“KIPOVI” MONUMENT TO THE IRIG PLAGUE – IRIG – Ruma

“KIPOVI” MONUMENT TO THE IRIG PLAGUE – IRIG – Ruma

The plague epidemic in Srem and Irig occurred in 1795–1796. Since the plague raged most intensely in Irig and its surroundings, it became known among the people as the “Irig Plague.” To prevent further spread, the Vienna government ordered that all infected settlements be closed off by guards and that the entire infected area be quarantined. The plague in Irig ceased in February 1796. Of the 912 houses in Irig before the plague, 402 were destroyed or burned. Out of a pre-plague population of 4,813, 2,548 people died—more than half of the town’s population at that time.

In gratitude to God that the epidemic did not spread to Ruma, the citizens of Ruma erected monuments on the left and right sides of the Ruma–Irig road at the locations where guards had been posted to prevent passage between towns. These monuments became popularly known as ’’Kipovi”. They represent one of the rare monuments of public health culture in this part of Europe. The monument on the left side of the road has the shape of a Baroque Roman Catholic altar, while the one on the right side is shaped as simple pillars with a circular base.

The Irig–Ruma Road

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