hu, Szeghegy
german: Sekitsch , native_name = , nickname = , settlement_type =

Village A village is a clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet but smaller than a town (although the word is often used to describe both hamlets and smaller towns), with a population typically ranging from a few hundred ...

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Province A province is almost always an administrative division within a country or state. The term derives from the ancient Roman '' provincia'', which was the major territorial and administrative unit of the Roman Empire's territorial possessions ou ...

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District A district is a type of administrative division that, in some countries, is managed by the local government. Across the world, areas known as "districts" vary greatly in size, spanning regions or county, counties, several municipality, municipa ...

, subdivision_name2 = North Bačka , subdivision_type3 =

Municipality A municipality is usually a single administrative division having corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate. The term ''municipality'' may also mean the go ...

, subdivision_name3 = , government_footnotes = , government_type = Council , leader_title = President , leader_name = Tatjana Roganović , established_title = Founded , established_date = 1786 , area_magnitude = , unit_pref = Metric , area_footnotes = , area_total_km2 = 38.3 , area_land_km2 = , population_as_of = 2011 , population_footnotes = , population_note = , population_total = 3161 , population_density_km2 = auto , timezone =

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CEST CEST or cest may refer to: * Central European Summer Time (UTC+2), daylight saving time observed in the central European time zone * Cognitive-Experiential Self-Theory * Chemical Exchange Saturation Transfer, a subset of Magnetization transfer in ...

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Lovćenac ( sr-cyr, Ловћенац) is a village located in the

Mali Iđoš Mali Iđoš ( sr-cyrl, Мали Иђош, ; hu, Kishegyes, ) is a village and municipality located in the North Bačka District of the autonomous province Vojvodina, Serbia. The municipality comprises three local communities and has a population ...

municipality, in the

North Bačka District The North Bačka District ( sr, Севернобачки округ, Severnobački okrug, ; hu, Észak-bácskai körzet) is one of seven administrative districts of the autonomous province of Vojvodina, Serbia. It lies in the Bačka geographi ...

Vojvodina Vojvodina ( sr-Cyrl, Војводина}), officially the Autonomous Province of Vojvodina, is an autonomous province that occupies the northernmost part of Serbia. It lies within the Pannonian Basin, bordered to the south by the national capital ...

Serbia Serbia (, ; Serbian: , , ), officially the Republic of Serbia (Serbian: , , ), is a landlocked country in Southeastern and Central Europe, situated at the crossroads of the Pannonian Basin and the Balkans. It shares land borders with Hungar ...

. The village is known as the ''de facto'' capital of Montenegrins in Serbia, and has a total population of 3,161 people (2011 census).

Name

In Serbian, the village is known as ''Lovćenac'' (Ловћенац), in

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) ** Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ge ...

as ''Sekitsch'' (in the past rarely ''Winkelsberg''), and in Hungarian as ''Szeghegy''. Its former name in Serbian was ''Sekić'' (Секић). After the World War II, the village was named ''Lovćenac'' by the Montenegrin settlers after

Mount Lovćen Mount is often used as part of the name of specific mountains, e.g. Mount Everest. Mount or Mounts may also refer to: Places * Mount, Cornwall, a village in Warleggan parish, England * Mount, Perranzabuloe, a hamlet in Perranzabuloe parish, C ...

Montenegro ) , image_map = Europe-Montenegro.svg , map_caption = , image_map2 = , capital = Podgorica , coordinates = , largest_city = capital , official_languages = M ...

. The original Hungarian name of the village was ''Szeghegy'', but Hungarians also used Serbian version of the name in the forms ''Szikics'' and ''Szekics'', as well as Germans in the form ''Sekitsch''. One very rare alternative German name was ''Winkelsberg''.

History

After years of Ottoman-Hubsburg conflicts a policy of repopulation of the devastated

Pannonian Basin The Pannonian Basin, or Carpathian Basin, is a large basin situated in south-east Central Europe. The geomorphological term Pannonian Plain is more widely used for roughly the same region though with a somewhat different sense, with only th ...

was pursued during the reign of Maria Theresa and

Joseph II Joseph II (German: Josef Benedikt Anton Michael Adam; English: ''Joseph Benedict Anthony Michael Adam''; 13 March 1741 – 20 February 1790) was Holy Roman Emperor from August 1765 and sole ruler of the Habsburg lands from November 29, 1780 un ...

. Ethnic

(predominantly

Protestant Protestantism is a branch of Christianity that follows the theological tenets of the Protestant Reformation, a movement that began seeking to reform the Catholic Church from within in the 16th century against what its followers perceived to b ...

) colonists known as

Danube Swabians The Danube Swabians (german: Donauschwaben ) is a collective term for the ethnic German-speaking population who lived in various countries of central-eastern Europe, especially in the Danube River valley, first in the 12th century, and in grea ...

(

: ''Donauschwaben'') settled the

Bačka Bačka ( sr-cyrl, Бачка, ) or Bácska () is a geographical and historical area within the Pannonian Plain bordered by the river Danube to the west and south, and by the river Tisza to the east. It is divided between Serbia and Hunga ...

region, establishing the village Sekitsch in 1786. The economy and life of the village generally consisted of farming, trading, livestock breeding, viticulture and brewing. In 1849 the

Battle of Hegyes The Battle of Kishegyes (now Mali Iđoš, Vojvodina, Serbia) was a battle in the Hungarian Revolution of 1848, fought from 11 to 15 July 1849 between the Hungarian Revolutionary Army under the command of Antal Vetter and Richard Guyon and the Hab ...

(occasionally known as ''Szeghegy)'' was fought on the outskirts of the village as part of the Hungarian revolution, and war of independence. Following

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

and the collapse of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, Sekitsch became part of the

Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes Kingdom commonly refers to: * A monarchy ruled by a king or queen * Kingdom (biology), a category in biological taxonomy Kingdom may also refer to: Arts and media Television * ''Kingdom'' (British TV series), a 2007 British television drama s ...

(later renamed Yugoslavia). This political shift caused ethnic Germans to become one of the largest minorities in

, numbering approximately 330,000 people, or almost 5% of the total Yugoslav population. In 1936 the Summer Olympics torch relay passes through Sekitsch. During the April War of 1941 Hungarian troops entered Sekitsch, subsequently annexing the Bačka to the

Kingdom of Hungary The Kingdom of Hungary was a monarchy in Central Europe that existed for nearly a millennium, from the Middle Ages into the 20th century. The Principality of Hungary emerged as a Christian kingdom upon the coronation of the first king Stephen ...

. As declared ''

Volksdeutsche In Nazi German terminology, ''Volksdeutsche'' () were "people whose language and culture had German origins but who did not hold German citizenship". The term is the nominalised plural of '' volksdeutsch'', with ''Volksdeutsche'' denoting a sin ...

'' the villagers were tolerated by the new authority, though mandatory conscription in the ''

Waffen SS The (, "Armed SS") was the combat branch of the Nazi Party's ''Schutzstaffel'' (SS) organisation. Its formations included men from Nazi Germany, along with volunteers and conscripts from both occupied and unoccupied lands. The grew from th ...

'' was conducted. Sekitsch also harboured urban children as part of the '' Kinderlandverschickung'' program. Following the war Germans left the country, together with the defeated German army. Those who remained were interned into prison camps. After camps were disbanded in 1948, most of the remaining Yugoslav Germans emigrated to Germany because of economic reasons in the next decades. After World War II, the village was colonized by settlers from

Montenegro ) , image_map = Europe-Montenegro.svg , map_caption = , image_map2 = , capital = Podgorica , coordinates = , largest_city = capital , official_languages = M ...

and Mt. Vlašić, Bosnia. The

Montenegrins Montenegrins ( cnr, Црногорци, Crnogorci, or ; lit. "Black Mountain People") are a South Slavic ethnic group that share a common Montenegrin culture, history, and language, identified with the country of Montenegro. Genetics Accordi ...

renamed the village in honor of Mt. Lovćen and account for the majority of the population.

Demographics

Ethnic Groups

The village of Lovćenac is predominantly inhabited by descendants of

colonists who settled the village in the years following WWII (especially between 1945-48). Those claiming ancestry from Montenegro form the majority, with most espousing an ethnic Montenegrin identify whilst others declare as

Serb The Serbs ( sr-Cyr, Срби, Srbi, ) are the most numerous South Slavic ethnic group native to the Balkans in Southeastern Europe, who share a common Serbian ancestry, culture, history and language. The majority of Serbs live in their na ...

. Another smaller group of Bosnian Serbs known as ''Vlašićani'', deriving from villages on Mt. Vlašić and the

Travnik Travnik is a town and a municipality in Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is the administrative center of Central Bosnia Canton of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is situated in central Bosnia and Herzegovina, west of Sarajevo. As of 2 ...

area of

Central Bosnia Central Bosnia (, ) is a central subregion of Bosnia, which consists of a core mountainous area with several basins, valleys and mountains. It is bordered by Bosnian Krajina to the northwest, Tropolje ( Livno area) to the west, Herzegovina to t ...

settled in Lovćenac during the 1950s and 60s.

Historical population

*1822: 1,751 *1850: 2,825 *1970: 3,377 *1885: 4,485 *1900: 4,936 *1910: 5,394 *1945: 4,447 *1948: 4,791 *1961: 4,800 *1971: 4,159 *1981: 4,016 *1991: 4,049 *2002: 3,693 *2011: 3,161

Culture

Village cultural life features several societies which strive to maintain and celebrate the diverse identity and traditions of Lovćenac. Being the epicentre of the Montenegrin community in Serbia, the village is home to the Association of Montenegrins of Serbia "''Krstaš",'' alongside the Cultural Arts Society "''Petar Petrović-Njegoš''" and the Montenegrin Cultural and Educational Society "''Princeza Ksenija''". Since 2013 the

Bosnian Serb The Serbs of Bosnia and Herzegovina ( sr-Cyrl, Срби у Босни и Херцеговини, Srbi u Bosni i Hercegovini) are one of the three constitutive nations (state-forming nations) of the country, predominantly residing in the politi ...

descendants of Mount Vlašić have assembled within the Native Association "''Vlašić''". In sports Lovćenac is represented by Football Club Njegoš, which also features basketball and karate sub-branches. A modest collection of artefacts and historical content of the once thriving Danube Swabian community is located in the Sekitsch Museum. Community engagement in various associations and clubs had developed in the 20th century, with football becoming the most popular pastime following WWI when ''Sekitsch Sport Club'' was founded. The most important annual event for the ethnic German's was the annually celebration of the Evangelical Church ''

Kirchweih Kirchweih is literally the dedication of a church in German. More generally it also names the celebration of the anniversary of a dedication both at church and in local customs. The festivity is often on the day celebrating a church's patron saint ...

''. The majority of Lovćenac villagers today are of the

Eastern Orthodox Eastern Orthodoxy, also known as Eastern Orthodox Christianity, is one of the three main branches of Chalcedonian Christianity, alongside Catholicism and Protestantism. Like the Pentarchy of the first millennium, the mainstream (or " canonical ...

faith, with the Saint Peter of Cetinje Serbian Orthodox Church (SPC) servicing the spiritual needs of the community. In 2008 the canonically unrecognized

Montenegrin Orthodox Church , image = , imagewidth = , type = Eastern Christian , main_classification = Independent Eastern Orthodox , scripture=Septuagint, New Testament, theology = Orthodox theology , polity ...

(CPC) laid foundations to build a church but construction was postponed due to protests from the SPC. Nevertheless the CPC remains an active party within the Montenegrin ethnic community of Lovćenac.

Notable people

* Mitar Pešikan, linguist and member of the Serbian Academy of Sciences and Arts * Sofija Pekić, former female Serbian basketball player, Olympic bronze medalist *

Danilo Popivoda Danilo Popivoda ( sr-cyr, Данило Попивода; 1 May 1947 – 9 September 2021) was a football player and manager. On the international level he played for the Yugoslavia national team (20 matches and five goals) and was a participa ...

, Slovenian football player of Serbian descent *

Nenad Stevović Nenad Stevović (; born 1962) is a Serbian politician, publicist, political scientist and a researcher. He is a prominent figure in the Montenegrin community in Serbia and is the founder and the president of the Montenegrin Party. Biography He ...

, politician * Radovan Stevović, author, Yugoslav Partisan and Montenegrin colonist leader * Peter Max Wagner, Danube Swabian humanitarian and refugee advocate

Twin towns – Sister cities

Lovćenac is twinned with: * Cetinje, Montenegro * Bar, Montenegro

Notes

References

* Slobodan Ćurčić, Broj stanovnika Vojvodine, Novi Sad, 1996.

Gallery

Image:Lovćenac_village,_Vojvodina,_Serbia,_road_intersection.jpg, An intersection on the main road in Lovćenac today. Image:DSdenkmal.jpg, Memorial for soldiers from Lovćenac who died in World War I. Image:Denkmal1895.jpg, This memorial, referred to as "de Steen", was erected in 1895 to commemorate those who died in a 1849 battle near Lovćenac. Image:Sekitsch-emblem.jpg, This

emblem An emblem is an abstract or representational pictorial image that represents a concept, like a moral truth, or an allegory, or a person, like a king or saint. Emblems vs. symbols Although the words ''emblem'' and '' symbol'' are often us ...

, commonly featured on books about the German diaspora from Lovćenac, gives the dates of their habitation. Image:SzeghegyStamp.jpg, Sekić got its first

post office A post office is a public facility and a retailer that provides mail services, such as accepting letters and parcels, providing post office boxes, and selling postage stamps, packaging, and stationery. Post offices may offer additional ser ...

in 1872.

External links

Krstaš

Mi smo Crnogorci, sa azbukom od 33 slova
Glas javnosti, 5 February 2006 (about Montenegrins of the village) {{Authority control Places in Bačka Montenegrin communities