Slavic Heritage Coalition

SERBIA

Immigration Information

The year 1815 marked the arrival of the earliest Serbian immigrants into the US. The largest wave of immigrants in the U.S. occurred from the years 1880 to 1914. In 1869, the Austrian Emperor did away with an agreement made with the Serbians and began to impose limitations on them, tried to convert Serbians to Roman Catholicism, and tried to do away with their language. Thus in order to escape poverty, ethnic, cultural, and religious freedoms most immigrated to countries such as the US. Pennsylvania, Illinois, Ohio, California, and Indiana have the largest populations of Americans of Serbian descent in the US.

Major Religions and Beliefs

The main religion in Serbia is Orthodox Christianity. Other religions communities include: Islam, Roman Catholics, Protestants, and Jews.

History, Traditions and Culture

The Serbian Orthodox Church, which gained autonomy in 1219, has had a huge role in preserving Serbian cultural identities. Religious celebrations are practiced such as Christmas and Easter. However, some secular holidays are celebrated as well.

Academic Organizations

Slavic Languages and Literatures
Pittsburgh, PA 15260
tel: 412-624-4141

Department of Slavic and Baltic Languages and Literatures
University of Illinois at Chicago
College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
601 South Morgan Street
Chicago, Illinois 60607-7116
Office: 312-996-4412
fax: 312-996-0953
slavbalt@uic.edu