Becej
Encyclopedia
South Backa District
South Bačka District is a northern district of Serbia. It lies in the southern part of Bačka and northern part of Syrmia, in the autonomous province of Vojvodina. It has a population of 607,835...
in Vojvodina
Vojvodina
Vojvodina, officially called Autonomous Province of Vojvodina is an autonomous province of Serbia. Its capital and largest city is Novi Sad...
, Serbia
Serbia
Serbia , officially the Republic of Serbia , is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeast Europe, covering the southern part of the Carpathian basin and the central part of the Balkans...
. The town has a population of 25,703, while Bečej municipality has 40,877 inhabitants. It is multiethnic town, with Hungarians (45.49%) and Serbs
Serbs
The Serbs are a South Slavic ethnic group of the Balkans and southern Central Europe. Serbs are located mainly in Serbia, Montenegro and Bosnia and Herzegovina, and form a sizable minority in Croatia, the Republic of Macedonia and Slovenia. Likewise, Serbs are an officially recognized minority in...
(43.44%) as largest ethnic groups. Linguistically the town has a Slavophonic plurality as Serbs
Serbs
The Serbs are a South Slavic ethnic group of the Balkans and southern Central Europe. Serbs are located mainly in Serbia, Montenegro and Bosnia and Herzegovina, and form a sizable minority in Croatia, the Republic of Macedonia and Slovenia. Likewise, Serbs are an officially recognized minority in...
, Yugoslavs
Yugoslavs
Yugoslavs is a national designation used by a minority of South Slavs across the countries of the former Yugoslavia and in the diaspora...
, Croats
Croats
Croats are a South Slavic ethnic group mostly living in Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and nearby countries. There are around 4 million Croats living inside Croatia and up to 4.5 million throughout the rest of the world. Responding to political, social and economic pressure, many Croats have...
and Montenegrins collectively compose 48.40% of the population.
History
Bečej was mentioned first during the administration of the Kingdom of HungaryKingdom of Hungary
The Kingdom of Hungary comprised present-day Hungary, Slovakia and Croatia , Transylvania , Carpatho Ruthenia , Vojvodina , Burgenland , and other smaller territories surrounding present-day Hungary's borders...
in 1091 under Latin name Bechey and later in 1238 under Hungarian name Becse. Name probably originated from Bechey family that had possessions in this area. In the 15th century (from 1419 to 1441) the town was a possession of the Serbia
Serbia
Serbia , officially the Republic of Serbia , is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeast Europe, covering the southern part of the Carpathian basin and the central part of the Balkans...
n despot Đurađ Branković. In the end of the 15th century, army of the Kingdom of Hungary led by Serbian despot Vuk Grgurević
Vuk Grgurevic
Vuk Grgurević Branković , also known as Vuk the Fiery Dragon , was the titular Despot of Serbia from 1471 until his death in 1485...
(Zmaj Ognjeni Vuk) defeated the Ottoman army near Bečej. In 1551, Ottoman army led by Muslim Serb Mehmed paša Sokolović conquered the town. Bečej was administered by the Ottomans between 1551 and 1687 (nominally to 1699) and was part of the Sanjak of Segedin and Budin eyalet
Budin Province, Ottoman Empire
Budin Eyalet was an administrative unit of the Ottoman Empire in Central Europe and the Balkans...
. In Ottoman Turkish it was known as "Beçe".
In the end of the 17th century the Ottoman administration was replaced by Habsburg one and settlement was populated by ethnic Serbs from Banat who ran away from the Ottoman Empire. Between 1702 and 1751, the town belonged to the Tisa
Tisá
Tisá is a village and municipality in Ústí nad Labem District in the Ústí nad Labem Region of the Czech Republic.The municipality covers an area of , and has a population of 786 ....
-Mureş
Mures River
The Mureș is an approximately 761 km long river in Eastern Europe. It originates in the Hășmașu Mare Range in the Eastern Carpathian Mountains, Romania, and joins the Tisza river at Szeged in southeastern Hungary....
section of the Habsburg
Habsburg Monarchy
The Habsburg Monarchy covered the territories ruled by the junior Austrian branch of the House of Habsburg , and then by the successor House of Habsburg-Lorraine , between 1526 and 1867/1918. The Imperial capital was Vienna, except from 1583 to 1611, when it was moved to Prague...
Military Frontier
Military Frontier
The Military Frontier was a borderland of Habsburg Austria and later the Austro-Hungarian Monarchy, which acted as the cordon sanitaire against incursions from the Ottoman Empire...
. After the abolishment of this part of the Frontier in 1751, many Serbs
Serbs
The Serbs are a South Slavic ethnic group of the Balkans and southern Central Europe. Serbs are located mainly in Serbia, Montenegro and Bosnia and Herzegovina, and form a sizable minority in Croatia, the Republic of Macedonia and Slovenia. Likewise, Serbs are an officially recognized minority in...
that lived in the town emigrated to Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
(notably to New Serbia and Slavo-Serbia
Slavo-Serbia
Slavo-Serbia was a territory of Imperial Russia between 1753 and 1764. It was located by the right bank of the Donets River between the Bakhmut and Lugan rivers...
). They founded a new settlement with name Bečej in New Serbia. To prevent this emigration, the Habsburg authorities formed autonomous District of Potisje
District of Potisje
The District of Potisje was an administrative unit of the Habsburg Monarchy. It was formed in 1751 with headquarters in Stari Bečej, and existed for almost one century .-History:...
with seat in Bečej. District of Potisje existed between 1751 and 1848. The three privileges were given to the district in 1759, 1774 and 1800. First privilege of the District defined its autonomous status, while the second one allowed ethnic Hungarians to settle in the district. In the following period many Hungarians settled in Bečej (the first ones in 1757) and they replaced Serbs as a dominant nation in the town. In 1751, the entire population of the town was composed of Serbs, while in 1774 half of the population was composed of Serbs and another half was composed of Hungarians. According to the 1910 census, the population of Bečej municipality numbered 54,275 people, of whom 30,465 spoke Hungarian
Hungarian language
Hungarian is a Uralic language, part of the Ugric group. With some 14 million speakers, it is one of the most widely spoken non-Indo-European languages in Europe....
and 22,821 Serbian
Serbian language
Serbian is a form of Serbo-Croatian, a South Slavic language, spoken by Serbs in Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Croatia and neighbouring countries....
.
Serb elementary school in Bečej was opened in 1703 and it is one of the oldest schools in Vojvodina as well as the first elementary school among Serbs. Hungarian elementary school was opened in Bečej in 1765, while Jewish elementary school was opened in 1882. Serb reading house was opened in 1862, while Hungarian reading house was opened in 1869.
Since 1918, Bečej was part of the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes and subsequent South Slavic
South Slavs
The South Slavs are the southern branch of the Slavic peoples and speak South Slavic languages. Geographically, the South Slavs are native to the Balkan peninsula, the southern Pannonian Plain and the eastern Alps...
states. During the Hungarian Axis
Axis Powers
The Axis powers , also known as the Axis alliance, Axis nations, Axis countries, or just the Axis, was an alignment of great powers during the mid-20th century that fought World War II against the Allies. It began in 1936 with treaties of friendship between Germany and Italy and between Germany and...
occupation, in the 1942 raid, 215 inhabitants of the town were murdered by Hungarian forces, of whom 111 were men, 72 women, 13 children, and 19 old people. By nationality, victims included 110 Jews
Jews
The Jews , also known as the Jewish people, are a nation and ethnoreligious group originating in the Israelites or Hebrews of the Ancient Near East. The Jewish ethnicity, nationality, and religion are strongly interrelated, as Judaism is the traditional faith of the Jewish nation...
, 102 Serbs
Serbs
The Serbs are a South Slavic ethnic group of the Balkans and southern Central Europe. Serbs are located mainly in Serbia, Montenegro and Bosnia and Herzegovina, and form a sizable minority in Croatia, the Republic of Macedonia and Slovenia. Likewise, Serbs are an officially recognized minority in...
, and 1 Hungarian.
Inhabited places
Bečej municipality includes the town of Bečej and the following villages:- Bačko GradišteBacko GradišteBačko Gradište is a village located in the Bečej municipality, in the South Bačka District of Serbia. It is situated in the Autonomous Province of Vojvodina. The village is ethnically mixed and its population numbering 5,445 people...
(Hungarian: Bácsföldvár) - Bačko Petrovo SeloBacko Petrovo SeloBačko Petrovo Selo is a village located in the Bečej municipality, in the South Bačka District of Serbia. It is situated in the Autonomous Province of Vojvodina...
(Hungarian: Péterréve) - MileševoMileševoMileševo is a village in Serbia. It is situated in the Bečej municipality, South Bačka District, Vojvodina province...
(Hungarian: Kutaspuszta and Drea) - RadičevićRadicevicRadičević is a village in Serbia. It is situated in the Bečej municipality, South Bačka District, Vojvodina province. The village has a Serb ethnic majority and its population numbering 1,332 people...
(Also known as Čikerija)
Note: for settlements with absolute or relative Hungarian majority names are also given in Hungarian.
There are also several sub-settlements in the municipality, including:
- PoljanicePoljaniceLapovo is a village situated in Ljig municipality in Serbia....
(Hungarian: Pecesor) - Novo Selo
- Drljan
Ethnic groups in the Bečej town
- Hungarians = 11,725 (45.49%)
- SerbsSerbsThe Serbs are a South Slavic ethnic group of the Balkans and southern Central Europe. Serbs are located mainly in Serbia, Montenegro and Bosnia and Herzegovina, and form a sizable minority in Croatia, the Republic of Macedonia and Slovenia. Likewise, Serbs are an officially recognized minority in...
= 11,197 (43.44%) - YugoslavsYugoslavsYugoslavs is a national designation used by a minority of South Slavs across the countries of the former Yugoslavia and in the diaspora...
= 808 (3.14%) - CroatsCroatsCroats are a South Slavic ethnic group mostly living in Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and nearby countries. There are around 4 million Croats living inside Croatia and up to 4.5 million throughout the rest of the world. Responding to political, social and economic pressure, many Croats have...
= 298 (1.16%) - Roma = 185 (0.72%)
- Montenegrins = 172 (0.67%)
- Others.
Ethnic groups in the Bečej municipality
- Hungarians = 20,018 (48.84%)
- SerbsSerbsThe Serbs are a South Slavic ethnic group of the Balkans and southern Central Europe. Serbs are located mainly in Serbia, Montenegro and Bosnia and Herzegovina, and form a sizable minority in Croatia, the Republic of Macedonia and Slovenia. Likewise, Serbs are an officially recognized minority in...
= 16,832 (41.07%) - YugoslavsYugoslavsYugoslavs is a national designation used by a minority of South Slavs across the countries of the former Yugoslavia and in the diaspora...
= 1,070 (2.61%) - Roma = 479 (1.17%)
- CroatsCroatsCroats are a South Slavic ethnic group mostly living in Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and nearby countries. There are around 4 million Croats living inside Croatia and up to 4.5 million throughout the rest of the world. Responding to political, social and economic pressure, many Croats have...
= 437 (1.07%) - Montenegrins = 229 (0.56%)
- Others.
Settlements by ethnic majority
Settlements with a Hungarian ethnic majority are: Bačko Petrovo SeloBacko Petrovo Selo
Bačko Petrovo Selo is a village located in the Bečej municipality, in the South Bačka District of Serbia. It is situated in the Autonomous Province of Vojvodina...
(Hungarian: Péterréve) and Mileševo
Mileševo
Mileševo is a village in Serbia. It is situated in the Bečej municipality, South Bačka District, Vojvodina province...
(Hungarian: Kutaspuszta and Drea). There is one settlement with a Serb ethnic majority: Radičević
Radicevic
Radičević is a village in Serbia. It is situated in the Bečej municipality, South Bačka District, Vojvodina province. The village has a Serb ethnic majority and its population numbering 1,332 people...
. Two settlements: Bečej (Hungarian: Óbecse) and Bačko Gradište
Backo Gradište
Bačko Gradište is a village located in the Bečej municipality, in the South Bačka District of Serbia. It is situated in the Autonomous Province of Vojvodina. The village is ethnically mixed and its population numbering 5,445 people...
(Hungarian: Bácsföldvár) are ethnically mixed, with the largest ethnic group there being the Hungarians.
Languages in the Bečej municipality
Languages spoken in the Bečej municipality include:- HungarianHungarian languageHungarian is a Uralic language, part of the Ugric group. With some 14 million speakers, it is one of the most widely spoken non-Indo-European languages in Europe....
(50.29%) - SerbianSerbian languageSerbian is a form of Serbo-Croatian, a South Slavic language, spoken by Serbs in Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Croatia and neighbouring countries....
(46.63%) - Other (3.08%)
Politics
2008 elections
Results of 2008 local elections in Bečej municipality: http://www.cesid.org/rezultati/sr_maj_2008-lokalni/index.jsp- Hungarian CoalitionHungarian CoalitionThe Hungarian Coalition ; Serbian: Мађарска Коалиција , Mađarska Koalicija ) is a political coalition composed of 3 ethnic Hungarian political parties in Serbia: the Alliance of Vojvodina Hungarians, the Democratic Party of Vojvodina Hungarians, and the Democratic Fellowship of Vojvodina Hungarians...
- Pásztor István - Sándor Pál - 6.366 votes- 29.63% - 13 seats - Movement for Bečej - Dušan Jovanović - 3.859 votes- 22,22% - 8 seats
- For a European municipality of BečejFor a European SerbiaFor a European Serbia – Boris Tadić is an electoral coalition that won the Serbian parliamentary election, 2008, Vojvodina parliamentary election, 2008 and Serbian local elections, 2008...
- Boris Tadić - Budislav Medurić - 3.646 votes- 16,97% - 7 seats - Coalition "Serbian Unity for Bečej" - SRS - DSS - NS - Dragan Živkov Džaja - 3.236 votes- 15.06% - 6 seats
- Kao jedna kuća - Mint egy ház (As One Home) - Goran Sadžakov - 1.128 votes- 5.25% - 2 seats
- List "For Our Municipality" - Coalition of PUPS and CG "Successful People" - Milovanov Živko Braca - 756 votes- 3.25%
- Liberal Democratic Party - Old Bečej - New people - Čedomir Jovanović - 732 votes- 3.41%
- Movement for Turn-Over - Jovan Ječanski Jole - 673 votes- 3.13%
- Socialist Party of Serbia - Dr Zora Apić - 627 votes - 2.92%
Municipaly Assembly, counting 36 members, according to party's membership:
- Movement for Bečej (Pokret za Bečej - PzB) - Dušan Jovanović - 8 delegates (now in Democratic party)
- Alliance of Vojvodina Hungarians (Savez vojvođanskih Mađara - SVM) - 6 delegates
- Serbian Radical Party (Srpska radikalna stranka - SRS) - 5 delegates
- Democratic Fellowship of Vojvodina Hungarians (Demokratska zajednica vojvođanskih Mađara - DZVM)- 5 delegates
- Democratic Party (Demokratska stranka - DS) - 4 delegates
- As One Home (Kao jedna kuća - Mint egy ház) - 2 delegates
- Democratic Party of Vojvodina Hungarians (Demokratska stranka vojvođanskih Mađara - DSVM)- 2 delegates
- G17 Plus - 2 delegates (now in Democratic party)
- League of Social Democrats of Vojvodina (Liga socijaldemokrata Vojvodine - LSV) - 1 delegate
- Democratic Party of Serbia (Demokratska stranka Srbije - DSS) - 1 delegate
Local Government consists of: Movement for Bečej (now Democratic party), Alliance of Vojvodina Hungarians, Democratic Party of Vojvodina Hungarians, League of Social Democrats of Vojvodina, Democratic Party and G17 Plus (now Democratic party).
Local Parliament's Speaker is Dušan Jovanović (PzB - now DS).
Mayor is Péter Knézi (SVM), and his deputy is Budislav Medurić (DS).
Members of Municipality Council are: György Ricz (SVM - Health and Social Work), István Acsai (SVM - Local Communities and Civil Organizations), Ilona Varnyú (DSVM - Education and Culture), Dušan Radivojević (PzB - now DS - Economy and Investment), András Boja (PzB - now DS - Agriculture), Marjan Radičević (G17 Plus - now DS - National Investment Plan), Pál Sándor (LSV - Relations of National and Religious Communities) i Dragan Mesaroš (DS - Small and Medium Enterprises)
Notable people
- Janika BalázsJanika BalázsJanika Balázs was a famous tamburitza musician and band leader from Vojvodina, Serbia.-Life:...
(Janika Balaž), Hungarian-speaking ethnic Roma tamburica musician; Grew up here. - Eufimija Jović, baroness.
- Aleksandar PopovićAleksandar PopovicAleksandar Popović, PhD is a Serbian politician and the former Minister of Energy and Mining and previously Minister of Science and Environment....
, first Serb geologist. - Stevan Popović, Serb cultural worker, publisher, parliamentarian.
- Miloš ŠarčevMiloš ŠarcevMiloš Šarčev is an IFBB bodybuilder from Bečej, Serbia known for his excellent muscular proportion and symmetry.-Biography:Šarčev owns the Koloseum Gym in Fullerton, California...
, bodybuilder. - Károly Than, chemist.
- Mór ThanMór ThanMór Than was a Hungarian painter.Born at Bečej, he was educated in Italy and Vienna beside his cooperation with similar famous painters in his homeland. He worked in a realistic – pre-impressionist style. His subjects were mostly historic events and portraits but also mythological or...
, painter.
Twin towns – Sister cities
Bečej is twinnedTown twinning
Twin towns and sister cities are two of many terms used to describe the cooperative agreements between towns, cities, and even counties in geographically and politically distinct areas to promote cultural and commercial ties.- Terminology :...
with: Miercurea-Ciuc
Miercurea-Ciuc
Miercurea-Ciuc is the county seat of Harghita County, Romania. It lies in the Székely Land, an ethno-cultural region in eastern Transylvania, and is situated in the Olt River valley.The city administers three villages:* Ciba / Csiba...
, Romania
Romania
Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea...
Szekszárd
Szekszárd
Szekszárd is a city in Hungary and the capital of Tolna county. By population, Szekszárd is the smallest county capital in Hungary; by area, it is the second smallest -Location:...
, Hungary
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
Csongrád
Csongrád
Csongrád is a town in Csongrád County in southern Hungary. Formerly, the city also had the alternate Slavic name of Černigrad, which, like the Hungarian version, means "Black Castle" or "Black Town".-History:...
, Hungary
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
See also
- List of places in Serbia
- List of cities, towns and villages in Vojvodina
- Fantast CastleFantast CastleFantast Castle is a Serbian castle founded by the Dunđerski family that came from Herzegovina to Vojvodina in the late nineteenth century. The castle became one of the most famous castles in the Austro-Hungarian monarchy. After 1945, the castle was heavily bombed and seized by the Communists at...
- 19th century castle in the vicinity of Bečej