The Day of Novi Sad
The City celebrates its Day on February 1st, which commemorates the event of 1748 when it received its first charter of a free royal town. The charter was issued and signed by Empress Maria Theresia, who granted the City a high degree of autonomy within the Habsburg Empire.
With her Imperial signature Maria Theresia exempted Novi Sad (by that time known as Petrovaradin Trench) from any civil, county, or military authority, awarded it the status of a city, the right to coat of arms, the right to its own municipal government, the right to elect 12 citizens for the City Magistrate, the right to its own Statute, the right to collect its own taxes, and the right to a new name. The Charter of 1748 gave Novi Sad the status and the privileges which most developed urban municipalities of the Empire had already been enjoying for some time. This enabled Novi Sad to shake off its old feudal bonds and start developing freely.
Since 1998, the City commemorates February 1st as its official Day by awarding the February Award to most meritorious citizens for exceptional contribution and promotion of liberal values and ideas, which also stand for most essentially recognized principles of the City as well.
The City also commemorates the following dates:
- Its foundation in 1694
- October 23rd 1944, the Liberation Day in the WWII
- November 9th 1918, the day when Serbian Army under the command of Petar Bojović liberated Novi Sad in the WWI
- Novermber 25th 1918, the day when National Assembly of Serbs, Bunjevci, and other South Slavs in Bačka, Banat and Syrmia, ruled on joining Serbia.
To honor the Liberation Day, every October 23rd the City Assembly awards most distinguished citizens with the October Charter, to merit their outstanding economic and social achievements. To honor the WWI liberation events from 1918, the City Assembly awards the November Charter.
City Assembly can, according to its own decisions and rulings, award other charters, awards to distinguished citizens, public figures, or award them honorable citizenship of Novi Sad.