In terms of size and population, Bočar is the smallest settlement in the municipality of Novi Bečej. It is built on the edge of a loess terrace, like most Banat settlements. It is located in the northern part of Banat, northeast of Novi Bečej. Bočar is 25 km away from the municipal seat. Northeast of this settlement, 20 km away, lies the most developed economic center of northern Banat — Kikinda. In the northwest direction, at a distance of 27 km, lies the second economic center of Banat — Čoka. Among the rural settlements, the closest to Bočar are, in the southeast direction, only 5 km away, Novo Miloševo; 8 km north of Bočar is Iđoš, and 12 km northwest is Padej.
The transportation connectivity of Bočar with most of the mentioned settlements is satisfactory. Through Novo Miloševo, it is connected by asphalt road and railway to Kikinda in the northeast, and Novi Bečej, and further to Zrenjanin and Belgrade in the south. Bočar is connected by railway to Čoka and Senta. However, despite the mentioned transportation conditions, the geographical position of this settlement is not favorable because it is located outside of crucial Vojvodina communications. It is situated aside, without a significant transit route, and therefore has not achieved significant results in its economic development.
The territory of the settlement has an elongated shape of an irregular geometric figure. It extends parallel, from the old meander of the Tisa River in the west, to the constructed Kikinda Canal in the east. The longitudinal axis of the territory from west to east is 16 km, and the average width from north to south is about 5 km. In terms of relief, the entire territory represents a plain, with relative elevation differences from 4 to 9 meters. The altitude ranges from 76 to 85 meters above sea level. The main features of this area are two geomorphological units: the higher and drained loess terrace and the lower, more humid, alluvial plain of the Tisa River. Climatically, Bočar exhibits all the characteristics of a Pannonian moderately continental climate. The hydrography of the territory consists of the old river meander of the Tisa, or the "Dead Tisa," on the western side, and the Kikinda Canal on the eastern side. Between the old Tisa River course and the mentioned canal, in the central part of the territory, from Bočar to Iđoš, another canal has been built. Excess water from the northern part of the territory drains into this canal and is pumped into the Dead Tisa. On the alluvial plain, there are extensive marshes and larger depressions, which are often filled with water.
The pedological characteristics of the territory consist of several types of soils. The most common are heavy marshy soils and loams, accounting for 27%, followed by salt marshes, saline soils, and solonetz soils with 21% representation, carbonated and non-carbonated chernozem soils with only 15% representation, typical chernozem and meadow soils with 14% representation, marshy soils and loams with 12% representation, carbonated meadow soils with 7% representation, and chernozem soils with 4% representation. Data on the pedological composition indicate that only one-third of the territory of Bočar consists of quality soil suitable for cultivation. About one-third comprises soils more difficult to cultivate, with lower fertility and porosity, resulting in lower average yields. The remaining third of the territory consists of marshy and submerged soils, from which the residents of this settlement derive very little benefit.
History of the Settlement
Bočar is a very old settlement, dating back to the 13th century. It likely got its name from its first owner and founder, Bočard. Bočard was the first owner of free property, which he received as a soldier of the Čanad County. There are documents from 1211 about the allocation of land to soldiers when this whole region still belonged to Čanad County. In 1238, King Bela IV exempted this settlement and the entire property from military jurisdiction and granted it to his vassals and trusted individuals. Bočar henceforth changed numerous owners in its further development. In 1337, it became the property of the Telegdi family, and in the mid-14th century, the most powerful noble family, the Bočari, is mentioned as the owner. This family built a noble castle on the property.
Since 1561, 35 years after the Battle of Mohács, Bočar came into possession of Dimitrije Olačarević. He, as the most famous landowner in this area, had 12 serf sessions. However, due to the advancing conquests of the Turks, this entire region was devastated, and for almost 200 years, it was mentioned only as a wasteland. Thus, on Mercier's geographical map from 1725, the former location of Bočar is marked as an uninhabited place — a wasteland.
In historical documents from 1753, Bočar is mentioned as a small Serbian settlement. Twenty years later, in 1773, this settlement had 191 households. In the early 19th century, in 1803, Bočar became the property of the German Hertlend family, which from 1821 onwards, resettled Germans from Žombolj and Bečkerek in this area. In the second half of the 19th century, Hertlend's estates were purchased by two owners, Baron Ivan Baič and Guards Major Đorđe Gaišin. The Baič family erected a steam mill on their property, which was of particular importance to the residents of Bočar and the surrounding farms. In the 19th century, numerous farm settlements were built, among which Ester Majur, Keresteš Farm, Grob Farm, and Telečki Farm stood out in terms of their appearance, size, and equipment. Characteristic of this period is the initiation of tobacco production alongside traditional crops in agriculture. At the end of the 19th century, Bočar acquired a railway line and station, marking the beginning of rapid development for this settlement.
Population
From 1869, when the first official census was conducted, until 1981, there were both positive and negative changes in the total population of Bočar. In 1869, this settlement had 2,827 inhabitants. In the subsequent census in 1880, the number of inhabitants decreased to 2,516. Research has shown that this decrease was due to a cholera epidemic, which left devastation in this region at the time. Ten years later, according to the 1890 census data, the number of inhabitants increased by 323 people, surpassing the total number of inhabitants before the appearance of this dreaded disease. From 1900 to 1931, all population censuses recorded a gradual decline in the total number. The greatest decrease occurred during the general worldwide economic crisis from 1929 to 1931, which also had negative consequences for the development of this Banat settlement. With gradual recovery and economic development, the population began to increase again. However, towards the end of World War II, 288 German families left Bočar, resulting in a sharp decline in the total population. This number was replenished in 1946 by the resettlement of 220 families from the war-devastated areas of Bosnia and Herzegovina. The majority of immigrants came from the Bosanska Krupa municipality. Unable to acclimatize and adapt quickly and easily to the new conditions of life and work, 12 families with 128 members returned to their old homeland. They were replaced by five families from Macedonia, two families from the SR Serbia outside the provinces, and four from several municipalities in Vojvodina.
According to the 1948 census, Bočar had the highest population during its development, totaling 2,848 inhabitants. With the gradual development of major economic centers in Banat, Vojvodina, and other areas of Yugoslavia, there was gradual emigration of inhabitants to economically more developed settlements. Thus, in 1953, Bočar had 2,735 inhabitants, in 1961 - 2,620, in 1971 - 2,328, and in 1981 - only 2,026 inhabitants.
In addition to emigration, a significant factor in the continuous decline in the total population is the decreasing natural population growth. From 1969 to 1981, negative natural population growth was recorded in several years. This means that there has long been no natural population reproduction in this settlement, leading gradually to complete depopulation. Such data on artificial (emigration) and natural population movements in Bočar indicate the necessity of undertaking complex organized social measures to halt the negative demographic process as soon as possible.
There are no specific characteristics in the gender and age structure of the population. The ratio between the male and female population is equal in all censuses. Slight differences were observed in favor of the female population after the First and Second World Wars, which was a normal occurrence in all settlements in our country. In the age structure, in recent years, there has been a decreasing representation of inhabitants under 10 years of age, due to declining birth rates.
The settlement still doesn't exhibit an exceptionally large contingent of elderly population, which is the primary characteristic of the age structure in most settlements in Vojvodina. This demographic structure has been influenced by immigrant populations whose families initially had four or more children.
Towards the end of World War II, Bočar had the highest number of Germans among its inhabitants. Their emigration and the colonization of Serbs from the war-ravaged areas of Bosnia and Herzegovina completely altered the ethnic structure. Currently, among the ethnic groups, the largest representation is of Serbs and Hungarians, which is the primary characteristic of the national structure in the entire municipality. According to the 1981 census, Bočar had 1,512 Serbs, 355 Hungarians, 128 individuals identifying as Yugoslavs, while only 31 individuals ethnically belonged to other nationalities.
Regarding the education level and literacy structure of the population, significant changes occurred between 1961 and 1981. According to the 1961 census, among Bočar residents aged 10 and above, there were 381 illiterate individuals, with 97 being male and 284 female. About 80% of illiterate individuals in this census were over 35 years old. Ten years later, the number of illiterate individuals decreased to 361, with significant changes in age structure. Of the total number of illiterate individuals, only 26 were under 35 years old, while over 90% were older than 35. According to the last census in 1981, there was a further slight decrease in the total number of illiterate residents, especially in age groups under 35.
The population structure based on education level, aged 15 and above, in 1981 exhibited distinct characteristics. Out of a total of 1,740 such residents, only 71 individuals were without any education, with incomplete primary education (completed one to seven grades) totaling 483 residents, and those with completed primary education totaling 500 residents. There were 121 individuals with various vocational high school educations, 18 with higher education, and only 11 with tertiary education. Compared to previous years, this educational structure of the population was satisfactory. However, when compared with the educational structure of the municipality and the Autonomous Province of Vojvodina, it is evident that significant efforts are still needed to improve education and literacy levels.
Based on the presented natural-geographical and socio-geographical characteristics of the region, the population of Bočar has been oriented towards agrarian economy since ancient times. Among agricultural activities, farming and livestock breeding dominate. The main agricultural products include grains (corn and wheat), industrial crops (sunflower and sugar beets), followed by fodder crops and vegetables. Livestock breeding focuses on sheep, pigs, and cattle. Before World War II, Bočar had its own dairy, producing exceptionally high-quality sheep cheese. According to the elderly, the owners of the dairy, large landowner Aurelije Pajiš and Sofronije Ognjanović, exported this cheese to Greece, Turkey, Egypt, and North America. The average annual production of this cheese was around 30 wagons. After World War II, the dairy became state-owned, but later, all facilities were transferred to Čoka.
Craftsmanship is gradually declining. There are still two barbers, a baker, a cobbler, two painters, and several bricklayers in the village. All of them, alongside their crafts, are involved in agriculture. Industry is still in its infancy, represented by a brick kiln, a mill, and a workshop for producing decorative parts for the furniture industry, which is still in the formative stage.
The type of settlement and houses:
Bočar is also a Pannonian-type settlement. It has an irregular pentagonal geometric shape. The streets are straight, parallel to each other, intersecting at right angles. They are sufficiently wide, with planted tree rows, and spacious lawns are found between the roads and sidewalks. In recent years, ornamental shrubs have been planted in front of houses, and flowerbeds have been raised, giving the settlement a more beautiful appearance overall. All sidewalks are concrete, and according to a long-term municipal development program, all street roads will be asphalted, further contributing to the modern appearance of the settlement.
The houses in Bočar, like in other Banat villages, are of the Pannonian type. Adjacent to the residential area, old houses have stables for livestock and facilities for storing agricultural products. In houses built after the war, the residential part of the building is separated from other auxiliary buildings. All houses have spacious farmyards and gardens, which farmers mostly use for vegetable and fruit production for their own needs. It is characteristic that Bočar received electricity only in 1954, a water supply system was built in the village in 1968, and in 1975, the road to the first settlement in the municipality - Novi Miloševo, was asphalted.