In preparation for writing the book "PLAM ZAVIČAJA" in 1990, I wanted to illustrate it with as many photographs as possible, which would remind readers of the beauties of the homeland. Not just remind them but also supplement the text with images to convey what I could not faithfully describe with words.
I especially wanted to immortalize the "great ship." I contacted the Directorate of Yugoslav River Shipping to allow me to photocopy or give me a photograph of the former ship "PRINCESS JELENA," which, during my youth in the 1930s, sailed between Belgrade and Senta. The ship would dock at the Novi Bečej port around 8 PM daily, either coming from Belgrade to Senta or the other way around.
I have very fond memories of this ship as its arrival at the Novi Bečej port was a special event for us. Additionally, the ship was one of the most beautiful in the river fleet, and I wanted to immortalize it in the book to show readers that we had reasons to be happy and that I was not exaggerating its beauty.
Mr. Blagojević, the director of the Yugoslav River Shipping Museum in formation, was very kind but unfortunately informed me that their collection of photographs was limited and they did not have a photo of the "PRINCESS JELENA."
Since they were generally lacking documentation, especially about the part of river traffic in smaller places, he asked me, upon hearing that I had a photograph of the ship "MIROSLAV" which sailed between Novi and Stari Bečej, to write down everything I knew about the river line Belgrade-Senta and to provide them with the photo of "MIROSLAV."
We agreed that I would write everything I knew about river traffic in Novi Bečej and its impact on the town's development. I accepted the task and wrote about thirty pages of text with available photographs under the title: "THE IMPORTANCE OF RIVER TRAFFIC FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF NOVI BEČEJ."
At the beginning of October 1992, I took my manuscript to the River Shipping Museum. This was a period when the United Nations had already imposed sanctions on the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, severely affecting river shipping. Most of their vessels were anchored in the port of Belgrade or winter harbors, and a large part of the staff, including those directly related to the vessels and most of the Directorate's staff, was on forced leave.
The museum was not completed, so it had not started operating. All works on its establishment were halted indefinitely. Thus, I had no one to hand over my manuscript.
Evliya Çelebi highlighted the importance of river traffic for Novi Bečej in his travelogues in 1665 under the name: "Description of the Beautiful Town of Bečej." He said:
"Thanks to the large port, most residents are salt and fish merchants. They are very rich, hospitable people, and friends of strangers. It is a very pleasant and wealthy town..."
After liberation from the Turks in 1717, all roads in Banat remained summer roads without stone foundations for a long time. They were passable from spring to autumn, and with the first autumn rains, they became passable only for good horse-drawn carriages or four oxen hitched to a cart. In such conditions, without railroads, river traffic played a dominant role. Increased production and favorable river flows expanded trade in the Torontal County, which included most of Yugoslav Banat at the time. Due to poor land roads, most trade was conducted by river. At that time, it was a common occurrence, and Torontal County had a particularly advantageous position.
Along with the Tisa and the Mureș, navigable for the ships of that time through Torontal County, the Begej Canal flowed through the county's middle. The Mureș brought shipments of salt and wood from Transylvania, and the Begej connected the eastern, hilly Banat, rich in wood, with the flat Banat, which included Torontal County and was wood-poor. The Tisa enabled the transport of grains across the Danube to Budapest, Vienna, and other regions, even to Germany and the sea.
Novi Bečej, situated on the most convenient part of the Tisa flow through Torontal County, saw the development of trade and river traffic. Besides Novi Bečej, the village of Vranjevo, now part of Novi Bečej, housed the main grain warehouse of the Velikokikinda District, further boosting trade and traffic at the Novi Bečej port. The main goods for sale were wheat, oats, barley, cattle, sheep, and tobacco. Building materials, fruit (plums), and industrial products were bought and brought by river from other regions.
The 1851 Geographical Dictionary of Hungary mentions Novi Bečej:
"Turkish Bečej, a town in Torontal County, and the largest grain trade center in the entire Monarchy, on the left bank of the Tisa... From Austria, Hungary, Croatia, and major cities-ports of the Mediterranean Sea, sometimes as many as 100 merchants come. Ships loaded with grain number up to 300 annually, the smallest carrying 1,000, medium 2-3,000, and large 3-6,000 quintals of goods. Annually, more than a million Pozsony measures are exported, mainly to Pest, Győr, and Vienna, and less to Croatia: Sisak and Karlovac, and from there by land to Rijeka. After grain trade comes tobacco trade and less cattle (cows) and wine trade. The vineyards of Novi Bečej yield around 2,000 barrels of weak wine annually. It is also significant that a lot of medicinal herbs, particularly high-quality chamomile, grow in this area..."
Every summer, before the harvest, grain buyers from Serbia, Hungary, Austria, Germany, Croatia, and Armenian merchants from various countries come to Novi Bečej. Often, so many buyers arrive that the existing inns become cramped for their accommodation, and almost every house closer to the Tisa hosted a businessperson from distant lands. In the "Great Inn" of Novi Bečej, dynamic stock market life unfolded in the presence of grain traders and their agents.
"Traders conducted buying and selling transactions with their agents in the 'Great Inn,' while on the Tisa shore, amid the shouting of sailors and the hustle of workers, grain was loaded onto ships. Along the dusty roads, almost everywhere in the Banat plain, long columns of grain-laden carts with joyful drivers could be seen, proudly stating: - To Novi Bečej."
Besides traders residing in Novi Bečej, there were "torbara" who came from distant lands during the wheat purchasing season. These traders temporarily settled in Novi Bečej, arriving by ships and bringing various goods, especially industrial products needed by Novi Bečej farmers. Some displayed their goods at the Novi Bečej market, sometimes with up to twenty carts full of their goods. Local traders felt threatened by these foreigners and demanded authorities to limit their activities, but the authorities largely ignored these complaints.
The large wheat production in 1864 allowed 2,359,000 Pozsony measures of various grains to be shipped through the Novi Bečej port that year, partly to Croatia and sea ports, and mostly to Pest and Győr.
Comments