Srem, Serbia and Croatia - Definition and Overview

Srem in Serbian or Srijem in Croatian (from Latin: Sirmium) is a fertile region of the Pannonian plain in Europe, between the Danube and Sava rivers. It is divided between Serbia and Montenegro and Croatia.

Most of Srem is located in Serbia's northern province of Vojvodina, in the Srem District. A small part of the region around Belgrade and Zemun is a part of Serbia proper. The westernmost part lies in eastern Croatia, in the Vukovar-Srijem county.

History

Throughout history Srem has been a part of the Roman Empire, Hun Empire, Avar Caganate, the Gepid Kingdom, Byzantium, Bulgaria, Hungary, the Ottoman Empire, Austria, Austria-Hungary, the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes, Yugoslavia and finally Serbia & Montenegro.

Name Srem come from the name of ancient Sirmium city (today Sremska Mitrovica). Sirmium originally was Illyrian town conquered by Romans in the 1st century BC.

Sirmium (Sremska Mitrovica) was an important town in Roman Empire. It was capital city of Roman Pannonia and one of four capital cities of Roman Empire. Several Roman Emperors were born in Sirmium.

Pannonia (province of Byzantium) existed in Srem in the 6th century and capital city of this province was Sirmium.

Theme Sirmium was province of Byzantium Empire in the 11th century.

Between 1282 and 1316 Serbian king Dragutin ruled semi-independent state consisted of Srem, Macva, Usora and Soli. Name of his state was: Kingdom of Srem. His capital city was Debrc (between Belgrade and Sabac).

After Turks conquered Serbia (in 1459), Serbian despots ruled in parts of Srem territory as vassals of Hungarian kings.

During Turkish rule, Sandzak of Srem existed in this region.

Between 1848 and 1860 Srem was part of Serbian Vojvodina, which was province of Austria.

After 1860 Srem was known as Srem/Srijem (Szerém) County of Austria-Hungary.

Territory of Srem united with the Kingdom of Serbia in 1918.

This region was County of Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes between 1918 and 1922, then Province (Oblast) of Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes between 1922 and 1929, and in 1929 it was divided between Dunavska banovina (Danubian Banat) and Savska banovina (Savian Banat), which were provinces of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia.

In 1941 Srem was occupied by the Axis powers. Provincial frontier was restored in 1945 with the end of the Second World War. Since 1945 Eastern Srem (former part of Danubian Banat), together with Backa and Banat, is part of the Autonomous Province of Vojvodina, while Western Srem (former part of Savian Banat) is part of Croatia.

Geography

The regions principal hill is Fruška Gora.

Bordering regions

• Bačka to the north, across Danube
• Banat to the east, also across Danube
• Šumadija the south-east, across Sava
• Mačva to the south, across Sava
• Semberija to the south-west, across Sava
• Slavonia to the west. The border between Srem/Srijem and Slavonia is unclear. It runs somewhere along the line Vukovar-Vinkovci-Županja. According to another interpretation, the western border follows the Bosut, Barica and Vuka rivers.

Cities in Srem/Srijem

• Serbia-Montenegro
  • Zemun
  • New Belgrade
  • Vojvodina
    • Ruma
    • Šid
    • Sremska Mitrovica
    • Sremski Karlovci
• Croatia
  • Ilok
  • Vinkovci
  • Vukovar
  • Županja

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