Zdravko Gavrić lived in Novi Bečej under an assumed name, Zdravko Radosavljević, as he had escaped arrest by the Hungarian authorities in Stari Bečej, which was under Hungarian occupation at the time.
It is difficult to say how long the rivalry between Zvezda and Banat might have lasted had Banat not been reinforced as early as mid-1936 by former players of Jedinstvo, who were significantly older and physically stronger. Under such circumstances, Zvezda, with its predominantly youthful team, was no longer able to compete on equal terms. The first match played between the two clubs after these changes took place on April 9, 1936, and ended with a 4–2 victory for Banat.
The general characteristic of this era was the strong development of industrialization, modernization of transportation, with a marked preference for railroads. Novi Bečej, in such conditions, had nothing to offer. In fact, it lost its previous advantage, and this was the cause of its increasing lag behind Veliki Bečkerek and Velika Kikinda, which gained new momentum.
The first organization of agricultural workers in Kumane was founded in the late 19th century. According to the memories of the oldest residents of Kumane, its first leader was a young wheelwright, Rada Sokolović, who was expelled from Pakrac as a well-known agitator of socialist ideas.
During the morning session, Ivana Eremić, the fifth player of Jedinstvo Novi Bečej, took to the lanes. The pressure of the occasion was evident, as nervousness affected both her performance and final score.
From the journalist’s notebook
During the second competition day of the European Cup in women’s bowling, held in Skopje, listeners of Radio Novi Bečej followed the performances of the Jedinstvo team and their fight for a place in the final stage of the competition.
The liberation of Vojvodina in the autumn of 1944 brought new social and economic circumstances. During wartime reconstruction, Kamendin also directed its production towards supporting efforts to bring the war to an end. Products from the estate, processed in the Dunđerski family’s factories, particularly “Kulpin” in Novi Sad, were needed by Soviet troops and Partisan fighters at the front.
Our prominent writer, Isidora Sekulić, says about the homeland:
“Where is the homeland for people? It’s where others around them understand, completely and deeply, what they say, from the last external and internal tremor of their language, they understand what delights them and what hurts them.
The social life in Novi Bečej and Vranjevo, fifty or more years ago, mainly took place in the Sokolana and taverns. Conferences, meetings, and gatherings of political or scientific nature were held there. In short, all entertainment and social activities happened indoors—either in the Sokolana or in taverns. The only exceptions were summer swimming in the Tisa River, football training, and matches in the Gradište grove.
Radovan Svilengaćin (1926–1976) was a long-time director of the “Vojvodina” Cinema in Novi Bečej and one of the most important figures in the development of film culture in this town.
The Ustava Novi Bečej was built as a structure for releasing water into the primary canal network to supply Banat with water, as well as for discharging excess water from the Banat section of the canal system into the Tisa River.
The Tisa River Dam near Novi Bečej is the largest facility of the Danube–Tisa–Danube Hydrosystem. Its primary function is to release water by gravity into the main canal network of Banat, enabling the irrigation of vast agricultural areas and supplying water to other users. In this way, the released water can be used for multiple purposes simultaneously.
Alongside their strong performances in the league, the Jedinstvo women's bowling team also enjoyed a successful campaign in the Serbian Cup during the 2006/07 season.
At the Cup Final Tournament, held in Novi Sad on April 28 and 29, 2007, the Novi Bečej team defeated Hajduk from Kula 7–1 in the semifinal to secure a place in the final.
The Obznana was the response of the bourgeoisie to the growing strength and influence of the Communist Party. Its goal was to secure the position of the bourgeoisie and the monarchy while preventing any legal activity of communists and the working class in general.
The medieval settlement of Arača is located on the southern shore of Crna Bara, a watercourse within the alluvial plain of the Tisza River, about 13 kilometers east of its riverbed. The name of this settlement, also referred to in sources as Potiska Arača, is associated with the ruins of a basilica and monastery.
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.
By 1934, Party activities in Kumane had gradually begun to revive. The system of state dictatorship was entering a period of decline, and the attempt by its supporters to preserve power through the creation of the Yugoslav National Party (JNS) failed to achieve the desired results. Frequent changes of government further demonstrated the deep political crisis of the January 6 Dictatorship. Between April 1932 and December 1934, no fewer than seven governments were replaced, while the situation worsened significantly after the assassination of King Alexander in Marseille in October 1934.
Amid these circumstances, Svetislav Hođera established the pro-fascist Borbaš organization in Kumane. Using populist slogans promising the cancellation of peasant debts, he succeeded in attracting a number of politically inexperienced and uninformed villagers. The communists initially boycotted the organization, but by late 1934, following directives from the Communist Party of Yugoslavia (KPJ) and instructions from Lazar Milankov, they began joining its ranks in order to undermine it from within.
Thanks to their popularity among the local population, the communists quickly gathered around 800 supporters and assumed a leading role within the organization. Before the 1935 elections, they played a decisive role in weakening and ultimately dismantling it throughout the Novi Bečej district. The turning point came at Hođera’s political rally in Novi Bečej, where Žarko Milankov publicly exposed his demagoguery. Following this event, Hođera’s political influence rapidly declined, and his organization ceased to be a significant force in the district.
In the early 1930s, the youth movement in Kumane developed under the direct influence of the KPJ. There was no separate SKOJ organization; instead, several youth groups operated under Party leadership. These groups were led by Ivan Vioglavin, Mita Trifunjagić-Mića, and Boža Stojanov.
Within a relatively short period, they succeeded in attracting a large number of young people, and their influence became visible in the cultural, social, and political life of the village. A particularly important role was played by the Reading Room, which became the central gathering place for local youth. Political brochures, progressive newspapers, journals, and books were available there, while meetings of youth groups and sports organizations were regularly held.
Among the organizations in which young people were especially active was the “Jugoslavija” Sports Club, founded in early 1932. The club brought together a group of young football players who, despite a lack of equipment and financial resources, managed to sustain sporting activities.
The first club administration was elected in 1933, and the club soon received official permission to operate from the district authorities. Following Party directives in 1935 encouraging communist involvement in legal organizations, KPJ members and sympathizers systematically joined the club. At the next regular assembly, they succeeded in taking control of the administration, transforming the club into another important venue for political and social engagement.
The political crisis of the regime led to parliamentary elections being called in February 1935. The United Opposition, composed of several opposition parties, entered the race.
A significant role in its formation was played by Dr. Dragoljub Jovanović, leader of the left wing of the Agrarian Party. Following KPJ directives, communists supported the United Opposition as a means of opposing the January 6 Dictatorship.
At a meeting held in Novi Bečej, representatives of Party organizations from northern Banat decided to support Milan Kovačev of Miloševo as the United Opposition’s candidate. Through intensive political work, communists succeeded in attracting a large number of voters to the opposition bloc.
During the election campaign, numerous large rallies were held throughout the Novi Bečej district. At these events, communists publicly advocated worker-peasant unity, opposition to war and fascism, and the establishment of diplomatic relations with the Soviet Union.
Particularly successful was the rally held in Kumane on April 3, 1935, where Milan Kovačev, Mirko Tomić, and Žarko Milankov addressed the crowd. The local KPJ committee also organized large-scale participation of Kumane residents at rallies in Taraš, Bečej, Melenci, and Čurug.
At the gathering in Taraš, several thousand people from Kumane, Melenci, Torda, and Miloševo assembled, demonstrating the strength of the opposition movement in this part of Banat.
The elections were held on May 5, 1935. The campaign was marked by numerous forms of pressure from the authorities. Representatives of the JNS attempted to buy votes, some voters were removed from electoral lists, and public employees were threatened with dismissal if they failed to support the government candidate.
Police and gendarmerie forces were stationed at polling places, but despite these pressures, communists and their supporters displayed remarkable organization. They voted in groups and openly expressed their support for the opposition, encouraging other voters to do the same.
The results demonstrated a major victory for the United Opposition. Milan Kovačev won a majority of votes in the district, while in Kumane alone he received 1,214 of the 1,416 votes cast, representing 85.6 percent of the total vote. The government candidate received only 201 votes, while Dimitrije Ljotić’s list received a single vote.
The manner in which the government of Bogoljub Jevtić organized and conducted the elections further damaged its reputation. Only a month later, a new government was formed under Milan Stojadinović and the Yugoslav Radical Union (JRZ).
During the autumn of 1935, the United Opposition organized major political rallies in Kikinda and Zrenjanin. Residents of Kumane attended these gatherings in an organized manner, traveling in dozens and even hundreds of horse-drawn wagons while carrying banners with slogans such as:
Speeches were delivered by Dr. Dragoljub Jovanović, Mirko Tomić, Žarko Milankov, and other opposition leaders. Milankov’s speeches, in particular, stood out for their strong criticism of fascism and their calls for political freedom and social change.
The massive rally held in Zrenjanin on November 10, 1935, marked the peak of opposition activity in the region. Thousands of people from the town and surrounding villages gathered at Žitni Square, demonstrating growing dissatisfaction with the existing regime and the strengthening of the opposition movement throughout Banat.
Milica Blažić, a member of the Communist Party of Yugoslavia (KPJ) since 1927. She was brought before the court for spreading communist propaganda and for establishing an illegal KPJ organization in Velike Livade.
May 14–15, 1993
After months of preparation and searching for the right concept and content, the first Days of Josif Marinković – “Horizons on the Tisa” were held on May 14 and 15, 1993, at the Workers’ Hall “Jovan Veselinov Žarko” in Novi Bečej.
The stage — the “boards that mean the world” — has been a lifelong inspiration for Saša Milenković, an actor, director, and passionate theater devotee who has dedicated his life to the art of performance.
Born in 1963, Saša stepped onto the theatrical scene in 1978 and has remained actively involved ever since, contributing immensely to the cultural and artistic life of Novi Bečej and beyond.
The first parliamentary elections for the Constituent Assembly were called only two years after the unification, at a time when the bourgeoisie believed it had achieved a certain level of international and internal consolidation.
As part of presenting the role of farmsteads in the lives of our fellow citizens from the not-so-distant past, it is useful to describe the general appearance of a farmstead yard, along with the arrangement of buildings and rooms within them. This is even more relevant because village house yards were similar in layout, making this account valuable for documentation purposes as well.
Novi Bečej, along with Vranjevo, was a prominent trading center during the era of the Great Kikinda District, particularly known for its grain export trade in the late 18th and early 19th centuries.
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:
Responsibility, ambition, and dedication marked the life and career of Dr. Milorad Drobac, Doctor of Economic Sciences.
He was born on February 11, 1948, in Bočar, where he completed elementary school as the top student of his class.
Novi Bečej, July 14, 1914 – Sutjeska, June 13, 1943.
In her hometown, she completed elementary school and one year of high school, after which she moved to Belgrade, where she finished high school and the Art School under the guidance of Professor Ljuba Ivanović. From 1937 to 1940, she studied at the Academy of Fine Arts in Belgrade in the class of Petar Dobrović.
In 1937, she became a member of SKOJ (Communist Youth League) and the youth section of the "Women's Movement" Society. The establishment of the youth section and the women's movement in Belgrade, along with the activism of communist women, created the conditions for the launch of the magazine "Žena danas" (Woman Today). One of the most active collaborators of the magazine was Paulina Sudarski.
In geographical terms, Banat is a region in the southern part of the vast Pannonian Plain, bordered by the rivers Mureș, Tisza, Danube, and the Transylvanian Alps. A large portion of Banat lies in Romania, a small part in Hungary, while the Yugoslavian section is located along the lower courses of the mentioned rivers.
The new government of the Kingdom of SHS brought significant social changes, but the foundation of economic development remained the same. Jews, whose lives were mostly tied to the economy, adapted quickly to the new order. Although the vast majority considered Hungarian their mother tongue and almost felt like Hungarians, they did not find it necessary to change their environment.
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.
Milorad “Mića” Josimović (born in 1949) is a versatile artist and designer, a man whose creativity and craftsmanship have left a lasting mark on the artistic life of Novi Bečej and beyond.
The defeat against Banat, which had experienced adult players, did not discourage the boys of Zvezda. On the contrary, they devoted themselves even more to training and played two away matches – the first in Bašaid and the second in Baodra. In these games, Zvezda also included a few former Jedinstvo players, which added physical strength to the team, but it came at the cost of the technical combination play that had been their trademark. Had they continued this way, Zvezda probably would not have fared better than Banat.
