Subotica

Subotica (Serbian: ???????? or Subotica, Hungarian: Szabadka, Croatian: Subotica, German: Mariatheresiopel, Slovak: Subotica, Rusin: ????????, Romanian: Subotica or Subotita) is a city and municipality in northern Serbia and Montenegro, in the North Ba?ka District of Vojvodina, Serbia. It is located at 46.07° North, 19.68° East, about 10 km from the border with Hungary. It is the second largest city of the Vojvodina region next to Novi Sad, with a population of 99,471 (according to 2002 census). The municipality of Subotica has a population of 147,758. It is the administrative centre of the North Ba?ka District.

History

The Middle Ages and the struggle with the Ottoman Empire

Subotica probably first became a settlement of note when people poured into it from nearby villages destroyed during the Tatar invasions of 1241-1242. When Zabadka was first recorded in 1391, Subotica was a tiny town in the middle of the medieval Kingdom of Hungary. Later, the city belonged to the Hunyadis, one of the most influential aristocratic families in the whole of Central Europe.

Related Topics:
Tatar invasions - 1241- - 1242 - 1391 - Kingdom of Hungary - Hunyadi - Central Europe

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The Hungarian king Matthias Corvinus gave the town to one of his relatives, János Pongrác Dengelegi, who, fearing an invasion by the Ottoman Empire fortified the castle of Subotica, erecting a fortress in 1470. Some decades later, after the Battle of Mohács in 1526, the medieval Kingdom of Hungary collapsed and Subotica gradually became a frontier town of the Ottoman Empire. The majority of the Hungarian population fled to northward to "Royal Hungary." Bálint Török, a local noble who had ruled over Subotica, also escaped from the city.

Related Topics:
Matthias Corvinus - János Pongrác Dengelegi - Ottoman Empire - 1470 - Battle of Mohács - 1526 - Royal Hungary - Bálint Török

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In the extremely confused military and political situation following the defeat at Mohács, Subotica came into the control of Serbian mercenaries recruited in Banat. These soldiers were in the service of the Transylvanian general John I Zápolya, a later Hungarian king. The leader of these mercenaries, Jovan Nenad the Black, proclaimed himself tsar and founded an ephemeral independent state, with Subotica as its capital. This state comprised entire Ba?ka, northern Banat and a small part of Srem. When Bálint Török returned and captured Subotica from the Serbs, Tsar Jovan Nenad moved his capital to Szeged. Some months later, in the summer of 1527, the self-proclaimed tsar was assassinated and his state collapsed.

Related Topics:
Mercenaries - Banat - Transylvania - John I Zápolya - Jovan Nenad the Black - Ba?ka - Srem - Szeged - 1527 - Assassinated

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The Ottoman Turks 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. Because much of the population had fled, the Turks encouraged the settlement of the area by different colonists from the Balkans. The settlers were mostly Orthodox Serbs and Catholic Dalmatas (called Bunjevci today). They cultivated the extremely fertile land around Subotica.

Related Topics:
1542 - 1686 - Balkans - Orthodox - Serbs - Catholic - Dalmatas - Bunjevci

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Wars for Independence and Revolutions

After the decisive battle against the Turks at Senta (Zenta) led by Eugene of Savoy on 11 September 1697, Subotica became part of the military border zone Tisza-Maros established by the Habsburg Monarchy. In the meantime the uprising of Francis II Rákóczi broke out, which is also known as the Kuruc War. 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 refered to as rácok in Hungary. In a later period rácok came to mean, above all, Serbs of Orthodox religion.

Related Topics:
Senta - Eugene of Savoy - 11 September - 1697 - Military border - Tisza - Maros - Habsburg Monarchy - Francis II Rákóczi - Kuruc War - Rac - Serbs - Bunjevci

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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 founded a new settlement just outside 18th century Subotica in Aleksandrovo.

Related Topics:
1743 - 18th century - Aleksandrovo

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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 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.

Related Topics:
Saint Mary - 1779 - Maria Theresa

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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 Hungarian Revolution in 1848/49.

Related Topics:
19th century - Hungarian Revolution - 1848 - 49

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It is remarkable that despite the diversity of their ethnic origins, the citizens of Subotica (mainly Bunjevci and Hungarians) united in defending Subotica in the battle at Kaponya, March 5 1849. They repulsed the advancing Serbian troops from Sombor in the direction to Szeged. The town?s first newspaper was also a result of the 1848/49 revolutionary spirit. It was called Honunk állapota ("State of Our Homeland") and was published in Hungarian by Károly Bitterman?s local printing company.

Related Topics:
Kaponya - March 5 - Sombor - Szeged

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Following the suppression of the Hungarian Revolution, Hungary was administered by Alexander von Bach from 1849-1860. During this time, Subotica, together with the entire Ba?ka region, was separated from the Habsburg Hungary and become a part of a separate Austrian province, named Vojvodina of Serbia and Tami? Banat. The administrative centre of this new province was not Subotica, but Timi?oara.

Related Topics:
Alexander von Bach - 1849 - 1860 - Ba?ka - Vojvodina of Serbia and Tami? Banat - Timi?oara

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From the Golden Age until after the World Wars

After the establishment of the Dual-Monarchy in 1867, there followed what is often called the "golden age" of Subotica. The city had already acquired its impressive theatre in 1853, and many schools were opened after 1867. 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.

Related Topics:
Dual-Monarchy - 1867 - 1853 - 1869 - 1896 - Fin de siècle

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Subotica belonged to the Austria-Hungary until the aftermath of World War I in 1918, when the city became part of the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes. Separated from the economic and cultural mainstream, it had to content itself with being a border-town in Yugoslavia. Subotica did not, for a time, experience again the dynamic prosperity it enjoyed in the years preceding World War I.

Related Topics:
Austria-Hungary - World War I - 1918 - Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes - Yugoslavia

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During World War II, the so-called Miklós Horthy era from 1941-1944, had catastrophic consequences for Subotica - the city lost 7,000 of its citizens. During the war, Nazi occupation troops killed numerous civilians. Almost 4,000 Jews were deported from the city during the Holocaust. Many communists were also put to death. Citizens of Subotica of all nationalities; Hungarians, Serbs, Bunjevci, Croats and others fought together against the Nazis, leading to many bombings and slaughter, especially in 1944. After the war, there were executions of many who did not want to collaborate with the partisans.

Related Topics:
World War II - Miklós Horthy - 1941 - 1944 - Nazi - Jews - Holocaust - Communists - Partisans

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The post-war period has so far been rather quiet and Subotica has gradually modernised itself. During the Yugoslav and Kosovo wars of the 1990s, a considerable number of mostly Serb refugees came to the city from Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Kosovo. During the break-up of Yugoslavia, local leaders in Subotica were drawn from political parties opposed to the policy of the central government in Belgrade.

Related Topics:
Yugoslav - Kosovo - 1990s - Croatia - Bosnia and Herzegovina - Kosovo

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