Novi Sad Novi Sad ( sr-Cyrl, Нови Сад, ; hu, Újvidék, ; german: Neusatz; see below for other names) is the second largest city in Serbia and the capital of the autonomous province of Vojvodina. It is located in the southern portion of the Pan ...

is the second largest city of Serbia. It began as a Stone Age settlement in present-day

Petrovaradin Petrovaradin ( sr-cyr, Петроварадин, ) is a historic town in the Serbian province of Vojvodina, now a part of the city of Novi Sad. As of 2011, the urban area has 14,810 inhabitants. Lying on the right bank of the Danube, across from t ...

. The

Celts The Celts (, see pronunciation for different usages) or Celtic peoples () are. "CELTS location: Greater Europe time period: Second millennium B.C.E. to present ancestry: Celtic a collection of Indo-European peoples. "The Celts, an ancien ...

founded the first fortress at this location. During

Roman Roman or Romans most often refers to: *Rome, the capital city of Italy *Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD *Roman people, the people of ancient Rome *''Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a letter ...

rule, a larger fortress was built in the 1st century AD. It was devastated by the

Huns The Huns were a nomadic people who lived in Central Asia, the Caucasus, and Eastern Europe between the 4th and 6th century AD. According to European tradition, they were first reported living east of the Volga River, in an area that was part ...

in the 5th century and rebuilt by the

Byzantine The Byzantine Empire, also referred to as the Eastern Roman Empire or Byzantium, was the continuation of the Roman Empire primarily in its eastern provinces during Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages, when its capital city was Constantinopl ...

s. The city passed through many other hands until being conquered by the

Kingdom of Hungary The Kingdom of Hungary was a monarchy in Central Europe that existed for nearly a millennium, from the Middle Ages into the 20th century. The Principality of Hungary emerged as a Christian kingdom upon the coronation of the first king Stephen ...

. The city was first mentioned under the name Peturwarad or Petrovaradin in documents from 1237. It passed through the

Ottoman Empire The Ottoman Empire, * ; is an archaic version. The definite article forms and were synonymous * and el, Оθωμανική Αυτοκρατορία, Othōmanikē Avtokratoria, label=none * info page on book at Martin Luther University) ...

in the 16th century and the

Habsburg monarchy The Habsburg monarchy (german: Habsburgermonarchie, ), also known as the Danubian monarchy (german: Donaumonarchie, ), or Habsburg Empire (german: Habsburgerreich, ), was the collection of empires, kingdoms, duchies, counties and other polities ...

in the 17th. During Habsburg rule, people of Orthodox faith were forbidden from residing in Petrovaradin. Because of this, a new settlement was founded in 1698 on the left bank of the Danube. The initial name of this settlement was Ratzen Stadt (Serbian: Racki Grad, meaning "the Serb City" in English). The settlement officially gained the present name Novi Sad (Neoplanta in Latin) in 1748 when it became a "free royal city". In 1780, Novi Sad had about 2,000 houses, of which 1,144 were Serbian. For much of the 18th and 19th centuries, Novi Sad was the largest city populated with ethnic Serbs in the world. After 1867, Novi Sad was located within the Hungarian part of

Austria-Hungary Austria-Hungary, often referred to as the Austro-Hungarian Empire,, the Dual Monarchy, or Austria, was a constitutional monarchy and great power in Central Europe between 1867 and 1918. It was formed with the Austro-Hungarian Compromise of ...

. During this time, the

Magyarization Magyarization ( , also ''Hungarization'', ''Hungarianization''; hu, magyarosítás), after "Magyar"—the Hungarian autonym—was an assimilation or acculturation process by which non-Hungarian nationals living in Austro-Hungarian Transleithan ...

policy of the Hungarian government drastically altered the demographic structure of the city, dramatically increasing the number of Hungarian language speakers. In 1941, the

Kingdom of Yugoslavia The Kingdom of Yugoslavia ( sh-Latn-Cyrl, separator=" / ", Kraljevina Jugoslavija, Краљевина Југославија; sl, Kraljevina Jugoslavija) was a state in Southeast Europe, Southeast and Central Europe that existed from 1918 unt ...

was invaded and partitioned by the

Axis Powers The Axis powers, ; it, Potenze dell'Asse ; ja, 枢軸国 ''Sūjikukoku'', group=nb originally called the Rome–Berlin Axis, was a military coalition that initiated World War II and fought against the Allies. Its principal members were ...

, and Novi Sad was annexed by Hungary. During

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

, about 5,000 citizens were murdered and many others were resettled. Since 1945, Novi Sad has been the capital of

Vojvodina Vojvodina ( sr-Cyrl, Војводина}), officially the Autonomous Province of Vojvodina, is an autonomous province that occupies the northernmost part of Serbia. It lies within the Pannonian Basin, bordered to the south by the national capital ...

, a province of the

Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia The Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, commonly referred to as SFR Yugoslavia or simply as Yugoslavia, was a country in Central and Southeast Europe. It emerged in 1945, following World War II, and lasted until 1992, with the breakup of Yug ...

. After 1992, Novi Sad was part of the

Federal Republic of Yugoslavia Serbia and Montenegro ( sr, Cрбија и Црна Гора, translit=Srbija i Crna Gora) was a country in Southeast Europe located in the Balkans that existed from 1992 to 2006, following the breakup of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yu ...

, which, in 2003, was transformed into the State Union of

Serbia and Montenegro Serbia and Montenegro ( sr, Cрбија и Црна Гора, translit=Srbija i Crna Gora) was a country in Southeast Europe located in the Balkans that existed from 1992 to 2006, following the breakup of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yu ...

. Devastated by NATO bombardment during the

Kosovo War The Kosovo War was an armed conflict in Kosovo that started 28 February 1998 and lasted until 11 June 1999. It was fought by the forces of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (i.e. Serbia and Montenegro), which controlled Kosovo before the war ...

, it was left without all of its three Danube bridges, communications, water, and electricity. Its oil refinery was bombarded daily, causing widespread ecological damage. Novi Sad is now part of an independent Serbia.

Early history of Petrovaradin

Human settlement in the territory of present-day Novi Sad has been traced as far back as the

Stone Age The Stone Age was a broad prehistoric period during which stone was widely used to make tools with an edge, a point, or a percussion surface. The period lasted for roughly 3.4 million years, and ended between 4,000 BC and 2,000 BC, with t ...

(about 4500 BC). This settlement was located on the right bank of the river Danube in the territory of present-day Petrovaradin. This region was conquered by

(in the 4th century BC) and

Romans Roman or Romans most often refers to: *Rome, the capital city of Italy *Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD *Roman people, the people of ancient Rome *''Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a letter ...

(in the 1st century BC). The Celts founded the first fortress at this location, which was located on the right bank of the Danube. During Roman rule, a larger fortress was built in the 1st century AD with the name ''Cusum'' and was included into Roman province

Pannonia Pannonia (, ) was a province of the Roman Empire bounded on the north and east by the Danube, coterminous westward with Noricum and upper Italy, and southward with Dalmatia and upper Moesia. Pannonia was located in the territory that is now wes ...

. In the 5th century, Cusum was devastated by the invasion of the

. By the end of the 5th century, Byzantines had reconstructed the city and called it by the names ''Cusum'' and ''Petrikon''. The city in time became conquered by the

Ostrogoths The Ostrogoths ( la, Ostrogothi, Austrogothi) were a Roman-era Germanic peoples, Germanic people. In the 5th century, they followed the Visigoths in creating one of the two great Goths, Gothic kingdoms within the Roman Empire, based upon the larg ...

Gepids The Gepids, ( la, Gepidae, Gipedae, grc, Γήπαιδες) were an East Germanic tribe who lived in the area of modern Romania, Hungary and Serbia, roughly between the Tisza, Sava and Carpathian Mountains. They were said to share the religion a ...

, Avars,

Franks The Franks ( la, Franci or ) were a group of Germanic peoples whose name was first mentioned in 3rd-century Roman sources, and associated with tribes between the Lower Rhine and the Ems River, on the edge of the Roman Empire.H. Schutz: Tools, ...

Bulgarians Bulgarians ( bg, българи, Bǎlgari, ) are a nation and South Slavic ethnic group native to Bulgaria and the rest of Southeast Europe. Etymology Bulgarians derive their ethnonym from the Bulgars. Their name is not completely understo ...

, and again by the Byzantines. The city was later conquered by the

(in the 11th–12th century); by the

(in 1526), and by the

(in 1687). The city was first mentioned under the name ''Peturwarad'' (''Pétervárad'', Serbian: ''Petrovaradin'') in documents from 1237.Borovszky Samu: Magyarország vármegyéi és városai, Bács-Bodrog vármegye I.-II. kötet, Apolló Irodalmi és Nyomdai Részvénytársaság, 1909. Another name used for it was ''Bélakút''. Petrovaradin was known under the name ''Pétervárad'' under Hungarian rule, ''Varadin'' under Ottoman rule, and ''Peterwardein'' under

Habsburg The House of Habsburg (), alternatively spelled Hapsburg in Englishgerman: Haus Habsburg, ; es, Casa de Habsburgo; hu, Habsburg család, it, Casa di Asburgo, nl, Huis van Habsburg, pl, dom Habsburgów, pt, Casa de Habsburgo, la, Domus Hab ...

rule. During the Ottoman rule, Petrovaradin had 200 houses, and three mosques. There was also a

Christian Christians () are people who follow or adhere to Christianity, a monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. The words ''Christ'' and ''Christian'' derive from the Koine Greek title ''Christós'' (Χρι ...

quarter with 35 houses populated with ethnic

Serbs The Serbs ( sr-Cyr, Срби, Srbi, ) are the most numerous South Slavic ethnic group native to the Balkans in Southeastern Europe, who share a common Serbian ancestry, culture, history and language. The majority of Serbs live in their na ...

Early history of Sremska Kamenica

Sremska Kamenica was first mentioned in historical documents in 1237. In this time the town was under administration of the

, although its name has a Slavic origin, implying that it was initially inhabited by

Slavs Slavs are the largest European ethnolinguistic group. They speak the various Slavic languages, belonging to the larger Balto-Slavic branch of the Indo-European languages. Slavs are geographically distributed throughout northern Eurasia, main ...

. The name of the town derives from the Slavic word "kamen" ("stone" in

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ide ...

) and was recorded as "villa Camanch" in 1237 and "Kamenez" in 1349. Before the Ottoman conquest in the 16th century, the town had about 150 houses, while during the Ottoman rule, in 1567, the population of the town numbered only 15 houses. The inhabitants of the town during Ottoman rule were

. After the establishment of the

rule, the Habsburg census from 1702 recorded 40 houses in the town, almost all of them populated by ethnic Serbs. During the 18th century, the number of

Orthodox Orthodox, Orthodoxy, or Orthodoxism may refer to: Religion * Orthodoxy, adherence to accepted norms, more specifically adherence to creeds, especially within Christianity and Judaism, but also less commonly in non-Abrahamic religions like Neo-pag ...

inhabitants increased to 1,000. During the Habsburg rule, the town was a possession of the Marcibányi and Karácsonyi families.

Other older settlements

Before the foundation of Novi Sad (Ratzen Stadt) in 1694, several other settlements existed on the left bank of the river

Danube The Danube ( ; ) is a river that was once a long-standing frontier of the Roman Empire and today connects 10 European countries, running through their territories or being a border. Originating in Germany, the Danube flows southeast for , pa ...

in the territory of present-day Novi Sad (besides Petrovaradin and Sremska Kamenica on the right bank of the Danube). In 1237, several settlements were mentioned to exist at this location. Between the 13th and 16th century, the following settlements existed in the territory of modern urban area of Novi Sad:Branko Ćurčin, Slana Bara nekad i sad, Novi Sad, 2002 *''Baksa'' or ''Baksafalva'' (Serbian: ''Bakša'' or ''Bakšić'') – this settlement was located in the area of modern neighborhood of Stari Grad. *''Kűszentmárton'' (Serbian: ''Sent Marton'') – this settlement was located in the area of modern neighborhood of

Telep Telep ( sr-cyr, Телеп) is an urban neighborhood of the city of Novi Sad, Serbia. Name The word "telep" ( hu, Telep) means "settlement" in Hungarian. The first name of this neighborhood was ''Darányi-telep'' (Serbian: ''Daranjijevo Naselj ...

. *''Bivalyos'' or ''Bivalo'' (Serbian: ''Bivaljoš'' or ''Bivalo'') – this settlement was located in the area of modern neighborhood of

Slana Bara Slana may refer to: * Slana, Alaska, a populated place in the Copper River Census Area * Slana River, in Alaska, a tributary of Copper River * Slana, Croatia, a village near Petrinja * Slana concentration camp Slana concentration camp was a co ...

. *''Vásárosvárad'' (Serbian: ''Vašaroš Varad'' or ''Varadinci'') – this settlement was located in the periphery of modern neighborhood of Klisa. *''Zajol I'' (Serbian: ''Sajlovo I'', ''Gornje Sajlovo'' or ''Gornja Isailova'') – this settlement was located in the area of modern neighborhoods of Klisa and Gornje Livade. *''Zajol II'' (Serbian: ''Sajlovo II'', ''Donje Sajlovo'' or ''Donje Isailovo'') – this settlement was located in the area of modern neighborhood of

Sajlovo Sajlovo ( sr-cyrl, Сајлово; hu, Zajol) or Donje Sajlovo ( sr-cyrl, Доње Сајлово) is a neighborhood of the city of Novi Sad, Serbia. History In 1237, two villages with name Sajlovo (Hungarian: Zajol), Donje Sajlovo and Gornje Saj ...

. *''Bistritz'' (Serbian: ''Bistrica'') – this settlement was (maybe) located in the area of modern neighborhood of Bistrica (Novo Naselje). Some other settlements existed in the suburban area of Novi Sad: *''Mortályos'' (Serbian: ''Mrtvaljoš'') – this settlement was located in the northern suburban area of Novi Sad. *''Csenei'' (Serbian: ''Čenej'') – this settlement was located in the area of modern village of

Čenej Čenej () is a suburban settlement of the city of Novi Sad, Serbia. The village has a Serb ethnic majority and a population numbering 2,115 people (2002 census). Name In Serbian, the village is known as Ченеј or ''Čenej'', in Croatian a ...

. *''Keménd'' (Serbian: ''Kamendin'') – this settlement was located in the area of modern

Kamendin Kamendin ( sr-cyr, Камендин) is an urban neighborhood of Belgrade, the capital of Serbia. It is located in Belgrade's municipality of Zemun, in the northwest section of Zemun. It adjoins the neighborhood of Zemun Polje on the west, it ...

, which is part of the village of

Sirig Sirig () is a village located in the Temerin municipality, in the South Bačka District of Serbia. It is situated in the Autonomous Province of Vojvodina. The village has a Serb ethnic majority and its population numbering 3,010 people (2002 cens ...

. *''Rév'' (Serbian: ''Rivica'') – this settlement was located in the northern suburban area of Novi Sad. Etymology of the settlement names show that some of them are of Slavic origin, which indicate that some of them were initially inhabited by

. For example, Bivalo (Bivaljoš) was a large Slavic settlement that dates from the 5th–6th century. Some settlement names are of Hungarian origin (for example Kűszentmárton, Vásárosvárad, Rév), which indicate that these settlements were inhabited by

Hungarians Hungarians, also known as Magyars ( ; hu, magyarok ), are a nation and ethnic group native to Hungary () and historical Hungarian lands who share a common culture, history, ancestry, and language. The Hungarian language belongs to the Urali ...

before the Ottoman invasion. Names of some settlements are of uncertain origin, or it is not clear whether their names are of Slavic or of Hungarian origin. Tax records from 1522 are showing a mix of Hungarian and Slavic names among inhabitants of these villages, including Slavic names like Bozso (Božo), Radovan, Radonya (Radonja), Ivo, etc. Following the Ottoman invasion in the 16th–17th century, some of these settlements were destroyed and most Hungarian inhabitants have left this area. Some of the settlements also existed during the Ottoman rule, and were populated by ethnic Serbs. In the year 1590, population of all villages that existed in the territory of present-day Novi Sad numbered 105 houses inhabited exclusively by

. However, Ottoman records mention only those inhabitants that paid taxes, thus the number of Serbs that lived in the area (for example those that served in the Ottoman army) was larger.

The foundation of Novi Sad

At the outset of the Habsburg rule, people of Orthodox faith were forbidden from residing in

, thus Serbs were largely unable to build homes in the town. Because of this, a new settlement was founded in 1694 on the left bank of the Danube. The initial name of this settlement was ''

Ratzen Rascians ( sr, Раши, Рашани / ''Raši, Rašani''; la, Rasciani, Natio Rasciana) was a historical term for Serbs. The term was derived from the Latinized name for the central Serbian region of Raška ( la, Rascia; sr-Cyrl, Рашка). ...

Stadt'' (Serbian: ''Racki Grad'', meaning "the Serb City" in English). Another name used for the settlement was ''Peterwardein Schantz'' (Serbian: ''Petrovaradinski Šanac''). In 1718, the inhabitants of the village of

Almaš Almaš was an ethnic Serbs, Serb village in Bačka. It existed until the first half of the 18th century. The village was located on Almaška bara (Almaška bog), between Temerin, Nadalj, and Gospođinci. Name In Serbian language, Serbian the villag ...

were resettled to Petrovaradinski Šanac, where they founded

Almaški Kraj Almaški Kraj ( sr, Алмашки Крај) is an urban neighborhood of the city of Novi Sad, Serbia. It is situated between the Almaška church and the Saborna church and includes parts of the Podbara, Salajka and Stari Grad, Novi Sad, Stari Grad ...

("the Almaš quarter"). According to 1720 data, the population of Ratzen Stadt was composed of 112 Serbian, 14 German, and 5 Hungarian houses. The settlement officially gained the present name ''Novi Sad'' (''Neoplanta'' in

Latin Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through the power of the ...

) in 1748 when it became a "free royal city". In 1780, Novi Sad had about 2,000 houses, of which 1,144 were Serbian. The edict that made Novi Sad a "free royal city" was proclaimed on February 1, 1748. The edict said: "We,

Maria Theresa Maria Theresa Walburga Amalia Christina (german: Maria Theresia; 13 May 1717 – 29 November 1780) was ruler of the Habsburg dominions from 1740 until her death in 1780, and the only woman to hold the position ''suo jure'' (in her own right). ...

, by the God's mercy

Holy Roman Empress The Holy Roman Empress or Empress of the Holy Roman Empire (''Kaiserin des Heiligen Römischen Reiches'') was the wife or widow of the Holy Roman Emperor. The elective dignity of Holy Roman emperor was restricted to males only, but some empresse ...

, Queen of

Hungary Hungary ( hu, Magyarország ) is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Spanning of the Carpathian Basin, it is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine to the northeast, Romania to the east and southeast, Serbia to the south, Croatia a ...

Bohemia Bohemia ( ; cs, Čechy ; ; hsb, Čěska; szl, Czechy) is the westernmost and largest historical region of the Czech Republic. Bohemia can also refer to a wider area consisting of the historical Lands of the Bohemian Crown ruled by the Bohem ...

Moravia Moravia ( , also , ; cs, Morava ; german: link=yes, Mähren ; pl, Morawy ; szl, Morawa; la, Moravia) is a historical region in the east of the Czech Republic and one of three historical Czech lands, with Bohemia and Czech Silesia. The me ...

Dalmatia Dalmatia (; hr, Dalmacija ; it, Dalmazia; see #Name, names in other languages) is one of the four historical region, historical regions of Croatia, alongside Croatia proper, Slavonia, and Istria. Dalmatia is a narrow belt of the east shore of ...

Croatia , image_flag = Flag of Croatia.svg , image_coat = Coat of arms of Croatia.svg , anthem = "Lijepa naša domovino"("Our Beautiful Homeland") , image_map = , map_caption = , capit ...

Slavonia Slavonia (; hr, Slavonija) is, with Dalmatia, Croatia proper, and Istria, one of the four historical regions of Croatia. Taking up the east of the country, it roughly corresponds with five Croatian counties: Brod-Posavina, Osijek-Baranja ...

Rama Rama (; ), Ram, Raman or Ramar, also known as Ramachandra (; , ), is a major deity in Hinduism. He is the seventh and one of the most popular '' avatars'' of Vishnu. In Rama-centric traditions of Hinduism, he is considered the Supreme Bein ...

Serbia Serbia (, ; Serbian language, Serbian: , , ), officially the Republic of Serbia (Serbian language, Serbian: , , ), is a landlocked country in Southeast Europe, Southeastern and Central Europe, situated at the crossroads of the Pannonian Bas ...

, Galicia,

Lodomeria Lodomeria is the Latinized name of Volodymyr (Old Slavic: , ; uk, Лодомерія, ; pl, Lodomeria; sk, Lodomeria; hu, Lodomeria; cz, Vladiměř; ; ro, Lodomeria), a Ruthenian principality also referred to as the Principality of Volhyni ...

Carinthia Carinthia (german: Kärnten ; sl, Koroška ) is the southernmost States of Austria, Austrian state, in the Eastern Alps, and is noted for its mountains and lakes. The main language is German language, German. Its regional dialects belong to t ...

, etc, etc. Cast this proclamation to anyone, who might concern...so that the famous Petrovaradinski Šanac, which lies on the other side of the

Bačka Bačka ( sr-cyrl, Бачка, ) or Bácska () is a geographical and historical area within the Pannonian Plain bordered by the river Danube to the west and south, and by the river Tisza to the east. It is divided between Serbia and Hungary ...

province on Sajlovo land, by the might of our divine royal power and prestige...make this town a

Free Royal City Royal free city or free royal city (Latin: libera regia civitas) was the official term for the most important cities in the Kingdom of Hungary from the late 12th centuryBácskai Vera – Nagy Lajos: Piackörzetek, piacközpontok és városok Magy ...

and to fortify, accept and sign it in as one of the free royal cities of our

and other territories, by abolishing its previous name of Petrovaradinski Šanac, renaming it Neoplanta (

), Újvidék ( Hungarian), Neu-Satz (

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) **Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ger ...

), Novi Sad ( Serbian), Mlada Loza (

Bulgarian Bulgarian may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to the country of Bulgaria * Bulgarians, a South Slavic ethnic group * Bulgarian language, a Slavic language * Bulgarian alphabet * A citizen of Bulgaria, see Demographics of Bulgaria * Bul ...

)".

Development from 1748 to 1918

For much of the 18th and 19th centuries, Novi Sad was the largest city populated with ethnic Serbs in the World (The reformer of the Serbian language, Vuk Stefanović Karadžić, wrote in 1817 that Novi Sad is the "largest Serb municipality in the world". In 1820 Novi Sad had 20,000 inhabitants, of whom about 2/3 were Serbs. Belgrade, the current largest city populated by Serbs, did not reached similar population before 1853). It was a cultural and political centre of Serbs, who did not have their own national state at the time. Because of its cultural and political influence, Novi Sad became known as the Serb

Athens Athens ( ; el, Αθήνα, Athína ; grc, Ἀθῆναι, Athênai (pl.) ) is both the capital and largest city of Greece. With a population close to four million, it is also the seventh largest city in the European Union. Athens dominates ...

(''Srpska Atina'' in Serbian). According to the 1843 data, Novi Sad had 17,332 inhabitants, of whom 9,675 were Orthodox Christians, 5,724 Catholics, 1,032 Protestants, 727 Jews, and 30 adherents of the Armenian church. The largest ethnic group in the city were Serbs, and the second largest were Germans. During the Revolution of 1848–1849, Novi Sad was part of

Serbian Vojvodina The Serbian Vojvodina ( sr, Српска Војводина / ) was a short-lived self-proclaimed Serbs, Serb autonomous province within the Austrian Empire during the Revolutions of 1848, which existed until 1849 when it was transformed into the ...

, a Serbian autonomous region within

Habsburg Empire The Habsburg monarchy (german: Habsburgermonarchie, ), also known as the Danubian monarchy (german: Donaumonarchie, ), or Habsburg Empire (german: Habsburgerreich, ), was the collection of empires, kingdoms, duchies, counties and other polities ...

. In 1849 the Hungarian army located on the Petrovaradin Fortress bombarded and devastated the city, which lost much of its population (According to 1850 census there were only 7,182 citizens in the city compared with about 20,000 in 1820). Between 1849 and 1860, the city was part of a separate Austrian crownland known as the

Voivodeship of Serbia and Temes Banat , conventional_long_name = Voivodeship of Serbia and Temes Banate , common_name = Serbia and Banat , subdivision = Crownland , nation = the Austrian Empire , year_start = 1849 , date_start = 18 November , year_end = 1860 , date_end = ...

. After the abolishment of this province, the city was included into Bacsensis-Bodrogiensis County. After 1867, Novi Sad was located within the Hungarian part of

. During this time, the

policy of the Hungarian government drastically altered the demographic structure of the city, i.e. from the predominantly Serbian, the population of the city became ethnically mixed. According to 1880 census, the percent of Serbian language speakers in the city was 41.2%, and the percent of Hungarian language speakers was 25.9%. Until 1910, the percent of Serbian language speakers decreased to 34.52%, while the percent of Hungarian language speakers increased to 39.72%. According to the 1910 census, the city had 33,590 inhabitants, of which 13,343 (39.72%) most frequently spoke

Hungarian language Hungarian () is an Uralic language spoken in Hungary and parts of several neighbouring countries. It is the official language of Hungary and one of the 24 official languages of the European Union. Outside Hungary, it is also spoken by Hungarian ...

, 11,594 (34.52%)

Serbian language Serbian (, ) is the standardized variety of the Serbo-Croatian language mainly used by Serbs. It is the official and national language of Serbia, one of the three official languages of Bosnia and Herzegovina and co-official in Montenegro and Kos ...

, 5,918 (17.62%)

German language German ( ) is a West Germanic languages, West Germanic language mainly spoken in Central Europe. It is the most widely spoken and Official language, official or co-official language in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Liechtenstein, and the Ita ...

, 1,453 (4.33%)

Slovak language Slovak () , is a West Slavic language of the Czech–Slovak group, written in Latin script. It is part of the Indo-European language family, and is one of the Slavic languages, which are part of the larger Balto-Slavic branch. Spoken by appro ...

, etc. It is not certain whether Hungarians or Serbs were largest ethnic group in the city in this time, since 1910 census is considered partially inaccurate by most historians because this census did not recorded the population by ethnic origin or mother tongue, but by the "most frequently spoken language", thus the census results overstated the number of Hungarian speakers, since this was official language at the time and many non-Hungarian native speakers stated that they most frequently speak Hungarian language in everyday communication. The city was also home to 2,326 Jews, of whom many were native Hungarian speakers. Another aspect of the census was that it not only recorded permanent residents of the city, but also temporary residents, who did not live in the city, but were situated there as part of the civil and military services.

After the First World War

On November 3, 1918, the Serb National Board and the Serb Safeguard were organized in the city. On November 6, the

Serb National Board The Serb National Board ( sr, Српски народни одбор, Srpski narodni odbor) was a political organization of Serbs of Vojvodina that had formed the short-lived provinces of Serbian Vojvodina in 1848 and Banat, Bačka and Baranja in 1 ...

invited the Danube division of the Serbian army, which already entered Srem, to send its troops to Bačka as soon as possible. On November 8, the last Austro-Hungarian soldiers evacuated from the city, and the entire city was under control of the Serb National Board and the Serb Safeguard. Serbian troops entered the city on November 9, 1918, and on November 25, 1918, the Assembly of

Bunjevci Bunjevci ( sh-Latn-Cyrl, separator=" / ", Bunjevci, Буњевци, ; sh-Latn-Cyrl, label=, separator=" / ", Bunjevac, Буњевац, sh-Latn-Cyrl, label=, separator=" / ", Bunjevka, Буњевка) are a South Slavic sub-ethnic group living ...

, and other nations of

in Novi Sad proclaimed the unification of Vojvodina region with the

Kingdom of Serbia The Kingdom of Serbia ( sr-cyr, Краљевина Србија, Kraljevina Srbija) was a country located in the Balkans which was created when the ruler of the Principality of Serbia, Milan I, was proclaimed king in 1882. Since 1817, the Princi ...

(the assembly numbered 757 deputies, of which 578 were

, 84

, 62

Slovaks The Slovaks ( sk, Slováci, singular: ''Slovák'', feminine: ''Slovenka'', plural: ''Slovenky'') are a West Slavic ethnic group and nation native to Slovakia who share a common ancestry, culture, history and speak Slovak. In Slovakia, 4.4 mi ...

, 21

Rusyns Rusyns (), also known as Carpatho-Rusyns (), or Rusnaks (), are an East Slavs, East Slavic ethnic group from the Carpathian Rus', Eastern Carpathians in Central Europe. They speak Rusyn language, Rusyn, an East Slavic languages, East Slavi ...

, 6

Germans , native_name_lang = de , region1 = , pop1 = 72,650,269 , region2 = , pop2 = 534,000 , region3 = , pop3 = 157,000 3,322,405 , region4 = , pop4 = ...

, 3

Šokci Šokci ( sh, / , italics=yes, , ; , ; hu, Sokácok) are a South Slavic ethnic group native to historical regions of Baranya, Bačka, Slavonia and Syrmia. These regions today span eastern Croatia, southwestern Hungary, and northern Serbia. ...

, 2

Croats The Croats (; hr, Hrvati ) are a South Slavic ethnic group who share a common Croatian ancestry, culture, history and language. They are also a recognized minority in a number of neighboring countries, namely Austria, the Czech Republic, G ...

, and 1 Hungarian). Since December 1, 1918, Novi Sad is part of the

Kingdom of Serbs, Croats, and Slovenes The Kingdom of Yugoslavia ( sh-Latn-Cyrl, separator=" / ", Kraljevina Jugoslavija, Краљевина Југославија; sl, Kraljevina Jugoslavija) was a state in Southeast and Central Europe that existed from 1918 until 1941. From 1918 ...

. According to the 1921 census, the city had 39,122 inhabitants, of which 16,071 were

, 13,065

, 6,486

Germans , native_name_lang = de , region1 = , pop1 = 72,650,269 , region2 = , pop2 = 534,000 , region3 = , pop3 = 157,000 3,322,405 , region4 = , pop4 = ...

, 2,663

Jews Jews ( he, יְהוּדִים, , ) or Jewish people are an ethnoreligious group and nation originating from the Israelites Israelite origins and kingdom: "The first act in the long drama of Jewish history is the age of the Israelites""The ...

, 1,294

, 672

Russians , native_name_lang = ru , image = , caption = , population = , popplace = 118 million Russians in the Russian Federation (2002 ''Winkler Prins'' estimate) , region1 = , pop1 ...

, 613

Slovenes The Slovenes, also known as Slovenians ( sl, Slovenci ), are a South Slavic ethnic group native to Slovenia, and adjacent regions in Italy, Austria and Hungary. Slovenes share a common ancestry, culture, history and speak Slovene as their n ...

. In 1929, Novi Sad became the capital of the

Danube Banovina Danube Banovina or Danube Banate ( sh-Latn-Cyrl, separator=" / ", Dunavska banovina, Дунавска бановина), was a banovina (or province) of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia between 1929 and 1941. This province consisted of the geographical ...

, a province of the

. In 1941, the

was invaded and partitioned by the

, and its northern parts, including Novi Sad, were annexed by

. During

, about 5,000 citizens were murdered and many others were resettled (in a 1942 raid alone, Hungarian gendarmerie killed 1,246 citizens, among them 809 Jews, 375 Serbs, 18 Hungarians, 15 Russians and 2 Rusyns, and threw their corpses into the icy waters of Danube ). During the war, the resistance movement was active in the city. Citizens of all nationalities – Serbs, Hungarians, Slovaks and others fought together against the Axis authorities.Milorad Grujić, Vodič kroz Novi Sad i okolinu, Novi Sad, 2004 On August 7, 1944, the

Allies An alliance is a relationship among people, groups, or states that have joined together for mutual benefit or to achieve some common purpose, whether or not explicit agreement has been worked out among them. Members of an alliance are called ...

bombed the ''Novi Sad oil facilities'' as part of the Oil Campaign of World War II. The partisan forces from Srem and Bačka entered the city on October 23, 1944, and Novi Sad became part of the new socialist Yugoslavia. The

post-war In Western usage, the phrase post-war era (or postwar era) usually refers to the time since the end of World War II. More broadly, a post-war period (or postwar period) is the interval immediately following the end of a war. A post-war period c ...

Yugoslav authorities punished those responsible for war crimes, as well as those that collaborated with the Axis authorities, although there are allegations that members of the partisan army also killed a certain number of innocent people, mainly for personal revenge. Since 1945, Novi Sad has been the capital of

, a province of the

Socialist Republic of Serbia , life_span = 1944–1992 , status = Constituent state of Yugoslavia , p1 = Territory of the Military Commander in Serbia , flag_p1 = Flag of German Reich (1935–1945).svg , p2 ...

and

. The city went through rapid industrialization and its population more than doubled in the period between World War II and the breakup of Yugoslavia. After 1992, Novi Sad was part of the

, which, in 2003, was transformed into the State Union of

. Since 2006, Novi Sad is part of an independent

. Devastated by NATO bombardment during the

of 1999, Novi Sad was left without all of its three Danube bridges, communications, water, and electricity. Residential areas were

cluster bomb A cluster munition is a form of air-dropped or ground-launched explosive weapon that releases or ejects smaller submunitions. Commonly, this is a cluster bomb that ejects explosive bomblets that are designed to kill personnel and destroy vehicl ...

ed several times while its

oil refinery An oil refinery or petroleum refinery is an industrial process plant where petroleum (crude oil) is transformed and refined into useful products such as gasoline (petrol), diesel fuel, asphalt base, fuel oils, heating oil, kerosene, lique ...

was bombarded daily, causing severe

pollution Pollution is the introduction of contaminants into the natural environment that cause adverse change. Pollution can take the form of any substance (solid, liquid, or gas) or energy (such as radioactivity, heat, sound, or light). Pollutants, the ...

and widespread

ecological Ecology () is the study of the relationships between living organisms, including humans, and their physical environment. Ecology considers organisms at the individual, population, community, ecosystem, and biosphere level. Ecology overlaps wi ...

damage.

Gallery

Image:Novi sad stara naselja01a.png, Prehistoric findings in the territory of modern urban area of Novi Sad Image:Novi sad stara naselja01b.png, Ancient period (4th century BC - 4th century AD) in the territory of modern urban area of Novi Sad. Image:Novi sad stara naselja01c.png, 5th-10th century settlements in the territory of modern urban area of Novi Sad. Image:Novi sad stara naselja02.png, 13th-16th century settlements in the territory of modern urban area of Novi Sad Image:Novi sad stara naselja03.png, 16th-17th century settlements in the territory of modern urban area of Novi Sad Image:Novi sad stara naselja04.png, 18th century settlements in the territory of modern urban area of Novi Sad (Habsburg administration period). Image:Novi_sad_razvoj_naselja.png, Historical development of Novi Sad, 1716–2009.

References

General References

*Boško Petrović – Živan Milisavac, ''Novi Sad – monografija'', Novi Sad, 1987 *Milorad Grujić, ''Vodič kroz Novi Sad i okolinu'', Novi Sad, 2004 *Jovan Mirosavljević, ''Brevijar ulica Novog Sada 1745–2001'', Novi Sad, 2002 *Jovan Mirosavljević, ''Novi Sad – atlas ulica'', Novi Sad, 1998 *Melhior Erdujhelji, ''Istorija Novog Sada'', Novi Sad, 1894 *Mirjana Džepina, ''Društveni i zabavni život starih Novosađana'', Novi Sad, 1982 *Đorđe Randelj, ''Novi Sad – slobodan grad'', Novi Sad, 1997 *''Enciklopedija Novog Sada'', sveske 1–26, Novi Sad, 1993–2005 *Radenko Gajić, ''Petrovaradinska tvrđava – Gibraltar na Dunavu'', Novi Sad, 1994 *Veljko Milković, ''Petrovaradin kroz legendu i stvarnost'', Novi Sad, 2001 *Veljko Milković, ''Petrovaradin i Srem – misterija prošlosti'', Novi Sad, 2003 *Veljko Milković, ''Petrovaradinska tvrđava – podzemlje i nadzemlje'', Novi Sad, 2005 *Agneš Ozer, ''Petrovaradinska tvrđava – vodič kroz vreme i prostor'', Novi Sad, 2002 *Agneš Ozer, ''Petrovaradin fortress – a guide through time and space'', Novi Sad, 2002 *''30 godina mesne zajednice "7. Juli" u Novom Sadu 1974–2004 – monografija'', Novi Sad, 2004 *Branko Ćurčin, ''Slana Bara – nekad i sad'', Novi Sad, 2002 *Branko Ćurčin, ''Novosadsko naselje Šangaj – nekad i sad'', Novi Sad, 2004 *Zvonimir Golubović, ''Racija u Južnoj Bačkoj 1942. godine'', Novi Sad, 1991 *Petar Jonović, ''Knjižare Novog Sada 1790–1990'', Novi Sad, 1990 *Petar Jonović – Dr Milan Vranić – Dr Dušan Popov, ''Znameniti knjižari i izdavači Novog Sada'', Novi Sad, 1993 *''Ustav za čitaonicu srpsku u Novom Sadu'', Novi Sad, 1993 *''Sveske za istoriju Novog Sada'', sveske 4–5, Novi Sad, 1993–1994

Early history of Petrovaradin

Early history of Sremska Kamenica

Other older settlements

The foundation of Novi Sad

Development from 1748 to 1918

After the First World War

Gallery

References

General References

See also

Footnotes