Changes in the Number and Territorial Distribution of Religious Groups In
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
GEOGRAPHICA ANNONICA No8; p 33-37 1900. census Changes in the Number and Seven religious groups were distinguished in this census: Roman Catholics (or Cath- Territorial Distribution of olics), Uniates, members of the Orthodox Church, three Protestant groups (Luther- ans, Calvinists and Unitarians) and Israel- Religious Groups in Vojvodina ites (or Judeans). In 1990. Catholics were the most nu- During 20th Century According to merous religious element in Vojvodina with 679.533 members. This religious group the Results of Censuses mainly consisted of Hungarians, Croats, Kicošev, S.* Bunjevatzes, Shokatzes and Germans. Mem- bers of this religion had a share of 47,4% in a total religious structure of population in Vo- Abstract The goal of the paper is to point eligious and ethnic structures are jvodina. They had an absolute majority in to the similarities and differences in the the only population structures that 132 different places in Vojvodina (there were structure and development of unemploy- Rare based on subjective convictions, 342 places identified in this census), while ment after the 1990s. At the same time, and not on any formal demographic crite- they had a relative majority in 5 of them. It in order to point to the possibilities and ria. These two structures are linked to each is interesting that Gakovo and Kolut belong advantages of the international mobility of other, although it is not necessary for them to this group; they are the only two settle- labour force as one of the possible ways to to coincide. However, when the results of ments in this census that have an absolute overcome unemployment, the data about these two structures are combined, what homogeneous religious structure (100% of the unemployment trends in the Vojvodina we get is a more precise ethnic picture of Catholics). Both of these places were inhab- region will be compared with the data from a certain area. Moreover, there are cases ited by Germans. the bordering regions in Hungary (Cson- when a separate entity developed out of There were 15.022 Uniates, i.e. their grad and Bacs-Kiskun) and Romania (Timis one religious group (Muslims, i.e. Bosnians share in the religious structure of Vojvodi- and Caras-Severin). in former Bosnia and Herzegovina, Sikhs na was only 1%. This religious group is rep- in India and other similar groups). Since resented exclusively by Ruthenians. Uni- Key words human resources, employment, Vojvodina is ethnically the most heteroge- ates had an absolute majority in two towns: unemployment, Vojvodina, Serbia, Roma- neous region in Europe, it is understanda- Ruski Krstur and Kucura, while there were nia, Hungary ble that the religious structure of its pop- no towns where they had a relative major- ulation is very similar. For the analysis of ity. this demographic characteristic (religious There were 556.128 members of the Or- affiliation) on the territory of Vojvodina, thodox Church and with a share of 38,8% we used the results of seven censuses, all of they were second numerous religious group which had a question about the religion in- in Vojvodina. Members of this religious cluded in them. The first two censuses were group are mainly Serbs and Romanians. conducted by Hungarian Federal Bureau of Members of the Orthodox Church had an Statistics (1900. and 1910.), while the oth- absolute majority in 164 places in Vojvodi- ers were conducted by Bureaus of Statis- na, and relative majority in 7. tics of the Kingdom of the Serbs, Croats The census distinguished three com- and Slovenes (1921), Kingdom of Yugosla- munities of Protestants (or of Reformed via (1931), Federal People’s Republic of Yu- Church, i.e. of Evangelists). The most nu- goslavia (FNRJ) (1953), Socialist Federal merous were Protestants of Augsburg Con- Republic of Yugoslavia (SFRJ) (1991) and fession (Lutherans). There were 109.912 of Yugoslav Federal Republic (SRJ) (2002). Al- them, and they represents 7,7% of the popu- though the chronological disposition does lation in Vojvodina. Members of this group not offer an optimal continuity, their re- are almost all Slovaks from Vojvodina, and sults can be used for one universal analysis, some Germans. They had an absolute ma- i.e. for noticing basic changes and trends jority in 23 different places, and relative in during the period observed. two. All Slovak settlements in Vojvodina Table 1. Changes in the religious structure of population in Vojvodina during 20th century (absolute numbers) 1900. 1910. 1921. 1931. 1953. 1991. 2002. Orthodox 556.128 593.215 611.940 689.296 775.722 1,170.694 1,401.475 Catholics 679.533 719.471 724.958 727.213 561.617 458.683 388.313 Protestants 152.980 160.221 159.182 158.280 105.173 78.925 72.159 Judeans 23.510 22.218 19.528 - 651 284 329 * Saša Kicošev, University of Novi Sad, Faculty of Science, Department of Geography, Tour- Muslims - - 1.870 1.654 3.254 9.775 8.073 ism and Hotel Management, Trg Dositeja Other 20.597 20.179 18.316 47.715 266.202 295.528 161.643 Obradovića 3, 21000 Novi Sad, Serbia and Montenegro TOTAL 1,432.748 1,515.304 1,535.794 1,624.158 1,712.619 2,013.889 2,031.992 [email protected] Source: censuses for the following years 33 GEOGRAPHICA ANNONICA Table 2: Changes in the religious structure of population in Vojvodina during 20th century ciples, which means that a different classi- (in %). fication of the population and its religions 1900. 1910. 1921. 1931. 1953. 1991. 2002. was conducted. Six confessional groups Orthodox 38,8 39,1 39,8 42,4 45,3 58,1 69,0 were identified: Orthodox, Catholics, Uni- ates, Evangelists (Protestants), Muslims Catholics 47,4 47,5 47,2 44,8 32,8 22,8 19,1 and Israelites (Judeans), while the catego- Protestants 10,7 10,6 10,4 9,8 6,2 3,9 3,6 ry “others” was divided into two groups: Judeans 1,7 1,5 1,3 - 0,0 0,0 0,0 members of other religions and those peo- Muslims - - 0,1 0,1 0,2 0,5 0,4 ple declared as not being religious of un- Other 1,4 1,3 1,2 2,9 15,5 14,7 7,9 known religion. TOTAL 100,0 100,0 100,0 100,0 100,0 100,0 100,0 Catholics were the most numerous reli- gious group also in this census. However, Source: censuses for the following years their number experienced a slight loss com- belong to this group of settlements, as well were 348 places identified in this census), pared to the previous census, i.e. their rel- as some places where Germans used to live and relative majority in 8 of them. Hun- ative number grew for only 0,8%, while the at that time, and those are: Bački Jarak, garian place Busenje had a completely pure increase of the whole population was 1,4%. Maglić, Bačko Dobro Polje, Nova Pazova, Catholic structure (100%). They had an absolute majority in 131 plac- Lovćenac, Kačarevo, Crvenka, Novi Banov- Uniates were the only one among all im- es (360 places were identified in this cen- ci, Zmajevo, Vojlovica etc. portant religious groups that experienced sus), and relative in 4 places. In Hungari- The second group are Protestants of Hel- a relative growth (10,6%) in the decade be- an place Tobi Catholics represented 100% vetic religion (Calvinists). There were 43.068 tween two censuses. This growth is the re- of the population. of them, and their share was 3,0%. This reli- sult of the population growth or, even Uniates are interesting to mention here Century the According to Results Censuses of gious group consists mainly of Hungarians, more, of converting from Catholicism. since their number in 1921. census is iden- th as well as of one smaller part of Germans. They had an absolute majority in two Ru- tical to the number in 1910. census. Uniates They had an absolute majority in 5 plac- thenian places: Ruski Krstur and Kucura. had an absolute majority in two their tradi- es: Debeljača, Novi Itebej, Stara Moravica, Orthodox experienced mighty growth of tional places: Ruski Krstur and Kucura. Feketić and Pačir (all of those are Hungari- their absolute and relative number (6,7%) Orthodox experienced the greatest an places), and relative majority in two plac- between 1900. and 1910. They had an abso- growth of all religious groups in Vojvodina, es: Sivac and Ravno Selo (at the time of the lute majority in 168, and relative in 7 plac- which is understandable when we consid- census those were German places). es. er the change of the national government. The third and the smallest Protestant Protestants experienced the growth of Their number grew for 3,2%. Orthodox had community that was distinguished in the their absolute number and also the fall of an absolute majority in 185 places, and rel- census are Unitarians. This religious com- the relative one. Lutherans had a relative ative in 3. Orthodox represented 100% of Vojvodina DuringVojvodina 20 munity was to be found in Transylvania growth of 5,6%. Absolute majority was reg- the population in Orešac and Zasavica. (Erdelj), and in Vojvodina. Their number is istered in 23 places, and relative in 2. Cal- In this census, Protestants were not cat- symbolic, only 122. They were concentrated vinists experienced a much smaller relative egorized more detailedly, but were shown mainly in bigger towns, and their members growth - only 2,6%. They had an abso- collectively. Their absolute number slightly Changes in the Number and Territorial Distribution Religious of in Groups are Hungarians.