22 Facts About Serbs

Serbs are a South Slavic ethnic group native to the Balkans in Southeastern Europe, who share a common Serbian ancestry, culture, history and language.

Early Slavs, especially Sclaveni and Antae, including the White Serbs, invaded and settled Southeastern Europe in the 6th and 7th century.

In 1389, the Serbs faced the Ottomans at the Battle of Kosovo on the plain of Kosovo Polje, near the town of Pristina.

Serbs had taken an active part in the wars fought in the Balkans against the Ottoman Empire, and organized uprisings; because of this, they suffered persecution and their territories were devastated – major migrations from Serbia into Habsburg territory ensued.

Many Serbs were recruited during the devshirme system, a form of slavery in the Ottoman Empire, in which boys from Balkan Christian families were forcibly converted to Islam and trained for infantry units of the Ottoman army known as the Janissaries.

Related searches

The large community of Serbs concentrated in Banat, southern Hungary and the Military Frontier included merchants and craftsmen in the cities, but mainly refugees that were peasants.

Smaller groups of Serbs migrated to the Russian Empire, where they occupied high positions in the military circles.

Serbs are among the first ethnic groups in Europe to form a nation and a clear sense of national identity.

Serbs in occupied Yugoslavia subsequently formed a resistance movement known as the Yugoslav Army in the Homeland, or the Chetniks.

Outside of the former Yugoslavia, but within their historical and migratory areal, Serbs are officially recognized as national minority in Albania, Romania, Hungary, as well as in the Czech Republic and Slovakia.

Serbs speak Serbian, a member of the South Slavic group of languages, specifically the Southwestern group.

Serbs's alphabet mapped completely on Serbian Cyrillic which had been standardized by Vuk Karadzic a few years before.

In modern times Serbs have a noteworthy classical music and works of philosophy.

Many Serbs have contributed to the field of science and technology.

Serbs is renowned for his contributions to the discipline of electricity and magnetism in the late 19th and early 20th century.

Serbs's is one of the most highly cited scientists of all times.

Identity of ethnic Serbs was historically largely based on Orthodox Christianity and on the Serbian Church in particular.

Milan Sevic in 1932, Marko Murat complained that Orthodox Serbs are not acknowledging the Catholic Serb community on the basis of their faith.

Serbs have their own customs regarding Christmas, which includes the sacral tree, the badnjak, a young oak.

Winemaking tradition in modern-day Serbia dates back to the Roman times in the 3rd century, while Serbs have been involved in winemaking since the 8th century.

Serbs are known for their sporting achievements, and have produced a number of talented athletes.

Serbs is a twenty-one-time major champion, a four-time Laureus Sportsman of the Year, and has been year-end World No 1 on a record seven occasions.