Serbs in Slovenia
| Total population | |
|---|---|
| (38,964 (2%), according to the 2002 census) | |
| Religion | |
| Serbian Orthodox |
Serbs in Slovenia are, by large, first or second generation immigrants from other republics of former Yugoslavia. In the 2002 census, 38,964 people of Slovenia declared Serb ethnicity, corresponding to 1.98% of the total population, making them the largest ethnic minority in the country.
History
The vast majority of the Serbs in Slovenia are first or second generation settlers from other republics of former Yugoslavia, mostly from Bosnia and Herzegovina and Serbia, but also from Croatia and Montenegro. After World War II, many Serbs employed in the Yugoslav People's Army were stationed in the Socialist Republic of Slovenia with their families. In the period of 1971-1981, many ethnic Serbs migrated from Bosnia and Herzegovina to pursue better careers and economical benefits in Slovenia. Before 1991, many Serbs in Slovenia registered as Yugoslavs, and many still prefer referring to their mother language as Serbo-Croatian, rather than Serbian.
There also exists an autochthonous community of Serbs in White Carniola (see Serbs of White Carniola).
In 2013, the combined community association of Serbs in Slovenia requested that Serbs be given the status of national minority.[1]
Demographics
| Part of a series of articles on |
| Serbs |
|---|
 |
|
Related people |
Most of Serbs in Slovenia are concentrated in larger urban areas, especially in Ljubljana and Jesenice. The table shows the year and number and percentage of Serbs in Slovenia after World War II, according to the official censuses.
- 1948 - 7,048
- 1953 - 11,225 (0.8%)
- 1961 - 13,609 (0.9%)
- 1971 - 20,521 (1.2%)
- 1981 - 42,182 (2.3%)
- 1991 - 47,097 (2.5%)
- 2002 - 38,964 (2.0%)
It also has to be noted that in the last census in 2002, more than 10% of all Slovenian population decided not to answer the question regarding their ethnic affiliation. All these elements make the estimate of the overall number of Serbs in Slovenia difficult.
Culture
Language
Most Serbs in Slovenia use Slovene as their language of communication, since only 4,300 people in Slovenia declared that they use only Serbian language at home, while about 15,000 declared they use both languages at home. However more than 31,000 people declared their mother tongue as Serbian (and another 36,000 as Serbo-Croatian).
Religion
Serbs in Slovenia are predominantly Eastern Orthodox by faith, adhering to the Serbian Orthodox Church. There is also a substantial number of atheists and agnostics.
Notable people
- Milenko Ačimovič, football player, Serbian parents
- Siniša Anđelković, football player, Serbian parents
- Mladen Dabanovič, football player, Serbian parents
- Luka Dončić, basketball player, father of Serbian origin
- Saša Dončić, basketball player
- Goran Dragić, basketball player (Serbian father)
- Zoran Dragić, basketball player (Serbian father)
- Jovan Hadži, zoologist
- Spomenka Hribar, sociologist, politician and public intellectual (Serbian father)
- Sara Isakovič, swimmer (Serbian father)
- Zoran Janković, manager and politician, former mayor of Ljubljana, Serbian-born, Serbian father
- Dušan Jovanović, theatre director
- Darko Karapetrovič, football player
- Marko Milič, basketball player
- Rasho Nesterovič, basketball player
- Milivoje Novakovič, football player
- Damir Pekič, football player
- Robert Pešut, a.k.a. "Magnifico", singer and actor (Serbian father)
- Danilo Popivoda, football player
- Božidar Rašica, architect, scenographer and painter
- Miroslav Radulovič, football player
- Aleksandar Rodić, football player
- Marija Šestak, athlete
- Simona Škrabec, Slovenian-Catalonian author and translator (Serbian father)
- Dalibor Stevanovič, football player
- Slaviša Stojanovič, former football player and manager, Serbian-born
- Zlatko Zahović, former football player.
- Luka Zahović, football player
- Sasha Vujačić, basketball player, Serbian father
See also
References
Sources
- Vojislav Stanovčić (2005). Položaj i identitet srpske manjine u jugoistočnoj i centralnoj Evropi: zbornik radova sa naučnog skupa održanog 26-29. novembra 2003. godine. Srpska Akad. Nauka i Umetnosti.
- Prelić, Mladena (2009). "The Serbs in Slovenia: A new minority". Glasnik Etnografskog instituta SANU 57 (2): 53–68.
| |||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||
