Kanjiža

Hungarian Name: Kanizsa
Country: Republic of Serbia
Post Code: YU-24420
Population: 11,600
Inception of Twinning: 7^th November 1967
Mayor: Károly Körmöci
Distance from Kiskunhalas: 90 km

Contacts:
Kanizsa Község Képviselő-testülete
1 Edvard Kardejl tér
Kanjiža YU-24420
Republic of Serbia
Telephone / Fax: 0038/124-875-166
E-mail: office@kanjiza.co.yu
Web Site: www.kanjiza.co.yu

The town of Kanjiža, which is also a regional centre, lies on the right bank of the River Tisza in the northernmost part of Serbia. The present-day community was founded from the union of three earlier settlements and consists of thirteen separate districts, known in Hungarian as Adorján, Horgos, Kanizsa, Kishomok, Kispiac, Martonos, Orom, Oromhegyes, Tóthfalu, Újfalu, Velebit, Vojvoda, Zimonjic, and Völgyes.

Because of its geographical position, Kanjiža is a gateway to the Hungarian border for both goods and passenger traffic, and it is one of its country’s most important international junctions with its road and rail border crossing point at Horgos.

The town properly began to develop in the first decades of the 20th century. This was when it first had an organized local council and later a town hall was built and then a spa. Nowadays there is an upswing in industries such as building, and in the manufacture of building materials, metal products and insulation materials. The situation of agriculture, regarding both growing crops and raising animals, is also improving.

Kanjiža has always laid great emphasis on education and culture. At present a town library, the Cnesa Educational Cultural Institute, various cultural groups, a music school and the recently-opened local theatre can all be discovered in the town. Some of Kanjiža’s special events, such as the Writer’s Camp, the Jazz Days, and the Athletics and Swimming Marathon, are internationally renowned.

The largest role in the partnership between Kanjiža and Kiskunhalas is played by culture and sport. Guests from Kanjiža have taken part in the Kiskunhalas Harvest Festival and in various sports competitions for decades now. People from Halas have crossed the border to participate in the Writer’s Camp as well as the Athletics and Swimming Marathon. There is an active relationship between two primary schools, Szűts József from Kiskunhalas and Jovan Jovanovic from Kanjiža, and between the twin towns’ respective music schools as well. Youngsters from Kanjiža have been playing ‘away’ for many years in the football tournament of II. Rákóczi Ferenc secondary technical school, while members of the two towns’ angling associations also regularly attend each other’s contests.

A particular success story is that of the Twin Towns Sports Days, which have been organized in both communities for years. Another indication of the value of the relationship between the two towns is the support given by Kiskunhalas to the schools of Kanjiža in the form of regular donations of textbooks.