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:
Construction date: 1869.
Brief description: A one-story building aligned with the street regulation line. The layout is in the shape of the letter "L," with the shorter wing facing Marshal Tito Street and the longer one extending towards a dead-end street formed between this building and the Gymnasium building.
On the left side is a large "Einfort" (arched passage), with a flat ceiling supported by segmental arches decorated with shallow coffers. The passage features a richly decorated three-winged wooden gate.
The original appearance has been partially altered, as the baluster attic that originally adorned both the main and secondary facades was removed over time. The decoration was once highly elaborate, and its restoration was completed in 2009 following conservation and restoration work under the supervision of the Institute. The former aluminum ground-floor openings were replaced with new wooden ones, similar to the original design.
The upper-floor decoration has been mostly preserved, consisting of a pronounced cornice with small brackets. Two lateral risalits are framed by pilasters adorned with floral and anthropomorphic appliques. There are nine window openings, framed with profiled reveals. The parapets contain profiled panels. The ground floor is divided into horizontal panels with deep joints.
Woodwork: The windows are wooden, double, double-winged, with a flat transom. The entrance gate is wooden, three-winged, and richly decorated. The central wing features a transparent section with a decorative wrought-iron grille displaying the building's construction year.
Roof: Gabled, covered with "beaver-tail" tiles.
Architectural style: Eclecticism with Neo-Baroque elements.
Purpose: Business and commercial.
The savings bank's offices were located on the upper floor, accessible from the main street through the "Einfort" passage, whose door bore the inscription "1869" in large metal numerals. At the end of the dry passage, a staircase on the right led to the upper-floor corridor, from which the offices were accessed. Since the building was owned by the Tursko-Bečejska Savings Bank, surplus premises on the ground floor were rented out to merchants, while apartments were also available for rent in the courtyard and on the upper floor.
Tursko-Bečejska Savings Bank was founded in 1869 at the initiative of engineer József Képessy, who also became its first director. On May 27, 1876, it was officially registered under company number 2537, with an initial capital of 212,725 crowns. The bank had a Board of Directors and a Supervisory Board. An annual Assembly was held to review the previous year's financial performance and approve the financial report, making adjustments to operational regulations as necessary. The primary goal of the bank was to provide favorable credit to citizens, entrepreneurs, traders, and buyers, ensuring that the banking system served as a catalyst for the town’s economic development.
By the late 19th century, under the directorship of Dr. Aladár Tószögi, the Board of Directors included Pulay Román, Bizony Ferencz, Bischitz János, Kropf Sándor, Szecsánszky Miklós, Bergl Armin, Sólymos Gusztáv, Istvánffy István, and Weliacha Lipót. At the time, the savings bank had 200 shares, each valued at 200 florins. Among all the savings banks in Novi Bečej (Narodna Štedionica D.D., Srpska Aračka Štedionica cooperative, Vranjevačka Srpska Štedionica D.D., and Törökbecsei-Aracsi Segély és Hitelszövetkezet), Tursko-Bečejska Savings Bank was the only one with a branch outside Novi Bečej, located in Titel.
After World War I, the newly formed state required re-registration of the bank, and a new Board of Directors was elected for a three-year term. By the late 1920s and early 1930s, board members included Bogdan Marko, Sima Jovanović, Dušan Mihajlović, Sándor Deri, Imre Deri, Stevan Ranković, Svetolik Radivojević, Isidor Schlesinger, and Giga Jovanović, a bookstore and printing house owner, who served as the general director of the Tursko-Bečejska Savings Bank from 1920 until his death in 1944. The bookkeeping was handled by Miroslav Petrovčan and Nikola Dujin, while Margita Brikner was the cashier. The Supervisory Board at that time consisted of Jovan Nađvinski, Hugo Richter, and Maksim Tolmačev.
Apart from founders such as József Képessy, Aladár Tószögi, and Giga Jovanović, another notable figure was Mladen Nerandžić, an official, accountant, and, at one point, the institution’s director.
By the 1920s, the shareholders of Tursko-Bečejska Savings Bank in Novi Bečej included prominent figures from various backgrounds, including businessmen, doctors, and public officials.
During the occupation (1941–1944), the bank continued to operate, managing an available capital of 2,000,000 dinars, divided into 4,000 shares. After World War II, the new government conducted a major inventory of the bank’s assets in early 1947, in the presence of Nikola Dujin (newly appointed delegate), Mihajlo Jakonić (former general manager and board chairman), Ljubodrag Katić (board member), Miroslav Petrovčan (former delegate), Margita Brikner (cashier), and Stevan Arsenov (institution attendant).
On March 21, 1947, the Ministry of Finance of the FPRY issued Decision No. 25994/46, banning the bank’s operations and placing it into liquidation. In 1949, the District Court in Zrenjanin officially removed Tursko-Bečejska Savings Bank from the commercial register.
After World War II, the building became public property of the Novi Bečej municipality. For many years, until 2014, the upper floor housed the Social Insurance Institute, while the ground-floor premises changed ownership multiple times. From 1898 until 1949, the courtyard housed Giga Jovanović's printing house, which was later renamed "1. Maj" and operated until 2000. The courtyard structures were demolished in 2009.
József Képessy (1818–1876)
József Képessy was born in Orosháza, Hungary. He studied engineering in Buda and Vienna. By 1847, as a young expert, he was engaged in Tisza River regulation projects. By the age of 29, he became the chief engineer for water management in Novi Bečej. In 1868, he was appointed director of the border area in southern Hungary. Tirelessly dedicated to his profession, he contributed significantly to both economic and social development in Novi Bečej. As the founder and director of Tursko-Bečejska Savings Bank, he also helped establish the first Reading Association (Leseverein), which later became the Casino in Novi Bečej, together with the renowned royal public notary István Istvánffy. Képessy passed away in Timișoara in 1876.
Sources:
- Institute for the Protection of Cultural Monuments, Zrenjanin – Vesna Majstorović, Art Historian
- Historical Archives, Zrenjanin
- Arcanum.hu
- Archive of Andra Karolj
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