Čurug

Čurug (Чуруг) is a village in the municipality of Žabalj, in the South Bačka District of Serbia. It is situated in the Autonomous Province of Vojvodina. The village has a Serb ethnic majority and its population numbering 8,882 people (2002 census).

Name

In Serbian, the village is known as Чуруг or "Čurug", in Croatian as "Čurug", and in Hungarian as "Csurog".

It is one of the oldest Vojvodinian settlements, mentioned as far as in 1238 under name "Churlack". In 1325, it was mentioned as "Chorug", in 1332/1337 as "Churvuk", in 1338/1342 as "Charug", in 1363 as "Csurog", and in 1380 as "Curgug". During Ottoman rule, it was recorded as "Csaragh" (in 1551), "Chyrogd" (in 1553), and "Czurok" (in 1656).

Geography

The village of Čurug is situated in the wide lowlands of the south-eastern part of the Bačka region, in the place where the river Tisa creates it's greatest meander down it's flow.

It is bordered by the settlements of Bačko Gradište (to the north), Kumane and Novi Bečej (northeast), Taraš (east), Gospođinci (south), Temerin (southwest), Nadalj (northwest), and Žabalj (south-southeast). The fact of it being settled in one of the highest parts of planes (82m sea-level) is one of the main reasons the village always managed to avoid floods, and for being constantly populated during it’s long history.

History

Several archaeological sites are located around the village, mainly from time of Roman Empire and early Middle Ages. Traces of ancient Indo-European peoples, notably of Iazyges and Celts, are also discovered at this location. The archaeologists have found here traces of Slavic settlement from the 9th-10th century, [http://curug.rastko.net/9-vek/index_en.html] as well as the traces of the Serb settlement from the 15th century. [http://curug.rastko.net/17-vek/index_en.html]

During Ottoman rule (16th - 17th century), Čurug was part of the sanjak of Segedin and nahija of Titel. There was also Ottoman fort near the village, whose commander was beg Melković, who was also commander of forts in Bečej and Bečkerek. During the war between Ottomans and Habsburgs, in 1687/88, village was burned and destroyed.

During Habsburg rule, the village was rebuilt (in 1699). From 1703 to 1751, Čurug was part of Habsburg Military Frontier and from 1751 to 1769, it was part of the District of Potisje. From 1769 to 1873, it was again part of the Military Frontier, and from 1873 to 1918, it was part of the Bačka-Bodrog county. In 1720, village had about 600 inhabitants, most of whom were Serbs and there was also one Hungarian family in the village. In 1880, population of Čurug numbered 6,406 inhabitants, including 4,961 (77%) Serbs, 981 (15%) Hungarians, 181 (2.8%) Germans, 96 (1.5%) Jews, etc. In 1910, population numbered 10,377 inhabitants, including 7,211 (69.5%) Serbs, 2,730 (26.30%) Hungarians, 203 (1.96%) Jews, 171 (1.65%) Germans, etc.Since 1918, Čurug was part of the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes and subsequent South Slavic states. During the Hungarian Axis occupation, in 1942 raid, 893 inhabitants of the village were murdered, of whom 554 were men, 153 women, 82 children, and 104 old people. By nationality, victims included 842 Serbs, 44 Jews, and 7 Roma.In 1945 the Serbian partisans driven by a bloody revenge executed more than 3000 inhabitants of Hungarian and German nationality. Children, women and old people were internated to the lager in Jarek, which resulted in further innocent victims. Survival people were never allowed to return to their homes. Abandoned houses were taken over by colonists from Bosnia-Herzegovina in 1945, the catholic church was destroyed the same year.

Historical population

*1961: 9,469
*1971: 9,336
*1981: 9,231
*1991: 8,987
*2002: 8,882

Famous residents

*Teodor Ilić Češljar (1746-1793), a Serbian painter. He was born in Čurug.
*Petar Konjović (1883-1970), a Serbian composer. He was born in Čurug.
*dr Jovan Tucakov (1905-1978), a Serbian pharmakologist. He was born in Čurug.
*dr Lazar Paču (1865-1915)

References

*Čurug kroz istoriju, Prometej, Novi Sad, 2002.
*Zvonimir Golubović, Racija u južnoj Bačkoj 1942. godine, Novi Sad, 1991.
*Slobodan Ćurčić, Broj stanovnika Vojvodine, Novi Sad, 1996.
*Fifty thousand Hungarian martyrs report about the Hungarian Holocaust in Jugoslavia, 1944-1992 - ed. I. Nyaradi, 1992

ee also

*List of places in Serbia
*List of cities, towns and villages in Vojvodina

External links

* [http://www.fallingrain.com/world/YI/2/Curug.html Čurug]
* [http://www.curug.info/ Independent, non government site of Čurug]
* [http://www.curug.biz/ Independent, non government site of Čurug]