Trnovo, Bitola
History
Aromanians settled in Trnovo in addition to Orthodox Albanian refugees who arrived mainly from Vithkuq, fleeing the 18th century socio-political and economic crises in what is now southern Albania. These Albanians spoke Albanian in the Tosk dialect of the language. Due to intermarriage, the Orthodox Albanian population of Trnovo was assimilated by the larger Aromanian community at the onset of the twentieth century. A small number of Muslim Albanians over time settled in Trnovo originating from the Korçë region. In 1864, in Trnovo, the first Aromanian school in Macedonia opened its doors for its children. The school was financed by Romania and was supervised by Apostol Mărgărit. It was founded by Dimitri Atanasescu, who was the teacher of the school and a native of the village.
During the first World War, Trnovo was occupied by the Bulgarian military who evacuated most of the Aromanian villagers and sent them into the interior of Bulgaria and Serbia. The relocation of local Aromanians was due to Bulgarian forces being concerned that pro-Greek and pro-Serbian sympathies existed among them resulting in possible cooperation with the Entente Allies. While in exile, some villagers had to fend for themselves whereas others for the Bulgarians did forced labour. Some Aromanians returning to Trnovo and neighbouring Magarevo saw the level of destruction caused by war in the villages and around 30 families from both settlements crossed the Mariovo mountains on foot into Greece for Aridaia. The Aromanians hoped that their plight and previous service during the Macedonian Struggle for the Greek cause would be recognised by Greece toward eventually re-establishing themselves in Aridaia.
Demographics
In statistics gathered by Vasil Kanchov in 1900, the village of Trnovo was inhabited by 2400 Aromanians and 50 Muslim Albanians.
According to the 2002 census, the village had a total of 278 inhabitants. Ethnic groups in the village include:
- Macedonians 146
- Albanians 82
- Vlachs (Aromanians) 48
- Serbs 1
- Others 1
Notable people
References
- ^ Koukoudis, Asterios (2003). The Vlachs: Metropolis and Diaspora. Thessaloniki: Zitros Publications. ISBN 9789607760869. p. 352. "Among the Vlach immigrants there were also a few small groups of Arvanite refugees, mainly from Vithkuq, who settled in Magarevo and Trnovo. By the beginning of the twentieth century, owing to intermarriage with the Vlachs, the Arvanites had ceased to speak Albanian and had been assimilated by the more numerous Vlachs. A small group of Moslem Albanians from the Korçë area gradually settled in Trnovo and Nižepole."; pp. 468-469. "The Bulgarians evacuated the inhabitants of... Trnovo... and all these displaced persons (or hostages, one might call them) were relocated to the interior of Bulgaria and Serbia. Some were left to fend for themselves until the end of the war, while others did forced labour for the Bulgarians. The Bulgarians did not relocate all these people for their own safety; their basic motive was to clear the area of the pro-Greek and pro Serbian population groups which might have been inclined to co-operate with the Entente Allies"; p. 470. "Others, seeing the extent of the devastation when they returned to their villages, left for Greece, like a group of thirty or so families from Magarevo and Trnovo, who, having crossed the Morihovo mountains on foot, fled to Aridaia in the hope that the extent of their ruination and, above all, their service during the Macedonian Struggle would be recognised, and that they would eventually be able to re-establish themselves in Aridaia."
- ^ Godisěn zbornik (1969). Volumes 17-18. Univerzitet vo Skopje. Geografski institut. p. 136. "Асимилирале дел од православни Албанци и Македонци. Православните Албанци вамо се доселувале заедно со Власите и живееле во Трново. Брзо се претопиле во побројните Власи и од нив сега не можат во ништо да се..."
- ^ Ethnologia Balkanica. LIT Verlag Münster. pp. 148–. GGKEY:ES2RY3RRUDS.
- ^ Crețulescu, Vladimir (2015). "The Aromanian-Romanian national movement (1859-1905): an analytical model". Balcanica Posnaniensia. Acta et studia. 22 (1): 99–121. doi:10.14746/bp.2015.22.8.
- ^ Vasil Kanchov (1900). Macedonia: Ethnography and Statistics. Sofia. p. 239.
- ^ Macedonian Census (2002), Book 5 - Total population according to the Ethnic Affiliation, Mother Tongue and Religion, The State Statistical Office, Skopje, 2002, p. 71.
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