Idvor

Idvor (Идвор) is a village in northern Serbia. It is located in the Kovačica municipality, South Banat District, Vojvodina province. The village has a Serb ethnic majority (93.98%) and its population numbers 1,198 people (2002 census).

Name
In Serbian, the village is known as Idvor (Идвор), in German as Idwor, and in Hungarian as Torontáludvar. The town's name originates from Hyd Var, which means "Guard near border crossing" in Hungarian.

Geography
Idvor is situated near the Tamiš river, 35km from Zrenjanin and 43km from Pančevo, in the Banat region of Serbia.

History
During Ottoman rule (in 1660/66), Idvor was populated by ethnic Serbs. Another wave of Serbs came to the town near the end of the 17th century during the Great Migrations, led by Arsenije III Crnojević. The Serbs arrived from Patriarchate of Peć region to serve as guardians of the Austrian miliary fronteir aggainst the Ottomans. Until 1795 the village was situated at location known as "Staro selo", and in that year it was moved to its current position to take advantage of a more favorable terrain.

Historical population

 * 1961: 1,823
 * 1971: 1,621
 * 1981: 1,442
 * 1991: 1,308
 * 2002: 1,198

Notable residents
Serbian physicist and physical chemist Mihajlo Pupin was born in Idvor. The Memorial Complex in Idvor is dedicated to his life and work. It consists of Mihajlo Pupin's home, the Old School (elementary school that he attended), and the National Home that he endowed to ldvor and its people, which was supposed to become a National University. The Complex gained the status of a cultural monument of exceptional significance in 1990.