Zrenjanin - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

Zrenjanin is a city and municipality

Municipalities of Serbia

Serbia is divided into 150 municipalities and 24 cities , which are the basic units of local self-government. The city may and may not be divided into city municipalities . Five cities, Belgrade, Novi Sad, Niš, Kragujevac and Požarevac comprise several city municipalities, divided into "urban" ...

located in the eastern part of 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 province of Vojvodina

Vojvodina

Vojvodina, officially called Autonomous Province of Vojvodina is an autonomous province of Serbia. Its capital and largest city is Novi Sad...

. It is the administrative centre of the Central Banat District

Central Banat District

Central Banat District is a northeastern district of Serbia. It lies in the region of Banat, in the autonomous province of Vojvodina. It has a population of 208,456...

of Serbia. In 2002, the city's population was 79,773, while the Zrenjanin municipality had 132,051 inhabitants.

Zrenjanin is the largest city in the Serbian Banat

Banat

The Banat is a geographical and historical region in Central Europe currently divided between three countries: the eastern part lies in western Romania , the western part in northeastern Serbia , and a small...

, the third largest city in Vojvodina (after Novi Sad

Novi Sad

Novi Sad is the capital of the northern Serbian province of Vojvodina, and the administrative centre of the South Bačka District. The city is located in the southern part of Pannonian Plain on the Danube river....

and Subotica

Subotica

Subotica is a city and municipality in northern Serbia, in the Autonomous Province of Vojvodina...

) and the sixth largest city of Serbia.

Name

The city was named after Žarko Zrenjanin Uča

Žarko Zrenjanin

Žarko Zrenjanin "Uča" was a partisan and National Hero of Yugoslavia. The city of Zrenjanin, in Serbia, is named after him, since 1946....

(1902–1942) in honour and remembrance of his name in 1946. He was one of the leaders of the Vojvodinian Communists and Partisans

Partisans (Yugoslavia)

The Yugoslav Partisans, or simply the Partisans were a Communist-led World War II anti-fascist resistance movement in Yugoslavia...

. During World War II

World War II

World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...

, he was imprisoned and released after being tortured by the Nazis

Nazism

Nazism, the common short form name of National Socialism was the ideology and practice of the Nazi Party and of Nazi Germany...

for months. Later he was killed while trying to escape from being recaptured. The former 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....

name of the city was Bečkerek (Бечкерек) or Veliki Bečkerek (Велики Бечкерек). In 1935 the city was renamed to Petrovgrad (Петровград) in honor of king Peter I of Serbia.

In 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....

, the city is known as Nagybecskerek, in German

German language

German is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....

as Großbetschkerek or Betschkerek, in Romanian

Romanian language

Romanian Romanian Romanian (or Daco-Romanian; obsolete spellings Rumanian, Roumanian; self-designation: română, limba română ("the Romanian language") or românește (lit. "in Romanian") is a Romance language spoken by around 24 to 28 million people, primarily in Romania and Moldova...

as Becicherecul Mare or Zrenianin, in Slovak

Slovak language

Slovak , is an Indo-European language that belongs to the West Slavic languages .Slovak is the official language of Slovakia, where it is spoken by 5 million people...

as Zreňanin, in Rusin as Зрењанин, in Croatian

Croatian language

Croatian is the collective name for the standard language and dialects spoken by Croats, principally in Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Serbian province of Vojvodina and other neighbouring countries...

as Zrenjanin, and in Turkish

Turkish language

Turkish is a language spoken as a native language by over 83 million people worldwide, making it the most commonly spoken of the Turkic languages. Its speakers are located predominantly in Turkey and Northern Cyprus with smaller groups in Iraq, Greece, Bulgaria, the Republic of Macedonia, Kosovo,...

as Beştelek (meaning five melons) or Beçkerek.

It is assumed that Zrenjanin's original name, Bečkerek/Becskerek, comes from Hungarian word kerek ("forest, grove") and the surname of the 14th century nobleman, Imre Becsei, who had large estates in the area. Therefore the name would be translated into English as "Becsei's Forest". The original name received an adjective meaning "great/big/major" in the languages of the Banat ( or Велики, Danube Swabian: Groß, ), to distinguish it from a village of the same name in the Romanian Banat, that is usually referred to as small Bečkerek

Becicherecu Mic

Becicherecu Mic is a commune in Romania, in Timiş County, Banat, near the city of Timişoara. It is composed of a single village, Becicherecu Mic...

(cf. 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....

: Mali Bečkerek or Мали Бечкерек, Danube Swabian: Kleinbetschkerek, ).

History

A Neolithic

Neolithic

The Neolithic Age, Era, or Period, or New Stone Age, was a period in the development of human technology, beginning about 9500 BC in some parts of the Middle East, and later in other parts of the world. It is traditionally considered as the last part of the Stone Age...

Tiszapolgár-Bodrogkeresztúr culture necropolis

Necropolis

A necropolis is a large cemetery or burial ground, usually including structural tombs. The word comes from the Greek νεκρόπολις - nekropolis, literally meaning "city of the dead"...

was found in Crna Bara

Crna Bara

Crna Bara is the name of several villages in Serbia:* Crna Bara , near Čoka* Crna Bara , near Bogatić* Crna Bara , near Aleksinac* Crna Bara , near Vlasotince...

, near Zrenjanin.

The town of (Veliki) Bečkerek / (Nagy) Becskerek was first settled in the 14th century, the first mention of it dates from 1326. The merchant town on the Begej river became a property of the Serbian prince Stefan Lazarević

Stefan Lazarevic

Stefan Lazarević known also as Stevan the Tall was a Serbian Despot, ruler of the Serbian Despotate between 1389 and 1427. He was the son and heir to Prince Lazar, who died at the Battle of Kosovo against the Turks in 1389, and Princess Milica from the subordinate branch of the Nemanjić dynasty...

in the 14th century. The town was ruled by the Kingdom of Hungary

Kingdom 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...

until 1551 when it was conquered by the Ottoman Empire

Ottoman Empire

The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...

The Ottoman army that conquered Bečkerek was led by Mehmed-paša Sokolović

Mehmed-paša Sokolovic

Sokollu Mehmed Pasha was a 16th-century Ottoman statesman...

, an Ottoman statesman of Serb

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...

origin, hence the local Serbs from Bečkerek helped him to conquer the town. After the town fell, Mehmed-paša met with the leaders of local Serbs, and nominated beg Malković for administrator of Bečkerek. As a gratitude to Serbs for their help, Mehmed-paša later (in 1570) turned the town into his vakuf

Vakuf

Vakuf is alternative spelling of waqf. Several places in Bosnia are called so:* Gornji Vakuf, in Bosnia and Herzegovina,* Donji Vakuf, in Bosnia and Herzegovina,* Kulen Vakuf, in Bosnia and Herzegovina* Vakuf , in Bosnia and Herzegovina...

(foundation), built there many beautiful buildings, and granted local autonomy to it. During the Ottoman rule, the town of Bečkerek was divided into two parts (mahala

Mahala

Mahala is a Balkan word for "neighbourhood" or "quarter", a section of a rural or urban settlement, dating to the times of the Ottoman Empire. It was brought to the area through Ottoman Turkish mahalle, but it originates in Arabic mähallä, from the root meaning "to settle", "to occupy"...

s) - one Serb

Serbs

and another Muslim and was sanjak centre in Province of Temeşvar.

In 1716, Bečkerek was conquered by the Habsburg Monarchy

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...

and it developed significantly by Maria Theresia's order of 1769. According to the 1753 data, the town was mostly populated by Serbs

Serbs

and Germans

Germans

The Germans are a Germanic ethnic group native to Central Europe. The English term Germans has referred to the German-speaking population of the Holy Roman Empire since the Late Middle Ages....

. According to the 1773 data, the population of the town numbered 721 houses, of which 625 were Orthodox Christian

Eastern Orthodox Church

The Orthodox Church, officially called the Orthodox Catholic Church and commonly referred to as the Eastern Orthodox Church, is the second largest Christian denomination in the world, with an estimated 300 million adherents mainly in the countries of Belarus, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Georgia, Greece,...

, and 96 Roman Catholic. In 1779, Bečkerek became a seat of Torontal

Torontál

Torontál was the name of administrative county of the Kingdom of Hungary, Austria-Hungary. Its territory is presently in northern Serbia , western Romania and southern Hungary...

county. It was under control of Ottoman troops between 1788-1789 during Ottoman-Habsburg war.

Since great fire destroyed almost whole town in 1807, county seat was temporarly moved to Groß Sankt Nikolaus

Sânnicolau Mare

Sânnicolau Mare is a town in Timiş County, Romania and the westernmost of the country. Located in the Banat region, along the borders with Serbia and Hungary, it has a population of just under 13,000...

, until new county building was finished in 1820. Bečkerek got a theatre

Theatre

Theatre is a collaborative form of fine art that uses live performers to present the experience of a real or imagined event before a live audience in a specific place. The performers may communicate this experience to the audience through combinations of gesture, speech, song, music or dance...

hall in 1839 and a gymnasium

Gymnasium (school)

A gymnasium is a type of school providing secondary education in some parts of Europe, comparable to English grammar schools or sixth form colleges and U.S. college preparatory high schools. The word γυμνάσιον was used in Ancient Greece, meaning a locality for both physical and intellectual...

in 1846, as well as City Hall in 1820 and the Palace of Justice in 1908.

During the Revolution of 1848-1849

Revolutions of 1848

The European Revolutions of 1848, known in some countries as the Spring of Nations, Springtime of the Peoples or the Year of Revolution, were a series of political upheavals throughout Europe in 1848. It was the first Europe-wide collapse of traditional authority, but within a year reactionary...

, the town was one of de facto capitals of Serbian Vojvodina

Serbian Vojvodina

The Serbian Vojvodina was a Serbian autonomous region within the Austrian Empire...

, a Serbian autonomous region within Habsburg Empire. Between 1849 and 1860, it was part of a separate Austrian crownland known as the Vojvodina of Serbia and Tamiš Banat. After the abolishment of this province, the town was included into Torontal

Torontál

Torontál was the name of administrative county of the Kingdom of Hungary, Austria-Hungary. Its territory is presently in northern Serbia , western Romania and southern Hungary...

County, and was the administrative center of this county. After 1867, Bečkerek was located within the Hungarian

Kingdom of Hungary

part of Austria-Hungary

Austria-Hungary

Austria-Hungary , more formally known as the Kingdoms and Lands Represented in the Imperial Council and the Lands of the Holy Hungarian Crown of Saint Stephen, was a constitutional monarchic union between the crowns of the Austrian Empire and the Kingdom of Hungary in...

. In the beginning of the 20th century, the town was ethnically mixed.

According to the 1910 census, the city had 26,006 inhabitants, of which 9,148 most frequently spoke Hungarian language

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....

, 8,934 Serbian language

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....

, 6,811 German language

German language

, 456 Slovak language

Slovak language

Slovak , is an Indo-European language that belongs to the West Slavic languages .Slovak is the official language of Slovakia, where it is spoken by 5 million people...

, and 339 Romanian language

Romanian language

. The municipal area of the city had 54,715 inhabitants, of which 16,485 most frequently spoke German language

German language

, 14,445 Serbian language

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....

, 10,581 Romanian language

Romanian language

, 8,573 Hungarian language

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 3,265 Slovak language

Slovak language

Slovak , is an Indo-European language that belongs to the West Slavic languages .Slovak is the official language of Slovakia, where it is spoken by 5 million people...

. It is not certain whether Hungarians or Serbs

Serbs

were largest ethnic group in the city in this time, since 1910 census is considered partially inaccurate by most historians because this census did not recorded the population by ethnic origin or mother tongue, but by the "most frequently spoken language", thus the census results overstated the number of Hungarian speakers, since this was official language at the time and many non-Hungarian native speakers stated that they most frequently speak Hungarian language in everyday communication. The city was also home to 1,232 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...

, of whom many were native Hungarian speakers. Another problem is that the city and its municipal area were administered separatelly, thus the total population of the city and its municipal area counted together was 80,721 people, of whom 23,379 most frequently spoke Serbian language

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....

, 23,296 German language

German language

, 17,721 Hungarian language

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....

, 10,920 Romanian language

Romanian language

, and 3,721 Slovak language

Slovak language

Slovak , is an Indo-European language that belongs to the West Slavic languages .Slovak is the official language of Slovakia, where it is spoken by 5 million people...

.

After World War I

World War I

World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...

, the city became part of the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes (later renamed to Yugoslavia

Yugoslavia

Yugoslavia refers to three political entities that existed successively on the western part of the Balkans during most of the 20th century....

). In 1921, the population of the city included 39% Serbs

Serbs

and 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...

, 28% Germans

Germans

The Germans are a Germanic ethnic group native to Central Europe. The English term Germans has referred to the German-speaking population of the Holy Roman Empire since the Late Middle Ages....

, 27% Hungarians, and 6% Romanians

Romanians

The Romanians are an ethnic group native to Romania, who speak Romanian; they are the majority inhabitants of Romania....

. Between 1918 and 1922, it was a centre of a county within the Kingdom, between 1922 and 1929, it was part of the Belgrade oblast, and between 1929 and 1941 part of the Danube Banovina

Danube Banovina

The Danube Banovina or Danube Banate was a province of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia between 1929 and 1941. This province consisted of the geographical regions of Syrmia, Bačka, Banat, Baranja, Šumadija, and Braničevo. The capital city of the Danube Banovina was Novi Sad...

.

Between 1941 and 1944, it was under 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, and was part of the autonomous Banat within German

Germany

Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...

-occupied Serbia

Serbia

. Beginning in 1945, Zrenjanin was part of the Autonomous Province of Vojvodina

Vojvodina

Vojvodina, officially called Autonomous Province of Vojvodina is an autonomous province of Serbia. Its capital and largest city is Novi Sad...

within the new Socialist Yugoslavia, and from 1992 to 2003 it was part of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, which was then transformed into the state union of Serbia and Montenegro

Serbia and Montenegro

Serbia and Montenegro was a country in southeastern Europe, formed from two former republics of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia : Serbia and Montenegro. Following the breakup of Yugoslavia, it was established in 1992 as a federation called the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia...

. Since the 2006 independence of Montenegro

Montenegro

Montenegro Montenegrin: Crna Gora Црна Гора , meaning "Black Mountain") is a country located in Southeastern Europe. It has a coast on the Adriatic Sea to the south-west and is bordered by Croatia to the west, Bosnia and Herzegovina to the northwest, Serbia to the northeast and Albania to the...

, Zrenjanin has been part of an independent Serbia

Serbia

Inhabited places

Zrenjanin municipality includes the city of Zrenjanin and the following villages:

Aradac
Aradac
Aradac is a village located in the Zrenjanin municipality, in the Central Banat District of Vojvodina, Serbia. The village is ethnically mixed and its population numbering 3,461 people .-Name:...
Banatski Despotovac
Banatski Despotovac
Banatski Despotovac is a village in Serbia. It is located in the Zrenjanin municipality, in the Central Banat District, Vojvodina province...
Belo Blato
Belo Blato
Belo Blato is a village located in the Zrenjanin municipality, in the Central Banat District of Serbia. It is situated in the autonomous province of Vojvodina...
Botoš
Botoš
Botoš is a village located in the Zrenjanin municipality, in the Central Banat District of Serbia. It is situated in the Autonomous Province of Vojvodina...
Elemir
Elemir
Elemir is a village located in the Zrenjanin municipality, in the Central Banat District of Serbia. It is situated in the province of Vojvodina...
Ečka
Ecka
Ečka is a village located in the Zrenjanin municipality, in the Central Banat District of Serbia. It is situated in the autonomous province of Vojvodina...
Jankov Most
Jankov Most
Jankov Most is a village in Serbia. It is located in the Zrenjanin municipality, in the Central Banat District, Vojvodina province. The village has a Romanian ethnic majority and its population numbering 636 people .-History:First time mentioned in 1221. under name Iancahid Jankov Most...
Klek
Klek
Klek may refer to:* Klek , a village in Serbia, in Zrenjanin municipality* Klek, Croatia, a village in southern Croatia* Klek mountain, Croatia* Klek, Bosnia and Herzegovina, a peninsula in Bosnia and Herzegovina...
Knićanin
Knicanin
Knićanin is a village in Serbia. It is located in the Zrenjanin municipal area, in the Banat region , Vojvodina province...
Lazarevo
Lazarevo
Lazarevo is a village located in the Zrenjanin municipality, in the Central Banat District of Serbia. It is situated in the Autonomous Province of Vojvodina...
Lukino Selo
Lukino Selo
Lukino Selo is a village located in the Zrenjanin municipality, in the Central Banat District of Serbia. It is situated in the Autonomous Province of Vojvodina...
Lukićevo
Lukicevo
Lukićevo is a village in Serbia. It is located in the Zrenjanin municipality, in the Central Banat District, Vojvodina province. The village has a Serb ethnic majority and its population numbering 2,077 people .-See also:...
Melenci
Melenci
Melenci is a village located in the Zrenjanin municipality, in the Central Banat District of Serbia. It is situated in the Autonomous Province of Vojvodina. The village has a Serb ethnic majority and its population numbering 6,737 people . The brackish water lake of Okanj is nearby.-Sports:FK...
Mihajlovo
Mihajlovo
Mihajlovo is a village in Serbia. It is located in the Zrenjanin municipality, in the Central Banat District, Vojvodina province. The village has a Hungarian ethnic majority and its population numbers 1,004 people .-See also:...
Orlovat
Orlovat
Orlovat is a village in Serbia. It is situated in the Zrenjanin municipality, in the Central Banat District, Vojvodina province. The village has a Serb ethnic majority and its population numbering 1,789 people .-Name:...
Perlez
Perlez
Perlez is a village located in the Zrenjanin municipality, in the Central Banat District of Serbia. It is situated in the Autonomous Province of Vojvodina...
Stajićevo
Stajicevo
Stajićevo is a village in Serbia. It is located in the Zrenjanin municipality, in the Central Banat District, Vojvodina province. The village has a Serb ethnic majority and its population numbering 1,999 people .-History:...
Taraš
Taraš
Taraš is a village located in the Zrenjanin municipality, in the Central Banat District of Serbia. It is situated in the Autonomous Province of Vojvodina...
Tomaševac
Tomaševac
Tomaševac is a village in Serbia. It is located in the Zrenjanin municipality, in the Central Banat District, Vojvodina province. The village has a Serb ethnic majority and its population numbering 1,765 people .-See also:...
Farkaždin
Farkaždin
Farkaždin is a village in Serbia. It is located in the Zrenjanin municipality, in the Central Banat District, Vojvodina province. The village has a Serb ethnic majority and its population numbering 1,386 people .-See also:...
Čenta
Centa
Čenta is a village located in the Zrenjanin municipality, in the Central Banat District of Serbia. It is situated in the Autonomous Province of Vojvodina...

City quarters

Lesnina
Zeleno Polje
Zeleno Polje
Zeleno Polje is a settlement in the region of Baranja, Croatia. Administratively, it is located in the Petlovac municipality within the Osijek-Baranja County. Population is 80 people.-See also:*Osijek-Baranja county*Baranja...
Centar
Gradnulica
Gradnulica
Gradnulica was a former village near Veliki Bečkerek until the 18th century. Today, it is one of the biggest city quarters of Zrenjanin, Serbia.-History:...
Čontika
Četvrti Jul
Cetvrti Jul
Četvrti Jul is a neighbourhood of Zrenjanin, Serbia. It is located some 1.5 kilometres to southeast from the city centre. It is residential area, consisting of 50 buildings with 4 or 5 storey each, in the street of the same name . Population of the neighbourhood is just over 3,000 inhabitants...
Dolja
Duvanika
Mala Amerika
Mala Amerika
Mala Amerika is one of the local communities in the city of Zrenjanin, Serbia. It is surrounded by the river Begej. The area used to be an island before the reconstruction projects were undertaken in the early 1980s, when that particular section of the river was cut up into three man-made...
Šumica
Bagljaš
Bagljaš
Bagljaš is a part of the city of Zrenjanin. It is named after a Slovakian family named Bagljas which used to have vineyards in that area. The family still has descendants in the village of Aradac...
Nova Kolonija
Mužlja
Mužlja
Mužlja is a former ethnic Hungarian village, today a neighborhood of the Zrenjanin city in Serbia. It was joined with Zrenjanin in 1981.- Literature :...

, a former village, joined with Zrenjanin in 1981
Ruža Šulman
Brigadira Ristića
Duvanika
Berbersko
Putnikovo
Bolnica
Šećerana
Šecerana
Šećerana is a neighbourhood of Zrenjanin, Serbia. The neighbourhood is both residential and industrial.Local industries include a sugar refinery , heating plant company, electric transformer company, chemical factory, leather factory, medicine preparations plant, cosmetic preparations plant,...
Dunavska

Ethnic groups in the municipality

The population of the Zrenjanin municipality is composed of:

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...

= 98,794 (74.81%)
Hungarians = 14,211 (10.76%)
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...

= 2,559 (1.93%)
Romanians
Romanians
The Romanians are an ethnic group native to Romania, who speak Romanian; they are the majority inhabitants of Romania....

= 2,511 (1.9%)
Roma = 2,471 (1.87%)
Slovaks
Slovaks
The Slovaks, Slovak people, or Slovakians are a West Slavic people that primarily inhabit Slovakia and speak the Slovak language, which is closely related to the Czech language.Most Slovaks today live within the borders of the independent Slovakia...

= 2,403 (1.81%)
others.

Settlements by ethnic majority

Settlements with Serb ethnic majority are: Zrenjanin, Banatski Despotovac, Botoš, Elemir, Ečka, Klek, Knićanin, Lazarevo, Lukićevo, Melenci, Orlovat, Perlez, Stajićevo, Taraš, Tomaševac, Farkaždin, and Čenta. Settlements with Hungarian ethnic majority are: Lukino Selo and Mihajlovo. Settlement with Romanian ethnic majority is Jankov Most. Ethnically mixed settlements are: Aradac (with relative Serb majority) and Belo Blato (with relative Slovak majority).

Ethnic groups in the town

The population of the Zrenjanin town is composed of:

Serbs = 56,560 (70.9%)
Hungarians = 11,605 (14.55%)
Yugoslavs = 1,948 (2.44%)
Roma = 1,577 (1.98%)

Religion

According to the 2002 census, most of the inhabitants of the Zrenjanin municipality are Orthodox Christians

Eastern Orthodox Church

(77.28%). Other religions include Roman Catholic (12.01%), Protestant (2.13%), and other. Orthodox Christians in Zrenjanin belong to the Eparchy of Banat

Eparchy of Banat

The Eparchy of Banat is an ecclesiastical territory or eparchy of the Serbian Orthodox Church in the Banat region, Serbia. It is mostly situated in the autonomous province of Vojvodina, while the eparchy also include a small south-western part of Banat that belongs to the City of Belgrade as well...

of the Serbian Orthodox Church

Serbian Orthodox Church

The Serbian Orthodox Church is one of the autocephalous Orthodox Christian churches, ranking sixth in order of seniority after Constantinople, Alexandria, Antioch, Jerusalem, and Russia...

with seat in Vršac

Vršac

Vršac is a town and municipality located in Serbia. In 2002 the town's total population was 36,623, while Vršac municipality had 54,369 inhabitants. Vršac is located in the Banat region, in the Vojvodina province of Serbia. It is part of the South Banat District.-Name:The name Vršac is of Serbian...

. Zrenjanin is also the centre of the Roman Catholic diocese

Roman Catholic Diocese of Zrenjanin

The Roman Catholic Diocese of Zrenjanin is an ecclesiastical territory or diocese of the Roman Catholic Church in Vojvodina, Serbia. It is centred in the city of Zrenjanin, and encompasses the Banat region...

of the Banat

Banat

region belonging to Serbia.

Main sights

City Hall
Zrenjanin City Hall
Zrenjanin City Hall is located at the Trg Slobode in Zrenjanin, Serbia. It is a seat of the Zrenjanin municipality.- History :...

, built in 1816, re-constructed in 1887, neobaroque, Gyula Partos
Gyula Pártos
Gyula Pártos was a Hungarian architect. Together with Ödön Lechner he designed a number of buildings in the typical Secession style of the turn of the century Hungary.-Career:...

and Ödön Lechner
Ödön Lechner
Ödön Lechner was a Hungarian architect, nicknamed the "Hungarian Gaudí".Lechner was one of the early representatives of the Hungarian Secession movement, called szecesszió in Hungarian, which was related to Art Nouveau and Jugendstil in the rest of Europe...

.
Finance palace
Finance palace
Finance palace, is a two-floored neo-renaissance palace on the main square in Zrenjanin and one of the most beautiful buildings in the city...

, today National museum, built in 1894 in Neorenaissance style by István Kiss
István Kiss
István Kiss was a Hungarian architect.He finished his studies at Budapest University in 1880 and, between 1882 and 1885, traveled overseas on state scholarship...

.
Theatre
Theatre building, Zrenjanin
Theatre building in Zrenjanin was built in 1839 from the old wheat warehouse. It is located at the city main square - Trg slobode...

, built in 1839, classicism, the oldest theatre building in 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...

.
Court House
Zrenjanin Court House
Zrenjanin Court House is a seat of Municipal, District and Trade Court in Zrenjanin. It has been the Palace of Justice since it was built.- Building :...

, built between 1906 and 1908, romanticism, Sandor Eigner and Marcus Rehmer.
Uspenska Serbian Orthodox church
Uspenska church, Zrenjanin
Uspenska church was built in 1746, in Bečkerek, today Zrenjanin. It is located in Svetosavska street.- History :It is the oldest church in Zrenjanin...

, built in 1746, baroque, the oldest church in the city.
Vavedenska church, built in 1777 in Baroque style.
Evangelical church, built in 1837, classicism.
Zrenjanin Cathedral
Zrenjanin Cathedral
The Cathedral of Saint John of Nepomuk in Zrenjanin is the seat of the Roman Catholic church in Serbian Banat and the Roman Catholic Diocese of Zrenjanin...

, built between 1864 and 1868, romanesque, Stevan Đorđević.
Protestant church, built in 1891, neogothic, Ferenc Zaboretzky.
Zrenjanin Synagogue, built in 1896, Moorish Revival
Moorish Revival
Moorish Revival or Neo-Moorish is one of the exotic revival architectural styles that were adopted by architects of Europe and the Americas in the wake of the Romanticist fascination with all things oriental...

, Lipót Baumhorn
Lipót Baumhorn
Lipót Baumhorn was a Hungarian architect.- Career :Baumhorn studied in Vienna under Freiherr von Ferstel, who was the designer of the Votive Church there. He set up a practice after further study under Ödön Lechner. His style ranged from historicism to those inspired by the rising nationalism of...

, demolished in 1941 by Nazis.
Bukovac palace
Bukovac palace
Bukovac palace is a building located at the beginning of King Alexander I street, in Zrenjanin.-History:...

, built in 1905, neorenaissance.
Old Vojvodina hotel
Old Vojvodina hotel
Old Vojvodina Hotel is a building of the former "Vojvodina" hotel. It is located on the central square, Trg Slobode , in Zrenjanin, Serbia, next to the famous theatre building.-History:...

, built in 1886, neorenaissance, Bela Peklo.
Grammar School
Zrenjanin Grammar School building
Zrenjanin Grammar School building was built in 1846, in Gimnazijska street, Zrenjanin.- History :Zrenjanin Grammar School was established in 1846 as a Piarist school. It is the oldest secondary school in Zrenjanin. At the beginning, school was primarily Hungarian, although Serbs were large...

, built in 1846, re-constructed in 1937 and later.
Small bridge
Small bridge
Small Bridge is a steel bridge in Zrenjanin, Serbia.-Name:In Serbian, the bridge is known as Мали мост or Mali most, in Hungarian as Kishid, and in German as Kleine Brücke.-The wooden bridge:...

, built in 1904, the oldest bridge in the city.
Trade academy
Trade academy
Trade academy is located at the bank of the Begej river, in Zrenjanin, Serbia.- History :Trade academy was built in 1892 by the projects of Hungarian architect István Kiss. Kiss used Florentian sort of Neorenaissance, combined with masterful sgraffito technique on the upper floor. Main facade...

, built in 1892, neorenaissance, István Kiss
István Kiss
István Kiss was a Hungarian architect.He finished his studies at Budapest University in 1880 and, between 1882 and 1885, traveled overseas on state scholarship...

.
Bence's house
Bence's house
Bence's house is a palace in Zrenjanin. It was built in 1909 in the style of secession.- History :The palace was projected as a modern department store. Owner of this palace was Miksa Bence, owner of the local furniture factory . He wanted to have a huge, modern showroom for his products...

, built in 1909, secession.
Dry Bridge
Dry Bridge
Dry Bridge is a bridge in Zrenjanin, Serbia. It is a unique bridge because it currently does not span any physical obstacle, since the flow of the river under it was diverted.- History :...

, built in 1962, without river since 1985.
Eiffel Bridge, built in 1904, replaced by a new bridge in 1969.
Dunđerski palace, built in 1910, secession.
House of Soko, built in 1927, academism, Dragiša Brašovan
Dragiša Brašovan
Dragiša Brašovan was a Serbian modernist architect, one of the leading architects of the early 20th century in Yugoslavia.- Works :Zrenjanin:...

.

Tourism

Zrenjanin has many places of interest like City Hall

Zrenjanin City Hall

Zrenjanin City Hall is located at the Trg Slobode in Zrenjanin, Serbia. It is a seat of the Zrenjanin municipality.- History :...

, the Cathedral, Freedom Square, King Aleksandar I

Alexander I of Yugoslavia

Alexander I , also known as Alexander the Unifier was the first king of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia as well as the last king of the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes .-Childhood:...

Street, etc.

Hotel "Vojvodina" is situated on Liberty Square . There is a Tourist Information Office in the building of National Museum (Subotićeva 1).

Sports

Zrenjanin has a long sports tradition. First clubs were established during 1880s. It was the home town of Proleter

FK Proleter Zrenjanin

FK Proleter Zrenjanin was a football club from the city of Zrenjanin, Vojvodina, Serbia.-Early period:...

football club from 1947 until 2005. Today, FK Banat

FK Banat Zrenjanin

FK Banat Zrenjanin is a football club from the city of Zrenjanin, Serbia...

plays its games at Karađorđev Park Stadium in Serbian Premier League

Serbian Superliga

Serbian SuperLiga is a Serbian professional league for football clubs. At the top of the Serbian football league system, it is the country's primary football competition. It is contested by 16 clubs, operating a system of promotion and relegation with the Serbian First League...

Transportation

Zrenjanin no longer has a public transport operator, for the first time in its recent history, following the privatization and subsequent bankruptcy of Autobanat. It used to operate as the city's public transport company and as the regional public transport service to the nearby cities of (Novi Sad

Novi Sad

, Belgrade

Belgrade

Belgrade is the capital and largest city of Serbia. It is located at the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers, where the Pannonian Plain meets the Balkans. According to official results of Census 2011, the city has a population of 1,639,121. It is one of the 15 largest cities in Europe...

, Kikinda

Kikinda

Kikinda is a town and a municipality located in Serbia, in the autonomous province of Vojvodina. It is the administrative centre of the North Banat District. The town has 42,000 inhabitants, while the municipality has approximately 67,000 inhabitants.The modern city was founded in 18th century...

, Vršac

Vršac

), etc.

In the past river traffic on the Begej river used to be most developed mode of caego transport. Veliki Bečkerek got a railway in 1883, when it linked the city to Velika Kikinda

Kikinda

. There are many taxi companies in Zrenjanin and the regulations are either lacking or are not enforced by the authorities.

Notable citizens

Dragan Ahmedović, Serbian composer
Dezső Antalffy-Zsiross
Dezso Antalffy-Zsiross
Dezső Antalffy-Zsiross was a Hungarian organist and composer. He studied with, among others Max Reger, Karl Straube and Enrico Bossi. In Budapest, besides being the resident organist of the Saint Stephen's Basilica he also taught organ at the Franz Liszt Academy of Music...

, Hungarian organist and composer
Dejan Bodiroga
Dejan Bodiroga
Dejan Bodiroga is a retired Serbian professional basketball player.He is offten considered as one of the best players who did not play in the NBA....

, Serbian basketball player
Ivan Boldirev
Ivan Boldirev
Ivan Boldirev is a retired Serbian-Canadian professional ice hockey centre who played 15 seasons in the NHL from 1970 through 1985...

, hockey player
Branimir Brstina
Branimir Brstina
Branimir Brstina is a Serbian actor.-External links:...

, Serbian actor
Branko Cuic, Serbian basketball player
Žarko Čabarkapa
Žarko Cabarkapa
Žarko Čabarkapa is a Montenegrin basketball player at the power forward position.-Career:...

, Serbian basketball player
Konstantin Danil
Konstantin Danil
Konstantin Danil was a renowned Serbian painter of the 19th century. He is most famous for his portraits.-External links:**...

, Serbian painter of Romanian origin
Dejan Govedarica
Dejan Govedarica
Dejan Govedarica is a Serbian former football player.He played 3 seasons for FK Proleter Zrenjanin , 3 and a half seasons for FK Vojvodina , little more than season and a half for FC Volendam , U.S...

, Serbian football player
Nikola Grbić
Nikola Grbic
Nikola Grbić is a Serbian volleyball player. He was born at Klek, Socialist Republic of Serbia, Yugoslavia, now part of Serbia. Standing at 1,95 m, he plays setter. He is the younger brother of Vladimir Grbić, who also played volleyball on the highest level....

, born in Zrenjanin, lived in Klek
Klek
Klek may refer to:* Klek , a village in Serbia, in Zrenjanin municipality* Klek, Croatia, a village in southern Croatia* Klek mountain, Croatia* Klek, Bosnia and Herzegovina, a peninsula in Bosnia and Herzegovina...
Vladimir Grbić
Vladimir Grbic
Vladimir "Vanja" Grbić is a former Serbian volleyball player. He is 193 cm and played as passer-side attacker. He was born in Klek, then in the Socialist Republic of Serbia, Yugoslavia, now in Serbia...

, born in Zrenjanin, lived in Klek
Klek
Klek may refer to:* Klek , a village in Serbia, in Zrenjanin municipality* Klek, Croatia, a village in southern Croatia* Klek mountain, Croatia* Klek, Bosnia and Herzegovina, a peninsula in Bosnia and Herzegovina...
Vladimir Ivić
Vladimir Ivic
Vladimir Ivić is a Serbian footballer who plays as a midfielder for PAOK. He is the younger brother of Ilija Ivić, ex Red Star player and sports director....

, Serbian football player
Đura Jakšić, Serbian painter, studying painting as a student of Danil
Olivera Kovacevic, Serbian journalist
Vilmos Lázár
Vilmos Lázár
Vilmos Lázár was a honvéd colonel in the Hungarian Army. He was executed for his part in the Hungarian Revolution of 1848, and is considered one of the 13 Martyrs of Arad. Vilmos Lázár was, according to historian Gabor Bona, from a family of Hungarian nobility of Armenian descent.-Reference:...

, Hungarian general
Ivan Lenđer, Serbian swimmer
Mile Lojpur
Mile Lojpur
Milan "Mile" Lojpur was a former Yugoslav and Serbian rock musician, arguably the first Serbian, Yugoslav rock and roll musician.-Biography:...

, first Yugoslav rocker
Željko Lučić
Željko Lučić
Željko Lučić is a Serbian operatic baritone who has had an active international career since 1993. He was a member of the Serbian National Theatre in Novi Sad from 1993–1998 and at the Frankfurt Opera from 1998-2008...

, operatic baritone
Todor Manojlović, Serbian writer
Mirko Milosevic, Serbian handball player
Zvonko Ninkov, Serbian journalist
Zorica Novaković, Serbian poet http://www.banaterra.eu/srpski/biblioteka/novakovic.htm
Maja Ognjenović
Maja Ognjenovic
Maja Ognjenović is a female volleyball player from Serbia, who was a member of the Women's National Team that won the silver medal at the 2007 European Championship in Belgium and Luxembourg...

, Serbian volleyball player
Joe Penner
Joe Penner
Joe Penner was an American 1930s-era vaudeville, radio and film comedian. He was an ethnic Hungarian born as József Pintér in Nagybecskerek, Austria-Hungary...

(József Pintér), American radio and film comedian
Snežana Perić
Snežana Peric
Snežana Pantić is a Serbian professional karate competitor. She resides in Belgrade...

, Serbian professional karate competitor
Emil Petrovics, Hungarian composer of South Slavic origin
Čedomir Popov, Serbian academic
Miodrag Popov, Serbian journalist
Milorad Stanulov
Milorad Stanulov
Milorad Stanulov is a Serbian rower who competed for Yugoslavia.- References :* at sports-reference.com...

, Serbian rower
Mario Szenessy
Mario Szenessy
Mario Szenessy was a Hungarian-German author, translator, and literary critic.- Biography :...

, Hungarian-German author
Nada Šargin, Serbian actress
Ivana Španović
Ivana Španovic
Ivana Španović is a Serbian long jumper.She finished seventh at the 2006 World Junior Championships, won the silver medal the 2007 World Youth Championships and the gold medal at the 2008 World Junior Championships...

, Serbian long jumper
Duško Tošić
Duško Tošic
Duško Tošić is a Serbian footballer who plays as a defender for Real Betis, on loan from Red Star Belgrade.-Early career:...

, Serbian football player
Zoran Tošić
Zoran Tošic
Zoran Tošić is a Serbian footballer who plays as a left winger for CSKA Moscow. Born in Zrenjanin, Tošić began his career with his local side Proleter Zrenjanin. He then joined Budućnost Banatski Dvor, who then merged with Proleter to form Banat Zrenjanin...

, Serbian football player
Zvonimir Vujin
Zvonimir Vujin
Zvonimir Vujin is a former boxer from Yugoslavia, who was a two-time Bronze Medal winner at the Olympic Games.At the 1968 Mexico City Olympics, he won the Lightweight bronze medal...

, Serbian boxer
Zvonimir Vukić
Zvonimir Vukic
Zvonimir Vukić is a Serbian professional footballer who plays for FK Partizan.-Club career:...

, Serbian football player
Rudolf Wegscheider
Rudolf Wegscheider
Rudolf Wegscheider was an Austrian chemist.Wegscheider studied chemistry and was the founder of the Austrian School of Chemistry. He taught at the University of Vienna, and from 1902 to 1931 he was departmental Chair. He was the chairman of the association of Austrian chemists from 1904 to...

, Austrian chemist

Twin towns — Sister cities

Zrenjanin is twinned

Town 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: Békéscsaba

Békéscsaba

Békéscsaba is a city in Southeast Hungary, the capital of the county Békés.- Geography :According to the 2001 census, the city has a total area of .- Name :...

, 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...

Arad

Arad, Romania

Arad is the capital city of Arad County, in western Romania, in the Crişana region, on the river Mureş.An important industrial center and transportation hub, Arad is also the seat of a Romanian Orthodox archbishop and features two universities, a Romanian Orthodox theological seminary, a training...

, 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...

Timişoara

Timisoara

Timișoara is the capital city of Timiș County, in western Romania. One of the largest Romanian cities, with an estimated population of 311,586 inhabitants , and considered the informal capital city of the historical region of Banat, Timișoara is the main social, economic and cultural center in the...

, 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...

Trivia

Zrenjanin is home to the oldest continually operating post office in 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...

, founded in 1737.
During World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...

, Zrenjanin might have been bombed by the Allies
Allies
In everyday English usage, allies are people, groups, or nations that have joined together in an association for mutual benefit or to achieve some common purpose, whether or not explicit agreement has been worked out between them...

. The pilot mistook it for Timişoara
Timisoara
Timișoara is the capital city of Timiș County, in western Romania. One of the largest Romanian cities, with an estimated population of 311,586 inhabitants , and considered the informal capital city of the historical region of Banat, Timișoara is the main social, economic and cultural center in the...

(both cities lie on the Begej river and are "only" 100 km apart).
Zrenjanin is sometimes referred to as The City of Bridges. There are eleven bridges.
Wild Bill Hickok
Wild Bill Hickok
James Butler Hickok , better known as Wild Bill Hickok, was a folk hero of the American Old West. His skills as a gunfighter and scout, along with his reputation as a lawman, provided the basis for his fame, although some of his exploits are fictionalized.Hickok came to the West as a stagecoach...

once visited the city, as did Franz Liszt
Franz Liszt
Franz Liszt ; ), was a 19th-century Hungarian composer, pianist, conductor, and teacher.Liszt became renowned in Europe during the nineteenth century for his virtuosic skill as a pianist. He was said by his contemporaries to have been the most technically advanced pianist of his age...

and Kirk Douglas
Kirk Douglas
Kirk Douglas is an American stage and film actor, film producer and author. His popular films include Out of the Past , Champion , Ace in the Hole , The Bad and the Beautiful , Lust for Life , Paths of Glory , Gunfight at the O.K...

.

External links

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