ThePatriarchate of Karlovci (Serbian:Карловачка патријаршија,romanized: Karlovačka patrijaršija) orSerbian Patriarchate of Sremski Karlovci (Serbian:Српска патријаршија у Сремским Карловцима,romanized: Srpska patrijaršija u Sremskim Karlovcima), was apatriarchate of theEastern Orthodox Church that existed between 1848 and 1920. It was formed when theMetropolitanate of Karlovci was elevated to the rank of patriarchate.^[1][2] The Patriarchate of Karlovci nominally existed until 1920, when along with several other Eastern Orthodox jurisdictions in thedefunct Austro-Hungarian Empire, as well as theMetropolitanate of Cetinje, it was merged with theMetropolitanate of Belgrade to form the unitedSerbian Orthodox Church.^[3][4] The seat of the Patriarchate was inKarlovci (todaySremski Karlovci,Serbia).

At theMay Assembly inSremski Karlovci in 1848, prior to theSerb uprising of 1848–49, theSerbs of theHabsburg monarchy proclaimed the creation of theSerbian Vojvodina, a Serb autonomous region within the Monarchy. The metropolitan of Karlovci,Josif Rajačić, was also proclaimed "Serbian Patriarch", thus theMetropolitanate of Karlovci became a Patriarchate.^[5] The title of "Serbian Patriarch" given to Rajačić was confirmed by theEmperorFranz Joseph I the same year.^[6]

This confirmation of Rajačić as the Serbian Patriarch, andStevan Šupljikac as Vojvoda, was a political move made by Emperor Franz Joseph I. He was confronted withrevolution in his country and had difficulties subduing theHungarians underKossuth. Šupljikac and his Croatian counterpart,Josip Jelačić supported the Emperor against the Hungarians.^[6]

The position of Serbian Orthodox Church and Serbs in Austria and Hungary was regulated in reforms brought about first by EmpressMaria Theresa and later by EmperorJoseph II. The Serbian Church-Public Council of 1769 regulated the Serbs and their Church status in a special paper named "Regulament" and, later, in the "Declaratory Rescript of the Illyrian Nation" issued by Maria Theresa in 1779. These acts regulated the life of the Metropolitanate of Karlovci until 1868. Emperor Franz Joseph I published a special edict regulating Serbian Orthodox Church affairs and his edict was in force until the unification of Serbian Churches in 1920.^[7]

The establishment of the Patriarchate in Karlovci was seen as restoration of Serbian unity in Austria and Hungary and the patriarch was considered the ranking personage among the Serbs.^[8] Some authors claimed that actually the Habsburg dynasty in Austria founded the patriarchate of Karlovci because only a Sovereign could institute and recognize the rank of the Patriarch.^[9]

In 1865, the Eastern OrthodoxRomanians that were under jurisdiction of the Patriarchate of Karlovci were separated and transferred to the jurisdiction of newly created Romanian Metropolitanate ofSibiu underAndrei Șaguna. Process was accomplished by mutual agreement that included the transfer of theEparchy of Arad and eastern parts ofEparchy of Temišvar andEparchy of Vršac.

In 1873, Bishopric ofChernivtsi inBukovina, that was since 1783 under the spiritual jurisdiction of Karlovci, was elevated to the rank of Archbishopric when newMetropolitanate of Bukovinian and Dalmatia was created forCisleithanian eparchies. New Archbishop of Chernivtsi gained jurisdiction over Serbian eparchies ofDalmatia andKotor, that also were (until then) under spiritual jurisdiction of Karlovci.^[1]

Emperor Franz Joseph I exercised full control over the Patriarchate. In 1890, contrary to the Serb Church Congress ruling but according to the Orthodox tradition of royal prerogatives, he promotedGeorgije Branković to the patriarchal throne. That way the emperor discredited the Church hierarchy in the eyes of laity and encouraged rise of the anti-clericalSerb People's Radical Party in Austria-Hungary.^[10][11]

The last patriarch,Lukijan Bogdanović, was murdered in 1913. After his death, the patriarchal throne remained vacant for the last seven years of its existence, with following bishops serving aslocum tenens:Miron (Nikolić) of Pakrac (1913 and 1914–1919),Mihailo (Grujić) [sr] of Gornji Karlovac (1913–1914) andGeorgije (Letić) of Temišvar (1919–1920; coadjutor 1918–1919).

Following thedissolution of Austria-Hungary in the autumn of 1918, the Patriarchate of Karlovci was in 1920 merged into the newly unitedSerbian Orthodox Church under one Serbian patriarch residing inBelgrade, with the title ofArchbishop ofPeć, Metropolitan ofBelgrade and Karlovci and Serbian Patriarch.^[3]

DuringWorld War II, theIndependent State of Croatia (NDH), apuppet state ofNazi Germany andFascist Italy led by the FascistUstaše movement, was established in parts ofoccupied Yugoslavia. Due to the German pressure over growing anarchy in the country, caused by theGenocide of Serbs with the ultimate goal of creating an ethnically pureGreater Croatia,^[12] the Ustaše created a unrecognized^[13] sect named theCroatian Orthodox Church (1942–1945) in order toannihilate andCroatise the remainingSerb minority. It was meant to destroy religious, cultural and national ties between Serbs in Serbia and Serbs in the NDH, as the Ustaše at time could not achieve their goal of exterminating the whole Serb population of Croatia.^[14] After several robberies and bombings ofSerbian Orthodox properties, andmassacres and war crimes against Serbian Orthodox clergy,^[15] the Croatian Orthodox Church attempted to self-proclaim itself as the heir of the Patriarchate of Karlovci, but its ArchbishopGermogen Maximov was enthroned in Zagreb.^[16]

The Patriarchate included the following eparchies:

No.	Primate	Portrait	Personal name	Reign	Title	Notes
1	Josif Јосиф Joseph		Ilija Rajačić Илија Рајачић	1848–1861	Archbishop of Karlovci and Serbian Patriarch (1st Patriarch in Karlovci)
2	Samuilo Самуило Samuel		Sava Maširević Сава Маширевић	1864–1870	Archbishop of Karlovci and Serbian Patriarch (2nd Patriarch in Karlovci)
3	Prokopije Прокопије Procopius		Petar Ivačković Петар Ивачковић	1874–1879	Archbishop of Karlovci and Serbian Patriarch (3rd Patriarch in Karlovci)
4	German Герман Herman		Grigorije Anđelić Григорије Анђелић	1881–1888	Archbishop of Karlovci and Serbian Patriarch (4th Patriarch in Karlovci)
5	Georgije Георгије George		Đorđe Branković Ђорђе Бранковић	1890–1907	Archbishop of Karlovci and Serbian Patriarch (5th Patriarch in Karlovci)
6	Lukijan Лукијан Lucian		Lazar Bogdanović Лазар Богдановић	1908–1913	Archbishop of Karlovci and Serbian Patriarch (6th Patriarch in Karlovci)	Murdered inBad Gastein under unclear circumstances

• Metropolitanate of Karlovci
• Serbian Orthodox Church
• List of heads of the Serbian Orthodox Church
• Religion in Serbia
• Religion in Vojvodina
• Archives of Sremski Karlovci

• 1848 establishments in the Austrian Empire
• 1920 disestablishments in Yugoslavia
• Defunct religious sees of the Serbian Orthodox Church
• Serbs in the Habsburg monarchy
• History of Syrmia
• History of the Serbian Orthodox Church
• Religious organizations established in 1848
• Religious organizations disestablished in 1920
• Serbian Vojvodina
• Vojvodina under Habsburg rule
• Eparchy of Srem

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• Articles with short description
• Short description is different from Wikidata
• Articles containing Serbian-language text
• CS1 French-language sources (fr)