Novi Sad
In 1694, Serb merchants established a new settlement on the left bank of the Danube river. They called it the 'Serb city' because Habsburg authorities had forbidden Orthodox Christians from living inside Petrovaradin Fortress. This strategic military post sat directly across the water. The merchants built their homes just beyond the fortress walls to escape religious restrictions imposed by the Catholic Habsburg monarchy. By 1718, the village of Almaš moved its residents into this new area, creating what became known as Almaški Kraj. Official records from 1720 show that Ratzen Stadt contained 112 Serbian houses alongside 14 German and 5 Hungarian ones. Maria Theresa proclaimed Novi Sad a free royal city in 1748, granting it official status under the name Neoplanta. The edict was signed on the 1st of February 1748, marking the transition from a refugee colony to an autonomous urban entity.
The population of Novi Sad shifted dramatically over three centuries of foreign rule. In 1843, the city held 17,332 inhabitants, with 9,675 being Orthodox Christians and 5,724 Catholics. A devastating bombardment during the Revolution of 1848, 49 reduced the number to just 7,182 citizens by 1850. Following the compromise of 1867, Magyarization policies altered the ethnic makeup significantly. By 1910, 39.72% of the 33,590 residents spoke Hungarian while only 34.52% spoke Serbian. Religious diversity also changed; 1910 census data recorded 13,383 Roman Catholics and 11,553 Orthodox Christians alongside thousands of Lutherans and Jews. Modern demographics show a different picture entirely. The 2022 census revealed that 50.8% of the administrative area's population were not native to the city. Thirty percent migrated from other parts of Serbia, while 17.1% came from former Yugoslav republics like Bosnia and Herzegovina.
World War II brought catastrophic violence to Novi Sad in January 1942. During three days of raids between the 21st and 23rd, Hungarian police killed 1,246 citizens and threw their bodies into the Danube river. The total death toll reached approximately 2,500 people, including over 800 Jews. In 1975, the entire city received the title People's Hero of Yugoslavia for its resistance efforts. Decades later, NATO bombings during the Kosovo War of 1999 destroyed all three Danube bridges: Žeželj Bridge, Varadin Bridge, and Liberty Bridge. Residential areas suffered cluster bombing attacks while an oil refinery faced daily bombardments causing severe ecological damage. A tragic structural failure occurred on the 1st of November 2024 when the canopy of the main railway station collapsed, killing sixteen people. This incident sparked mass protests against government corruption that swept through the region.
Novi Sad earned the nickname Serbian Athens due to its role as a cultural capital during the 19th century. Vuk Stefanović Karadžić wrote in 1817 that it was the largest Serb municipality in the world. Matica srpska moved from Budapest to Novi Sad in 1864, establishing the second-largest library in Serbia with over 3.5 million volumes. The Serbian National Theatre opened its doors in 1861, becoming one of the oldest professional theatres among South Slavs. Since 2000, the EXIT festival has transformed the city into a major European music destination. In 2022, Novi Sad served as the European Capital of Culture after the mandate shifted from 2021 due to the pandemic. Local artists repurposed the industrial Liman neighborhood into Distrikt, an artist quarter. These efforts led to UNESCO Creative City of Media Arts status being awarded in 2023. Today, the city hosts numerous events including Sterijino pozorje theatre festival and Zmaj Children Games alongside international fashion shows.
The economic landscape of Novi Sad shifted from heavy industry to information technology services in recent decades. By 1981, the GDP per capita stood at 172% of the Yugoslav average before embargoes caused industrial decay. Only the oil refinery and thermal power plant remained viable large facilities during the 1990s crisis. As of September 2017, the city hosted one of fourteen free economic zones established in Serbia. Ninety IT companies now operate within Novi Sad, employing over 11,500 people out of 2,500 registered entities nationwide. The administrative area saw rapid growth with 168,556 people employed across various sectors by 2022. Construction activity surged dramatically in 2025 when one million square meters of residential space were under development simultaneously. This made Novi Sad the largest construction site in Serbia. Transportation networks expanded significantly with the Soko high-speed line opening on the 19th of March 2022 between Belgrade and Novi Sad. The railway runs at speeds up to 200 km/h covering 75 kilometers in just 35 minutes.
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Common questions
When was Novi Sad established by Serb merchants on the Danube river?
Serb merchants established a new settlement on the left bank of the Danube river in 1694. They called it the 'Serb city' because Habsburg authorities had forbidden Orthodox Christians from living inside Petrovaradin Fortress.
What date did Maria Theresa proclaim Novi Sad a free royal city under the name Neoplanta?
Maria Theresa proclaimed Novi Sad a free royal city on the 1st of February 1748. This edict granted official status to the settlement and marked its transition from a refugee colony to an autonomous urban entity.
How many citizens died during the Hungarian raids in Novi Sad between January 21 and 23 1942?
Hungarian police killed 1,246 citizens during three days of raids between the 21st and the 23rd of January 1942. The total death toll reached approximately 2,500 people including over 800 Jews who were thrown into the Danube river.
Why does Novi Sad hold the nickname Serbian Athens regarding its cultural history?
Novi Sad earned the nickname Serbian Athens due to its role as a cultural capital during the 19th century. Vuk Stefanović Karadžić wrote in 1817 that it was the largest Serb municipality in the world while Matica srpska established the second-largest library in Serbia there in 1864.
When did the canopy of the main railway station collapse killing sixteen people in Novi Sad?
A tragic structural failure occurred on the 1st of November 2024 when the canopy of the main railway station collapsed. This incident sparked mass protests against government corruption that swept through the region.