The Pannonian Sea existed about 30 million years ago and disappeared more than 600,000 years ago. Its remnants are still present today in the form of lakes such as Lake Neusiedl, Lake Balaton, and Lake Palić. This water left behind rich deposits of oil, lignite, brown coal, and other mineral resources.
💡 Learn more about this: Novi Bečej Through the Ages: From the Pannonian Sea to Prehistoric Settlements
According to the development plan for Banat, mulberry trees were planted along roads and on common pastures. They were used for silkworm cultivation, but also provided shade for farmers and livestock in the flat farmland areas.
💡 Learn more about this: Planned Colonization of Banat
After the occupation, the Jews of Novi Bečej were interned in a local warehouse and later transported to concentration camps, where most of them perished. Those who survived the war were few, among them the family of Adolf Schlesinger, a grain merchant, who managed to escape to safer parts of Yugoslavia before the occupation.
💡 Learn more about this: Tragic Fate During World War II
The Roma originate from Asia, most likely from India, and migrated through Persia, Asia Minor, and Syria before reaching Europe. They arrived in Europe during the 14th century, entering various parts of the continent, including the Balkans. A larger number of Roma settled in Serbia during the period of Ottoman rule, while others came later from Romania, which led to the development of specific dialects, such as the Romanian language spoken among the Roma of Vranjevo.
💡 Learn more about this: Roma in Novi Bečej and Vranjevo
The settlement of Hungarians in Banat, especially in Debeljača, had a significant impact on the advancement of agriculture, as the Hungarians, being experienced workers, played a key role in river regulation, marsh drainage, and tobacco cultivation.
💡 Learn more about this: Hungarians in Banat: Drivers of the Agricultural Revolution
Until the mid-18th century, the population of Banat mostly lived in dugouts, and huts made of wattle and reed, which were easily abandoned due to their nomadic way of life. It was only later that villages began to be systematically built, with aligned streets and wells.
💡 Learn more about this: Planned Colonization of Banat
After the Treaty of Karlowitz, Austria resettled Serbs from the areas around Esztergom and Buda along the newly established Tisza-Mureș border, thereby securing the defense of its newly acquired territories.
💡 Learn more about this: The Karlowitz Peace and the Destruction of the Novi Bečej Fortress
The Jewish community in Novi Bečej achieved significant economic success, particularly in trade. Their involvement in the grain trade, which they fully took over at the beginning of the 20th century, enabled them to become prominent members of society. Additionally, many of them became respected intellectuals, including lawyers and doctors.
💡 Learn more about this: Economic Rise and Contribution to the Development of Novi Bečej
When Josif Marinković was growing up, Vranjevo was the most developed settlement in the Great Kikinda District, thanks to the commercial activity that emerged due to its proximity to the navigable arm of the Tisa River. Vranjevo was an important trading hub, with large warehouses for the export of grain, which attracted numerous merchants and craftsmen to settle and conduct their businesses in the area.
💡 Learn more about this: From Vranjevo to Belgrade: The Artistic Journey of Josif Marinković (1851-1931)
Hungarians began settling in Novi Bečej even before the Treaty of Belgrade in 1739. Among the first settlers were craftsmen from Belgrade and Szeged, who later also settled in Veliki Bečkerek.
💡 Learn more about this: The First Hungarians in Novi Bečej
