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.

In 1995, Novi Bečej thrived despite economic challenges. The town, closely tied to the Tisa River, saw growth in education, culture, tourism, and community initiatives.

Tibor Nađ was born in 1952 in Novi Bečej. He graduated from the School of Applied Arts in Novi Sad in 1973. His work spans painting, industrial design, and unique ceramics.

The two-story building of the former Tursko-Bečejska Savings Bank is located at 3 Marshal Tito Street, extending from the Schlesinger Palace, at the corner with Gimnazijska Street. According to documentation from the Institute for the Protection of Cultural Monuments in Zrenjanin, written by art historian Vesna Majstorović, the following details about the building are known:

Pavle Janković - Šole, born on January 19, 1939, in Novi Bečej, was one of the most respected Serbian poets, whose poetry, although primarily intended for children, carried deep messages for adults as well. His name in literature is associated with an authentic and gentle approach to childhood, making him an expert in understanding children's thoughts and dreams.

Ivan Jovanović, an only child of Dragomir Jovanović, a merchant, and Zlata Jovanović, née Aranka Stanišić, a teacher, was born in Novi Bečej on February 13, 1928. The Jovanović family house was located in the heart of the town on Žarka Zrenjanina Street, number 1. While his father Dragomir was busy with the family business, Ivan mostly grew up alongside his mother and his aunt Leposava Jovanović, a teacher, who were known not only for their strictness but also for their versatility and fair pedagogical approach toward children.

The most renowned historian from Novi Bečej, Professor Dr. Aleksandar Kasaš, was born on January 27, 1952. He completed his primary and secondary education in Novi Bečej, undergraduate studies in history in Novi Sad, and his master’s degree in Belgrade.

The Košut family lived in a modest house covered with reeds, with small, misty windows through which young Tivadar observed and created his own world. Sitting by the oil lamp, he listened to the stories of old women about the creation of the world, Adam and Eve, the flood, Christ and his miracles, dreaming how happy he would be if he could paint it all.

Since the great storm of 1931 toppled the slender tower of the Orthodox Church in Novi Bečej, only a few photographs and postcards remain as documents of that never-forgotten, much-talked-about ornament of our church. When a new tower with a wider structure and a considerably shorter height was erected later that same year, the citizens, especially the faithful, did not look upon it with much affection.

This image shows the appearance of Novi Bečej in the late 1910s, with a focus on its Main Street — at the time, the central axis of everyday life, trade, education, and religion. On the left side, we see the prominent building of the state school, one of the cornerstones of the town’s modernization. This institution served not only as a place of learning but also as a space for shaping the collective identity of a diverse population.

Mihalj Mesaroš was born in Novi Bečej in 1935, in an era when dreams were shaped on dusty football pitches and the game itself was played more with the heart than for reward. His first steps toward the wider world were taken in Zrenjanin, from where, at only eighteen years of age, his exceptional talent carried him further than he could have imagined — straight into the ranks of FK Partizan.

"Polet," a brick and tile factory, was founded in Novi Bečej by the Bon brothers in the early 20th century. They already owned similar factories in Kikinda and Žombol, recognizing the high quality of the clay in Novi Bečej, which proved to be quite profitable for them. They began investing substantial funds into this factory as well.