Zrenjanin ( sr-Cyrl, Зрењанин, ; hu, Nagybecskerek; ro, Becicherecu Mare; sk, Zreňanin; german: Großbetschkerek) is a
city
A city is a human settlement of notable size.Goodall, B. (1987) ''The Penguin Dictionary of Human Geography''. London: Penguin.Kuper, A. and Kuper, J., eds (1996) ''The Social Science Encyclopedia''. 2nd edition. London: Routledge. It can be def ...
and the administrative center of the
Central Banat District
The Central Banat District ( sr, Средњобанатски округ, Srednjobanatski okrug, ; hu, Közép-bánsági körzet) is one of seven administrative districts of the autonomous province of Vojvodina, Serbia. It lies in the geogr ...
in the autonomous province of
Vojvodina, Serbia. The city urban area has a population of 76,511 inhabitants, while the city administrative area has 123,362 inhabitants (2011 census data). The old name for Zrenjanin is Veliki Bečkerek or ''Nagybecskerek'' as it was known under
Austria-Hungary
Austria-Hungary, often referred to as the Austro-Hungarian Empire,, the Dual Monarchy, or Austria, was a constitutional monarchy and great power in Central Europe between 1867 and 1918. It was formed with the Austro-Hungarian Compromise of ...
up until 1918.
Zrenjanin is the largest city in the Serbian part of the
Banat
Banat (, ; hu, Bánság; sr, Банат, Banat) is a geographical and historical region that straddles Central and Eastern Europe and which is currently divided among three countries: the eastern part lies in western Romania (the counties of ...
geographical region, and the third largest city in Vojvodina (after
Novi Sad
Novi Sad ( sr-Cyrl, Нови Сад, ; hu, Újvidék, ; german: Neusatz; see below for other names) is the second largest city in Serbia and the capital of the autonomous province of Vojvodina. It is located in the southern portion of the P ...
and
Subotica
Subotica ( sr-cyrl, Суботица, ; hu, Szabadka) is a city and the administrative center of the North Bačka District in the autonomous province of Vojvodina, Serbia. Formerly the largest city of Vojvodina region, contemporary Subotica i ...
). The city was designated European city of sport.
Name
The city was named after
Žarko Zrenjanin (1902–1942) in 1946 in honour and remembrance of his name. One of the leaders of the Vojvodina
communist
Communism (from Latin la, communis, lit=common, universal, label=none) is a far-left sociopolitical, philosophical, and economic ideology and current within the socialist movement whose goal is the establishment of a communist society, ...
Partisans during
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...
, he was imprisoned and released after being tortured by the Nazis for months, and later killed while trying to avoid recapture.
The former
Serbian
Serbian may refer to:
* someone or something related to Serbia, a country in Southeastern Europe
* someone or something related to the Serbs, a South Slavic people
* Serbian language
* Serbian names
See also
*
*
* Old Serbian (disambiguation ...
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. It was called ''Petrovgrad'' from 1935 to 1946.
In
Hungarian, the city is known as ''Nagybecskerek'', in
German
German(s) may refer to:
* Germany (of or related to)
**Germania (historical use)
* Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language
** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law
**Ge ...
as ''Großbetschkerek'' or ''Betschkerek'', in
Romanian
Romanian may refer to:
*anything of, from, or related to the country and nation of Romania
** Romanians, an ethnic group
**Romanian language, a Romance language
***Romanian dialects, variants of the Romanian language
**Romanian cuisine, traditiona ...
as ''Becicherecul Mare'' or ''Zrenianin'', in
Slovak as ''Zreňanin'', in
Rusin as ''Зрењанин'', in
Croatian as ''Zrenjanin'', and in
Turkish as ''Beşkelek'' (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 ( sr, Veliki or ''Велики'',
Danube Swabian
The Danube Swabians (german: Donauschwaben ) is a collective term for the ethnic German-speaking population who lived in various countries of central-eastern Europe, especially in the Danube River valley, first in the 12th century, and in grea ...
: ''Groß'', hu, Nagy, ro, Mare), to distinguish it from a village of the same name in the
Romanian Banat, that is usually referred to as
small Bečkerek (cf.
Serbian
Serbian may refer to:
* someone or something related to Serbia, a country in Southeastern Europe
* someone or something related to the Serbs, a South Slavic people
* Serbian language
* Serbian names
See also
*
*
* Old Serbian (disambiguation ...
: ''Mali Bečkerek'' or ''Мали Бечкерек'',
Danube Swabian
The Danube Swabians (german: Donauschwaben ) is a collective term for the ethnic German-speaking population who lived in various countries of central-eastern Europe, especially in the Danube River valley, first in the 12th century, and in grea ...
: ''Kleinbetschkerek'', ro, Becicherecu Mic, hu, Kisbecskerek).
History
Prehistory
Prehistory can be divided into the
Palaeolithic
The Paleolithic or Palaeolithic (), also called the Old Stone Age (from Greek: παλαιός '' palaios'', "old" and λίθος ''lithos'', "stone"), is a period in human prehistory that is distinguished by the original development of stone too ...
Old Stone Age and the
Neolithic
The Neolithic period, or New Stone Age, is an Old World archaeological period and the final division of the Stone Age. It saw the Neolithic Revolution, a wide-ranging set of developments that appear to have arisen independently in several pa ...
New Stone Age. In Zrenjanin's regions no archaeological sites of the
Palaeolithic
The Paleolithic or Palaeolithic (), also called the Old Stone Age (from Greek: παλαιός '' palaios'', "old" and λίθος ''lithos'', "stone"), is a period in human prehistory that is distinguished by the original development of stone too ...
have been found. The only exception makes the discovery of
mammoth
A mammoth is any species of the extinct elephantid genus ''Mammuthus'', one of the many genera that make up the order of trunked mammals called proboscideans. The various species of mammoth were commonly equipped with long, curved tusks an ...
’s head and other bones found on the banks of
Tisa River
The Tisza, Tysa or Tisa, is one of the major rivers of Central and Eastern Europe. Once, it was called "the most Hungarian river" because it flowed entirely within the Kingdom of Hungary. Today, it crosses several national borders.
The Tisza ...
near
Novi Bečej in the year 1952. The discovered archaeological sites, however, indicate that these regions had already been inhabited in the early
Neolithic
The Neolithic period, or New Stone Age, is an Old World archaeological period and the final division of the Stone Age. It saw the Neolithic Revolution, a wide-ranging set of developments that appear to have arisen independently in several pa ...
period about 5000 years BC. The most important archaeological site from this period is so-called
Krstić tumulus, near
Mužlja
Mužlja ( sr-cyr, Мужља; hu, Muzslya) is a neighborhood of the Zrenjanin
Zrenjanin ( sr-Cyrl, Зрењанин, ; hu, Nagybecskerek; ro, Becicherecu Mare; sk, Zreňanin; german: Großbetschkerek) is a city and the administrative ...
, about away from Zrenjanin. Here were found the
ceramics, with interesting
ornaments. Beside the brewery ground have been found rough, with coloured fine ceramics, ornaments (
Starčevo culture). The middle Neolithic appeared in our area as
Vinča and Potisje culture, in the down course of the
Tisa River
The Tisza, Tysa or Tisa, is one of the major rivers of Central and Eastern Europe. Once, it was called "the most Hungarian river" because it flowed entirely within the Kingdom of Hungary. Today, it crosses several national borders.
The Tisza ...
. What makes this area important is the fact that the influence of two parallel cultures flew through it at the same time. The
Iron Age
The Iron Age is the final epoch of the three-age division of the prehistory and protohistory of humanity. It was preceded by the Stone Age ( Paleolithic, Mesolithic, Neolithic) and the Bronze Age ( Chalcolithic). The concept has been mostly ...
has not been enough explored yet. A few regions with some archaeological materials from the Iron Age have been found: in the residential area
Šumica a tip of a spear was found and near the oil factory, pieces of ceramics from the
Bronze Age
The Bronze Age is a historic period, lasting approximately from 3300 BC to 1200 BC, characterized by the use of bronze, the presence of writing in some areas, and other early features of urban civilization. The Bronze Age is the second pri ...
were discovered.
At the beginning of the common era, this area was settled by many native tribes, but also by many newcomer tribes: the
Illyrians
The Illyrians ( grc, Ἰλλυριοί, ''Illyrioi''; la, Illyrii) were a group of Indo-European-speaking peoples who inhabited the western Balkan Peninsula in ancient times. They constituted one of the three main Paleo-Balkan populations, a ...
, the
Celts
The Celts (, see pronunciation for different usages) or Celtic peoples () are. "CELTS location: Greater Europe time period: Second millennium B.C.E. to present ancestry: Celtic a collection of Indo-European peoples. "The Celts, an ancient ...
, the
Goths
The Goths ( got, 𐌲𐌿𐍄𐌸𐌹𐌿𐌳𐌰, translit=''Gutþiuda''; la, Gothi, grc-gre, Γότθοι, Gótthoi) were a Germanic people who played a major role in the fall of the Western Roman Empire and the emergence of medieval Euro ...
, the
Geths, the
Sarmatian and
Jazghs. In the end of the third century and in the middle of the fourth century, in the area of Zrenjanin and its surroundings, the
Sarmatian tribe
Roxolani appeared. From this period a
Sarmatian’s graveyard has been found in a city residential district, near the railroad bridge. Finally in the necropolis, not far from
Aradac, “Mečka”, more than 120 graves, which date from the end of the sixth and the beginning of the seventh century, have been excavated in 1952.
Middle Ages
The first historical records mentioning Zrenjanin (Bečkerek) date from the 14th century, the time when
Charles I Charles I may refer to:
Kings and emperors
* Charlemagne (742–814), numbered Charles I in the lists of Holy Roman Emperors and French kings
* Charles I of Anjou (1226–1285), also king of Albania, Jerusalem, Naples and Sicily
* Charles I of ...
, King of Hungary and Croatia (1301–1342), used to visit
Banat
Banat (, ; hu, Bánság; sr, Банат, Banat) is a geographical and historical region that straddles Central and Eastern Europe and which is currently divided among three countries: the eastern part lies in western Romania (the counties of ...
and spend time in his capital
Timișoara. (Near today's Zrenjanin a coin was found with the inscription "Charles I".) Many noblemen came with the King, including the powerful
Imre Becsei
Imre is a Hungarian masculine first name, which is also in Estonian use, where the corresponding name day is 10 April. It has been suggested that it relates to the name Emeric, Emmerich or Heinrich. Its English equivalents are Emery and Henry. ...
. The areas where Becsei settled down were named for him, “Bechereki” and “Beche” (
Novi Bečej).
The oldest written records of Bečkerek date from
Budim Capitulum’s document of collecting the Pope’s tens taxes in 1326, 1331 and 1332. Judging by the size of the taxes, Bečkerek of 1330s was an average village. The first settlers were the landless
Hungarian peasants. There were the
Serbs
The Serbs ( sr-Cyr, Срби, Srbi, ) are the most numerous South Slavs, South Slavic ethnic group native to the Balkans in Southeastern Europe, who share a common Serbian Cultural heritage, ancestry, Culture of Serbia, culture, History of ...
in
Banat
Banat (, ; hu, Bánság; sr, Банат, Banat) is a geographical and historical region that straddles Central and Eastern Europe and which is currently divided among three countries: the eastern part lies in western Romania (the counties of ...
, too. During the reign of
Louis I of Hungary (1343–1382), more Serbs migrated to the area from the south, and with them many
Orthodox priests.
After the
Turkish victory at the
battle of Nicopolis (1396) the Hungarian
King Sigismund (1387–1437) was considering defending the territory settled by the
Serbs
The Serbs ( sr-Cyr, Срби, Srbi, ) are the most numerous South Slavs, South Slavic ethnic group native to the Balkans in Southeastern Europe, who share a common Serbian Cultural heritage, ancestry, Culture of Serbia, culture, History of ...
, and he is known to have visited Bečkerek on September 30, 1398. The town was granted to
Stefan Lazarević at the end of the 1403. The despot became the
vassal
A vassal or liege subject is a person regarded as having a mutual obligation to a lord or monarch, in the context of the feudal system in medieval Europe. While the subordinate party is called a vassal, the dominant party is called a suzerai ...
of the Hungarian King; but he got Bečkerek and the title of the Great Head of the
Torontál County.
Ottoman period
The Hungarian
King Ferdinand appointed friar Djordje Martinović, a commander of his forces, to defend the town from the Ottomans. Hungary was attacked by 80,000 Ottoman soldiers under the command of Vizier
Sokollu Mehmed Pasha. On September 15, 1551, the siege of the town
Bečej was raised and the town was taken after four days. On September 24 the Bečkerek fortress was sieged. Many people left town earlier and with few defenders the town couldn't be defended and those eighty, who left surrendered the next day. Malković was appointed the lord of Bečkerek. After the Ottomans had taken
Timișoara in 1552,
Banat
Banat (, ; hu, Bánság; sr, Банат, Banat) is a geographical and historical region that straddles Central and Eastern Europe and which is currently divided among three countries: the eastern part lies in western Romania (the counties of ...
became a special province, the
Temeşvar Eyalet, which was made up of several
sanjak
Sanjaks (liwāʾ) (plural form: alwiyāʾ)
* Armenian: նահանգ (''nahang''; meaning "province")
* Bulgarian: окръг (''okrǔg''; meaning "county", "province", or "region")
* el, Διοίκησις (''dioikēsis'', meaning "province" ...
s, one of which was the
Sanjak of Beçkerek.
During Ottoman occupation, the sanjak had a military administration. Due to good behaviour of the
rayah
A raiyah or reaya (from , a plural of "countryman, animal, sheep pasturing, subjects, nationals, flock", also spelled ''raiya'', ''raja'', ''raiah'', ''re'aya''; Ottoman Turkish رعايا ; Modern Turkish râiya or reaya; related to the Arabi ...
, the inhabitants were exempt from war taxes. During the 165 years of Ottoman rule, Bečkerek consisted of two separate settlements: the settlement of Bečkerek and the village of
Gradnulica
Gradnulica (Serbian Cyrillic: Граднулица) was a former village near Zrenjanin, Veliki Bečkerek (Zrenjanin) until the 18th century. Today, it is one of the biggest city quarters of Zrenjanin, Serbia.
History
Gradnulica was formed in Medi ...
. The town was divided into two parts, a Turkish and a Serbian. The Turkish part was fenced and closed, while the Serbian one was open. On the main square there was a large
mosque
A mosque (; from ar, مَسْجِد, masjid, ; literally "place of ritual prostration"), also called masjid, is a place of prayer for Muslims. Mosques are usually covered buildings, but can be any place where prayers ( sujud) are performed, ...
built and inside the fortress there was a little one. There was a
Turkish bath
A hammam ( ar, حمّام, translit=ḥammām, tr, hamam) or Turkish bath is a type of steam bath or a place of public bathing associated with the Islamic world. It is a prominent feature in the culture of the Muslim world and was inherited ...
, and around it there were about twenty stores. Gradnulica was a disorderly village, whose centre was approximately on the crossroad of the present streets Sindjelićeva and Djurdjevska. Prior to Ottoman occupation, the citizens were Serbs and Hungarians. At the end of the 18th century there were about fifty Turkish families.
According to the
Treaty of Karlowitz
The Treaty of Karlowitz was signed in Karlowitz, Military Frontier of Archduchy of Austria (present-day Sremski Karlovci, Serbia), on 26 January 1699, concluding the Great Turkish War of 1683–1697 in which the Ottoman Empire was defeated by ...
(1699), the Temeşvar Eyalet, including Bečkerek, stayed under Ottoman rule, while bordering territories once again came under the
Military Frontier. After the
Austro-Turkish War of 1716–18 Bečkerek went under Habsburg rule.
Habsburg and Austrian period (1718–1914)
As a crown province,
Banat
Banat (, ; hu, Bánság; sr, Банат, Banat) is a geographical and historical region that straddles Central and Eastern Europe and which is currently divided among three countries: the eastern part lies in western Romania (the counties of ...
belonged directly to the
Vienna
en, Viennese
, iso_code = AT-9
, registration_plate = W
, postal_code_type = Postal code
, postal_code =
, timezone = CET
, utc_offset = +1
, timezone_DST ...
court. The first governor, appointed by the Emperor, was Count
Claudius Mercy. By the imperial edict on September 12, 1718,
Banat
Banat (, ; hu, Bánság; sr, Банат, Banat) is a geographical and historical region that straddles Central and Eastern Europe and which is currently divided among three countries: the eastern part lies in western Romania (the counties of ...
was divided into 13 districts, with the main administration in
Timișoara at its head. The
District of Banat included a few settlements:
Idjoš,
Arač,
Bečej,
Itebej,
Elemir
Elemir (; hu, Elemér) is a village located in the Zrenjanin municipality, in the Central Banat District of Serbia. It is situated in the province of Vojvodina. As of 2011 census, the village has a population of 4,338 inhabitants.
Name
In Serb ...
,
Ečka and
Aradac. The first chief of this district was
Titus Vespanius Slucki. After the Turkish forces and Turks families had withdrawn, the land was left devastated without labour, which could till the soil and paid taxes. That's why the Austrian court tried to settle
Banat
Banat (, ; hu, Bánság; sr, Банат, Banat) is a geographical and historical region that straddles Central and Eastern Europe and which is currently divided among three countries: the eastern part lies in western Romania (the counties of ...
as soon as possible.
The colonization lasted from 1718 till 1724, when the town was settled mostly by
Germans
, native_name_lang = de
, region1 =
, pop1 = 72,650,269
, region2 =
, pop2 = 534,000
, region3 =
, pop3 = 157,000
3,322,405
, region4 =
, pop4 = ...
, but the
Serbs
The Serbs ( sr-Cyr, Срби, Srbi, ) are the most numerous South Slavs, South Slavic ethnic group native to the Balkans in Southeastern Europe, who share a common Serbian Cultural heritage, ancestry, Culture of Serbia, culture, History of ...
never stopped arriving. The military frontier in
Potisje was displaced. In the following years
Italians
, flag =
, flag_caption = The national flag of Italy
, population =
, regions = Italy 55,551,000
, region1 = Brazil
, pop1 = 25–33 million
, ref1 =
, region2 ...
,
Frenchmen,
Romanians
The Romanians ( ro, români, ; dated exonym '' Vlachs'') are a Romance-speaking ethnic group. Sharing a common Romanian culture and ancestry, and speaking the Romanian language, they live primarily in Romania and Moldova. The 2011 Romania ...
arrived and then the
Catalans from
Barcelona
Barcelona ( , , ) is a city on the coast of northeastern Spain. It is the capital and largest city of the autonomous community of Catalonia, as well as the second most populous municipality of Spain. With a population of 1.6 million within c ...
, who escaped the repression after the
War of the Spanish Succession
The War of the Spanish Succession was a European great power conflict that took place from 1701 to 1714. The death of childless Charles II of Spain in November 1700 led to a struggle for control of the Spanish Empire between his heirs, Phil ...
and settled in a place which is now the suburb of Dolja within Zrenjanin. The town was called
New Barcelona. But the life was difficult in this
marsh area with many contagious diseases, so many of them died and still many left.
In the summer of 1738 there was the great plague. The Count Mersy wanted to turn marshes into fertile soil and he began to regulate the
Begej River. In the middle and down course of the river a long canal was built, to make the river traffic possible between Bečkerek and
Timișoara. On the first of November 1745
Sebastian Krazeisen began to make beer in the first brewery and that meant the first start of the industrialization. In the same year the first Serb’s school was mentioned.
On 6 June 1769
Maria Theresa
Maria Theresa Walburga Amalia Christina (german: Maria Theresia; 13 May 1717 – 29 November 1780) was ruler of the Habsburg dominions from 1740 until her death in 1780, and the only woman to hold the position '' suo jure'' (in her own right) ...
granted the Community of Great Bečkerek, the privilege of becoming the trading centre. By this privilege the whole social-economic life of the former Bečkerek was regulated and it got the status of the town. In 1769 the first hospital was built. In 1779, by the new organization of
Torontál County, Bečkerek became its centre. The city was briefly restored to
Ottoman administration from 1787 to 1788 during
Austro-Turkish War (1787–91) The term Austro-Turkish War may refer to:
* Austro-Turkish War (1593–1606)
* Austro-Turkish War (1663–1664)
* Austro-Turkish War (1683–1699)
* Austro-Turkish War (1716–1718)
* Austro-Turkish War (1737–1739)
* Austro-Turkish War (1788–17 ...
.
In the 18th century it developed into thriving economic and cultural centre, but the great fire destroyed a large portion of the town in 1807. The town was soon rebuilt. The fire came from the brewery, on 30 August 1807. After the fire a new regulation of streets had been done, houses had been built from stronger materials, roads had been rebuilt. The river traffic was especially intensive. The theatre building with an attractively decorated hall was built in 1839. In 1846 the Grammar School was opened and in 1847 the first printing shop.
The
1848–49 Revolutions had its impact on Bečkerek. The
Serbs revolted, aiming for autonomy within the Austrian Empire. At the
May Assembly (13–15 May 1848), the
Serbian Vojvodina was proclaimed, including most of what is today Vojvodina. Serbs from Bečkerek participated in the uprising against Hungarian authority (which refused Serb rights) and from 26 January to 29 April 1849 the town was under Serb rebel control. In 1849, the town became part of the
Voivodeship of Serbia and Banat of Temeschwar until 1860.
Although that time was known in history as a period of
Bach's absolutism
The Austrian Empire (german: link=no, Kaiserthum Oesterreich, modern spelling , ) was a Central-Eastern European multinational great power from 1804 to 1867, created by proclamation out of the realms of the Habsburgs. During its existence, ...
, the second part of the 19th century brought the town new developing benefits. New industrial facilities and handicraft stores were opened in every part of the town. Late 19th and early 20th century was progressive period for Veliki Bečkerek. Railway arrived in 1883, while post office was opened back in 1737.
World War I and the Kingdom of Yugoslavia
After the
Sarajevo assassination
Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria, heir presumptive to the Austro-Hungarian throne, and his wife, Sophie, Duchess of Hohenberg, were assassinated on 28 June 1914 by Bosnian Serb student Gavrilo Princip. They were shot at close range while b ...
, more than 30 citizens of Bečkerek were accused by the
Austria-Hungary
Austria-Hungary, often referred to as the Austro-Hungarian Empire,, the Dual Monarchy, or Austria, was a constitutional monarchy and great power in Central Europe between 1867 and 1918. It was formed with the Austro-Hungarian Compromise of ...
’s authorities of high treason. Among them was Dr Emil Gavrila, who together with
Svetozar Miletić and
Jaša Tomić, worked very hard on the cultural and social strengthening of Serbs.
Those Serbs recruited in the
Austria-Hungary
Austria-Hungary, often referred to as the Austro-Hungarian Empire,, the Dual Monarchy, or Austria, was a constitutional monarchy and great power in Central Europe between 1867 and 1918. It was formed with the Austro-Hungarian Compromise of ...
's army began to desert to avoid having to fight their own people.
7,000 of them formed volunteer detachments (people were from
Banat
Banat (, ; hu, Bánság; sr, Банат, Banat) is a geographical and historical region that straddles Central and Eastern Europe and which is currently divided among three countries: the eastern part lies in western Romania (the counties of ...
and
Srem) at the
Eastern front and fought at
Dobruja
Dobruja or Dobrudja (; bg, Добруджа, Dobrudzha or ''Dobrudža''; ro, Dobrogea, or ; tr, Dobruca) is a historical region in the Balkans that has been divided since the 19th century between the territories of Bulgaria and Romania. I ...
, but 79 of them fought on
the Salonice front, too.
After years, the Serbs forces made a breakthrough of
the Salonice front in 1918 and began to liberate their own country. The First Army in command of
Vojvoda Petar Bojović freed
Belgrade
Belgrade ( , ;, ; names in other languages) is the capital and largest city in Serbia. It is located at the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers and the crossroads of the Pannonian Plain and the Balkan Peninsula. Nearly 1,166,763 mi ...
on 1 November 1918 and began to occupy
Vojvodina.
On 17 November Serbian army arrived at Veliki Bečkerek. On 31 October 1918, the Serb Chamber of People of the town founded in the war conditions, as a temporary authority with Dr Slavko Župunski at its head. Serb army, the infantry iron regiment “Prince Mihajlo” and the infantry brigade with Colonel Dragutin Ristić in command came into the town on 17 November 1918.
A few days after
Vojvodina had been occupied, its provinces were attached to the
Kingdom of Serbs and on December 1, 1918, the
Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes
Kingdom commonly refers to:
* A monarchy ruled by a king or queen
* Kingdom (biology), a category in biological taxonomy
Kingdom may also refer to:
Arts and media Television
* ''Kingdom'' (British TV series), a 2007 British television drama s ...
was founded, as the first
South Slavic state.
The town of Veliki Bečkerek became the administrative centre of Torontal-Tamiš County, and after its repealing, the town became the headquarters of District Office. In 1929 the town became part of the
Danube Banovina
Danube Banovina or Danube Banate ( sh-Latn-Cyrl, separator=" / ", Dunavska banovina, Дунавска бановина), was a banovina (or province) of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia between 1929 and 1941. This province consisted of the geographical ...
. By the Town Council decision made on 29 September 1934, and confirmed by the Town Authority on 18 February 1935, the town was renamed Petrovgrad, after the
king Peter I.
It is near that town that the
Vera Renczi
Vera Renczi (dubbed the Black Widow, Mrs. Poison or Chatelaine of Berkerekul), was a Romanian serial killer who was charged with poisoning 35 individuals including her two husbands, multiple lovers, and her son with arsenic during the 1920s.
...
, the notorious "Black Widow", lived in her castle of Berkerekul, where, out of raging jealousy, she poisoned her two husbands, her 10-year-old son and 32 lovers starting in 1925. She placed all the corpses in zinc coffins in the chateau crypt and used to talk to them, drinking champagne. She was arrested in 1930, condemned to death, sentence commuted to life in prison because, at that time, Yugoslavia did not execute women. She became completely insane and died in the town asylum in 1960.
Second World War and SFR Yugoslavia
After the
Kingdom of Yugoslavia
The Kingdom of Yugoslavia ( sh-Latn-Cyrl, separator=" / ", Kraljevina Jugoslavija, Краљевина Југославија; sl, Kraljevina Jugoslavija) was a state in Southeast and Central Europe that existed from 1918 until 1941. From 191 ...
had capitulated on 18 April 1941, and
Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany (lit. "National Socialist State"), ' (lit. "Nazi State") for short; also ' (lit. "National Socialist Germany") (officially known as the German Reich from 1933 until 1943, and the Greater German Reich from 1943 to 1945) was ...
occupied the country, the German Forces came into Petrovgrad. The authority in
Banat
Banat (, ; hu, Bánság; sr, Банат, Banat) is a geographical and historical region that straddles Central and Eastern Europe and which is currently divided among three countries: the eastern part lies in western Romania (the counties of ...
had domestic Germans
Volksdeutsche
In Nazi German terminology, ''Volksdeutsche'' () were "people whose language and culture had German origins but who did not hold German citizenship". The term is the nominalised plural of ''volksdeutsch'', with ''Volksdeutsche'' denoting a sing ...
, who immediately started to confiscate Jews' property and arrested patriots. The town was renamed Great Bečkerek and it was the headquarters of the occupation authority for
Banat (1941-44), headed by Juraj Špiler, and a concentration camp in Cara Dušana Street.
The camp existed for almost two years and thousands of people passed through it. In town there were many underground groups supported by the
Communist Party
A communist party is a political party that seeks to realize the socio-economic goals of communism. The term ''communist party'' was popularized by the title of '' The Manifesto of the Communist Party'' (1848) by Karl Marx and Friedrich Engel ...
, which fought the German occupiers and the Germans made reprisals.
On 2 October 1944, the
Red Army Forces came into town, and, after a short fight, took command of most vital public buildings.
The following day the first meeting on National Liberation Committee for the town Petrovgrad was held.
Eight members of the national liberation resistance, from the town and its surroundings were announced National Heroes:
Žarko Zrenjanin,
Svetozar Marković Toza Svetozar ( Cyrillic script: Светозар) is a Slavic origin given name and may refer to:
*Svetozar Boroević (1856–1920), Austro-Hungarian Field Marshal
* Svetozar Čiplić (born 1965), Serbian politician
* Svetozar Đanić (1917–1941), S ...
,
Pap Pavle,
Stevica Jovanović,
Servo Mihalj
Servo may refer to:
Mechanisms
* Servomechanism, or servo, a device used to provide control of a desired operation through the use of feedback
** AI servo, an autofocus mode
** Electrohydraulic servo valve, an electrically operated valve that ...
, Dr. Boško Vrebalov,
Nedeljko Barnić Žarki,
Bora Mikin Marko. During
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...
, the town infrastructure was kept almost saved. Except in the final fights for the town, there were no war actions on the territory of the town. The Germans tried to damage and destroy some industrial buildings, but it was prevented. Only Anau-Winkler’s mill and the monumental
Jewish synagogue
A synagogue, ', 'house of assembly', or ', "house of prayer"; Yiddish: ''shul'', Ladino: or ' (from synagogue); or ', "community". sometimes referred to as shul, and interchangeably used with the word temple, is a Jewish house of worsh ...
in the centre of the town were destroyed.
After World War II important social-political changes were made in the country, which, of course, had their influence on the development of Zrenjanin, newly named in 1946. In August 1945 the Agriculture Reform Act came into force, in June 1950 the Worker Self-Management Act, in 1959 the first direct urban plan of the town development, which indicated the urbanism-economic development of the town, was passed.
The development, in the first after war decade, was directed by the directive plans, which were based on the principles of socialist economy in which the most important industrial branches were industry and agriculture. By the 1980s many people left their villages and moved into towns which brought many changes in the social, educational and ethnic structure of the town. There was permanently shortage of housing. That is why many new parts of the town and many new apartment buildings were built. Zrenjanin became an important agricultural, industrial, cultural and sport centre, at the time Zrenjanin was one of the most powerful industrial centres of the
Socialist Federative Republic of Yugoslavia led by
Josip Broz Tito
Josip Broz ( sh-Cyrl, Јосип Броз, ; 7 May 1892 – 4 May 1980), commonly known as Tito (; sh-Cyrl, Тито, links=no, ), was a Yugoslav communist revolutionary and statesman, serving in various positions from 1943 until his death ...
.
After 1991
The town's development has always been strongly affected by the social-economic circumstances reflecting the State surroundings that Zrenjanin found in. At the beginning of 1990s, when
the war broke out on the territory of the former Yugoslavia, and the country was falling apart, it led to rather hard social and economic crisis in this area, All that caused an economic stagnation, unemployment, large migrations of refugees from the
former Yugoslav Republics: Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina.
The town experienced the first political changes by the introducing of multiparty system at the end of 1996 when the local government was ruled by the coalition Zajedno (Together) and in 2000 by the coalition
Democratic opposition of Serbia.
On March 24, 1999, the
NATO bombing of Serbia began but the town was not targeted. Life in the town was quite normal, in spite of the dangerous situation elsewhere in the country.
In the first years after the end of war activities the Town and its citizens have been adjusting to new economic and social-economic conditions, known as
transition. Instead of previous large economic combines and companies plenty of new flexible private enterprises are established and foreign capital is starting to flow in Zrenjanin. New industrial and work and residential zones are formed and the Town's General Plan 2006-2026 and Sustainable Development Strategy 2006-2013 are made and approved. At the end of 2007, introducing a new national territorial organisation followed by necessary legislation, the Municipality of Zrenjanin has been upgraded to an administrative and territorial status of a city.
Geography
Zrenjanin is situated on the western edge of the
Banat
Banat (, ; hu, Bánság; sr, Банат, Banat) is a geographical and historical region that straddles Central and Eastern Europe and which is currently divided among three countries: the eastern part lies in western Romania (the counties of ...
loess plateau, at the place where the canalized River
Begej
The Bega or Begej ( ro, Bega; sr, / ; german: Bega; hu, Béga, formerly ''Kistemes''), is a 244 km (152 mile) long river in Romania (169 km; 105 mi.) and Serbia (75 km; 47 mi.). It rises in the Poiana Ruscă Mounta ...
flows into the former water course of the River
Tisa. The territory of the city is predominantly flat country. The City of Zrenjanin is situated at a longitude of 20°23’ east and a latitude of 45°23’ north, in the center of the Serbian part of the
Banat
Banat (, ; hu, Bánság; sr, Банат, Banat) is a geographical and historical region that straddles Central and Eastern Europe and which is currently divided among three countries: the eastern part lies in western Romania (the counties of ...
region, on the banks of the Rivers
Begej
The Bega or Begej ( ro, Bega; sr, / ; german: Bega; hu, Béga, formerly ''Kistemes''), is a 244 km (152 mile) long river in Romania (169 km; 105 mi.) and Serbia (75 km; 47 mi.). It rises in the Poiana Ruscă Mounta ...
and
Tisa. The city is located at 80 meters above sea level.
Zrenjanin is around away from
Belgrade
Belgrade ( , ;, ; names in other languages) is the capital and largest city in Serbia. It is located at the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers and the crossroads of the Pannonian Plain and the Balkan Peninsula. Nearly 1,166,763 mi ...
, and about from
Novi Sad
Novi Sad ( sr-Cyrl, Нови Сад, ; hu, Újvidék, ; german: Neusatz; see below for other names) is the second largest city in Serbia and the capital of the autonomous province of Vojvodina. It is located in the southern portion of the P ...
, which is also the distance to the present border with the
European Union
The European Union (EU) is a supranational union, supranational political union, political and economic union of Member state of the European Union, member states that are located primarily in Europe, Europe. The union has a total area of ...
(Romania), which makes its position a particularly important transition center and potential resource in the directions north–south and east–west.
Inhabited places
The city administrative area includes the following villages:
*
Aradac
*
Banatski Despotovac
*
Belo Blato
Belo Blato ( sr-cyr, Бело Блато; sk, Biele Blato or ; hu, Erzsébetlak, , , or ) is a village located in the Zrenjanin municipality, in the Central Banat District of Serbia. It is situated in the autonomous province of Vojvodina. Th ...
*
Botoš
*
Čenta
Čenta (; hu, Csenta) 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 (95.19%) and the population is 3, ...
*
Ečka
*
Elemir
Elemir (; hu, Elemér) is a village located in the Zrenjanin municipality, in the Central Banat District of Serbia. It is situated in the province of Vojvodina. As of 2011 census, the village has a population of 4,338 inhabitants.
Name
In Serb ...
*
Farkaždin
*
Jankov Most
Jankov Most ( sr-cyr, Јанков Мост; ro, Iancăid; hu, Jankahíd) is a village in Serbia. It is located in the Zrenjanin municipality, in the Central Banat District, in the province of Vojvodina. The village has a Romanian ethnic major ...
*
Klek
*
Knićanin
Knićanin (, ) is a village in Serbia. It is located in the Zrenjanin municipal area, in the Banat region (Central Banat District), Vojvodina province. Its population is 2,034 (2002 census) and most of its inhabitants are ethnic Serbs (97.39% ...
*
Lazarevo
Lazarevo (; hu, Lázárfő) 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 (94.77%) and a total populat ...
*
Lukićevo
Lukićevo (; hu, Zsigmondfalva) 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 (93.45%) and its population numbering 2,077 people ( ...
*
Lukino Selo
Lukino Selo ( sr-Cyrl, Лукино Село, hu, Lukácsfalva, german: Lukasdorf) 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 ...
*
Melenci
Melenci (; hu, Melence) 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 (93.40%) and its population num ...
*
Mihajlovo
Mihajlovo ( sr-cyr, Михајлово, hu, Magyarszentmihály) 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 (94.02%) and its ...
*
Orlovat
*
Perlez
*
Stajićevo
*
Taraš
*
Tomaševac
Neighbourhoods in Zrenjanin
*
Bagljaš
*
Berbersko
*
Bolnica
*
Brigadira Ristića
*
Downtown
*
Četvrti Jul
*
Čontika
*
Dolja
*
Dunavska
*
Duvanika
*
Gradnulica
Gradnulica (Serbian Cyrillic: Граднулица) was a former village near Zrenjanin, Veliki Bečkerek (Zrenjanin) until the 18th century. Today, it is one of the biggest city quarters of Zrenjanin, Serbia.
History
Gradnulica was formed in Medi ...
*
Lesnina
*
Mala Amerika
Mala Amerika ( sr-cyrl, Мала Америка; literally: "Little America") is one of the local communities in the city of Zrenjanin, Serbia. It is surrounded by the river Begej
The Bega or Begej ( ro, Bega; sr, / ; german: Bega; hu, B� ...
*
Mužlja
Mužlja ( sr-cyr, Мужља; hu, Muzslya) is a neighborhood of the Zrenjanin
Zrenjanin ( sr-Cyrl, Зрењанин, ; hu, Nagybecskerek; ro, Becicherecu Mare; sk, Zreňanin; german: Großbetschkerek) is a city and the administrative ...
, a former village, joined with Zrenjanin in 1981
*
Nova Kolonija
A nova (plural novae or novas) is a transient astronomical event that causes the sudden appearance of a bright, apparently "new" star (hence the name "nova", which is Latin for "new") that slowly fades over weeks or months. Causes of the dramati ...
*
Putnikovo
*
Ruža Šulman
*
Šećerana
*
Šumica
*
Zeleno Polje
Zeleno Polje ( hu, Szentistvánpuszta, sr-Cyrl, Зелено Поље) is a settlement in the region of Baranja, Croatia. Administratively, it is located in the Petlovac municipality within the Osijek-Baranja County. Population is 43 people.
H ...
Climate
The
Köppen Climate Classification
The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems. It was first published by German-Russian climatologist Wladimir Köppen (1846–1940) in 1884, with several later modifications by Köppen, nota ...
subtype for this climate is
Dfa (Humid Continental Climate).
The average temperature for the year in Zrenjanin is . The warmest month, on average, is July with an average temperature of . The coolest month on average is January, with an average temperature of .
The highest recorded temperature in Zrenjanin is , which was recorded in July. The lowest recorded temperature in Zrenjanin is , which was recorded in January.
The average amount of precipitation for the year in Zrenjanin is . The month with the most precipitation on average is June with of precipitation. The month with the least precipitation on average is February with an average of . There are an average of 126.8 days of precipitation, with the most precipitation occurring in May with 12.4 days and the least precipitation occurring in August with 7.5 days.
Demographics
According to the 2011 census, the total population of the city of Zrenjanin was 123,362.
Ethnic groups
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).
The ethnic composition of the city administrative area:
Urbanization
;Changing demographics of Zrenjanin proper
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Religion
According to the 2002 census, most of the inhabitants of the Zrenjanin municipality were
Orthodox Christians (77.28%). Other faiths include
Roman Catholic
Roman or Romans most often refers to:
* Rome, the capital city of Italy
*Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD
* Roman people, the people of ancient Rome
*'' Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a let ...
(12.01%),
Protestant
Protestantism is a Christian denomination, branch of Christianity that follows the theological tenets of the Reformation, Protestant Reformation, a movement that began seeking to reform the Catholic Church from within in the 16th century agai ...
(2.13%), and other. Orthodox Christians in Zrenjanin belong to the
Eparchy of Banat of the
Serbian Orthodox Church
The Serbian Orthodox Church ( sr-Cyrl, Српска православна црква, Srpska pravoslavna crkva) is one of the autocephalous (ecclesiastically independent) Eastern Orthodox Christian denomination, Christian churches.
The majori ...
with seat in
Vršac. Zrenjanin is also the centre of the
Roman Catholic diocese
As of October 5, 2021, the Catholic Church in its entirety comprises 3,171 ecclesiastical jurisdictions, including over 652 archdioceses and 2,248 dioceses, as well as apostolic vicariates, apostolic exarchates, apostolic administrations, apos ...
of the
Banat
Banat (, ; hu, Bánság; sr, Банат, Banat) is a geographical and historical region that straddles Central and Eastern Europe and which is currently divided among three countries: the eastern part lies in western Romania (the counties of ...
region belonging to Serbia.
Economy
The city of Zrenjanin used to be the fourth largest industry center in former
Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia (; sh-Latn-Cyrl, separator=" / ", Jugoslavija, Југославија ; sl, Jugoslavija ; mk, Југославија ;; rup, Iugoslavia; hu, Jugoszlávia; rue, label= Pannonian Rusyn, Югославия, translit=Juhoslavij ...
. The economy of Zrenjanin is diverse, as it has developed
processing industry,
agriculture
Agriculture or farming is the practice of cultivating plants and livestock. Agriculture was the key development in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that enabled people ...
,
forestry
Forestry is the science and craft of creating, managing, planting, using, conserving and repairing forests, woodlands, and associated resources for human and environmental benefits. Forestry is practiced in plantations and natural stands. ...
,
building industry
Construction is a general term meaning the art and science to form objects, systems, or organizations,"Construction" def. 1.a. 1.b. and 1.c. ''Oxford English Dictionary'' Second Edition on CD-ROM (v. 4.0) Oxford University Press 2009 and co ...
, and
transport
Transport (in British English), or transportation (in American English), is the intentional movement of humans, animals, and goods from one location to another. Modes of transport include air, land ( rail and road), water, cable, pipelin ...
.
As of September 2017, Zrenjanin has one of 14
free economic zones established in Serbia.
The following table gives a preview of total number of registered people employed in legal entities per their core activity (as of 2018):
Transportation
Zrenjanin no longer has a public transport operator, for the first time in its recent history, following the privatization and subsequent bankruptcy o
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 ( sr-Cyrl, Нови Сад, ; hu, Újvidék, ; german: Neusatz; see below for other names) is the second largest city in Serbia and the capital of the autonomous province of Vojvodina. It is located in the southern portion of the P ...
,
Belgrade
Belgrade ( , ;, ; names in other languages) is the capital and largest city in Serbia. It is located at the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers and the crossroads of the Pannonian Plain and the Balkan Peninsula. Nearly 1,166,763 mi ...
,
Kikinda
Kikinda ( sr-Cyrl, Кикинда, ; hu, Nagykikinda) is a city and the administrative center of the North Banat District in Serbia . The city urban area has 38,069 inhabitants, while the city administrative area has 59,453 inhabitants.
The ...
,
Vršac), etc.
In the past river traffic on the
Begej
The Bega or Begej ( ro, Bega; sr, / ; german: Bega; hu, Béga, formerly ''Kistemes''), is a 244 km (152 mile) long river in Romania (169 km; 105 mi.) and Serbia (75 km; 47 mi.). It rises in the Poiana Ruscă Mounta ...
river used to be most developed mode of cargo transport. Veliki Bečkerek got a railway in 1883, when it linked the city to
Velika Kikinda
Kikinda ( sr-Cyrl, Кикинда, ; hu, Nagykikinda) is a city and the administrative center of the North Banat District in Serbia . The city urban area has 38,069 inhabitants, while the city administrative area has 59,453 inhabitants.
The ...
. There are many taxi companies in Zrenjanin and the regulations are either lacking or are not enforced by the authorities.
Culture
Main sights
*
City Hall
In local government, a city hall, town hall, civic centre (in the UK or Australia), guildhall, or a municipal building (in the Philippines), is the chief administrative building of a city, town, or other municipality. It usually houses ...
, built in 1816, re-constructed in 1887, neobaroque,
Gyula Partos Gyula may refer to:
* Gyula (title), Hungarian title of the 9th–10th century
* Gyula (name), Hungarian male given name, derived from the title
; People
* Gyula II, the ''gyula'' who was baptized in Constantinople around 950
* Gyula III, the '' ...
and
Ödön Lechner.
*
Finance palace, today National museum, built in 1894 in Neorenaissance style by
István Kiss.
*
Zrenjanin Theatre, built in 1839, classicism, the oldest theatre building in
Serbia
Serbia (, ; Serbian: , , ), officially the Republic of Serbia ( Serbian: , , ), is a landlocked country in Southeastern and Central Europe, situated at the crossroads of the Pannonian Basin and the Balkans. It shares land borders with Hu ...
.
*
Zrenjanin Court House
Zrenjanin Court House, also known as Palace of Justice ( sr, Палата правде / , hu, Igazságügyi palota) is a seat of Municipal, District and Trade Court in Zrenjanin.
Building
The monumental Neromantical building of the Distri ...
, built between 1906 and 1908, romanticism, Sandor Eigner and Marcus Rehmer.
*
Uspenska Serbian Orthodox church, built in 1746, baroque, the oldest church in the city.
*
Vavedenska church, built in 1777 in Baroque style.
*
Slovak evangelic church, built in 1837, classicism.
*
Zrenjanin Cathedral, built between 1864 and 1868, romanesque, Franz Xaver Brandeisz.
*
Zrenjanin Protestant church, built in 1891, neogothic, Ferenc Zaboretzky.
*
Zrenjanin Synagogue
Zrenjanin ( sr-Cyrl, Зрењанин, ; hu, Nagybecskerek; ro, Becicherecu Mare; sk, Zreňanin; german: Großbetschkerek) is a city and the administrative center of the Central Banat District in the autonomous province of Vojvodina, Serbi ...
, built in 1896,
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 Romanticist Orientalism. It reached the height of its popularity after the mid-19th centu ...
,
Lipót Baumhorn
Lipót Baumhorn ( hu, Baumhorn Lipót, german: Leopold Baumhorn, 28 December 1860, Kisbér – 8 July 1932, Kisbér) was a Hungarian people, Hungarian architect of Jewish heritage, the most influential Hungarian synagogue architect in the first h ...
, demolished in 1941 by Nazis.
*
Bukovac palace, built in 1895, neorenaissance.
*
Old Vojvodina hotel, built in 1886, neorenaissance, Ferenc Pelzl.
*
Zrenjanin Grammar School building, built in 1846, re-constructed in 1937 and later.
*
Small bridge
Small Bridge () is the oldest bridge in Zrenjanin, Serbia.
Today's steel bridge was built in 1904, on the site of an older movable wooden bridge, when it was named Franz Josef Bridge (, German: , Hungarian: ), and after 1919
Events
...
, built in 1904, the oldest bridge in the city.
*
Trade academy, built in 1892, neorenaissance,
István Kiss.
*
Bence House, built in 1909, secession.
*
Dry Bridge, 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.
In popular culture
*Zrenjanin (under the name of Petrovgrad) is mentioned in the novel "Waiting for Robert Capa" of Spanish author
Susana Fortes
Susana Fortes (born in 1959 in Pontevedra, Spain) is a Spanish writer and columnist.
Fortes graduated in geography and history at the University of Santiago de Compostela and in American history at the University of Barcelona. She combines he ...
. Jewish protagonist's brothers who are running from persecution, are settling in Serbian village Petrovgrad, just on Romanian border, because there was never tradition of
antisemitism
Antisemitism (also spelled anti-semitism or anti-Semitism) is hostility to, prejudice towards, or discrimination against Jews. A person who holds such positions is called an antisemite. Antisemitism is considered to be a form of racism.
Antis ...
in the village.
Tourism
Zrenjanin has many places of interest like
City Hall
In local government, a city hall, town hall, civic centre (in the UK or Australia), guildhall, or a municipal building (in the Philippines), is the chief administrative building of a city, town, or other municipality. It usually houses ...
, the cathedral, Freedom Square,
King Aleksandar I Street, etc.
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 the 1880s. It was the home town of
Proleter football club from 1947 until 2005. As of 2021
FK Radnički Zrenjanin plays in
Serbian League Vojvodina division, which is the third level football league in
Serbia
Serbia (, ; Serbian: , , ), officially the Republic of Serbia ( Serbian: , , ), is a landlocked country in Southeastern and Central Europe, situated at the crossroads of the Pannonian Basin and the Balkans. It shares land borders with Hu ...
.
The city was designated European city of sport in 2021.
Notable residents
*
Dezső Antalffy-Zsiross, Hungarian organist and composer
*
Tibor Várady
Tibor Várady (born May 25, 1939, Zrenjanin Yugoslavia) is a legal scholar.
He has also earned recognition as a writer. He was one of the founders of the Hungarian language avant-garde literary magazine "Új Symposion" published in Novi Sad (Yugo ...
, lawyer, member of
SANU
Sanu may refer to:
* Sanu, Iran, village in the Razavi Khorasan Province, Iran
*Serbian Academy of Sciences and Arts (SANU), an academic institution in Serbia
* Sudan African National Union, a political party in Sudan
*South American native ungula ...
and former Minister of Justice of FR Yugoslavia (1992)
*
János Bartl, magician
*
Nenad Bjeković
Nenad Bjeković (, ; born 5 November 1947) is a Serbian football administrator and former player and manager.
Club career
Born in Lazarevo, a village near Zrenjanin, Bjeković started out at his local club Zadrugar Lazarevo, before switching t ...
, former Serbian football player
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Dejan Bodiroga, Serbian basketball player, Olympic silver medalist, World and European champion
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Ivan Boldirev, ice hockey player
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Jovana Brakočević, Serbian volleyball player, Olympic silver medalist and European champion
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Branimir Brstina
Branimir Brstina ( sr-cyr, Бранимир Брстина; born 4 January 1960) is a Serbian actor.
References
External links
*
1960 births
Living people
People from Kikinda
Serbian male television actors
Serbian male film actors
Z ...
, Serbian actor
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Žarko Čabarkapa, Serbian basketball player, World champion
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Konstantin Danil, Serbian painter
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Željko Đurđić, Serbian
handball
Handball (also known as team handball, European handball or Olympic handball) is a team sport in which two teams of seven players each (six outcourt players and a goalkeeper) pass a ball using their hands with the aim of throwing it into the ...
player
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Dejan Govedarica
Dejan Govedarica (, ; born 2 October 1969) is a Serbian retired football player.
Career
He played three seasons for FK Proleter Zrenjanin (1989–1992), 3 and a half seasons for FK Vojvodina (1992-February 1996), little more than season and a h ...
, Serbian football player
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Nikola Grbić, born in Zrenjanin, lived in
Klek, Olympic and European champion
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Vladimir Grbić, born in Zrenjanin, lived in Klek, Olympic and European champion
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Ivan Ivanji, Novelist
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Vladimir Ivić
Vladimir Ivić (; born 7 May 1977) is a Serbian football manager and former player who is currently head coach of Krasnodar.
A former Serbia and Montenegro international, Ivić is best remembered for his time with Partizan and PAOK at club lev ...
, Serbian football player
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Đura Jakšić, Serbian painter, studying painting as a student of Danil
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Todor Kuljić, sociologist
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Vilmos Lázár, Hungarian general
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Ivan Lenđer, Serbian swimmer, World and European junior champion
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Mile Lojpur, first Serbian and Yugoslav
rocker
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Željko Lučić
Željko Lučić (born 24 February 1968), 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 to 1998 and at the Frankfurt Opera from 1998 to ...
, operatic baritone
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Todor Manojlović, writer, literary and art critic
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Aleksandar Markovski
Aleksandar Markoski (Serbian Cyrillic: Александар Маркоски; born 17 September 1975) is a Serbian former Association football, football player.
Career statistics
References
External links
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Living people
1975 birt ...
, Serbian football player
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Brižitka Molnar
Brižitka Molnar ( sr-cyrl, Брижитка Молнар; born 28 July 1985 in Torak, Serbia) is a retired Serbian volleyball player who plays as an outside hitter.
She competed in the 2008 Summer Olympics where she was eliminated with the ...
, Serbian volleyball player, European champion
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Maja Ognjenović
Maja Ognjenović ( sr-cyrl, Маја Огњеновић; born 6 August 1984) is a Serbian volleyball player and the captain of the Serbia women's national volleyball team. With the national team, she won the gold medal at the 2011 European Champ ...
, Serbian volleyball player, Olympic silver medalist and European champion
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Joe Penner (József Pintér), American radio and film comedian
Joe Penner biography (in Hungarian)
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* Snežana Pantić, Serbian professional karate competitor, World champion
* Nebojša Popov, sociologist, member of the Praxis School
The Praxis school was a Marxist humanist philosophical cycle, whose members were influenced by Western Marxism. It originated in Zagreb in the SFR Yugoslavia, during the 1960s.
Prominent school's theorists include Gajo Petrović and Milan Kangrg ...
* Marianna Schmidt, Hungarian-Canadian printmaker and painter
*Milorad Stanulov
Milorad Stanulov (born 20 February 1953, in Zrenjanin) is a Serbian rower who competed for Yugoslavia. He and Zoran Pančić are only Serbs to win an Olympic medal in rowing.
References
*
*
1953 births
Living people
Yugoslav ...
, Serbian rower, two-time Olympic medalist
*Mario Szenessy
Mario Szenessy (14 September 1930 in Veliki Bečkerek, Yugoslavia (today Zrenjanin, Serbia) – 11 October 1976 in Pinneberg, Germany) was a Hungarian-German author, translator, and literary critic.
Biography
Mario Szenessy grew up in the Vo ...
, Hungarian-German author
*Uglješa Šajtinac
Uglješa Šajtinac (Serbian Cyrillic: Угљеша Шајтинац; born 1 October 1971 in Zrenjanin, Yugoslavia) is a Serbian writer and playwright.
Biography
Šajtinac grew up in an artistic parents home, his mother Mirjana is an actress, his ...
, Serbian writer
*Nada Šargin
Nada Šargin ( sr-cyr, Нада Шаргин: born 19 January 1977) is a Serbian actress.Vukica Strugar (10 May 2015 Novosti.rs. Retrieved on 2019-04-04. She appeared in more than twenty films since 2003.
Selected filmography
References
...
, Serbian actress
*Ivana Španović
Ivana Vuleta (; sr-cyr, Ивана Вулета, , ; born 10 May 1990) is a Serbian long jumper, two-time World indoor champion, three times European indoor champion and reigning European champion.
In 2013, Vuleta became the first Serbian tr ...
, Serbian long jumper, Olympic bronze medalist and European champion
*Duško Tošić
Duško Tošić ( sr-Cyrl, Душко Тошић, ; born 19 January 1985) is a Serbian former professional footballer who played as a defender.
Club career Early career
Born in Zrenjanin, Tošić began his career in his native Serbia playing fo ...
, Serbian football player
*Zoran Tošić
Zoran Tošić ( sr-Cyrl, Зоран Тошић, ; born 28 April 1987) is a Serbian professional footballer who plays as a winger for Greek Super League club Lamia. He has built a reputation as a free-kick specialist and a tricky dribbler.
Toši ...
, Serbian football player
*Zvonimir Vujin
Zvonimir "Zvonko" Vujin (23 July 1943 – 8 December 2019) was a Serbian amateur boxer Boxer most commonly refers to:
*Boxer (boxing), a competitor in the sport of boxing
*Boxer (dog), a breed of dog
Boxer or boxers may also refer to:
Animal ...
, Serbian boxer, two-time Olympic medalist
*Zvonimir Vukić
Zvonimir Vukić (; born 19 July 1979) is a Serbian former footballer who played as an attacking midfielder.
A former Serbia and Montenegro international, Vukić appeared at the 2006 FIFA World Cup.
Club career
Vukić started out at his hometow ...
, Serbian football player
* Jelena Živković, Serbian handball player, World Championship silver medalist
*Rudolf Wegscheider
Rudolf Wegscheider (18 October 1859 – 8 January 1935) was an Austrian chemist of Banat Swabian origin.
Wegscheider studied chemistry and was the founder of the Austrian School of Chemistry. He taught at the University of Vienna, and from ...
, Austrian chemist
*Kija Kockar
Kristina "Kija" Kockar ( sr-cyr, Кристина "Кија" Коцкар; born 26 May 1989) is a Serbian singer and TV personality, who rose to prominence by winning the first season of Serbian reality TV show '' Zadruga''.
Personal life
Kri ...
, Singer
International relations
Twin towns – sister cities
Zrenjanin is twinned with:
* Békéscsaba, Hungary
* Arad, Romania
* Timișoara, Romania
* Laktaši, Bosnia and Herzegovina
* Trebinje, Bosnia and Herzegovina
* Bijeljina, Bosnia and Herzegovina
See also
* List of places in Serbia
*Central Banat District
The Central Banat District ( sr, Средњобанатски округ, Srednjobanatski okrug, ; hu, Közép-bánsági körzet) is one of seven administrative districts of the autonomous province of Vojvodina, Serbia. It lies in the geogr ...
*Banat
Banat (, ; hu, Bánság; sr, Банат, Banat) is a geographical and historical region that straddles Central and Eastern Europe and which is currently divided among three countries: the eastern part lies in western Romania (the counties of ...
* Zrenjanin Airport
References
;Bibliography
* Milan Tutorov, ''Banatska rapsodija - istorika Zrenjanina i Banata'', Novi Sad, 2001.
External links
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Tourist organization of Zrenjanin
Zrenjanin online camera
{{Authority control
Populated places in Serbian Banat
Populated places in Vojvodina
Populated places established in the 14th century
Municipalities and cities of Vojvodina
Central Banat District
Holocaust locations in Yugoslavia
Spatial Cultural-Historical Units of Great Importance
Starčevo–Körös–Criș culture