from Prnjavor displayed at
National Museum of Bosnia and Herzegovina in
Sarajevo.|275x275px
Middle Ages Even over 700 years ago people recognized the economic potential of the area of the present-day Municipality of Prnjavor. Although there had been some settlements from the
Roman period here, significant colonization and settlement (including the construction of monasteries, such as the one of at Stuplje) took place only in the
Middle Ages. According to historical sources, medieval monasteries had their landed properties called
Prnjavori, and the locals living there were called
Prnjavorci. This is believed to be the origin of the name
Prnjavor.
Ottoman era During the
Ottoman period the region suffered from border conflicts with the
Austrian Empire. A significant number of
Bosnians converted to Islam after the
conquest by the Ottoman Empire in the second half of the 15th century, giving it a unique character within the
Balkan region. This conversion appears to have been not sudden but a gradual process based on various rules imposed by the
Ottomans — it took more than a hundred years for the number of Muslims to become the majority religion. The general view among scholars is that the
Islamization of the Bosnian population was not the result of violent methods of conversions but was, for the most part, peaceful and voluntary. The first time Prnjavor was mentioned in recorded history was in 1829. The current settlement itself is believed to be of a more recent date. In the mid-19th century and according to the records of the travel writer Jukić, Prnjavor had about a hundred houses and around a thousand inhabitants.
Austria-Hungary In 1878
Austria-Hungary occupied
Bosnia and the authorities decided the Prnjavor area was under-populated. Efforts were undertaken to attract settlers from other parts of the empire and consequently the municipal area was settled by
Italians,
Ukrainians,
Czechs,
Poles,
Hungarians and German-speaking folk from
Austria,
Germany,
Bohemia,
Hungary and
Russia. Although over half the population remained
Eastern Orthodox Serbs, the multi-ethnic character of the population led the municipality of Prnjavor to be nicknamed "Little Europe".
Yugoslavia In 1918 Bosnia became part of
Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes and all immigration stopped. During the interwar period between 1918 and 1941 Prnjavor underwent more significant economic development through the opening of craftsman workshops, hotels, more shops and a few manufacturing plants. From 1929 to 1941 Prnjavor was part of the
Vrbas Banovina of the
Kingdom of Yugoslavia. Following the collapse of internal security during
World War II the
Nazis decided to evacuate the
Volksdeutsche (ethnic German) population from
Bosnia and a treaty to this effect was signed with the
Croatian
Ustaše regime on 30 September 1942. After 1945 the
Communist regime of
Josip Broz Tito repopulated the
Volksdeutsche villages with
Serbs and destroyed or obscured all evidence of German history and heritage in the region. During the
Socialist period of the
Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia Prnjavor was not a highly developed municipality within
Bosnia and Herzegovina. After the war that erupted after the collapse of the
Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (SFRY), Prnjavor became part of the North-Eastern entity of Bosnia and Herzegovina, the
Republika Srpska, as per the
Dayton Agreement. The warring that took place in the very proximity of Prnjavor e.g. in
Derventa, changed the demography in Bosnia and Herzegovina, according to the
ICRC, a total of 2,2 million people had to flee their homes from different parts of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Many people never returned, changing the ethnic composition in all parts of Bosnia and Herzegovina. == Demographics ==