In North-Western Bulgaria, there’s a small but fairly notorious village, inhabited by Roman Catholic Banat Bulgarians. A single dead-end road leads to Bardarski Geran. You couldn’t make a mistake and get there by chance while heading somewhere else. Yet, whoever reaches it keeps deep in their hearts the meeting with the incredible universe of this small community.

The village has currently only 931 inhabitants but the life burgeoning inside deserves its designation as “the capital of Banat Bulgarians in Bulgaria”. The latter are descendants of refugees from catholic villages in the areas of Nikopol and Svishtov, which, following the 1688 defeat of the Chiprovtzi uprising, settled in the Banat region, then belonging to the Austro-Hungarian Empire. After Bulgaria’s Liberation in 1878, they came back and founded five villages– Dragomirovo, Gostilya, Bregare, Assenovo, and Bardarski Geran, all within the Nikopol catholic diocese.

Most characteristic of Banat Bulgarians is their language. It’s the oldest Bulgarian dialect preserved, which developed for many years outside the homeland and enriched through borrowing from German, Hungarian, Walachian, Serbian, Turkish, etc. It spurred a fairly productive creative activity over time, and the numerous books published in Banat are an indication of the intellectual potential of the small community. Prof. Stoyko Stoykov acknowledges the dialect as the second official version of the Bulgarian literary language.
A few dozens of Banat Bulgarian families founded the village in 1887. As early as April 1893, Germans originating from Swabia, quite frequent in Banat at the time, joined them. Their resettlement was not subject to the Convention for Banat Bulgarians repatriation but they were given as much land as the latter. They had already lived in good understanding with the Bulgarians in Banat and were hoping to succeed here, because Banat Bulgarians, who were primarily farmers, needed tradesmen, more widespread among Germans.

Approaching Bardarski Geran, the first thing you’d see from a distance is the bell tower of the so-called “German church”. If you’re accompanied by visitors, you’d have to explain to them why it so called is, and you’d inevitably have to dig into the village’s history. All its inhabitants priding themselves with their past and ancestors are surprisingly knowledgeable in that matter. The closer you come, the more visible the other temple’s bell tower becomes visible. This way, entering deeper and deeper into Banat Bulgarian’s space, you’ll be met by two temples raising their towers into the sky and pulling tears in the eyes of anyone coming back home after too long an absence.

Following the road decorated with majestic conifers, you’ll reach the St. Joseph church, which is the natural centre of the village, and you’ll completely forget that you saw yet another tower on your way in. Now, the German church is awaiting renovation, as part of the Benedictine nuns’ covent complex. The order was finally able to recover the ownership of their property seized decades ago. A revival of the idea of German schooling is expected through the opening of a German cultural centre at the location of the once renowned German school. This would make Bardarski Geran a one of its kind island in North-Western Bulgaria.
Central-European architecture, a different mentality, specific traditions and practices, a unique folklore—all this makes for a truly noteworthy place.

The village keeps alive and active its links with Banat Bulgarians around the world. It also did accept the helpful hand tendered by the German community, exemplified by the Benedictine nuns and the Embassy of the F.R. of Germany. This small village that remembers its past has a future. This is what the Bardarski Geran population– and anybody who’s had even the slightest chance to get in touch with the magic and the exclusive atmosphere of the place– has a firm trust in.