time consisted of Serbs. The Hungarian kings encouraged the immigration of Serbs to the Kingdom, after the Ottoman Empire conquered Serbian Despotate, Serbian titular despots ruled in parts of Vojvodina as vassals of the Hungarian crown. The residence of the despots was Kupinik in Srem, the Serbian despots were, Vuk Grgurević, Đorđe Branković, Jovan Branković, Ivaniš Berislav, Stevan Berislav, Radič Božić, Pavle Bakić and Stefan Štiljanović. The last three did not rule in the territory of present-day Vojvodina, but had possessions in the territories of present-day Romania, Hungary, the Ottoman Empire took control of Vojvodina following the Battle of Mohács of 1526 and the conquest of Banat in 1552. Soon after the Battle of Mohač, Jovan Nenad, a leader of the Serb mercenaries, established his rule in Bačka, northern Banat and he created an ephemeral independent state, with Subotica as its capital. At the pitch of his power, Jovan Nenad proclaimed himself Serbian Emperor in Subotica, taking advantage of the extremely confused military and political situation, the Hungarian noblemen from the region joined forces against him and defeated the Serbian troops in the summer of 1527
4.
Serbs of Bosnia and Herzegovina
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The Serbs of Bosnia and Herzegovina are one of the three constitutive nations of the country, predominantly residing in the political-territorial entity of Republika Srpska. In the other entity Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina Serbs form the majority in Drvar, Glamoč, Bosansko Grahovo and they are frequently referred to as Bosnian Serbs in English, regardless of whether they are from Bosnia or Herzegovina. They are also known by names such as Krajišnici, Semberci, Bosanci, Hercegovci. The 2013 population census registered 1,086,733 Serbs or 30. 8% of the population of Bosnia. Bosnian Serbs are the most territorially widespread nation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, the vast majority live on the territory of the Republika Srpska, where they constitute around 88% of population. The majority of Bosnian Serbs are adherents of the Serbian Orthodox Church, the Serbs of Bosnia and Herzegovina speak the Serbian language in its Ijekavian accent, similar to that of Serbs of Montenegro and Croatia, and also to the language of Bosniaks and Bosnian Croats. Slavs settled the Balkans in the 6th and 7th centuries, according to De Administrando Imperio, the Serbs had settled what is now Bosnia and Herzegovina. They inhabited and ruled Serbia, which included Bosnia, and the principalities of Travunija, Zahumlje and Paganija. Serbia was at the time ruled by the Vlastimirović dynasty, during the rule of Mutimir, the Serbs were Christianized. Prince Petar, defeated Tišemir in Bosnia, annexing the valley of Bosna, Petar took over the Neretva, after which he seems to have come into conflict with Michael, a Bulgarian vassal ruling Zahumlje. Časlav defeated the Magyars on the Drina river banks when protecting Bosnia, however, after his death, Duklja emerged as the most powerful Serb polity, ruled by the Vojislavljević dynasty. Constantine Bodin installed his relative Stefan as Ban of Bosnia, next, the Nemanjić dynasty acquired the rule of the Serbian lands. With the establishment of the autocephalous Serbian Church, Archbishop Sava founded the Metropolitanate of Zahumlje, with the Ottoman conquest of medieval Serbia, there were large migrations towards Bosnia and Herzegovina. The Serb Uprising of 1596–97 was suppressed at Gacko, in 1809, Jančićs Revolt broke out in Gradiška. In 1834, Priest Jovicas Revolt broke out in Gradiška, in 1858, Pecijas First Revolt broke out in Knešpolje. In 1875, the Herzegovina Uprising broke out in the Bosnia Vilayet, on July 2,1876, Golub Babić and his 71 commanders signed the Proclamation of the Unification of Bosnia with Serbia. In 1878, Bosnia and Herzegovina became a protectorate of Austria-Hungary, the first parliamentary elections in Bosnia and Herzegovina were held in 1910, the winner was Serbian National Organization. On June 28,1914, Bosnian Serb Gavrilo Princip made international headlines after assassinating Arch Duke Francis Ferdinand in Sarajevo and this sparked World War I leading to Austria-Hungarys defeat and the incorporation of Bosnia and Herzegovina into the Kingdom of Yugoslavia
5.
Serbs of Montenegro
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Serbs of Montenegro or Montenegrin Serbs, compose the second largest ethnic group in Montenegro, after the Montenegrins. In historiography, the Orthodox people of Montenegro were called Serbs, in the constitutions of the Principality of Montenegro and Kingdom of Montenegro, the Montenegrin peoples ethnonym was Serbs. With the formation of Socialist Yugoslavia, the censuses showed a majority of people declaring as Montenegrins, following the Slavic settlement of the Balkans in the 6th and 7th centuries, several principalities were established in the Western Balkans towards the Adriatic. Duklja, first mentioned in the De Administrando Imperio, was one of the Serbian principalities that came under Byzantine rule in 1018 after Basil IIs conquest of Bulgaria, the Serbs were the Empires most important but insubodinate subjects in the western Balkans. Duklja broke away from Byzantine rule in 1042 under ruler Stefan Vojislav, all of what is today Montenegro came under the rule of Grand Prince Stefan Nemanja, the founder of the Nemanjić dynasty, after 1180. Zeta, formerly known as Duklja, became an important region in the Serbian state. Nevertheless, it remained a land, given to the heir of the monarch. Several monasteries date to this period, such as, Praskvica, Banja, Morača, Vranjina, Montenegro saw independence under the Petrović-Njegoš dynasty, firstly as a principality and then as a kingdom. Both Kingdoms fought together as independent states in the Balkan Wars, the conflict led to the Christmas Uprising, in which the Whites with support from the Serbian army defeated the Greens. During the Second World War both Serbs and Montenegrins were very active in resistance movements, the Yugoslav Partisans and the Yugoslav Army in the Fatherland known as the Chetniks. At the end of the war the socialist Yugoslavia was created and we Montenegrins are the salt of the Serbs. All the strength of the Serbs is not here but their soul is, the country was renamed Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. Montenegro was also included by the sanctions imposed to Serbia during the 1990s. During the 1999 NATO bombing of Yugoslavia both Serbia and Montenegro suffered the attacks of the NATO forces and several targets inside Montenegro were also bombarded. In 2006, six years after the fall of Milošević in 2000, and after insisting on international diplomacy, the former Yugoslavia became known as the state union of Serbia and Montenegro. The process of becoming a state union ironically lead to the separation of the two states - a change which was officiated by the referendum on Montenegrin independence on 21 May 2006. A total of 419,240 votes were cast, representing 86. 5% of the total electorate, of them,230,661 votes or 55. 5% were in favour of independence and 185,002 votes or 44. 5% were against. Since independence, the Montenegrin society has been divided among many issues, the Montenegrin language lacks ISO code, and the Montenegrin Orthodox church is canonically unrecognized
6.
Serbs of Croatia
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The Serbs of Croatia or Croatian Serbs constitute the largest national minority in Croatia. The community is predominantly Eastern Orthodox Christian by religion, as opposed to the Croats who are Roman Catholic, there has been a substantial Serb population in the territory of what is today Croatia since the Early Modern period. Serbs settled in several waves, and they populated the Dalmatian hinterland, Lika, Kordun, Banija, Western Slavonia, Eastern Slavonia. An important part of their identity is the Habsburg military service, the population has been declining sharply since 1991 and the Croatian War, from 12% to 4%. According to the 2011 census there were 186,633 ethnic Serbs living in Croatia,4. 4% of the total population. Their number was reduced by more than two thirds in the aftermath of the 1991–95 War in Croatia as the 1991 pre-war census had reported 581,663 Serbs living in Croatia,12. 2% of the total population. The lands of Pagania, Zachumlia and Travunia were inhabited by Serbs, the event would have taken place during the rule of either Radoslav or his son, Prosigoj. In the 880s, the Serb Prince Mutimir exiled his two brothers due to treachery, but kept his nephew Petar at the court, Petar later fled to the Croatian principality. When Mutimirs son Pribislav had ruled for a year, Petar returned and defeated him, in 894 Bran returned but was defeated and blinded. Pavle, the son of Bran, later returned and defeated Pavle with Bulgarian aid, King Mihailo I built the St. Michaels Church in Ston, which has a fresco depicting him. Beloš Vukanović, a member of the Serb Vukanović dynasty, was given the title of Ban of Croatia by the Kingdom of Hungary and ruled 1142-1158 and briefly in 1163. The first Serbian Orthodox monastery in Croatia, Krupa, was built in 1317 by Stephen Uroš II Milutin of Serbia, other monuments include Krka. Many monasteries and churches were damaged in the War in Croatia, members of the Orlović Serb clan settled in Lika and Senj in 1432, they later joined the Uskoks. On 22 November 1447, the Hungarian King Ladislaus V wrote a letter which mentioned Rascians, as many former inhabitants of the Austrian-Ottoman borderland fled northwards or were captured by the Ottoman invaders, they left unpopulated areas. After the Ottoman capture of Smederevo fortress in 1459 up to 200,000 Orthodox Christians moved into central Slavonia, at the beginning of the 16th century settlements of Orthodox Christians were also established in western Croatia. In the first half of the 16th century Serbs settled Ottoman part of Slavonia while in the part of the 16th century they moved to Austrian part of Slavonia. In 1550 they established the Lepavina Monastery, the Austrian Empire encouraged people from the Ottoman Empire to settle as free peasant soldiers, establishing the Military Frontiers in 1522. They were mostly of Orthodox faith, Serbs and Vlachs, Catholic Vlachs were assimilated into Croats, while the Orthodox, under the Serbian Orthodox Church, identified with Serbs
7.
Serbs of Romania
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The Serbs of Romania are a recognized ethnic minority numbering 18,076 people according to the 2011 census. The community is concentrated in western Romania, in the Romanian part of the Banat region, Slavic presence is attested in Romania since the Early Middle Ages. The Avar Khaganate was the dominant power of the Carpathian Basin between around 567 and 803, most historians agree that Slavs and Bulgars, together with the remnants of the Avars, and possibly with Vlachs, inhabited the Banat region after the fall of the khaganate. Place names of Slavic origin recorded already in the Middle Ages show the presence of a Slavic-speaking population. From the late 14th- to the beginning of the 16th century a number of Serbs lived in Wallachia and Moldavia. Following Ottoman expansion in the 15th century, Serb mass migrations ensued into Pannonia, in the Ottoman period, some thirty Serbian Orthodox monasteries were built in the territory of Romania. The Serbian Uprising in Banat included territories part of modern Romania, there were reprisals, contemporary sources speaking of the living envied the dead. The Great Migrations of the Serbs in 1690 and 1737–39 led to settlement of Serbs. According to the 2011 census, there was 18,076 people of the Serb minority, in Caraș-Severin County, the Serbs constitute an absolute majority in the commune of Pojejena and a plurality in the commune of Socol. Serbs also constitute absolute majority in the municipality of Svinița in the Mehedinți County, the region where these three municipalities are located is known as Clisura Dunării in Romanian or Banatska Klisura in Serbian. The following localities had a Serb population greater than 1% according to the 2011 census, Serbian placenames are included in brackets. List of Serbian Orthodox monasteries in Romania, Sveti Đurađ monastery, according to the legend, it was founded in 1485 by the Serbian despot, Jovan Branković. It was rebuilt in the 18th century and it was founded in the 15th century. Bazjaš monastery, built 1225 Bezdin monastery, the St. Peter and Paul Serbian Church, raised in 1698-1702 in Arad, early Baroque architecture Jovan Nenad, Hungarian general and self-proclaimed emperor, born in Lipova. Đorđe Branković, Transylvanian count, born in Ineu, dositej Obradović, Serbian writer and translator, born in Ciacova. Stevan Aleksic, Serbian painter, born in Arad, alexandru Macedonski, Romanian poet, novelist, and literary critic, paternal Serb descent. Ivan Tabaković, Yugoslav painter, born in Arad, emil Petrovici, Romanian linguist, born in Serbia. Ion Ivanovici Romanian military band leader and composer, andrei Ivanovitch an international classical pianist and winner of a number of international competitions
8.
Serbs in Hungary
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The Serbs in Hungary are recognized as an ethnic minority, numbering 7,210 people or 0. 1% of the total population. The number of Serbs in Hungary has drastically diminished, in the 16th, 17th and 18th centuries large Serb communities existed throughout Hungary, notably in Buda, Baja, Szentendre and Szeged. The Serb community in the territory of present-day Hungary has its origin in migrations from the territory of medieval Serbian states during and after the Ottoman conquest of these states. Matthias Corvinus and his successors are known to have welcomed Serbs from the side of the Danube, giving the exiled military commanders fiefdoms to rule. The presence of Serbs in the territory of present-day Hungary date from the Middle Ages, the mother of the Hungarian king Géza II was Helena of Raška, a daughter of the great župan of Raška, Uroš I. During the rule of Géza II, her brother Beloš Vukanović was a palatine of the Kingdom of Hungary, since the 14th century, escaping from the Ottoman threat, a large number of Serbs migrated to the Kingdom of Hungary where many of them served as soldiers. After the Battle of Mohács in 1526, much of the territory of present-day Hungary came under Ottoman administration, during Ottoman administration towns in the territory of present-day Hungary began decaying and the former Hungarian and German population left them. In that time, especially in the 17th century, many Serb and it is interesting that most of the Ottoman soldiers in the territory of present-day Hungary were South Slavs. After territory of present-day Hungary came under Habsburg administration, a new wave of Serb refugees migrated to the area in 1690, as a consequence of the Habsburg-Ottoman war. In the first half of the 18th century, Serbs and South Slavs were ethnic majority in several cities in the territory of present-day Hungary, including Buda, Szentendre, Baja, Pécs, Szeged, after the devastating Ottoman wars these cities had a very low population. In 1698, more than a half of population of Pécs were South Slavs, in 1715, the population of Buda numbered 1,539 houses, of which 769 were South Slavic,701 German, and 68 Hungarian. In 1715, the population of Baja numbered 237 houses, of which 216 were South Slavic,16 Hungarian, in 1720, 88% of population of Szentendre were South Slavs. In 1720, the population of Szeged numbered 193 houses, of which 99 were Serb, during the 18th and 19th century, the Hungarian-Serb ethnic border moved southward and fixed in the territory of present-day Vojvodina. The Treaty of Trianon from 1920 defined the border between Hungary and the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes and assigned most of Baranya, as a response to this, a short-lived Serb-Hungarian Baranya-Baja Republic was formed in this area in 1921. The president of the republic was Serb, Petar Dobrović, after the Serb-Croat-Slovene army evacuated the territory of the Baranya-Baja Republic the two countries signed a citizenship treaty. According to that treaty, members of the Serb minority in Hungary gained right to opt for citizenship of the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats, about two-thirds of the Serbs left Hungary in the following decade. Almost the whole Serb population of Sárok, Deszk, Újszentiván, Szőreg, Majs, in 1910,26,248 people in the territory of present-day Hungary spoke Serbian language. In 1920, number of Serbian speakers was 17,132, in 19307,031, in 19415,442, in 197011,177, in 19803,426, in 19902,953,20013,388 and in 20113,708
9.
Serbs in Austria
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The Serbs in Austria are the second largest ethnic minority group in Austria, after Germans. The first wave of Serbs to Austria began in the early 19th century, Serb immigration to Austria is still active today due to economic and familial factors. Like in most Western European countries, the Serb community in Austria consists mainly of Serbs from Serbia and Bosnia, according to the 2014 census, there were 132,553 Austrian citizens who declared Serbian as their native language. The real number of ethnic Serbs in Austria is estimated to be much higher – e. g. the membership of Serbische Gemeinschaft in Österreich, the common estimation is a total of 300,000. The Österreichisch Serbische Gesellschaft was founded in 1936 as Österreichisch-Jugoslawischen Gesellschaft, Serbs were a notable minority of the Habsburg Monarchy, having settled Central Europe following the Ottoman conquest of Serbia. The Serbs with the aid of Austrian troops occupied Serbia in 1686–91, established the Kingdom of Serbia, and occupied it again in 1788–92
10.
Swedish Serbs
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Serbs began migrating to Sweden in large numbers in the 1960s, as part of the migrant work-agreement signed with the Yugoslav government to help Sweden overcome its severe labour shortage. The Yugoslav wars saw another influx of Serbs, the Serbs in Sweden are one of the largest Serb diaspora communities. Serbs constituted a low percentage of the Swedish population prior to the 1960s, some came after World War II, mostly seeking political asylum. During the 1960s and 1970s, agreements were signed with the government 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 Kosovo Serbs came during the Kosovo war in 1999, the Swedish census data includes country of birth, but does not include ethnicity, descendants or naturalized people, thus, the total number of ethnic Serbs in Sweden is hard to define. Various estimations include,80,000,110,000,120,000, the Serbs in Sweden are bilingual. The Serbian language is a contributor to the so-called Rinkeby Swedish. In 1972 the first Serbian Orthodox parish was formed in Västerås, prior to the forming the Serbs were headed by Swedish Orthodox priest Christofer Klasson, later, the same year a parish was formed in Malmö and in 1973 one in Stockholm. Later, parishes have formed in Göteborg, Jönköping, Helsingborg. 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 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. Swedish Serbs have been successful in sports, among most notable are The Stockholm Eagles is a Serbian-Swedish basketball team that has become very successful since its establishment in 2007. They won the Swedish second league back to back 2011 and 2012 and became the only team in Sweden to win 34 victories in a row
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