Novi Bečej is located in the central part of Vojvodina. Its territory encompasses the northwestern part of the middle Banat. Being built near the Tisa River, it belongs to the group of Transylvanian settlements. The geographic center of the settlement is intersected by coordinates 45° 36' north latitude and 20° 9' east longitude. In other words, Novi Bečej is situated 66 kilometers from the confluence of the Tisa River with the Danube.
It is difficult to ascertain with certainty the first written mention of Novi Bečej, but it is certainly linked to the existence of a fortification in close proximity to the present-day town. Even today, the toponym "Gradište" (fortress) suggests that the settlement around the fortress was located downstream from that site, next to a ferry that had been a connection between the Banat and Bačka shores for centuries.
At the end of the 11th century, specifically in 1091, Bečej is mentioned for the first time in historical sources. In a charter detailing events related to the Hungarian war against the Kumans, it is noted that they, under the leadership of Kapolča Tisa, crossed near Bečej.
It is very difficult to determine if this refers specifically to today's Novi Bečej, as several locations with that name are known from that time period, all of which are associated with the existence of the powerful medieval Wechey family from the time of the early Árpáds, who held significant estates, indeed, even in the middle Potisje. Most likely, the two present-day towns on the left and right banks of the Tisa – Novi Bečej and Bečej – derived their names from them.
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