Zrenjanin

Coordinates: 45°23′0″N 20°23′22″E / 45.38333°N 20.38944°E / 45.38333; 20.38944
Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
(Redirected from
Petrovgrad
)
"Petrovgrad" redirects here. Not to be confused with Petrograd.
Zrenjanin
Зрењанин (Serbian)
Nagybecskerek (Hungarian)
City
City of Zrenjanin
From top: Freedom Square, Zrenjanin City Hall, National Museum, Cathedral of St. John of Nepomuk, Begej river, The building of Vojvodina Bank, Zrenjanin Court House
District
Central Banat
Settled by Roxolani3rd century AD
Founded10 July 1326
City status6 June 1769
Government
 • MayorSimo Salapura (SNS)
Area
 • Rank3rd in Serbia
 • Urban193.03 km2 (74.53 sq mi)
 • Administrative1,325.88 km2 (511.93 sq mi)
Elevation
76 m (249 ft)
Population
 (2022 census)[1]
 • Rank11th in Serbia
 • Urban
67,129
 • Urban density350/km2 (900/sq mi)
 • Administrative
105,722
 • Administrative density80/km2 (210/sq mi)
DemonymZrenjaninci  (sr)
Time zoneUTC+01:00 (CET)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+02:00 (CEST)
Postal code
23000
Area code+381(0)23
ISO 3166 codeSRB
Car platesZR
Websitewww.zrenjanin.rs

Zrenjanin (

New Barcelona in a place which is now the suburb of Dolja within Zrenjanin, exiled from the War of the Spanish Succession. After World War I and the liberation of Veliki Bečkerek the new name of the city was Petrovgrad, in honor of His Majesty King Peter I the Great Liberator
, the King of Serbia and the King of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes.

Zrenjanin is the 2nd largest city in the Serbian part of the Banat geographical region, and the fourth largest city in Vojvodina (after Novi Sad, Subotica and Pančevo). The city was designated European city of sport.

Name

Lion in Županija Park

The city was named after

Rusin as Зрењанин, in Croatian as Zrenjanin, and in Turkish
as Beşkelek (meaning five melons) or Beçkerek.

History

Prehistory

Old postcard of Zrenjanin
Old postcard of Zrenjanin

Prehistory can be divided into the

Tisa River. What makes this area important is the fact that the influence of two parallel cultures flew through it at the same time. The Iron Age has not been enough explored yet. A few regions with some archaeological materials from the Iron Age have been found: in the residential area Šumica a tip of a spear was found and near the oil factory, pieces of ceramics from the Bronze Age
were discovered.

At the beginning of the common era,[

Sarmatian’s graveyard has been found in a city residential district, near the railroad bridge. Finally in the necropolis, not far from Aradac
, “Mečka”, more than 120 graves, which date from the end of the sixth and the beginning of the seventh century, have been excavated in 1952.

Postcardː Brewery Dundjerski and the banks of the river Begej in Becskerek (Zrenjanin)

Middle Ages

Ottoman city of Bečkerek (Zrenjanin) in 1697–98, including mosque with minaret that dominated the city.

The first historical records mentioning Zrenjanin (Bečkerek) date from the 14th century, the time when Charles I, King of Hungary and Croatia (1301–1342), used to visit Banat and spend time in his capital Timișoara. (Near today's Zrenjanin a coin was found with the inscription "Charles I".) Many noblemen came with the King, including the powerful Imre Becsei. The areas where Becsei settled down were named for him, “Bechereki” and “Beche” (Novi Bečej). The oldest written records of Bečkerek date from Budim Capitulum's document of collecting the Pope’s tens taxes in 1326, 1331 and 1332. Judging by the size of the taxes, Bečkerek of 1330s was an average village. The first settlers were the landless Hungarian peasants. There were the Serbs in Banat, too. During the reign of Louis I of Hungary (1343–1382), more Serbs migrated to the area from the south, and with them many Orthodox priests.

After the

King Sigismund (1387–1437) was considering defending the territory settled by the Serbs, and he is known to have visited Bečkerek on September 30, 1398. The town was granted to Stefan Lazarević at the end of the 1403. The despot became the vassal of the Hungarian King; but he got Bečkerek and the title of the Great Head of the Torontál County
.

Ottoman period

Sokollu Mehmed Pasha, founder of Bečkerek vakuf

The Hungarian King Ferdinand appointed friar Djordje Martinović, a commander of his forces, to defend the town from the Ottomans. Hungary was attacked by 80,000 Ottoman soldiers under the command of Vizier Sokollu Mehmed Pasha. On 15 September 1551, the siege of the town Bečej was raised and the town was taken after four days. On 24 September, the Bečkerek fortress was besieged. Many people left town earlier and with few defenders the town couldn't be defended and those eighty, who left surrendered the next day. Malković was appointed the lord of Bečkerek. After the Ottomans had taken Timișoara in 1552, Banat became a special province, the Temeşvar Eyalet, which was made up of several sanjaks, including the Sanjak of Beçkerek.

During Ottoman occupation, the sanjak had a military administration. Due to good behaviour of the

Austro-Turkish War of 1716–18
Bečkerek went under Habsburg rule.

Habsburg and Austrian period (1718–1914)

Theatre building, Zrenjanin

As a crown province,

Arač, Bečej, Itebej, Elemir, Ečka and Aradac. The first chief of this district was Titus Vespanius Slucki. After the Turkish forces and Turks families had withdrawn, the land was left devastated without labour, which could till the soil and paid taxes. That's why the Austrian court tried to settle Banat
as soon as possible.

The colonization lasted from 1718–24, when the town was settled mostly by

New Barcelona. But the life was difficult in this marsh area
with many contagious diseases, so many died and others left.

National Museum of Zrenjanin

In the summer of 1738 there was the great plague. The Count Mersy wanted to turn marshes into fertile soil and he began to regulate the

Begej River. In the middle and down course of the river a long canal was built, to make the river traffic possible between Bečkerek and Timișoara. On the first of November 1745 Sebastian Krazeisen
began to make beer in the first brewery and that meant the first start of the industrialization. In the same year the first Serb’s school was mentioned.

On 6 June 1769,

Austro-Turkish War (1787–91)
.

Zrenjanin Court House

During the 18th century it developed into thriving economic and cultural centre, but the great fire destroyed a large portion of the town in 1807. The town was soon rebuilt. The fire came from the brewery, on 30 August 1807. After the fire a new regulation of streets had been done, houses had been built from stronger materials, roads had been rebuilt. The river traffic was especially intensive. The theatre building with an attractively decorated hall was built in 1839. In 1846 the Grammar School was opened and in 1847 the first printing shop.

The

Serbs revolted, aiming for autonomy within the Austrian Empire. At the May Assembly (13–15 May 1848), the Serbian Vojvodina was proclaimed, including most of what is today Vojvodina. Serbs from Bečkerek participated in the uprising against Hungarian authority (which refused Serb rights) and from 26 January to 29 April 1849 the town was under Serb rebel control. In 1849, the town became part of the Voivodeship of Serbia and Banat of Temeschwar
until 1860.

Although that time was known in history as a period of

Bach's absolutism
, the second part of the 19th century brought the town new developing benefits. New industrial facilities and handicraft stores were opened in every part of the town. Late 19th and early 20th century was progressive period for Veliki Bečkerek. Railway arrived in 1883, while post office was opened back in 1737.

World War I and the Kingdom of Yugoslavia

Lake (former Begej riverbed) in Zrenjanin

After the

Srem) at the Eastern front and fought at Dobruja, but 79 fought on the Salonice front. After years, the Serbs forces made a breakthrough of the Salonice front in 1918 and began to liberate their own country. The First Army in command of Vojvoda Petar Bojović freed Belgrade on 1 November 1918 and began to occupy Vojvodina
.

On 17 November, Serbian army arrived at Veliki Bečkerek. On 31 October 1918, the Serb Chamber of People of the town founded in the war conditions, as a temporary authority with Dr Slavko Župunski at its head. Serb army, the infantry iron regiment “Prince Mihajlo” and the infantry brigade with Colonel Dragutin Ristić in command came into the town on 17 November 1918. A few days after

Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes was founded, as the first South Slavic state. The town of Veliki Bečkerek became the administrative centre of Torontal-Tamiš County, and after its repealing, the town became the headquarters of District Office. In 1929 the town became part of the Danube Banovina. By the Town Council decision made on 29 September 1934, and confirmed by the Town Authority on 18 February 1935, the town was renamed Petrovgrad, after the king Peter I
.

Second World War and SFR Yugoslavia

See also: World War II in Yugoslavia
City center with Bukovac's Palace (1895) in the front

After the

Jurgen Wagner
.

The camp existed for almost two years and thousands of people passed through it. In town there were many underground groups supported by the Communist Party, which fought the German occupiers and the Germans made reprisals. On 2 October 1944, the Red Army Forces came into town, and, after a short fight, took command of most vital public buildings. The following day the first meeting on National Liberation Committee for the town Petrovgrad was held. Eight members of the national liberation resistance, from the town and its surroundings were announced National Heroes: Žarko Zrenjanin, Svetozar Marković Toza, Pap Pavle, Stevica Jovanović, Servo Mihalj, Nedeljko Barnić Žarki, Boško Vrebalov, and Bora Mikin Marko.

During

Jewish synagogue
in the centre of the town were destroyed. After World War II important social-political changes were made in the country, which, of course, had their influence on the development of Zrenjanin, newly named in 1946. In August 1945 the Agriculture Reform Act came into force, in June 1950 the Worker Self-Management Act, in 1959 the first direct urban plan of the town development, which indicated the urbanism-economic development of the town, was passed.

The development, in the first after war decade, was directed by the directive plans, which were based on the principles of socialist economy in which the most important industrial branches were industry and agriculture. By the 1980s many people left their villages and moved into towns which brought many changes in the social, educational and ethnic structure of the town. There was permanently shortage of housing. That is why many new parts of the town and many new apartment buildings were built. Zrenjanin became an important agricultural, industrial, cultural and sport centre, at the time Zrenjanin was one of the most powerful industrial centers of the

Socialist Federative Republic of Yugoslavia led by Tito
.

After 1991

Main street
Freedom square in the center of the city

The town's development has always been strongly affected by the social-economic circumstances reflecting the State surroundings that Zrenjanin found in. At the beginning of 1990s, when

NATO bombing of Serbia
began but the town was not targeted. Life in the town was quite normal, in spite of the dangerous situation elsewhere in the country.

In the first years after the end of war activities the Town and its citizens have been adjusting to new economic and social-economic conditions, known as transition. Instead of previous large economic combines and companies plenty of new flexible private enterprises are established and foreign capital is starting to flow in Zrenjanin. New industrial and work and residential zones are formed and the Town's General Plan 2006-2026 and Sustainable Development Strategy 2006-2013 are made and approved. At the end of 2007, introducing a new national territorial organisation followed by necessary legislation, the Municipality of Zrenjanin has been upgraded to an administrative and territorial status of a city.

In 2004, the town's tap water was deemed unsafe for consumption due to high levels of arsenic. As of 2022, the ban remains in place.[2]

Geography

Zrenjanin is situated on the western edge of the

Begej and Tisa
. The city is located at 80 meters above sea level.

Zrenjanin is around 70 kilometres (43 mi) away from Belgrade, and about 50 kilometres (31 mi) from Novi Sad, which is also the distance to the present border with the European Union (Romania), which makes its position a particularly important transition center and potential resource in the directions north–south and east–west.

Inhabited places

Lake (former Begej riverbed) in Zrenjanin

The city administrative area includes the following villages:

Neighbourhoods in Zrenjanin

Climate

Palace in Županijski Park

The

Köppen Climate Classification subtype for this climate is Cfa (Humid Temperate Climate).[3]

The average temperature for the year in Zrenjanin is 12.1 °C (53.8 °F). The warmest month, on average, is July with an average temperature of 22.9 °C (73.2 °F). The coolest month on average is January, with an average temperature of 0.7 °C (33.3 °F).

The highest recorded temperature in Zrenjanin is 42.9 °C (109.2 °F), which was recorded in July. The lowest recorded temperature in Zrenjanin is −27.5 °C (−17.5 °F), which was recorded in February.

The average amount of precipitation for the year in Zrenjanin is 597.1 mm (23.5 in). The month with the most precipitation on average is June with 84.3 mm (3.3 in) of precipitation. The month with the least precipitation on average is February with an average of 33.7 mm (1.3 in). There are an average of 126.8 days of precipitation, with the most precipitation occurring in May with 12.4 days and the least precipitation occurring in August with 7.5 days.

Climate data for Zrenjanin (1991–2020, extremes 1961–2020)
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °C (°F) 17.7
(63.9) 		22.5
(72.5) 		28.6
(83.5) 		31.4
(88.5) 		35.2
(95.4) 		38.0
(100.4) 		42.9
(109.2) 		40.4
(104.7) 		37.7
(99.9) 		31.9
(89.4) 		24.9
(76.8) 		20.5
(68.9) 		42.9
(109.2)
Mean daily maximum °C (°F) 3.8
(38.8) 		6.7
(44.1) 		12.5
(54.5) 		18.5
(65.3) 		23.4
(74.1) 		26.9
(80.4) 		29.0
(84.2) 		29.5
(85.1) 		24.0
(75.2) 		18.1
(64.6) 		11.2
(52.2) 		4.7
(40.5) 		17.4
(63.3)
Daily mean °C (°F) 0.7
(33.3) 		2.4
(36.3) 		7.0
(44.6) 		12.6
(54.7) 		17.5
(63.5) 		21.2
(70.2) 		22.9
(73.2) 		22.7
(72.9) 		17.5
(63.5) 		12.2
(54.0) 		7.0
(44.6) 		1.8
(35.2) 		12.1
(53.8)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F) −2.3
(27.9) 		−1.3
(29.7) 		2.2
(36.0) 		6.8
(44.2) 		11.5
(52.7) 		15.1
(59.2) 		16.4
(61.5) 		16.3
(61.3) 		12.1
(53.8) 		7.5
(45.5) 		3.6
(38.5) 		−1.0
(30.2) 		7.2
(45.0)
Record low °C (°F) −27.3
(−17.1) 		−27.5
(−17.5) 		−17.6
(0.3) 		−6.7
(19.9) 		−0.5
(31.1) 		2.0
(35.6) 		5.4
(41.7) 		5.4
(41.7) 		−3.0
(26.6) 		−8.6
(16.5) 		−13.2
(8.2) 		−23.1
(−9.6) 		−27.5
(−17.5)
Average precipitation mm (inches) 36.6
(1.44) 		33.7
(1.33) 		35.1
(1.38) 		40.9
(1.61) 		61.3
(2.41) 		84.3
(3.32) 		59.4
(2.34) 		50.9
(2.00) 		54.9
(2.16) 		49.7
(1.96) 		43.6
(1.72) 		46.7
(1.84) 		597.1
(23.51)
Average precipitation days (≥ 0.1 mm) 12.2 10.7 10.3 10.6 12.4 11.8 9.4 7.5 10.1 9.2 10.3 12.3 126.8
Average snowy days 6.1 5.6 2.7 0.3 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 1.7 4.7 21.1
Average
relative humidity
(%) 		84.5 78.7 69.7 65.6 66.1 67.6 65.3 64.4 70.3 75.4 80.5 86.1 72.9
Mean monthly sunshine hours 70.9 104.0 164.1 206.5 248.7 276.3 307.5 292.9 209.4 165.0 98.1 61.2 2,204.6
Source: Republic Hydrometeorological Service of Serbia[4][5]

Demographics

See also:
Slovaks in Vojvodina, and List of Hungarian communities in Vojvodina
Historical population
YearPop.±% p.a.
1948100,364—    
1953102,844+0.49%
1961115,692+1.48%
1971129,837+1.16%
1981139,300+0.71%
1991136,778−0.18%
2002132,051−0.32%
2011123,362−0.75%
2022105,722−1.39%
Source: [6][1]

According to the 2022 census, the total population of the city of Zrenjanin was 105,722.

Ethnic groups

Settlements with Serb ethnic majority are: Zrenjanin, Banatski Despotovac, Botoš, Elemir, Ečka, Klek, Knićanin, Lazarevo, Lukićevo, Melenci, Orlovat, Perlez, Stajićevo, Taraš, Tomaševac, Farkaždin, and Čenta. Settlements with Hungarian ethnic majority are: Lukino Selo and Mihajlovo. Settlement with Romanian ethnic majority is Jankov Most. Ethnically mixed settlements are: Aradac (with relative Serb majority) and Belo Blato (with relative Slovak majority).

The ethnic composition of the city administrative area:[7]

Ethnic group Population %
Serbs 91,579 74.24%
Hungarians 12,350 10.01%
Roma 3,410 2.76%
Romanians 2,161 1.75%
Slovaks
 2,062 1.67%
Yugoslavs 592 0.48%
Croats 527 0.43%
Macedonians 412 0.33%
Montenegrins 280 0.23%
Bulgarians 184 0.15%
Germans 139 0.11%
Albanians 110 0.09%
Others 9,556 7.75%
Total 123,362

Urbanization

Changing demographics of Zrenjanin proper

Religion

Serbian Orthodox Uspenska Church
Catholic Cathedral Zrenjanin

According to the 2002 census, most of the inhabitants of the Zrenjanin municipality were

Protestant (2.13%), and other. Orthodox Christians in Zrenjanin belong to the Eparchy of Banat of the Serbian Orthodox Church with seat in Vršac. Zrenjanin is also the centre of the Roman Catholic diocese of the Banat
region belonging to Serbia.

Economy

The city of Zrenjanin used to be the fourth largest industry center in former

building industry, and transport
.

As of September 2017, Zrenjanin has one of 14 free economic zones established in Serbia.[8]

The following table gives a preview of total number of registered people employed in legal entities per their core activity (as of 2018):[9]

Activity Total
Agriculture, forestry and fishing 736
Mining and quarrying 687
Manufacturing 12,688
Electricity, gas, steam and air conditioning supply 480
Water supply; sewerage, waste management and remediation activities 651
Construction 1,096
Wholesale and retail trade, repair of motor vehicles and motorcycles 4,907
Transportation and storage 1,918
Accommodation and food services 859
Information and communication 464
Financial and insurance activities 477
Real estate activities 103
Professional, scientific and technical activities 1,195
Administrative and support service activities 1,095
Public administration and defense; compulsory social security 1,781
Education 2,265
Human health and social work activities 2,772
Arts, entertainment and recreation 456
Other service activities 555
Individual agricultural workers 1,071
Total 36,526

Transportation

Zrenjanin no longer has a public transport operator, for the first time in its recent history, following the privatization and subsequent bankruptcy of Autobanat. It used to operate as the city's public transport company and as the regional public transport service to the nearby cities of (Novi Sad, Belgrade, Kikinda, Vršac), etc.

In the past river traffic on the

Begej river used to be most developed mode of cargo transport. Veliki Bečkerek got a railway in 1883, when it linked the city to Velika Kikinda. There are many taxi companies in Zrenjanin and the regulations are either lacking or are not enforced by the authorities. [citation needed
]

The city is served by

Zrenjanin Airport
, which however, as of 2023, has no hard runway, and no facilities for commercial air transport.

Culture

Main sights

Zrenjanin's Roman Catholic cathedral

In popular culture

  • Zrenjanin (under the name of Petrovgrad) is mentioned in the novel "Waiting for Robert Capa" of Spanish author Susana Fortes. Jewish protagonist's brothers who are running from persecution, are settling in Serbian village Petrovgrad, just on Romanian border, because there was never tradition of antisemitism in the village.[10]

Tourism

Architecture in Zrenjanin

Zrenjanin has many places of interest like City Hall, the cathedral, Freedom Square, King Aleksandar I Street, etc.

There is a Tourist Information Office in the building of National Museum (Subotićeva 1).[11]

Sports

Crystal Hall is an indoor basketball and handball arena that was the home venue of the 2013 World Women's Handball Championship.

Zrenjanin has a long sports tradition.[12] First clubs were established during the 1880s. It was the home town of Proleter football club from 1947 until 2005. As of 2021, FK Radnički Zrenjanin plays in Serbian League Vojvodina division, which is the third level football league in Serbia. The city was designated European city of sport in 2021.[13]

Notable residents

See also: List of honorary citizens of Zrenjanin
Olympic and World champion Nikola Grbić

International relations

See also: List of twin towns and sister cities in Serbia

Twin towns – sister cities

Zrenjanin is

twinned
with:

See also

References

  1. ^
    ISBN 978-86-6161-230-5
    .
  2. ^ "Zrenjaninci 18 godina bez vode za piće" [Zrenjanin citizens 18 years without potable water]. Politika (in Serbian (Latin script)). 20 January 2022. Archived from the original on 27 May 2022. Retrieved 13 October 2023.
  3. ^ Climate Summary
  4. ^ "Monthly and annual means, maximum and minimum values of meteorological elements for the period 1991–2020" (in Serbian). Republic Hydrometeorological Service of Serbia. Archived from the original on 15 April 2022. Retrieved 15 April 2022.
  5. ^ "Monthly and annual means, maximum and minimum values of meteorological elements for the period 1981–2010" (in Serbian). Republic Hydrometeorological Service of Serbia. Archived from the original on 20 July 2021. Retrieved February 25, 2017.
  6. ^ "2011 Census of Population, Households and Dwellings in the Republic of Serbia" (PDF). stat.gov.rs. Statistical Office of the Republic of Serbia. Retrieved 19 March 2017.
  7. ^ "Попис становништва, домаћинстава и станова 2011. у Републици Србији" (PDF). stat.gov.rs. Republički zavod za statistiku. Retrieved 10 April 2019.
  8. ^ Mikavica, A. (3 September 2017). "Slobodne zone mamac za investitore". politika.rs (in Serbian). Retrieved 17 March 2019.
  9. ^ "MUNICIPALITIES AND REGIONS OF THE REPUBLIC OF SERBIA, 2019" (PDF). stat.gov.rs. Statistical Office of the Republic of Serbia. 25 December 2019. Retrieved 28 December 2019.
  10. ISBN 978-953-266-379-2
    .
  11. ^ Tourism Information Office, http://www.zrenjanin.rs/en/visit-zrenjanin/tourist-information-center
  12. ^ "BOGATSTVO I TRADICIJA SPORTA: Predsednik Olimpijskog komiteta Božidar Maljković u Zrenjaninu".
  13. ^ "European Cities of Sport". Aces Europe. September 2017. Retrieved 17 January 2021.
  14. ^ "Joe Penner biography (in Hungarian)". Archived from the original on 2015-09-24. Retrieved 2008-01-17.
  15. ISBN 978-1-926573-06-9. Retrieved 7 March 2015. {{cite book}}: |website= ignored (help
    )
Bibliography
  • Milan Tutorov, Banatska rapsodija - istorika Zrenjanina i Banata, Novi Sad, 2001.

External links

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