Torontál County


Torontál was an administrative county of the Kingdom of Hungary. Its territory is now divided between Serbia and Romania, except a small area which is part of Hungary. The capital of the county was Nagybecskerek, the current Zrenjanin.

Geography

Torontál county was located in the Banat region. It shared borders with the Kingdom of Serbia and the Hungarian counties Syrmia, Bács-Bodrog, Csongrád, Csanád, Arad and Temes. The river Danube formed its southern border, the river Tisza its western border, and the river Maros its northern border. Its area was 10,042 km² around 1910.

History

Torontál county was formed before the 15th century. Initial capital was Aracs and existed until this area was taken by the Ottoman Empire in 1552. During Ottoman administration, this territory was included into the Ottoman Province of Temeşvar. After the Banat was captured by the Habsburg Monarchy in 1718, the area was included into the Banat of Temeswar. This province was abolished in 1778, and the county of Torontál was restored. It was incorporated into the Habsburg Kingdom of Hungary. Its center was moved temporarily to Nagyszentmiklós between 1807 and 1820 due to a great fire in Nagybecskerek.
In 1848/1849 the area of the county was claimed by the self-proclaimed Serbian Voivodship, while between 1849 and 1860 it was part of the Voivodeship of Serbia and Banat of Temeschwar, a separate Austrian province. The county was re-established in the 1860s, when the area was again incorporated into the Habsburg Kingdom of Hungary.
In 1918, the county became part of the newly formed Banat Republic, and then part of Banat, Bačka and Baranja region of the Kingdom of Serbia, which subsequently became part of the newly formed Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes. By the Treaty of Trianon of 1920, the area of the county was divided between the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes, Romania, and Hungary. Most of the county was assigned to the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes. The north-eastern part of the county was assigned to Romania, and the northernmost part of the county was assigned to Hungary and became part of the newly formed county Csanád-Arad-Torontál in 1923.
The Yugoslav part of the pre-1920 Torontál county is now part of Serbia. The Romanian part is now part of Timiș county. The Hungarian part is now part of Csongrád County.

Demographics

1900

In 1900, the county had a population of 609,362 people and was composed of the following linguistic communities:
Total:
According to the census of 1900, the county was composed of the following religious communities:
Total:
In 1910, the county had a population of 615,151 people and was composed of the following linguistic communities:
Total:
According to the census of 1910, the county was composed of the following religious communities:
Total:
In the early 20th century, the subdivisions of Torontál county were: