Kovačica

Geography

The town of Kovačica is located 27km from Pančevo and 43km from Belgrade.

History

The town was founded in the 18th century, but there are records of small settlements dating from 1458. In the middle of the 18th century, this area was recorded as a wasteland. Settlement was founded in 1750 and was settled (in 1751–1752) by Serb soldiers from Potisje and Pomorišje, after military frontier in these regions was abolished. In 1767, Kovačica was included into German regiment of Banat Military Frontier.

First Slovaks came here from Ečka and Aradac (in 1783) and after them, Slovaks from Arvas, Trenčin and Bekeš county came here as well (in 1801). From the middle of the 19th century, Kovačica is a center of municipality and cultural and social center of Slovaks in Banat.

The Slovak Evangelical Church in Kovačica was built between 1824-1828. The altar was painted in 1838-1839 by Konstantin Danil.

Settlements

Kovačica municipality includes the town of Kovačica and the following villages:

• Crepaja
• Debeljača ()
• Idvor
• Padina
• Putnikovo
• Samoš
• Uzdin

Demographics

|1948|31682 |1953|32808 |1961|34654 |1971|33489 |1981|32798 |1991|30469 |2002|27890 |2011|25274 |2022|21178 According to the 2022 census results, the municipality of Kovačica has 21,178 inhabitants.

Ethnic groups

Communities with Slovak majorities are: Kovačica () and Padina (). Communities with Serb majorities are: Crepaja, Idvor, Putnikovo and Samoš. There is one community with a Hungarian majority: Debeljača (), and one community with a Romanian majority: Uzdin ().

The ethnic composition of the municipality:

Economy

The following table gives a preview of total number of employed people per their core activity (as of 2017):

Naïve art

Kovačica is well known for the tradition of naïve art, originating from local Slovak painters. The Gallery of Naïve Art, founded in 1955, is a major tourist destination in the area. Its most notable representatives are Zuzana Chalupová, also known as Mama Zuzana, Martin Jonáš, Jan Knjazovic, Martin Paluška, Jan Sokol and Jan Venjarski. The gallery organizes various exhibitions and events, such as Kovačički oktobar (Kovačica October), and has a collection of over 800 paintings.

Kovačica's naïve painting is characterized by nostalgic, idyllic themes featuring life on the streets and in village yards, work in the fields of the golden Banat plain, and the ambience of country rooms with old carpets and objects. In December 2024, Kovačica's naïve art was recognized by UNESCO as an Intangible cultural heritage.

International relations

Twin towns — Sister cities

Kovačica is twinned with:

• Slovakia Banská Bystrica, Slovakia

References

References

1. "Статут општине Ковачица". Municipality of Kovačica.
2. {{Serbian census 2022
3. "2022 Census of Population, Households and Dwellings".
4. Source: Stevan Kovačević, Gradovi Srbije u slici i reči, Beograd, 2010.
5. "Kratka istorija i naseljavanje ovog prostora".
6. "KOVAČICA".
7. Vojvodine, Turistička organizacija. "SLOVAK EVANGELICAL CHURCH - Kovačica".
8. "2011 Census of Population, Households and Dwellings in the Republic of Serbia". Statistical Office of the Republic of Serbia.
9. "ОПШТИНЕ И РЕГИОНИ У РЕПУБЛИЦИ СРБИЈИ, 2018.". [[Statistical Office of the Republic of Serbia]].
10. "Galerija naivne umetnosti u Kovačici".
11. "About Us".
12. "Galerija naivne umetnosti u Kovačici".
13. "o naivnoj umetnosti".
14. (5 December 2024). "Ethnic Slovak naïve paintings from Serbia join UNESCO’s list of cultural heritage". Associated Press.