Janjevci (Croatian pronunciation: [ˈjaːɲeftsi]) are Croatian inhabitants of the Kosovo town of Janjevo and surrounding villages, located near Pristina as well as villages centered on Letnica near Vitina (Papare, Vrmez, Vrnavo Kolo).
The Janjevci as a specific group is one of two regional communities in Kosovo who nationally identify as Croats. They belong to the Slavic ethnicities and are believed to be mostly descended from traders who settled i...
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Janjevci (Croatian pronunciation: [ˈjaːɲeftsi]) are Croatian inhabitants of the Kosovo town of Janjevo and surrounding villages, located near Pristina as well as villages centered on Letnica near Vitina (Papare, Vrmez, Vrnavo Kolo).
The Janjevci as a specific group is one of two regional communities in Kosovo who nationally identify as Croats. They belong to the Slavic ethnicities and are believed to be mostly descended from traders who settled in Kosovo during the 14th century from the Republic of Dubrovnik, modern-day Croatia, and nearby Bosnia and Herzegovina. They have maintained their Catholic faith throughout the centuries.
The first written mention is by pope Benedict XII in 1303, mentioning Janjevo as the center of the catholic parish of Sveti Nikola.
Because of rising anti-Croat rhetorics and warmongering in Serbian media (especially in Serb media on Kosovo) in late 1980s, and all the pressure and incidents arising from that, Croats from Janjevo and Letnica and other Croat...
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