Trenck's Pandurs (Croatian: Panduri, German: Panduren, Hungarian: Pandúr) were a light infantry unit of the Habsburg monarchy that was raised by Baron Franz von der Trenck under a charter issued by Maria Theresa of Austria in 1741. The unit was largely composed of volunteers from the Kingdom of Slavonia and Slavonian Military Frontier, and named after security guards otherwise employed to maintain public order. The Pandurs were presented to the empress in May 1741 with the unit's military band earning them a claim of pioneering martial music in Europe. The Pandurs did not use uniforms and had an overall Ottoman appearance. The original organization of the unit was retained until 1745, when it transformed into a regiment. Trenck was relieved of command in 1746 and imprisoned in Spielberg Castle, where he died in 1749. The unit ultimately transformed into the 53rd Infantry Regiment, headquartered in Zagreb, until it was disbanded in 1919. The regiment's commemorative medals bear Trenck's image wearing Pandur attire.
The term pandur made its way into military use via the Hungarian language—being used in Hungarian as a loanword, in turn originating from the Croatian term pudar, though the nasal in place of the "u" suggests a borrowing before Croatian innovated its own reflex for Proto-Slavic /ɔ̃/. "Pudar" is still applied to security guards protecting crops in vineyards and fields, and it was coined from the verb puditi (also spelled pudati) meaning to chase or scare away. The meaning of the Hungarian loanword was expanded to guards in general, including law enforcement officers.[2] The word was likely ultimately derived from medieval Latinbanderius or bannerius, meaning either a guardian of fields or summoner,[3] or follower of a banner.[4]
Another etymology could recall the ancient greek expression "pan" with "ther", which is "great" or "all-beast", already used in ancient times (see the latin word "Panther", often used to refer to occupying troop soldiers of Roman Empire and root of the German word "Panzer" itself).
By the middle of the 18th century, law enforcement in the counties of Croatia included county pandurs or hussars who patrolled roads and pursued criminals.[5][6] In 1740, the term was applied to frontier guard duty infantry deployed in the Croatian Military Frontier (Banal Frontier), specifically its Karlovac and VaraždinGeneralcies.[7] The role of the pandurs as security guards was extended to Dalmatia after the establishment of Austrian rule there in the early 19th century.[8] The term has dropped from official use for law enforcement officials, but it is still used colloquially in Croatia and the Western Balkans in a manner akin to the English word cop.[2][9] The unit raised and led by Trenck is also referred to more specifically as Trenck's Pandurs,[10] and less frequently in Croatia than elsewhere, as Croatian Pandurs.[11]
The Pandurs earned a reputation for being brave and audacious,[14] as well as feared and ruthless soldiers, looting and pillaging, but also characterized by disobedience, breaches of military discipline and stubbornness. On the other hand, the City of Waldmünchen, located near Cham, celebrates the Pandurs and Trenck as their savior for sparing the city from destruction in 1742.[10] Since 1950, the city organizes a historical reenactment of the event involving about 300 actors.[16]
The original organization of the unit was retained until 1745, when it was transformed into a Pandur regiment following Trenck's petition to the empress. Trenck was relieved of command in 1746 and tried for unspecified "acts of violence". He was imprisoned in Spielberg Castle, where he died in 1749.[14] After the Peace of Aachen, the regiment was transformed into a Slavonian battalion on 22 December 1748. In 1756, as the Seven Years' War started, the battalion was reformed into the 53rd Infantry Regiment and its headquarters moved to Zagreb ending history of the Pandurs. Still, the regiment kept its Pandur lineage alive through its commemorative medals bearing Trenck's image wearing Pandur attire. The regiment was disbanded in January 1919.[15]
The achievements of the Pandurs led by Trenck left a lasting mark on the culture and heritage of Croatia as well as Bavaria. An example of the unit's legacy is found in the village of Trenkovo—named after the commander of the Pandurs in 1912. The village is located in area of Trenck's former Velika estate, near Požega, Croatia, where the baron lived. It was the location of a baroque manor once owned by Trenck, which was replaced by another structure in the late 18th or early 19th centuries.[17][18] Pandur heritage is preserved by the Trenck's Pandurs (Croatian: Trenkovi panduri) military band—the official music band of the city of Požega—established on 28 January 1881. In 1997, an eponymous living history troop was established out of members of the band.[19][20] Also, a Trenck festival is held annually in Waldmünchen, commemorating the events of 1742, when the city was spared by Trenck from destruction.[16][21]
^Marko Lopuština (28 December 2010). "Hrvatski panduri i srpski mangupi" [Croatian cops and Serbian mischiefs] (in Croatian). Portal dnevno d.o.o. Archived from the original on 1 January 2011. Retrieved 19 May 2012.
^"Dvorac Baruna Trenka , Trenkovo" [Baron Trenck's manor, Trenkovo] (in Croatian). Municipality of Velika Tourist Board. Archived from the original on 10 April 2012. Retrieved 18 May 2012.
.JPG)
