Rock and roll, much like pop music, quickly conquered the world. One of the first rock and roll songs was Chuck Berry's 'Johnny B. Goode.' Many consider him the pioneer of rock, but because the music industry at the time didn't favor him as an African American, Elvis Presley was promoted to the forefront, soon becoming the first rock star or the so-called 'King of Rock and Roll.' However, the unstoppable rise of rock began with the song 'Rock Around the Clock' by Bill Haley & His Comets from the 1950s. After Elvis, when rock rhythms had already spread across the globe, powerful bands like The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, and others emerged. Around that time, a rock and roll scene also started to develop in the former Yugoslavia. Early bands like 'Zlatni prsti' achieved significant success, but everything became more notable with the emergence of larger musical groups and singer-songwriters in the following two decades, the 60s and 70s.
The only known traces of Paulina's education before the Academy can be found in the detailed text by Milivoje Nikolajević, in which he describes in detail most of the students who attended the famous Art School at the same time as him (1932-1939). In pre-war Yugoslavia, generations of young painters and sculptors could receive their first lessons in three art schools. In Belgrade, these were the Royal Art School and the Academy of Fine Arts, while in Zagreb, there was the School of Arts and Crafts. In the Royal Art School, there were three departments: teaching - for the education of future drawing and calligraphy teachers, academic - where after three years of joint studies, they learned oil painting and sculpture, and the sculptural department. Nikolajević in the mentioned text emphasizes that the school operated similarly to all European schools of that type, but it was materially quite poor, with classes held in cramped spaces and lacking some departments, such as graphics or subjects like composition and technology.
The spiritual life of the people of Novi Bečej and Vranjevo, alongside their economic foundation, has been influenced over the centuries by various political, religious, and other factors. Thanks to their economic power, which is a prerequisite and primary impetus for the development of superstructure where culture holds an important place, Novi Bečej and Vranjevo had exceptional conditions until the mid-nineteenth century.
Once upon a time, our villages were filled with stork nests, and swallows had a dozen nests in every hallway, or 4-5 nests in front of barn doors. The swallows artistically built their nests there because that’s where their primary food source, flies, were abundant. Without swallows, these flies would have been a great nuisance to the livestock.
Storks made their nests on the chimneys of village houses, which were usually topped with a decorative spike and had side openings for smoke. These chimneys rarely emitted smoke, and never during the time when storks were in our region.
At the end of 2014, the Institute for the Protection of Cultural Monuments in Zrenjanin began drafting a proposal for the Decision to establish the ambiental complex of the center of Novi Bečej as the Spatial Cultural-Historical Unit "Center of Novi Bečej." After conducting research to assess the value of each individual object within the complex, defining the boundaries of the complex and its protected surroundings, work on drafting the decision is in its final stages, pending technical attachments and necessary supporting documentation to undergo the legal procedure.
The position of peasants (serfs) in Novi Bečej was even more difficult than in Vranjevo, within the District. The cruel behavior and merciless exploitation by the Novi Bečej nobleman Hadžimihajlo-Sisani triggered the peasants to seek a solution to their troubles through rebellion.
In 1788, the nobleman confiscated the land from 155 peasants, replacing it with another on the desolate Berek. The majority of peasants (143) refused to accept and cultivate the land on Berek, forcing the nobleman to return their original land.
During that just over a month, which lasted the battle at Sutjeska (from mid-May to the end of June 1943), it was the toughest period for the People's Liberation Army during the four-year war. It was a decisive battle of the Fifth enemy offensive.
The European Heritage Days are one of the most widely embraced events with the participation of the largest number of Europeans. The Council of Europe initiated the program in 1985, and in 1999, the European Commission joined, leading to the creation of this joint program that continues to this day. By bringing together over twenty million visitors each year, the European Heritage Days contribute year after year to the mutual understanding of the citizens of the old continent, fostering a better understanding of their own cultural and natural heritage, as well as acquainting them with the values and diversity of the heritage of other nations.
Within the industrial development of the Novi Bečej sub-region, the most significant rise has been achieved by the Building Ceramics Industry "Polet" in Novi Bečej.
There were many enthusiasts of song and theatrical art in Novi Bečej and Vranjevo. The youth nurtured both song and theatrical art, considering that there was an exceptionally rich tradition of theatrical art. Among the several amateur theater troupes that existed over time, the "Napredak" Amateur Theater Troupe in Vranjevo holds a special place. This troupe operated from 1901 until the occupation of Yugoslavia during World War II.
There is no data regarding the establishment of schools in Novi Bečej in either municipal or church documents, so priests, at the beginning of the twentieth century, attempted to trace back the earliest times based on oral accounts to determine when the schools were founded and began operating. They were somewhat unsuccessful as memories only stretched back to the mid-nineteenth century. Therefore, we are compelled to use general information about schools in Banat, as among these data, there is mention of the existence, but not the year of establishment, of schools in Novi Bečej and Vranjevo.
The first hans and taverns in Novi Bečej were recorded in the description of the Beautiful City of Bečej by Evliya Çelebi. After the expulsion of the Turks from these areas in 1738, it was noted that there were no hans in Bečkerek that year, but there was one in Šimuđ, for which the village paid a rent of twenty forints. After the expulsion of the Turks, there were hans in Bečej, Bečkerek, Modoš, and Pardanj, but due to the large number of people who died from the plague or were taken into Turkish slavery, the hans were closed.
In early 2014, the Institute for the Protection of Cultural Monuments in Zrenjanin completed the drafting of a Proposal for the Decision on the determination of the ambient unit of the old center of Vranjevo as the Spatial Cultural-Historical Entity "Old Center of Vranjevo" in Novi Bečej. After two years of research work on valorizing each individual object within the entity, defining its boundaries, as well as its protected surroundings, the Proposal for the Decision was sent in early 2014 to the Republic Institute for the Protection of Cultural Monuments in Belgrade for further processing. The act of declaring this entity a cultural asset is made by the Government of the Republic of Serbia.
In issue 4 of the municipal newspaper "Naše novine" from August 14, 1965, a year after the appearance of VlSa LIRA, the following text was published: "During 1964, the existing music section at the elementary school 'Milan Stančić Uča' in Kumane was seriously developed. Music teacher Svetislav Gvozdenov aims to introduce young music enthusiasts to all the secrets of this noble art. Several boys and girls persisted in their enthusiasm, dedicating much of their free time to their teacher throughout the past and this year.
The kitchen at the Home has existed since 1950. The first kitchen staff included Jelena Beljuc, Marija Trifunjagić, Milena Maljugić, and Leposova Stanković. Until the early 1970s, these four women were the backbone of the kitchen. The kitchen was located next to the main building, near the auxiliary facility. It consisted of two rooms that opened into the courtyard. The dining room for one hundred people was connected to the kitchen. There was a smaller room adjacent to the kitchen where freshly bought groceries were prepared.
Although she received a solid foundation for a teaching career after completing the Royal Art School, Paulina did not stop there. In 1937, the Academy of Fine Arts was founded in Belgrade, and this young painter belonged to the first generation of enrolled students. (24)
Whenever I think of Novi Bečej and Vranjevo, I simply see the beauty of the humble, yet so dear to me, houses and streets, and our blessed fields and meadows. These meadows and pastures inspire in me a desire to create. In my mind, I often see herds of horses or cattle, and in the distance, the outlines of farmhouses on Berek, just as they looked in the days of my youth. I enjoy this thinking and admire those beauties.
It should be known that Novi Bečej and Vranjevo, at that time (the time of my youth in the 1930s-40s), had 3-4,000 horses, just as many, if not more, cows and oxen, 7-8,000 sheep, thousands of pigs, and the number of birds and their diversity, then and now, I cannot even begin to estimate.
The town of Novi Bečej, located on the left bank of the Tisza River in the central part of the Autonomous Province of Vojvodina, boasts a rich cultural heritage. Numerous researchers and scientists, along with the local community, have been involved in recognizing the historical values of this heritage over time. Among them, Mr. Lajos Link stands out for his volunteer activities. He noticed the values of the town and its surroundings already in his childhood. His decades of diligent work and effort have paid off not only materially but also by securing a place in the history of Novi Bečej through his contributions to preserving cultural heritage for future generations.
Roža Šulman was a revolutionary and participant in the People's Liberation Struggle. She was born on January 6, 1917, in Veliki Bečkerek. There she completed primary school and a three-year academy. She quickly became acquainted with leftist ideas and joined the Communist Youth Organization.
According to the job systematization at that time, besides the director, the Institution employed: one social worker, an accountant, a cashier - administrative clerk, an economist - warehouse worker, a nurse, two orderlies, two cleaners, two cooks, a laundress, and a janitor. For healthcare and treatment needs, the Institution had a contract with the Novi Bečej Health Center for general practice, with doctors changing every month. The specialist service for mentally ill women in the second ward, and as needed for other wards, was provided by Dr. Ivan Popov from Novi Sad. They worked four hours a week. A dentist also occasionally visited, engaged for two hours a week.20