Ratkovo

Ratkovo (Ратково) is a village located in the Odžaci municipality, West Bačka District, Vojvodina, Serbia. As of 2011, the population of the village is 3,411 inhabitants.

Name
The former name of the town was Parabuć (Парабућ). In German, it was known as Parabutsch, and in Hungarian as Paripás or Parabuty. In 1948, it was renamed Ratkovo for Ratko Pavlović, a Yugoslav fighter in the Spanish Civil War.

History
The village was first mentioned in 1543. During the Ottoman rule (16th-17th century), Parabuć was populated by Serbs. Since the end of the 17th century, the village belonged to the Habsburg monarchy, and since 1781 many Germans settled here besides Serbs. Between 1918 and 1991, it was part of Yugoslavia.

Demographics
According to the last official census done in 2011, the village of Ratkovo has 3,411 inhabitants.

Notable people

 * Jovica Stanišić (b. 1950), intelligence officer, former Head of the State Security Service
 * Kaća Čelan (b. 1956), writer, director and actress
 * Boško Perošević (1956–2000), politician, former Chairmen of the Executive Council of Vojvodina