In the area of today's municipality of Novi Bečej, several water cooperatives existed, starting from 1845, which were either dissolved or reorganized into different forms by 1945:
In the 1890s, Socialists were already participating in local elections. In some places, they took power. In Kuman, they achieved their greatest success in the municipal administration elections of 1898, when members of the Social Democratic Party were elected to the Municipal Board: Toša Stančić, the municipal prince, Boža Radišić-Bratko, the secretary, Živa Sekulić, and Laza Tubić, councilors.
Following the notorious Obznana decree, the work of the Communist Party of Yugoslavia (KPJ) in Kuman was banned, and the Serbian Workers’ Party of Yugoslavia (SPRJ) was dissolved. With the introduction of the State Protection Act, prominent KPJ members faced extremely difficult times. Ljubomir Čolić, the secretary of the local party organization, died at a very young age after imprisonment due to torture and mistreatment.
Until 1978, there was only one water management organization operating in this region — the Water Management Organization "Gornji Banat," headquartered in Kikinda. After 1978, a new organization was established: the Water Management Organization "Basic Canal Network" (OKM), based in Novi Sad.
Between 1947 and 1957, research, geodetic surveys, studies, and conceptual designs were carried out.
From 1957 to 1977, main designs were developed and the basic canal network was constructed. The works were carried out under variable conditions, and the difficulties encountered caused delays and slowed down construction.
On the dike, from the river navigation agency, today’s Workers’ Home, to the ferry house at the corner of Svetozara Miletića Street, it was a promenade from spring to autumn. It was truly enjoyable to stroll along the dike, admiring the beauty of the Tisa and its forested banks.
The renowned artist and painter Tibor Nađ was born in Novi Bečej on March 23, 1952. He completed his primary education in his hometown and later graduated from the Bogdan Šuput School of Design in Novi Sad, majoring in Interior and Furniture Design.
"The Formation, Development, and Destruction of the Jewish Community in Novi Bečej" is the title of an extensive work created through the years of effort by Branislav-Bata Kiselički. As he explains in the introductory notes, the author approached this monumental task due to his sense of duty and obligation to his Jewish friends from his youth, and later to their fellow countrymen who lived in Novi Bečej in the near and distant past.
The Kostović family settled in the mid-19th century in the settlement of Potisje, known as Franjevu (the old name for Vranjevo), most likely due to its exceptional geographical location for grain trade. The family patriarch, Jovan Kostović, and his son Stevan were both skilled merchants, amassing significant wealth and great respect.
The memories of Easter and Christmas traditions are beautiful—customs that our children, especially our grandchildren, no longer know, yet they remain etched in our memories.
Before saying more about Easter traditions, I must first highlight what was difficult for us as children.
Altered economic conditions and the development of productive forces in agriculture are the main reasons for the disappearance of farmhouses. With the reduction of land ownership limits after World War II, first to 20, and then to 10 hectares, farmhouses lose their previous significance in production.
The total length of navigable canals currently amounts to:
Drinking in front of stores in Serbia is not just a custom – it’s an institution! It dates back to the first store and the first bottle of rakija – essentially, since the dawn of time. Even the old craftsmen in the Ottoman period would take a “merak break,” drinking in front of shops while debating if it would rain.
After the accident of the small ship Stari Bečej on September 12, 1931, Novi and Stari Bečej were left without daily passenger boat transport for a while. However, this situation didn’t last long, as the Belgrade shipowners Jezdić and Bakarić agreed to provide transport using their beautiful and almost new motorboat Tomislav.
The development of fisheries along the Main Canal Network (OKM) is observed through:
The Jewish community of Novi Bečej and Vranjevo had deep roots and played a significant role in the town’s economic, social, and cultural life between the two world wars.
They were merchants, doctors, craftsmen, clerks, and entrepreneurs — people who contributed to the growth of the community and whose homes and businesses were part of the daily life of Novi Bečej.
Last night, at half past seven, a member of the Serbian National Theatre, Serbian actor and writer, the most outstanding theatrical character artist in the Slavic South—Laza Telečki—passed away at the age of 33. Tuberculosis, which has become a common ailment among the youth, and in his case, almost a family curse—having already claimed two of his brothers and a sister—has taken his life.
Ferenc Gomba, affectionately known by his friends and teammates as Feri or Frici, was the complete opposite in temperament to his older brother Laci. Quick, lively, and passionate, he stood out as a left winger for DMKS Turul from the very start of the 1941/42 season.
Reflecting on my journey aboard the "Miroslav" ship, I recalled two uncomfortable moments I experienced on the Tisza. They weren’t tragic, but they were thrilling enough to remain unforgettable to this day.
The Kikinda Canal stretches from its confluence with the Main Canal to its junction with the Zlatica River near Sajan, with a total length of 50.34 km. Its primary function is to collect the Zlatica’s internal waters during periods when the sluice gate at Padej is closed, as well as its own internal waters along the route, and discharge them into the Main Canal.
As the years went by, I wanted to pass on my love for nature to my older friends and join together for excursions around the surroundings of Novi Bečej and Vranjevo. However, it wasn’t easy, as, as I mentioned earlier, there were no established traditions.
The founder of the first Serbian professional theater, Jovan Knežević Caca, was born in Novi Bečej (Vranjevo) on September 26, 1818, to father Mojsije, a merchant, and mother Sofija, a homemaker. His love for theater and actors was nurtured in his parents' home.
Hajnalka Zerebelji is the first female lawyer in Novi Bečej. After several decades of professional work, she has gained extensive experience, which she gladly shares with younger colleagues.
Sava Baračkov was born in 1929 in Kumane, Banat, where he completed elementary school. He attended construction and architectural secondary schools in Novi Bečej, Petrovgrad, and Novi Sad. In 1955, he graduated from the Department of Scenography at the Academy of Applied Arts in Belgrade, under the mentorship of Professor Milenko Šerban.
The idea of the Novi Bečej swimmers was accepted, but due to issues with obtaining a permit, the swimming event wasn’t held as originally planned—on August 1st and 2nd—but instead on August 28th and 29th, 1943.
From the manuscript The Great Swimming Day by Branislav Kiselički, we highlight the part describing the welcome of the Belgrade athletes:
From the records of Istvanfi Endre: "The Struggling Turski Bečej 1850-1890" ("A küzdő Törökbecse"), we learn that 1863 was a very difficult year due to weather conditions. From early spring until late autumn, there was no rainfall, making everything resemble a desert, and the wheat harvest was so poor that there was not enough to collect for seed.
The name of composer Josif Marinković is spoken with deep reverence by the people of Novi Bečej, especially by the residents of the Vranjevo district. And rightly so — he is the most distinguished figure ever born in this town.
May 23–25, 1996
Invitational Composers’ Competition
After the highly successful first competition for solo singers, the devoted cultural workers from the town on the Tisa organized the 4th “Horizons on the Tisa”, held from May 23 to 25, 1996, as the first invitational composers’ competition for solo song.
He was, heart and soul, bound to Vojvodina. However, those who ingratiated themselves with politicians, receiving authority and promotion to influence the cultural development of the province, saw his dedication as intrusive.
In early 1992, following the adoption of the Serbian Water Law, three public water management companies were established across the territory of Republic of Serbia, covering the entire country. These companies are:
