Metadata: Senate of the City of Subotica (Town's Head Office)
Collection
- Country:
- Serbia
- Holding institution:
- Historical Archives of Subotica
- Holding institution (official language):
- Историјски архив Суботица - Szabadkai Történelmi Levéltar - Povjesni arhiv Subotica
- Postal address:
- Trg Slobode 1/III, 24000 Subotica
- Phone number:
- (+381) 24 524-033
- Web address:
- http://suarhiv.co.rs/ser
- Email:
- info@suarhiv.co.rs
- Reference number:
- IAS F.47
- Title:
- Senate of the City of Subotica (Town's Head Office)
- Title (official language):
- Сенат града Суботице (Градско поглаварство)
- Creator/accumulator:
- Senate of the City of Subotica (Town's Head Office)
- Date(s):
- 1919/1942
- Language:
- Serbian
- Hungarian
- Croatian
- Extent:
- 142.72 linear metres (1093 administrative books and 731 boxes)
- Type of material:
- Textual material
- Physical condition:
- Good
- Scope and content:
-
This collection comprises documents created by the Senate of the City of Subotica. It includes documents relating to the Jewish community, created by the Department of the City Grand Notary, Economic Department, Cultural and Social Care Department, Technical Department and Financial Department. They include details of the Jewish community in the town, Jewish companies, stores and workshops, and of Jewish social and cultural life.
The collection also contains general documents on the citizens of Subotica, including Jews, such as statistical information, census tables and records of the official censuses from 1919, 1921 and 1931. A local census which was conducted in 1919 for the requirements of the Paris Peace Conference showed that 3,293 Jews lived in the town. The report also included information on profession and religion of citizens, among them 3,363 of the Israelite faith. A report on citizens dated 1 January 1935 indicated that 3,658 Jews lived in Subotica. There are also lists of citizens according to the houses they lived in, number of households and citizens in the town and in the suburban areas.
An important source for Jewish history are records relating to Jews who were owners of the numerous companies and factories in the town, such as: the factory “Ferum DD” founded in 1919, whose directors were Kalman Štajner and Mor Don, factory “ADIS AD” which produced road, mining and agricultural machines, founded in 1923 by Kalman Štajner; Institute for Production of Serum “Patria” founded in 1921 by the physicians Šandor Sigeti and Deže Erdeš; sock factory “Fako” founded in 1926 by the wholesale distributor Arpad Hiter and the lawyer Eden Sileši; factory “Meka” for production of carpets, pillows and fabric, founded in the early 1930s by Šandor Ingus.
The records of the Economic Department include documents on associations, schools and religious communities, such as: decision of the Senate to donate firewood to Orthodox Jewish Religious Community in Subotica; arrangements for the park in front of the synagogue in 1927; request of Samuilo Rosenstein, the administrator of the Jewish school; donation of firewood to Dr Josif Geržon, a Subotica rabbi; permit for construction of the Subotica Orthodox Jewish Religious Community; documents on the Jewish Youth Cultural Society “Reus”; request of Dr Bernardo Singer (United Jewish Mercy House). There is also substantial information on the society Talmud Tora, founded in 1918, whose goal was religious education for the youth; on the society ‘Mercy’ of Dr Bernard Singer; the Community of Patronage established in 1923; Holy Society (Chevra Kadischa) and its president Franja Levi, whose aim was to assist the poor and to organise funerals.
- Archival history:
- The collection was transferred by the People’s City Committee (later named City Hall for Subotica County) on 16 June 1964.
- Administrative/biographical history:
- After the collapse of the Austro-Hungarian Empire in 1918 a new state was formed - the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes. The cities in Vojvodina, although independent in administrative authority, were usually under the jurisdiction of county government. The last meeting of the Representatives of the Hungarian Government was held on 11 November 1918. On November 18, the National Council decided to appoint Stipan Matijević as city mayor, who was under the authority of the Grand Prefect. The most important issues in the city were dealt with by the City Assembly. The Senate of the City was the executive municipal authority in charge of general administration. The Senate of the City implemented decisions reached by the City Assembly and was responsible for the city property, its incomes and the administration of city funds and the treasury. Besides the mayor, other city official were: deputy mayors, city main attorneys, city notaries, financial councillors, technical councillors, the grand captain of the city and the chief of police. The territory of the Senate covered the City of Subotica, the bathing resort Palić and the suburban areas of the city, known as salaš. The Senate of the City ceased to exist in 1941 after Hungarian troops occupied Subotica.
- Access points: persons/families:
- Erdeš, Deže
- Geržon, Josif
- Hiter, Arpad
- Ingus, Šandor
- Levi, Franja
- Rosenstein, Samuilo
- Sigeti, Šandor
- Sileši, Eden
- Singer, Bernardo
- Štajner, Kalman
- System of arrangement:
- The documents are arranged according to the principle of provenance into 17 organisational units.
- Finding aids:
- The following finding aids are available: summary catalogue; administrative history; analytical inventory; Guide to the Archival Fonds of the Historical Archives of Subotica XVIII/1, edited by Tatjana Segedinčev and Zoran Veljanović, 2012.
- Yerusha Network member:
- Historical Archives of Belgrade
- Author of the description:
- Tatjana Segedinčev; Historical Archives of Subotica; 2020
