About Bezdan – Geographic location
Bezdan (hung. Bezdán) is a settlement in Vojvodina, in the West-Bachka district, in the township Sombor
(Map). Its popular name is “water settlement”, because it is surrounded by water, and the only way to get to Bezdan
is by crossing one of the bridges around it (Map).
Bezdan is one of the bigger places in the north-west Bachka. It is located 6 km away from the croatian, 10 km from
the hungarian border and 18 km away from Sombor. It is on the left bank of the Danube (Galerie ),
in the middle of
plain, height above sea level is 90m.
The afforested surfaces are especially emphasized, (more than 10% of the terirtory), that isn’t characteristic of
Vojvodinian settlements. Bezdan with its surrounding is a perfect place for those people, who love nature, fishing
and hunting.The water and the air are still clean, because there are no industrial polluters in the
surrounding.
Basic data:
Coordinates: 45° 51' 10" SGŠ, 18° 55' 50" IGD
State: Republic of Serbia (SRB)
Province: Vojvodina
District: West-Bachka
Township: Sombor (SO)
Zip code: 25270
Telephone area code: 025
Demographic data
Till 1918 Bezdan belonged to Hungary, from 1918 to the Kingdom of SCS, from 1929 to the Kingdom of Yugoslavia, from 1941 to Hungary and from 1944 to Yugoslavia again (FNRY, SFRY, FRY).
After the separation of Montenegro from the State community of Serbia and Montenegro, Bezdan still belongs to the Republic of Serbia.
After the migrations during the centuries, Bezdan has stayed ethnical diversified, but the majority are Hungarians. There are 5263 inhabitants according to the census from 2002, and 2983 of them are Hungarians (56,68%).
There are 4293 adults, and the average age is 42,2 years (40,2 for men and 44,1 for women). There are 1990 households in the settlement, and there are 2,64 households members on the average.
The population isn’t very homogeneous, and during the last three census there is a decrease in the population number.
Year | Population | |
| 1948. | 6691 | |
| 1953. | 6681 | |
| 1961. | 6813 | |
| 1971. | 6427 | |
| 1981. | 6085 | |
| 1991. | 5472 | (5270 - according to the census in SFRY) |
| 2002. | 5263 | (5507 - according to the census in Serbia) |
The ethnic structure according to the census from 2002:
| Hungarian | 2983 | 56,67% |
| Serb | 1256 | 23,86% |
| Croatian | 424 | 8,05% |
| Yugoslavian | 141 | 2,67% |
| Gypsy | 50 | 0,95% |
| Montenegrian | 25 | 0,47% |
| German | 20 | 0,38% |
| Muslim | 15 | 0,28% |
| Bunjevci | 11 | 0,20% |
| Rumanian | 9 | 0,17% |
| Slovakian | 5 | 0,09% |
| Bugarian | 4 | 0,07% |
| Slovenian | 3 | 0,05% |
| Russsian | 3 | 0,05% |
| Bosnian | 2 | 0,03% |
| Macedonian | 1 | 0,01% |
| unknown | 13 | 0,24% |
Population on the basis of sex and age:
| Year | male | female |
| ? | 4 | 7 |
| 80+ | 54 | 116 |
| 75-79 | 54 | 130 |
| 70-74 | 139 | 142 |
| 65-69 | 160 | 216 |
| 60-64 | 146 | 185 |
| 55-59 | 143 | 197 |
| 50-54 | 209 | 199 |
| 45-49 | 206 | 189 |
| 40-44 | 208 | 171 |
| 35-39 | 173 | 184 |
| 30-34 | 143 | 151 |
| 25-29 | 155 | 148 |
| 20-24 | 185 | 148 |
| 15-19 | 179 | 148 |
| 10-14 | 154 | 138 |
| 5-9 | 115 | 141 |
| 0-4 | 122 | 104 |
| average: | 40,2 | 44,1 |
Household numbers according to the census from 1948 - 2002:
| Year of the census | 1948. | 1953. | 1961. | 1971. | 1981. | 1991. | 2002. |
| Household number | 2100 | 2202 | 2480 | 2379 | 2283 | 2118 | 1990 |
Households on the basis of the member number according to the census 2002:
| Number of the member | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 and more | Aver.memb.numb. |
| Household number | 489 | 561 | 400 | 353 | 118 | 44 | 17 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 2,64 |
History
Bezdan is one of the biggest settlements in the northwest Backa, at the left banks of the Danube, in the meeting- angle of Serbia-Hungary-Croatia; it is situated at the crossroads of the national road from Sombor to Bezdan and Croatia, in the direction of Backi Breg and continues to Hungary. The bridge over the Danube, built in 1974 connects mankind - and relieves the movement of goods.
The ongoing migration movement over a period of several centuries has created a colourful ethnical variety. According to the census of 2002, Bezdan counts 5.263 inhabitants, the majority (2.983) is of hungarian nationality (56,68 %). The turbulent history of the region is also reflected its changing rulers:
- before and after the Turk-wars, until 1918 is the one part that Austrian-Hungarian monarchy also named Danube-monarchy, after the First World War through the Treaty of Versailles 1918, kingdom of the Serbs, Croatians and Slovenes; from January 1929 renamed to the kingdom Yugoslavia; in the World War II. from 1941 from Hungary recaptures, from 1944 Yugoslavia up to the disintegration of the multi-ethnic state, after it confederacy of Serbia and Montenegro, today Republic Serbia.
Read more (Short history)...
- before and after the Turk-wars, until 1918 is the one part that Austrian-Hungarian monarchy also named Danube-monarchy, after the First World War through the Treaty of Versailles 1918, kingdom of the Serbs, Croatians and Slovenes; from January 1929 renamed to the kingdom Yugoslavia; in the World War II. from 1941 from Hungary recaptures, from 1944 Yugoslavia up to the disintegration of the multi-ethnic state, after it confederacy of Serbia and Montenegro, today Republic Serbia.
B.Z.M.