Subotica ( sr-cyrl, Суботица, ; hu, Szabadka) is a

city A city is a human settlement of notable size.Goodall, B. (1987) ''The Penguin Dictionary of Human Geography''. London: Penguin.Kuper, A. and Kuper, J., eds (1996) ''The Social Science Encyclopedia''. 2nd edition. London: Routledge. It can be def ...

and the administrative center of the North Bačka District in the autonomous province of Vojvodina,

Serbia Serbia (, ; Serbian: , , ), officially the Republic of Serbia ( Serbian: , , ), is a landlocked country in Southeastern and Central Europe, situated at the crossroads of the Pannonian Basin and the Balkans. It shares land borders with Hu ...

. Formerly the largest city of Vojvodina region, contemporary Subotica is now the second largest city in the province, following the city of

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 P ...

. According to the 2011 census, the city itself has a population of 97,910, while the urban area of Subotica (with adjacent urban settlement of Palić included) has 105,681 inhabitants, and the population of metro area (the administrative area of the city) stands at 141,554 people.

Name

The name of the city has changed frequently over time.History of Subotica
Retrieved 8 September 2022. The earliest known written name of the city was ''Zabotka'' or ''Zabatka'', which dates from 1391. It is the origin of the current Hungarian name for the city ''"Szabadka"''. Other sources claim, that the name "Szabadka" comes from the adjective szabad, which derived from the Slavic word for "free" – svobod, referring to the status of the colonists settled in this zone by the Habsburg after the

Battle of Zenta The Battle of Zenta, also known as the Battle of Senta, was fought on 11 September 1697, near Zenta, Ottoman Empire (modern-day Senta, Serbia), between Ottoman and Holy League armies during the Great Turkish War. The battle was the most de ...

. The town was named in the 1740s after Maria Theresa of Austria, Archduchess of Austria. It was officially called ''Sent-Maria'' in 1743, but was renamed in 1779 as ''Maria-Theresiapolis''. These two official names were also spelled in several different ways (most commonly the

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 **Ge ...

''Maria-Theresiopel'' or ''Theresiopel''), and were used in different languages.

Geography

It is located in the

Pannonian Basin The Pannonian Basin, or Carpathian Basin, is a large basin situated in south-east Central Europe. The geomorphological term Pannonian Plain is more widely used for roughly the same region though with a somewhat different sense, with only th ...

at 46.07° North, 19.68° East, about from the border with

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, Cr ...

, and is the northernmost city in Serbia. It is located in the vicinity of lake Palić.

Climate

Subotica has a warm-summer

humid continental climate A humid continental climate is a climatic region defined by Russo-German climatologist Wladimir Köppen in 1900, typified by four distinct seasons and large seasonal temperature differences, with warm to hot (and often humid) summers and freez ...

(''Dfb'') that is uncommon in Serbia except at higher elevations,

History

Prehistory and antiquity

In the

Neolithic The Neolithic period, or New Stone Age, is an Old World archaeological period and the final division of the Stone Age. It saw the Neolithic Revolution, a wide-ranging set of developments that appear to have arisen independently in several pa ...

and Eneolithic periods, several important archaeological cultures flourished in this area, including the Starčevo culture, the Vinča culture, and the

Tiszapolgár culture The Tiszapolgár culture or Tiszapolgár-Româneşti culture (4500–4000 BC) was an Eneolithic archaeological culture of the Great Hungarian Plain, the Banat, Eastern Slovakia, and Ukrainian Zakarpattia Oblast in Central Europe. The type site T ...

. Early

Indo-European The Indo-European languages are a language family native to the overwhelming majority of Europe, the Iranian plateau, and the northern Indian subcontinent. Some European languages of this family, English, French, Portuguese, Russian, Du ...

peoples settled in the territory of present-day Subotica in 3200 BC. During the Eneolithic period, the

Bronze Age The Bronze Age is a historic period, lasting approximately from 3300 BC to 1200 BC, characterized by the use of bronze, the presence of writing in some areas, and other early features of urban civilization. The Bronze Age is the second pri ...

and the

Iron Age The Iron Age is the final epoch of the three-age division of the prehistory and protohistory of humanity. It was preceded by the Stone Age ( Paleolithic, Mesolithic, Neolithic) and the Bronze Age ( Chalcolithic). The concept has been mostly ...

, several Indo-European archaeological cultures included areas around Subotica - the Baden culture, the

Vučedol culture The Vučedol culture ( sh-Latn-Cyrl, Vučedolska kultura, Вучедолска култура) flourished between 3000 and 2200 BCE (the Eneolithic period of earliest copper-smithing), centered in Syrmia and eastern Slavonia on the right bank of ...

, the Urnfield culture and some others. Before the Iazyge conquest in the 1st century BC, Indo-European peoples of Illyrian,

Celtic Celtic, Celtics or Keltic may refer to: Language and ethnicity *pertaining to Celts, a collection of Indo-European peoples in Europe and Anatolia **Celts (modern) *Celtic languages **Proto-Celtic language *Celtic music *Celtic nations Sports Foo ...

and Dacian descent inhabited this area. In the 3rd century BC, this area was controlled by the Celtic

Boii The Boii ( Latin plural, singular ''Boius''; grc, Βόιοι) were a Celtic tribe of the later Iron Age, attested at various times in Cisalpine Gaul ( Northern Italy), Pannonia ( Hungary), parts of Bavaria, in and around Bohemia (after whom ...

and Eravisci, while in the 1st century BC, it became part of the Dacian kingdom. From the 1st century BC, the area came under the control of the Sarmatian

Iazyges The Iazyges (), singular Ἰάζυξ. were an ancient Sarmatian tribe that traveled westward in BC from Central Asia to the steppes of modern Ukraine. In BC, they moved into modern-day Hungary and Serbia near the Dacian steppe between t ...

, who were sometimes allies and sometimes enemies of the Romans. Iazyge rule lasted until the 4th century AD, after which the region came into the possession of various other peoples and states.

Early Middle Ages and Slavic settlement

In the Early Middle Ages various

and

Turkic peoples The Turkic peoples are a collection of diverse ethnic groups of West, Central, East, and North Asia as well as parts of Europe, who speak Turkic languages.. "Turkic peoples, any of various peoples whose members speak languages belonging to ...

and states ruled in the area of Subotica. These peoples included Huns,

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 relig ...

, Avars, Slavs and Bulgarians. Slavs settled today's Subotica in the 6th and 7th centuries, before some of them crossed the rivers Sava and Danube and settled in the

Balkans The Balkans ( ), also known as the Balkan Peninsula, is a geographical area in southeastern Europe with various geographical and historical definitions. The region takes its name from the Balkan Mountains that stretch throughout the who ...

. The Slavic tribe living in the territory of present-day Subotica were the

Obotrites The Obotrites ( la, Obotriti, Abodritorum, Abodritos…) or Obodrites, also spelled Abodrites (german: Abodriten), were a confederation of medieval West Slavic tribes within the territory of modern Mecklenburg and Holstein in northern Germany ...

, a subgroup of the

Serbs The Serbs ( sr-Cyr, Срби, Srbi, ) are the most numerous South Slavs, South Slavic ethnic group native to the Balkans in Southeastern Europe, who share a common Serbian Cultural heritage, ancestry, Culture of Serbia, culture, History of ...

. In the 9th century, after the fall of the Avar state, the first forms of Slavic statehood emerged in this area. The first Slavic states that ruled over this region included the Principality of Lower Pannonia (846-875),

Great Moravia Great Moravia ( la, Regnum Marahensium; el, Μεγάλη Μοραβία, ''Meghálī Moravía''; cz, Velká Morava ; sk, Veľká Morava ; pl, Wielkie Morawy), or simply Moravia, was the first major state that was predominantly West Slavic to ...

(833– 907) and the Bulgarian Empire.

Late-Middle Ages

Subotica probably first became a settlement of note when people poured into it from nearby villages destroyed during the Tatar invasions of 1241–42. When ''Zabadka''/''Zabatka'' was first recorded in 1391, it was a tiny town in the medieval

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 Hungarian monarch, c ...

. Later, the city belonged to the Hunyadis, one of the most influential aristocratic families in the whole of

Central Europe Central Europe is an area of Europe between Western Europe and Eastern Europe, based on a common historical, social and cultural identity. The Thirty Years' War (1618–1648) between Catholicism and Protestantism significantly shaped the a ...

. King Matthias Corvinus of Hungary gave the town to one of his relatives, János Pongrác Dengelegi, who, fearing an invasion by 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 ...

, fortified the castle of Subotica, erecting a fortress in 1470. Some decades later, after the Battle of Mohács in 1526, Subotica became part of the

. The majority of the Hungarian population fled northward to Royal Hungary. Bálint Török, a local noble who had ruled over Subotica, also escaped from the city. During the military and political havoc following the defeat at Mohács, Subotica came under the control of Serbian mercenaries recruited in

Banat Banat (, ; hu, Bánság; sr, Банат, Banat) is a geographical and historical region that straddles Central and Eastern Europe and which is currently divided among three countries: the eastern part lies in western Romania (the counties of ...

. These soldiers were in the service of the

Transylvania Transylvania ( ro, Ardeal or ; hu, Erdély; german: Siebenbürgen) is a historical and cultural region in Central Europe, encompassing central Romania. To the east and south its natural border is the Carpathian Mountains, and to the west the A ...

n general John I Zápolya, a later Hungarian king. The leader of these mercenaries,

Jovan Nenad Jovan Nenad ( sr-cyr, Јован Ненад; hu, Fekete Iván or ; ca. 1492 – 26 July 1527), known as ''the Black'' was a Serb military commander in the service of the Kingdom of Hungary who took advantage of a Hungarian military defeat at M ...

, established in 1526–27 his rule in

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 Hunga ...

, northern

and a small part of Syrmia and created an independent entity, with Subotica as its administrative centre. At the peak of his power, Jovan Nenad proclaimed himself as Serbian tsar in Subotica. He named Radoslav Čelnik as the general commander of his army, while his treasurer and palatine was Subota Vrlić, a Serbian noble from Jagodina. When Bálint Török returned and recaptured Subotica from the Serbs, Jovan Nenad moved the administrative centre to Szeged. Some months later, in the summer of 1527, Jovan Nenad was assassinated and his entity collapsed. However, after Jovan Nenad's death, Radoslav Čelnik led a part of the army to Ottoman Syrmia, where he briefly ruled as an Ottoman vassal.

Ottoman administration

The

ruled the city from 1542 to 1686. At the end of this almost 150-year-long period, not much remained of the old town of ''Zabadka''/''Zabatka''. As much of the population had fled, the Ottomans encouraged the settlement of the area by different colonists from the

. The settlers were mostly Orthodox

. They cultivated the extremely fertile land around Subotica. In 1570, the population of Subotica numbered 49 houses, and in 1590, 63 houses. In 1687, the region was settled by

Catholic The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...

'' Dalmatas'' (called Bunjevci today). It was called ''Sobotka'' under Ottoman rule and was a kaza centre in Segedin sanjak at first in Budin Eyaleti until 1596, and after that in Eğri Eyaleti between 1596 and 1686.

Habsburg administration

In 1687, about 5,000 Bunjevci settled in Bačka (including Subotica). After the decisive battle against the Ottomans at Senta led by Prince Eugene of Savoy on 11 September 1697, Subotica became part of the military border zone Theiss- Mieresch established by the Habsburg monarchy. In the meantime the uprising of

Francis II Rákóczi Francis II Rákóczi ( hu, II. Rákóczi Ferenc, ; 27 March 1676 – 8 April 1735) was a Hungarian nobleman and leader of Rákóczi's War of Independence against the Habsburgs in 1703–11 as the prince ( hu, fejedelem) of the Estates Confedera ...

broke out, which is also known as the

Kuruc War Kuruc (, plural ''kurucok''), also spelled kurutz, refers to a group of armed anti- Habsburg insurgents in the Kingdom of Hungary between 1671 and 1711. Over time, the term kuruc has come to designate Hungarians who advocate strict national i ...

. In the region of Subotica, Rákóczi joined battle against the ''Rac National Militia''. '' Rác'' was a designation for the South Slavic people (mostly Serbs and Bunjevci) and they often were referred to as ''rácok'' in the Kingdom of Hungary. In a later period ''rácok'' came to mean, above all, Serbs of Orthodox religion. The Serbian military families enjoyed several privileges thanks to their service for the Habsburg Monarchy. Subotica gradually, however, developed from being a mere garrison town to becoming a market town with its own civil charter in 1743. When this happened, many Serbs complained about the loss of their privileges. The majority left the town in protest and some of them founded a new settlement just outside 18th century Subotica in Aleksandrovo, while others emigrated to

Russia Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and Northern Asia. It is the largest country in the world, with its internationally recognised territory covering , and encompassing one-ei ...

. In New Serbia, a new Russian province established for them, those Serbs founded a new settlement and also named it ''Subotica''. In 1775, a Jewish community in Subotica was established. It was perhaps to emphasise the new civic serenity of Subotica that the pious name '' Saint Mary'' came to be used for it at this time. Some decades later, in 1779, Empress Maria Theresa of Austria advanced the town's status further by proclaiming it a Free Royal Town. The enthusiastic inhabitants of the city renamed Subotica once more as ''Maria-Theresiopolis''. This Free Royal Town status gave a great impetus to the development of the city. During the 19th century, its population doubled twice, attracting many people from all over the Habsburg monarchy. This led eventually to a considerable demographic change. In the first half of the 19th century, the Bunjevci had still been in the majority, but there was an increasing number of Hungarians and Jews settling in Subotica. This process was not stopped even by the outbreak of the Revolutions in the Habsburg monarchy (1848–49).

1848/1849 Revolutions

During the 1848-49 revolution, the proclaimed borders of autonomous Serbian Vojvodina included Subotica, but Serb troops could not establish control in the region. On 5 March 1849, at the locality named Kaponja (between Tavankut and Bajmok), there was a battle between the Serb and Hungarian armies, which was won by the Hungarians. The first newspaper in the town was also published during the 1848/49 revolution—it was called ''Honunk állapota'' ("State of Our Homeland") and was published in Hungarian by Károly Bitterman's local printing company. Unlike most Serbs and Croats who confronted the Hungarians, part of the local Bunjevci people supported the Hungarian revolution. In 1849, after the Hungarian revolution of 1848 was defeated by the Russian and Habsburg armies, the town was separated from the Kingdom of Hungary together with most of the Bačka region, and became part of a separate Habsburg province, called Voivodeship of Serbia and Banat of Temeschwar. The administrative centre of this new province was Timișoara. The province existed until 1860. During the existence of the voivodeship, in 1853, Subotica acquired its impressive theatre.

Hungarian administration

After the establishment of the Dual-Monarchy in 1867, there followed what is often called the "golden age" of city development of Subotica. Many schools were opened after 1867 and in 1869 the railway connected the city to the world. In 1896 an electrical power plant was built, further enhancing the development of the city and the whole region. Subotica now adorned itself with its remarkable Central European, fin de siècle architecture. In 1902 a Jewish synagogue was built in the Art Nouveau style. Between 1849 and 1860 it was part of the Voivodeship of Serbia and Banat of Temeschwar.

Yugoslavia and Serbia

Subotica had been 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 ...

until the end of

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was List of wars and anthropogenic disasters by death toll, one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, ...

. In 1918, the city became part of the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes. As a result, Subotica became a border-town in

Yugoslavia Yugoslavia (; sh-Latn-Cyrl, separator=" / ", Jugoslavija, Југославија ; sl, Jugoslavija ; mk, Југославија ;; rup, Iugoslavia; hu, Jugoszlávia; rue, label= Pannonian Rusyn, Югославия, translit=Juhoslavij ...

and did not, for a time, experience again the same dynamic prosperity it had enjoyed prior to World War I. However, during that time, Subotica was the third-largest city in Yugoslavia by population, following

Belgrade Belgrade ( , ;, ; names in other languages) is the capital and largest city in Serbia. It is located at the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers and the crossroads of the Pannonian Plain and the Balkan Peninsula. Nearly 1,166,763 mi ...

and

Zagreb Zagreb ( , , , ) is the capital (political), capital and List of cities and towns in Croatia#List of cities and towns, largest city of Croatia. It is in the Northern Croatia, northwest of the country, along the Sava river, at the southern slop ...

. In 1941, Yugoslavia 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 its northern parts, including Subotica, were annexed by Hungary. The annexation was not considered legitimate by the international community and the city was de jure still part of Yugoslavia. The

Yugoslav government in exile The Government of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia in Exile ( sh, Vlada Kraljevine Jugoslavije u egzilu / Влада Краљевине Југославије у егзилу) was an official government of Yugoslavia, headed by King Peter II. It eva ...

received formal recognition of legitimacy as the representative of the country. On 11 April 1941, the Hungarian troops arrived in Subotica on the grounds that the majority of the people living in the city were ethnic Hungarians, which had been part of the Kingdom of Hungary for over 600 years. 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 World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...

, the city lost approximately 7,000 of its citizens, mostly Serbs, Hungarians and Jews. Before the war about 6,000

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 ...

had lived in Subotica; many of these were deported from the city during the

Holocaust The Holocaust, also known as the Shoah, was the genocide of European Jews during World War II. Between 1941 and 1945, Nazi Germany and its collaborators systematically murdered some six million Jews across German-occupied Europe; ...

, mostly to Auschwitz. In April 1944, under German administration, a ghetto was set up. In addition, many communists were executed during Axis rule. In 1944, the Axis forces left the city, and Subotica became part of the new

. During the 1944–45 period, about 8,000 citizens (mainly Hungarians) were killed by Partisans while re-taking the city as a retribution for supporting Axis Hungary. In the post-war period, Subotica has gradually been modernised. During the Yugoslav and

Kosovo Kosovo ( sq, Kosova or ; sr-Cyrl, Косово ), officially the Republic of Kosovo ( sq, Republika e Kosovës, links=no; sr, Република Косово, Republika Kosovo, links=no), is a international recognition of Kosovo, partiall ...

wars of the 1990s, a considerable number of Serb refugees came to the city from

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 = , capi ...

Bosnia and Herzegovina Bosnia and Herzegovina ( sh, / , ), abbreviated BiH () or B&H, sometimes called Bosnia–Herzegovina and often known informally as Bosnia, is a country at the crossroads of south and southeast Europe, located in the Balkans. Bosnia and ...

, and

, while many ethnic Hungarians and Croats, as well as some local Serbs, left the region.

Cityscape

Unique in Serbia, Subotica and adjacent Palić have the most buildings built in the

Hungarian Secession Hungarian may refer to: * Hungary, a country in Central Europe * Kingdom of Hungary, state of Hungary, existing between 1000 and 1946 * Hungarians, ethnic groups in Hungary * Hungarian algorithm, a polynomial time algorithm for solving the assignme ...

style, a distinct variant of Art Nouveau. The Hungarian Secession style was operational between the 1890s and World War I. Its designs combined art nouveau vegetal ornaments and symbolic figures with traditional Hungarian motifs. It found its architectural expression in Subotica in the works of

Marcell Komor Marcell may refer to: * Joseph Marcell, an actor from St. Lucia * Marcell, Minnesota, an unincorporated town * Marcell Township, Minnesota See also * Marcel (disambiguation) * Marcelle (disambiguation) Marcelle may refer to: *Marcelle, a French f ...

, Dezső Jakab and Ferenc Raichle. The City Hall (built in 1908–1910) and the Synagogue (1902) are of especially outstanding beauty. These were built by the same architects, Marcell Komor and Dezső Jakab. Another exceptional example of art nouveau architecture is the actual Raichle Palace, which was built in 1904 by Ferenc J. Raichle. Church buildings include the Cathedral of St. Theresa of Avila dating from 1797, the Franciscan friary dating from 1723, the Eastern Orthodox churches also from the 18th century, and the Hungarian Art Nouveau Subotica Synagogue from the early 20th century and its renovation was completed in the summer of 2019. The historic National Theatre in Subotica, which was built in 1854 as the first monumental public building in Subotica, was demolished in 2007, although it was declared a historic monument under state protection in 1983, and in 1991 it was added to the National Register as a monument of an extraordinary cultural value. It is currently in the midst of renovation and is scheduled to open in 2017.

Neighborhoods

The following are the neighborhoods of Subotica: * Aleksandrovo ( hu, Sándor) * Bajnat (''Bajnát'') * Centar (''Központ'') * Dudova Šuma (Radijalac) (''Sétaerdő'') * Gat (''Gát'') * Graničar (''Határőr'') * Ker (''Kér'') * Kertvaroš (''Kertváros'') * Makova Sedmica (''Makkhetes'') * Mali Bajmok (''Kisbajmok'') * Mali Radanovac (''Kisradanovác'') * Novi Grad (''Újváros'') * Novo Naselje (''Újtelep'') *

Prozivka Prozivka ( Serbian Cyrillic: Прозивка) is a city quarter and a local community of Subotica, a city in northern Serbia. It has a population of 9,100. Geography Prozivka is situated in the southern part of Subotica. It borders former Subo ...

(''Prozivka'') * Srpski Šor (''Szerb sor'') * Teslino Naselje * Veliki Radanovac (''Nagyradanovác'') * Zorka (''Zorka'') * Željezničko Naselje (''Vasutastelep'')

Suburbs and villages

The administrative area of Subotica comprises Subotica proper, the town of Palić ( hu, Palics) and 17 villages. The villages are: * Bački Vinogradi (''Bácsszőlős'') * Bačko Dušanovo (''Zentaörs'') * Bajmok (''Bajmok'') *

Bikovo Bikovo ( sr-cyr, Биково) is a village located in the Subotica municipality, in the North Bačka District of Serbia. It is situated in the autonomous province of Vojvodina. The village is ethnically mixed and its population numbering 1,824 ...

(''Békova'') *

Čantavir Čantavir ( sr, italic=yes, Čantavir or , hu, Csantavér, hr, Čantavir) is the largest village with Hungarian ethnic majority in the autonomous province of Vojvodina, Serbia. It is situated in the municipality of Subotica, North Bačka Dis ...

(''Csantavér'') * Donji Tavankut (''Alsótavankút'') * Đurđin (''Györgyén'') * Gornji Tavankut (''Felsőtavankút'') *

Hajdukovo Hajdukovo ( sr-cyr, Хајдуково, hu, Hajdújárás, hr, Hajdukovo) is a village located in the Subotica municipality, in the North Bačka District of Serbia. It is situated in the autonomous province of Vojvodina Vojvodina ( sr-Cyrl ...

(''Hajdújárás'') * Kelebija (''Alsókelebia'') *

Ljutovo Ljutovo is a village located in the Subotica municipality, in the North Bačka District of Serbia. It is situated in the autonomous province of Vojvodina. The village is ethnically mixed and its population numbering 1,181 people (2002 census). N ...

(''Mérges'') * Mala Bosna (''Kisbosznia'') * Mišićevo (''Hadikörs'') * Novi Žednik (''Újnagyfény'') * Stari Žednik (''Nagyfény'') * Šupljak (''Ludas'') * Višnjevac (''Meggyes'')

Demographics

According to the 2011 census results, the city administrative area of Subotica had 141,554 inhabitants.

Ethnic composition

Places with either an absolute or relative Hungarian ethnic majority are: Subotica (Hungarian: Szabadka), Palić (Hungarian: Palicsfürdő),

(Hungarian: Hajdújárás), Bački Vinogradi (Hungarian: Bácsszőlős), Šupljak (Hungarian: Alsóludas),

(Hungarian: Csantavér), Bačko Dušanovo (Hungarian: Zentaörs), and Kelebija (Hungarian: Alsókelebia). Places with an absolute or relative Serb ethnic majority are: Bajmok, Višnjevac, Novi Žednik, and Mišićevo. Places with a relative ethnic majority Croat are: Mala Bosna, Đurđin, Donji Tavankut, Gornji Tavankut,

, Stari Žednik.

has a relative Bunjevac ethnic majority. The ethnic composition of the municipality:

Languages

Languages spoken in Subotica administrative area: *

Serbian Serbian may refer to: * someone or something related to Serbia, a country in Southeastern Europe * someone or something related to the Serbs, a South Slavic people * Serbian language * Serbian names See also * * * Old Serbian (disambiguation ...

= 63,412 (44.80%) * Hungarian = 50,621 (35.76%) * Bunjevac = 6,313 (4.46%) * Croatian = 5,758 (4.07%) * Others Serbian is the most employed language in daily life, but Hungarian is also used by over one third of the population in their daily conversations. Both languages are also widely employed in commercial and official signage

Religion

Katedrala Svete Tereze Avilske - panoramio

Religion in the Subotica administrative area as of the 2011 census: *

Roman Catholic 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 let ...

= 81,532 (57.60%) * Orthodox = 39,333 (27.79%) *

Muslim Muslims ( ar, المسلمون, , ) are people who adhere to Islam, a monotheistic religion belonging to the Abrahamic tradition. They consider the Quran, the foundational religious text of Islam, to be the verbatim word of the God of Abrah ...

= 2,756 (1.95%) *

Protestant Protestantism is a Christian denomination, branch of Christianity that follows the theological tenets of the Reformation, Protestant Reformation, a movement that began seeking to reform the Catholic Church from within in the 16th century agai ...

= 2,372 (1.68%) *

Judaism Judaism ( he, ''Yahăḏūṯ'') is an Abrahamic, monotheistic, and ethnic religion comprising the collective religious, cultural, and legal tradition and civilization of the Jewish people. It has its roots as an organized religion in th ...

= 89 (0.001%) Subotica is the centre of the

Roman Catholic diocese As of October 5, 2021, the Catholic Church in its entirety comprises 3,171 ecclesiastical jurisdictions, including over 652 archdioceses and 2,248 dioceses, as well as apostolic vicariates, apostolic exarchates, apostolic administrations, apos ...

of the

region. The Subotica area has the highest concentration of Catholics in Serbia. 57% of the city's population are Catholic. There are eight Catholic parish churches, a

Franciscan , image = FrancescoCoA PioM.svg , image_size = 200px , caption = A cross, Christ's arm and Saint Francis's arm, a universal symbol of the Franciscans , abbreviation = OFM , predecessor = , ...

spiritual centre (the city has communities of both Franciscan friars and Franciscan nuns), a female Dominican community, and two congregations of Augustinian religious sisters. The diocese of Subotica has the only Catholic secondary school in Serbia (Paulinum). When the nuns' orphanage and children's home in Blato, Korčula (present-day

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 = , capi ...

) had exhausted the food and funds needed for helping poor and hungry children,

Marija Petković Marija Petković, also known as "The Blessed Mary of Jesus Crucified Petković"; (Croatian: ''Marija od Propetoga Isusa Petković'', Italian ''Maria Di Gesù Crocifisso''), (10 December 1892 - 9 July 1966) was the founder of the Catholic Congrega ...

(later known as Blessed Mary of Jesus Crucified Petković), went to

, whose apostolic seat is Subotica, to solicit help for orphans and widows. Bishop Ljudevit Lajčo Budanović asked Petković to found monasteries of her Order in Subotica and neighbourhood, so the locals could benefit spiritually from the instruction of the nuns of her Order. She learned that Bačka had many poor and abandoned children. In 1923, she opened ''Kolijevka'', a children's home in Subotica. The home still exists but is no longer run by nuns. Among other Christian communities, the members of the Serbian Orthodox Church are the most numerous. There are two Orthodox church buildings in the city. Orthodox Christians in Subotica belong to the Eparchy of Bačka of the Serbian Orthodox Church. Subotica has two

churches as well,

Lutheran Lutheranism is one of the largest branches of Protestantism, identifying primarily with the theology of Martin Luther, the 16th-century German monk and reformer whose efforts to reform the theology and practice of the Catholic Church launched ...

and

Calvinist Calvinism (also called the Reformed Tradition, Reformed Protestantism, Reformed Christianity, or simply Reformed) is a major branch of Protestantism that follows the theological tradition and forms of Christian practice set down by John C ...

. The

Jewish 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 ...

community of Subotica is the third largest in Serbia, after those in

and

. About 1000 (of the 6,000 pre-WWII Jews of Subotica) survived the Holocaust. According to the 2011 census, fewer than 90 Jews remained in Subotica as of 2011.

Politics

Results of 2020 local elections in Subotica municipality: * For Our Children: 43,4 * Alliance of Vojvodina Hungarians: 30,6% * Subotica Citizens Movement: 6,4% * Socialist Party of Serbia: 5,5% * United for a Democratic Subotica: 5,36% * Bunjevci Citizens of Serbia: 3,2% ;Coat of arms The original coat of arms and current medium coat of arms have an outlining Latin inscription of ''Civitatis Maria Theresiopolis, Sigillum Liberæque Et Regiæ'', translated as ''Seal of the Free and Royal City of Maria Theresiopolis''.

Economy

The area around Subotica is mainly farmland but the city itself is an important industrial and transportation centre in Serbia. Due to the surrounding farmlands Subotica has famous food producer industries in the country, including such brands as the confectionery factory "Pionir", "Fidelinka" the cereal manufacturer, "

Mlekara Subotica Mlekara Subotica ( sr, Млекара Суботица) was a Serbian producer of dairy products based in Subotica, Serbia. It was one of the largest and most modern dairy manufacture companies in Serbia. As of 2012, Mlekara Subotica produced ar ...

" a milk producer and "Simex" producer of strong alcohol drinks. There are a number of old socialistic industries that survived the transition period in Serbia. The biggest one is the chemical fertilizer factory "Azotara" and the rail wagon factory "Bratstvo". Currently the biggest export industry in town is the " Siemens Subotica" wind generators factory and it is the biggest brownfield investment so far. The other big companies in Subotica are: Fornetti, ATB Sever and Masterplast. More recent companies to come to Subotica include Dunkermotoren and NORMA Group. Tourism is important. In the past few years, Palić has been famous for the Palić Film Festival. Subotica is a festival city, hosting more than 17 festivals over the year. As of September 2017, Subotica has one of 14 free economic zones established in Serbia. In 2020 construction of a new aqua park with ten pools and wellness and spa sections was underway in Palić. The following table gives a preview of total number of registered people employed in legal entities per their core activity (as of 2018):

Education

Universities

*Teacher Training Faculty in the Hungarian Language of the University of Novi Sad Tutoring of teachers in Subotica dates back to the late 18th century. After the establishment of Austria-Hungary, the second state-financed teacher training faculty of Hungary was founded in Subotica, second to Buda only. Modern history of teacher training in Subotica started in 2006, when the Sombor Teacher Training Faculty's curriculums in the Hungarian language seceded from the faculty and became independent as the 14th faculty of the University of Novi Sad. As of 2022, the faculty offers bachelor's degrees in kindergarten teaching, elementary school teaching, disciplinatory teaching and communications, and master's degrees in kindergarten teaching and elementary school teaching.

Secondary schools

*Polytechnic school, Surveying and Construction, Typography, Forestry and Wood Processing *Teachers' College, founded in 1689, the oldest college in the country and region *"Svetozar Marković" grammar school *"Dezső Kosztolányi" Philological grammar school *"MEŠC" Electro-mechanical school, recently renamed to "Tehnička Škola - Subotica" (en. "Technical School") *"Bosa Milićević" School of Economics *"Lazar Nešić" School of Chemistry *"Medicinska Škola" Medical School 4 953 students studied in the city in the year 2020/21 in the secondary education. 1 626 students chose Hungarian speaking classes (32.8%), 209 students chose Croatian classes while 3 118 students studied in Serbian language.

Historical schools (1920 to 1941)

* Subotica Law School

Sport

Subotica has one major football stadium, the

Subotica City Stadium Subotica City Stadium ( sr, Градски стадион Суботица / Gradski stadion Subotica) is a multi-purpose stadium located in Subotica, Serbia. With a capacity of 13,000 people, it is currently used mostly for football matches and ...

, indoor arena and indoor swimming pool. The local football team is

Spartak Spartak may refer to: In sports *Spartak (sports society), an international fitness and sports society that unites some countries of the former Soviet Union In Russia *FC Spartak Moscow, a football club *FC Spartak Kostroma, a football club *PFC ...

and plays in the Serbian SuperLiga, the country's primary football competition.

Media

Newspapers and magazines published in Subotica: * ''

Magyar Szó ''Magyar Szó'' (lit. ''Hungarian Word'') is a Hungarian-language daily newspaper in Vojvodina, Serbia. It was founded in 1944, with the purpose of serving as the information source for the Hungarian minority of Vojvodina. It is published in No ...

'', daily newspaper in Hungarian, founded 1944, published in Subotica since 2006. * '' Subotičke novine'', main weekly newspaper in Serbian. * '' Bunjevačke novine'', in Bunjevac. * '' Hrvatska riječ'', in Croatian. * '' Zvonik'', in Croatian

Infrastructure

A1 motorway A1, A-1, A01 or A.1. may refer to: Education * A1, the Basic Language Certificate of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages * Language A1, the former name for "Language A: literature", one of the IB Group 1 subjects * A1, a ...

connects the city with

and

to the south and, across the border with Hungary, with Szeged to the north. It runs alongside the

Budapest–Belgrade railway The Budapest–Belgrade railway connects the capital cities of Hungary and Serbia – the Budapest Keleti railway station with the new Belgrade Centre railway station. As a $2.89 billion, high-speed rail line project, the Budapest–Belgrade ra ...

, which connects it to major European cities. As of November 2022, the line is out of order without replacement as both the Serbian and the Hungarian part of the line is currently being reconstructed. Subotica also has branch line railway connections to Sombor, Senta (with passenger service), and Szeged through Horgoš (under reconstruction with limited freight service, passenger service planned to commence in late 2023), while the former branch line to Baja through Csikéria was dismantled in the 1960s but parts of the derelict tracks are still visible in the city's northwestern outskirts. Železnička stanica u Subotici

The city used to have a tram system, the

Subotica tram system The Subotica tram system was a tram system in Subotica, Serbia. It was in operation from 7 September 1897 to 2 April 1974. The first tram line went from the Sombor gate to the present day NAP gas station in Mali Bajmok over Rudic street, follogi ...

, but it was discontinued in 1974. The Subotica tram, put into operation in 1897, ran on electricity from the start. While neighbouring cities' trams at this date were often still horse-drawn, this gave the Subotica system an advantage over other municipalities including Belgrade, Novi Sad, Zagreb, and Szeged. Its existence was important for the citizens of Subotica, as well as tourists who came to visit. Subotica has since developed a bus system, operated by JP Subotica Trans, who operates eleven city lines, eight suburban lines, and thirteen interurban lines, as well as a single international line to Szeged. Per year the buses travel some 4.7 million kilometres, and carry about ten million people. The city is served by Subotica Airport; its runway is too short for airliners, limiting usage to mostly recreational aviation. Southwest of the city there is a 218.5 metres tall guyed mast for FM-/TV-broadcasting. It is the tallest of its kind in Serbia and one of the tallest in the region.

Famous citizens

* Branimir Aleksić (born 1990), football player and member of the

Serbia national football team The Serbia national football team ( sr, Фудбалска репрезентација Србије, Fudbalska reprezentacija Srbije) represents Serbia in men's international football competition. It is controlled by the Football Association ...

* Sava Babić (1934–2012), writer, translator, and university professor * Géza Csáth (1887–1919), Hungarian writer, musician, music critic, psychiatrist, and physician * Gyula Cseszneky (born 1914), Hungarian, poet, voivode * Sreten Damjanović (born 1946), wrestler * Marko Dmitrović (born 1992), goalkeeper for the

and Spanish football club Eibar * Oliver Dulić (born 1975), politician * Vlatko Dulić (1943–2015), actor * Yehuda Elkana (born 1934), Israeli philosopher of science * Nikola Kalinić (born 1991), Serbian basketball player, silver medalist at the Olympics and the FIBA World Cup *

Zoran Kalinić Zoran Kalinić (born 20 July 1958) is a Serbian retired table tennis player who represented SFR Yugoslavia (1976–1991) and FR Yugoslavia (1991–1998). Table tennis career He began playing table tennis in 1969. He turned pro in 1976. He won 1 ...

(born 1958), table tennis champion * Danilo Kiš (1935–1989), writer * Juci Komlós (1919–2011), Hungarian actress *

Dezső Kosztolányi Dezső Kosztolányi (; March 29, 1885 – November 3, 1936) was a Hungarian writer, journalist, translator and also a speaker of Esperanto. He wrote in all literary genres, from poetry to essays to theatre plays. Building his own style, he used ...

(1885–1936), Hungarian poet and prose-writer * Zoran Kuntić (born 1967), Serbian retired professional footballer *

Félix Lajkó Félix Lajkó ( sr, Феликс Лајко, ''Feliks Lajko''; born 17 December 1974 in Bačka Topola, SR Serbia, SFR Yugoslavia) is a Hungarian violinist, zither player and composer. He plays a variety of musical styles: folk music (tradition ...

(born 1974), world music violinist and composer * Péter Lékó (born 1979), Hungary's number one chess player * Szilveszter Lévai (born 1945), Hungarian composer *

Aleksandar Lifka Aleksandar Lifka (20 May 1880 – 12 November 1952) was an Yugoslav cinematographer. Life Lifka was born in Brassó in the Austro-Hungarian Empire, in what is now Romania to a Czech family. After spending his childhood with his parents in Žat ...

(1880–1952), central-European cinematographer * Bela Lugosi (1882–1956), actor *

Boris Malagurski Boris Malagurski ( sr-Cyrl, Борис Малагурски; born 11 August 1988) is a Serbian-Canadian film director, producer, writer, political commentator, television host, and activist.

(born 1988), Serbian Canadian film director, producer, and TV host *

Refik Memišević Refik Memišević (14 May 1956 in Bačko Novo Selo – 4 January 2004 in Subotica) was a Yugoslav wrestler who competed in the 1980 Summer Olympics and in the 1984 Summer Olympics The 1984 Summer Olympics (officially the Games of the XXIII ...

(1956–2004), wrestling champion * Đula Mešter (born 1972), volleyball player and Olympic champion * Jovan Mikić (1914–1944), leader of the Partisans in Subotica, and a national hero who was killed in 1944 *

Tihomir Ognjanov Tihomir "Bata" Ognjanov ( Serbian Cyrillic: Тихомир Огњанов; 2 March 1927 – 2 July 2006) was a Serbian footballer who was part of Yugoslavia national football team at the 1950 and 1954 FIFA World Cup. He won the silver medal at th ...

(1927–2006), Serbian footballer for the Yugoslavia national football team *

Momir Petković Momir Petković ( sr-cyrl, Момир Петковић; born 21 July 1953) is a Serbian Olympic wrestling champion. Wrestling career Momir Petković was a 1976 Olympic gold medalist in Greco-Roman wrestling in Montreal, competing for the fo ...

(born 1953), wrestling champion * Bojana Radulović (born 1973), handball player * Mirna Radulović (born 1992), Serbian singer who represented

in the Eurovision Song Contest 2013 as part of

Moje 3 Moje 3 ( sr-cyr, Моје 3; English: ''My 3'') was a Serbian girl group consisting of Mirna Radulović, Nevena Božović and Sara Jovanović. They represented Serbia in the Eurovision Song Contest 2013 in Malmö with the song " Ljubav je svud ...

Eva Ras Eva or EVA may refer to: * Eva (name), a feminine given name Arts, entertainment, and media Fictional characters * Eva (Dynamite Entertainment), a comic book character by Dynamite Entertainment * Eva (''Devil May Cry''), Dante's mother in ...

(born 1941), actress, painter, and writer * Magdolna Rúzsa (born 1985), Hungarian pop singer * Ivan Sarić (1876–1966), aviation pioneer and cyclist * Tibor Sekelj (Tibor Székely) (1912–1988), explorer, esperantist, writer * John Simon (1925–2019), American theatre critic * Davor Štefanek (born 1985), Serbian wrestler and Olympic champion *

György Sztantics György Sztantics ( sh, Đuro Stantić) ( Szabadka, 19 August 1878 – Szabadka, 10 July 1918) was a Hungarian athlete (ethnic Bunjevac from today's Serbia) who competed mainly in the 3000 metre walk. He competed for Hungary at the 1906 Inte ...

(1878–1918),

racewalking Racewalking, or race walking, is a long-distance discipline within the sport of athletics. Although a foot race, it is different from running in that one foot must appear to be in contact with the ground at all times. Race judges carefully asse ...

champion at the Intercalated Games * Itzchak Tarkay (1935–2012), Israeli artist * Đorđe Tutorić (born 1983), Serbian professional football player * Ajs Nigrutin (born 1977), Serbian rapper.

International cooperation

* Subotica is a pilot city of the Council of Europe and the EU Intercultural cities programme.

Twin towns - Sister cities

Subotica is twinned with the following cities:

Partner Cities

Subotica is a partner city with the following:

References

Books

* * *

Sources

* Recent (2002) statistical information comes from the Serbian statistical office. ** Ethnic statistics: , САОПШTЕЊЕ СН31, брoј 295 • год. LII, 24.12.2002, YU . Accessed 17 January 2006. On page 6–7, Становништво према националној или етничкој припадности по попису 2002. Statistics can be found on the lines for "Суботица" (Subotica). ** Language and religion statistics
Popis stanovništva, domaćinstava i stanova u 2002
. Accessed 17 January 2006. On page 11–12: СТАНОВНИШТВО ПРЕМА ВЕРОИСПОВЕСТИ, СТАНОВНИШТВО ПРЕМА МАТЕРЊЕМ ЈЕЗИКУ. Statistics can be found on the lines for "Суботица" (Subotica). ** Ferdinand, S. and F. Komlosi. 2017
The Use of Hungarian and Serbian in the City of Szabadka/Subotica: An Empirical Study
Hungarian Cultural Studies, Volume 10. Accessed 8 September 2017.

External links

The official website of Subotica

JP Subotica Trans
- Public Transport Official Site
Subotica's official website for tourism and travel information

History of Subotica

Panoramic pictures from Subotica

Subotica International Festival of Children's Theatres
{{Authority control Places in Bačka Populated places in Vojvodina Municipalities and cities of Vojvodina North Bačka District Former capitals of Serbia Spatial Cultural-Historical Units of Great Importance Starčevo–Körös–Criș culture