Lovćenac Ловћенац (Serbian) | |
|---|---|
 Intersection in Lovćenac | |
  Lovćenac  Lovćenac  Lovćenac | |
| Coordinates:45°41′N19°41′E / 45.683°N 19.683°E /45.683; 19.683 | |
| Country |  Serbia |
| Province |  Vojvodina |
| District | North Bačka District |
| Municipality |  Mali Iđoš |
| Founded | 1786 |
| Government | |
| • Type | Council |
| • President | Tatjana Roganović |
| Area | |
• Total | 38.3 km2 (14.8 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 89 m (292 ft) |
| Population (2022) | |
• Total | 2,585 |
| • Density | 67/km2 (170/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC+1 (CET) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+2 (CEST) |
Lovćenac (Serbian Cyrillic:Ловћенац) is a village located in theMali Iđoš municipality, in theNorth Bačka District ofVojvodina,Serbia. The village is known as thede facto capital ofMontenegrins in Serbia, and has a total population of 2,585 people (2023 census).
InSerbian, the village is known asLovćenac (Ловћенац), inGerman asSekitsch (in the past rarelyWinkelsberg), and inHungarian asSzeghegy.
Its former name inSerbian wasSekić (Секић). After the World War II, the village was namedLovćenac by the Montenegrin settlers afterMount Lovćen inMontenegro.
The original Hungarian name of the village wasSzeghegy, but Hungarians also used Serbian version of the name in the formsSzikics andSzekics, as well as Germans in the formSekitsch. One very rare alternative German name wasWinkelsberg.
After years ofOttoman-Hubsburg conflicts a policy of repopulation of the devastatedPannonian Basin was pursued during the reign ofMaria Theresa andJoseph II. EthnicGerman (predominantlyProtestant) colonists known asDanube Swabians (German:Donauschwaben) settled theBačka region, establishing the village Sekitsch in 1786. The economy and life of the village generally consisted of farming, trading, livestock breeding, viticulture and brewing.[1][2][3][4][5][6] In 1849 theBattle of Hegyes (occasionally known asSzeghegy) was fought on the outskirts of the village as part of theHungarian revolution, and war of independence.[7][8]
FollowingWorld War I and the collapse of theAustro-Hungarian Empire, Sekitsch became part of theKingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes (later renamed Yugoslavia). This political shift caused ethnic Germans to become one of the largest minorities inSerbia, numbering approximately 330,000 people, or almost 5% of the total Yugoslav population. In 1936 theSummer Olympics torch relay passes through Sekitsch.[9] During theApril War of 1941 Hungarian troops entered Sekitsch, subsequentlyannexing the Bačka to theKingdom of Hungary. As declaredVolksdeutsche the villagers were tolerated by the new authority, though mandatory conscription in theWaffen SS was conducted. Sekitsch also harboured urban children as part of theKinderlandverschickung program.[10]
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 fromMontenegro andMt. Vlašić,Bosnia. TheMontenegrins renamed the village in honor ofMt. Lovćen and account for the majority of the population.[11][12][13]
The village of Lovćenac is predominantly inhabited by descendants ofMontenegrins 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 ethnicMontenegrin identify whilst others declare asSerb. Another smaller group ofBosnian Serbs known asVlašićani, deriving from villages onMt. Vlašić and theTravnik area ofCentral Bosnia settled in Lovćenac during the 1950s and 60s.[14]
Village cultural life features several societies which strive to maintain and celebrate the diverse identity and traditions of Lovćenac. Being the epicentre of theMontenegrin 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".[15] Since 2013 theBosnian Serb descendants ofMount Vlašić have assembled within the Native Association "Vlašić".[16][17] In sports Lovćenac is represented byFootball Club Njegoš, which also features basketball and karate sub-branches. A modest collection of artefacts and historical content of the once thrivingDanube Swabian community is located in the Sekitsch Museum.[18] Community engagement in various associations and clubs had developed in the 20th century, with football becoming the most popular pastime following WWI whenSekitsch Sport Club was founded.[19] The most important annual event for the ethnic German's was the annually celebration of theEvangelical ChurchKirchweih. The majority of Lovćenac villagers today are of theEastern Orthodox faith, with theSaint Peter of CetinjeSerbian Orthodox Church (SPC) servicing the spiritual needs of the community.[20][21] In 2008 the canonically unrecognizedMontenegrin Orthodox Church (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.
Lovćenac istwinned with:
Cetinje, MontenegroBar, Montenegro{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
Cities, towns and villages in theNorth Bačka District | ||
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| Subotica |  | |
| Bačka Topola | ||
| Mali Iđoš | ||
(*) bold aremunicipalities or cities | ||
| International | |
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| National | |
