The first mentioning of Subotica in written documents dates May 7th 1391, however the settlement has surely been older. It has been established that the territories of Subotica has been inhabited even 3000 years ago.
The fate of Subotica was clearly defined by its position between of Bridge between East and West, whilst, historically, it has been influenced by two Empires, namely the Austro-Hungarian and the Ottoman one. Frequent migrations resulted in a diverse population on this military borderland, such as Serbs, Hungarians, Germans, Slovaks, Jews, Bunjevci, but the list could be further longer.
Both the rulers and the names of the city changed quite often. Since its first name: Zabatka given in 1391, the city has changed more than 200 names, however the most peculiar ones are Szent – Maria, Maria-Theresiopolis, Maria Theresienstadt, Szabadka and Subotica.
Subotica developed as a modern Central European city by the end of the 19th and the beginning of the 20th century. At that time, the city had experienced an exceptional boom.The rapid development of handicraft, industry was stimulated by the arrival of the first train in 1869, the building of the electric power station in 1896 and the tram a little later.
The senior citizens home was established in the same time when the Lake Palic area became a health resort (1845). The first high school, later called “Gymnasium”, was opened in Subotica in 1747 while the Music School was established in 1868. The first printing house was founded during the 50s of the 18th century while Alexandar Lifka opened the first regular cinema in 1910.
In less than two decades, at the end of the 19th Century and at the beginning of the 20th, Subotica witnessed to an incredible boom of urbanisation. The architects created the image of the town with an irreversible secession and art nouveau style. From that period Subotica and Palic, the area surrounding the lake, have embellished buildings with lore and folklore motif ornaments wrought iron, colors and ceramics. Cultural life has been always rich as it is today as the theatre, the philharmonic and the painting galleries and some artistic groups are currently witnessing.
Subotica background has thus had a special impact on creating many cultural event such as the European Film festival in Palic, the International Children festival, the Inter-ethno festival, the Dužijanca and the Vintage festival. The Municipal of Subotica has started the reconstruction of the Town Theatre building which has been built in 1854 in order to better the offer of spaces for the its flourishing cultural life.
