BEAUTIFUL RELIGIOUS SITES IN SUBOTICA

All our towers BEAUTIFUL RELIGIOUS SITES IN SUBOTICA WALKING TOUR ITINERERY

All our towers Impressum PUBLISHER Local Democracy Agency Trg cara Jovana Neanda 15 24000 Subotica, Serbia www.lda-subotica.org ldasubotica@aldaintranet.org

FOR THE PUBLISHER Stanka Parać Damjanović

WRITTEN BY Rudolf Weiss

PHOTOGRAPHY Nemanja Ledenski

DESIGN Boris Cupać

Subotica, July 2022

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FRANCISCAN CHURCH

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EVANGELICAL LUTHERAN CHURCH

SINAGOGUE

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MUHAJIR MOSQUE

PERSONAL TESTIMONIES

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Content

SERBIAN ORTHODOX CHURCH

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INTRO

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ALL OUR TOWERS is a new sightseeing adventure you can experience in Subotica.

An exciting walking tour designed by the group of young people led by Prof. Rudolf Weiss, historian, revealing cultural diversity and rich religious heritage of our city. This walking tour was organized in July 2022, as a learning opportunity for the youngsters to get to know better their own city, while the brochure they designed remains as a testimonial weaving their reminiscences with glimpses of the sites and monuments they pass by every day. Moreover, this booklet can certainly serve as an inspirational guide for numerous sightseers and globetrotters visiting Subotica.

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SERBIAN ORTHODOX CHURCH

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he construction of the Church of the Holy Ascension in Subotica was completed in 1726.It

belongs to the Eparchy of Bačka of the Serbian Orthodox Church. In written sources from 1744, a protocol mentions the existence of an old and a new church building. The old church building was in the immediate vicinity and also dedicated to the ascension of the Lord; it was painted blue with a clapboard roof and was much smaller than the newly built church.

During the renovation in 1910, figures of saints were painted on eight windows of the church using the stained glass technique. The temple, in its current appearance, is a characteristic example of neo-baroque churches. The church is a onenave building. The entrance is enriched with two stone pillars.

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The old iconostasis, painted in 1766, which during the major renovation in 1909 was donated to the smaller church dedicated to Saint Dimitrije, in Aleksandrovo, was replaced by the current one, which was made in 1910.The iconostasis was painted under the supervision of one of the most renowned Serbian painters Paja Jovanović.

The believers stand during the service, with men on one side and women on the other. Anyone can attend the service regardless of religion or nationality. In Subotica, live fellow citizens of the Orthodox faith who are of Serbian, Montenegrin, Armenian, Russian, Macedonian and Bulgarian nationalities, but according to deacon Lazar, there is no separate record of nationality, because it is understood that the majority of believers are of Serbian nationality, but he emphasized that really everyone can attend the service.

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All our towers In the courtyard of the church lies one of the oldest tombstones found on the territory of Subotica.

The church library contains thousands of books that every citizen can use. The old church flags and the ceremonial room with antique furniture and church relics are also the part of interior decoration.

Orthodox religious education is held for students in Subotica schools. There is also a radio show for Orthodox believers. According to the number of believers, the Orthodox Church is the second largest in Subotica. In Subotica, an Orthodox church is currently being built in the Prozivka community, and an Orthodox church was recently built in Palić and Kelebija. The second oldest church is the church of St. Dimitrije in the Aleksandrovo neighborhood community. So, we learned that there are three Orthodox churches

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in the city of Subotica and a total of two more in the suburban settlements of Palić and Kelebija.

Ecumenical dialogue between historical religious communities is regularly held based on good cooperation with the Catholic Church, the Islamic community and the Jewish ecclesiastical municipality. Joint participation at round tables, conferences or humanitarian actions contribute to the development of ecumenism in Subotica.

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FRANCISCAN CHURCH

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he Franciscan monastery and the Church dedicated St. Michael are located in the city center at the St Francis square. This year 2022, the Franciscan monastery and the church of St. Michael are celebrating 305 years of the presence of the Franciscans in Subotica.

After liberation from the Ottoman Empire, at the end of the 17th century, Franciscans arrived from the Szeged monastery to Subotica. Thus, the monastery was created as a branch of Szeged one, but soon became the center of the renewal of civic and religious life. The Franciscans settled in the oldest house in the city, located in the center of Subotica.

The first school was organized in the monastery in 1747 as a grammar school, attended by the students willing to become priests. In 1862, a high school was separated from the Franciscan

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All our towers monastery. In the dining room of the monastery, the first theater performance in Subotica took place in the middle of the 18th century. These were the beginnings of theatrical life in Subotica.

When Subotica was declared a free royal city in 1779, a solemn liturgy of thanksgiving was served in the Franciscan church.

The monastery has an art collection of 35 portraits of Franciscan saints painted in the middle of the 18th century by the painter Matthias Hanish.

The Franciscan monastery is also known for its rich library, which contains more than twelve thousand books. According to the provisions of the Franciscan order, in 1593 a decree was passed according to which each monastery must have its own library for the purpose of education of its members. The library has one incunabula, a book older than 500 years, and has fifteen

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titles from the 16th century and a large number of books from the 17th century. The library also keeps a collection of old photos of Subotica, as well as a collection of stamps. One of the seals dates back to 1723.

Next to the monastery is the church of St. Michael, which was consecrated in 1736. The church interior design is unique since, in addition to the main altar, there are six other altars. The church with two bell towers was rebuilt in 1907.The first bell tower on the right side of the entrance was built on the foundations of the tower of the old Subotica fortress from the Middle Ages. Masses are held in Croatian and Hungarian. Franciscan Church’s guardian reiterates: “I am in contact with all the traditional religious communities in the city.

We strive to live as good neighbors, we launch public initiatives and we want to show people by

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example that we live together and that this is a message for everyone.”

The Roman Catholic community is actively participating in the forums “God and Abraham’s children” where representatives of the Orthodox and Roman Catholic churches, the Islamic community and the Jewish community contribute to a dialogue on topics related to “Unity in diversity” principles.

Both believers and atheists in Subotica would certainly agree that precisely “unity in diversity” depicts the true image of Subotica in terms of interfaith and interethnic dialogue in our local community. Unity in diversity principle is nurtured continuously by the representatives of the mentioned religious communities, promoting the culture of dialogue, thus publicly setting a good example of inter-faith tolerance in our region.

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EVANGELICAL LUTHERAN CHURCH

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rotestantism is the fourth largest religious group in Serbia and arrived to Subotica as early as in the 18th century. The Reformation Square in the city downtown area is in front of the Evangelical Church in Braće Radić Street and is marked by the three sculptures placed here on the Reformation Day on October 31, 2007. The sculptures of church reformers Martin Luther and Jean Calvin joined by the bust of Ivan Ivanji, a prominent historian from Subotica, have been posted side by side in the Reformation square.

Martin Luther started Protestantism in Germany in the 16th century. He did not recognize the Pope’s status as God’s vicar on earth and abolished celibacy. In the Lutheran Church, priests can marry and have children. Women are also priests and occupy the highest positions in the church hierarchy. In Germany and in the Scandinavian

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Protestantism spread from Germany all over the world. Today, predominantly Lutheran countries are Finland, Norway, Sweden, Denmark and half of Germany. Anglo-Saxon countries are also predominantly Protestant.

Lutherans have been an active religious community in Subotica since 1860. The church was built and consecrated in 1900. It is worth noting that the church was built owing to the donation of the wife of the German Emperor Wilhelm. Another interesting fact is that the priest Emil Koroši built the altar in the church by himself, with his hands, using a small saw and his tools.

Today, the Lutheran community in Subotica has several hundred members, while the church has the status of an Episcopal church and serves as

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the seat of this religious community in Serbia.

Jean Calvin was a Protestant reformer in Switzerland, who broke apart from Luther and founded his own church. Today it is the Reformist church or, named after its founder, the Calvinist church. Several thousand members of this church live today in Subotica. Women are allowed to be priests, while the clergy can have their families.

Calvinists regularly participate in ecumenical meetings of historic Christian churches in Subotica.

That ecumenism is strongly entwined among the Protestants in Subotica is best demonstrated during the Advent period, when four weeks before Christmas, one candle is lit each week before Christmas, and the Christmas wreath made of Christmas tree branches. For years, representatives of the Catholic, Lutheran and

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Reformed churches have lit candles and delivered a sermon together every Sunday in a different church. The highest dignitaries of the Orthodox Church were always guests at those services and masses. Joint ecumenical prayers are also organized in January. These masses and religious services are held in the Reformist, Catholic and Evangelical Lutheran churches.

Lutherans in Subotica hold religious education at the church parish in a hall intended for religious education and also have Bible study classes for adults.

Church music and singing also play an important role. Martin Luther said that “he who sings hymns prays twice.”In the church seat of Subotica, the “Luther’s Rose” choir operated for eleven years.

This religious community has its regular radio broadcasts.

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SINAGOGUE

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his magnificent religious site is also known as the Great Synagogue of Subotica. The building is a jewel of Hungarian Art Nouveau architectural style. It was designed by Dezse Jakab and Marcel Komor, the famous architects from Budapest, who also designed the City Hall in Subotica. The Synagogue was built together with the building of the Jewish community building in 1902. Today, this building is one of the most outstanding tourist attractions in the city, but above all, it is also an important religious building for the Jewish community as well as a place for cultural events and concerts. The building of the Jewish community also includes a small synagogue, a ceremonial hall with a theatre stage and event rooms, and on the first floor, there is an office of the Jewish community with several rooms, including a library and a guest room. . The doorway is open to the courtyard of the Great Synagogue, thus

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All our towers forming an impressive cultural and religious site as a unique whole.

The written sources show that the Jews have been living in Subotica since 1775. Over the centuries, they played a significant role in the development of industry, trade, architecture and healthcare in Subotica.

In June 1944, the Jews of Subotica suffered a terrible tragedy. From June 16, 1944, the fascists began deporting Jews to Nazi death camps such as Auschwitz as well as many other concentration camps. More than 4,000 Jews from Subotica were killed in the Holocaust, while about 1,000 Jews from Subotica survived the war and the Holocaust. After the World War II, many of them emigrated to Israel.

Today, several hundred fellow citizens of Jewish origin live in Subotica. They are visibly present in the cultural and social life of Subotica. The

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Jewish Municipality organizes Days of Jewish Culture, forums, concerts and exhibitions. It is a good opportunity for the people of Subotica to get acquainted with the rich cultural heritage and history of the Jewish people.

The Subotica Synagogue is maintained by the Foundation, in which three representatives of the city, the Jewish community and the Hungarian National Council participate, to which the management of the Synagogue has been transferred. The Synagogue is primarily a religious building. In terms of tourism and culture, the local government is responsible for organizing various programs. The leaders of the Orthodox, Roman Catholic, Muslim and Jewish religious communities in Subotica cherish the practice of inter-faith dialogue in different ways ranging from monthly meetings and public forums held over the past several years. They will continue to do so in the future, setting a good example of interfaith dialogue in our region.

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MUHAJIR MOSQUE

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he Islamic community existed from 1924 to

1948. In 1948, the prayer house was confiscated and then the Islamic community stopped working.

Despite this, the Muslims in the city gathered in their houses and prayed to Allah. The work of the Islamic Community was renewed again in 1998.

This mosque was built in 2008, named as Muhajir, (a settler in Turkish) . The Subotica mosque is the first Islamic religious building that was built on the road between Sofia and Budapest after two centuries.

The Islamic community in Subotica counts around 700 households, while the estimate number of Muslims ranges between eight to ten thousands. Community members are active in humanitarian activities, they helped the victims of the catastrophic flood in Obrenovac, and also

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All our towers distributed more than 7,500 meals to migrants in the Reception Center for the Ramadan holidays.

They help students and during the corona pandemic donated some ten thousand protective masks to the hospital.

Inside the mosque there is also a library “Ikre” with thousands of titles. It is open to all interested citizens. The Islamic community also plans to publish the magazine “Get to know Islam” in order to bring its community and Islamic teaching closer to fellow citizens.

The Islamic community in Subotica actively participates in the forums “Children of Abraham” together with the Orthodox and Catholic churches as well as the Jewish community in Subotica.

There is Islamic religious education in Subotica schools, and inside the mosque there is also a

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classroom where Koran and Islamic teaching classes are held, both for children and adults.

Thanks to a donation, the Islamic community in Subotica received a van to transport children to Koran study classes in the mosque.

As stated by our host, this mosque does not belong only to the Muslims, but to all the people of Subotica. Subotica has accepted the Islamic community and Muslims in Subotica are trying to fully integrate into this community and that, if any problems arise, those problems are solved together by all who live in this city, regardless of religion and nationality.

Both the architecture and the interior design of the mosque with rich decorations represent an outstanding symbol of diverse religious heritage of Subotica.

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Personal testimonies by the young people participating in the walking tour

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“While visiting religious sites in Subotica, I learned a lot about others, but also about myself. I found myself several times in a situation where tourists asked me to tell them something about the Synagogue, the Orthodox Church, the Mosque and other religious buildings, about whose history I unfortunately could not say much. This project helped me to get to know my city better and therefore I feel even more proud of Subotica and its culture.

The feeling of closeness with other religions and cultures, love and respect for others and the desire to get to know each other, the pride we feel for each other is something that characterizes our city. I had a wonderful experience. Although we were a small group, we were welcomed with generosity and great respect in all religious facilities.”

“The overall experience of visiting religious sites exceeded my expectations. First of all, the group that participated in the tour was excellent and it seems to me that we exuded only positive energy. The objects we visited were fascinating enough by themselves, and what completed the experience were the people who introduced us to them and talked about the history of the objects and their religion, principles and commitments. Which brings us to the fact that Subotica is a unique city of tolerance and a place where diversity is accepted at an enviable level. A special impression was left by the representatives of the Mosque and the Orthodox Church. It is the people who make up and represent a religion and who contribute to its quality, while the facilities are the ones that are there to strengthen interpersonal relations and provide a sense of belonging, a religious facility without competent people is still only an object. Special thanks to the organisers for the invitation, definitely an experience that I would love to repeat”.

Nadja Kovač, student

Petar Jovanović, pedagogical assistant

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