Recent Times

In the 50s the number of inhabitants in Kanizsa decreased to 11.842 and in 1961 it was 10.722. Yet, at this time the industrial growth started again and it was also marked by the growth in the population: in 1971: 11.240, in 1981: 11.687. After a certain fluctuation in the 80s, the early 90s brought a considerable fall in the number of inhabitants. The number of citizens in the whole municipality had shown a declining tendency since the 1950s: in 1953 it was 35.590, in 1961: 34.960, 1971: 33,817, in 1981: 32. 529 and in 1991: 30.692. Primarily, this fall was caused by low natality and by migration due to economic and social causes. As to the national structure of inhabitatns, demographic changes since 1920 indicate the growth of Slav inhabitants and the slow fall of Hungarian inhabitants. This process took a rapid progress in the 1990s ( 1981: 89,0% Hungarians, 6,2% Serbs and 2,8% Yugoslavs).
Since the 1960s a gradual economic growth started in agriculture, process-industry and services. The beginning of petroleum industry, the updating of roads, the building of the bridge over the Tisa, and the abolishemnt of the railroad to Horgos and Senta meant an important change. After the great flood in 1970. a new embankment was built on the east part of the town and the Koros brook was filled with sand from the Tisa, where a new quarter was built. An outstanding growth marked the construction industry and the industry of construction materials (Potisje) and a new branch appeared: metal industry (Metal) and the insulation material factory (FIM). In 1980 the Healt and Recreation Center started its work. A reconstruction was implemented in the old industries as well : in agriculture (mechanization, irrigation systems, change in crops, green houses, intensive husnbadry), and in mill, sawmill-, textile and food- industry. By the end of the 80s the socialist system reached its crisis and the economic growth of the municipality stopped. Transition, due to the piling up of problems without solution (the socialist Yugoslavia had fallen apart in 1992) has not been ended still today.
The two decades of prosperity were followed by outstanding results in the social system: the institutionalized system of pre-school education (nurseries, kindergarten) included all children in the territory of the municipality, similarly, all children could finish their elementary education in their native language. In 1965 the municipality established a high school for agriculture qualifying high school educated professionals in agriculture for Vojvodina. Educational institutions were facilitated in new buildings and well'equipped from Horgos to Adorjan. The efficiency of the education system was still hampered by unadvised constant reforms and re-organisations. The period was marked by important results in culture as well: a Cultural Center was built in Horgos and a cinema in Kanizsa (as part of the planned cultural center). In all municipal settlements there are cultural associations that reached outstanding results in the region, province and in the country. There is a municipal library network directed by the József Attila Library from Kanizsa. This Library is also the organizer of the traditional writers' camp, having been organized for the last 45 years in Kanizsa with guests from Vojvodina, Yugoslavia and abroad. The Days of Theater was a regional event for decades, but in lack of a theatre building they are not being organized during the last few years. In the field of information, Kanjiza was present in the Tiszavidek regional weekly in the period between 1968 and 1993, while recently a two-weekly magazine is being published as Uj Kanizsai Újsag. During the last few years musical events (an international jazz festival) are hosted in our town that also has a music school.
The sport life of the municipality has a century long tradition, what is marked yearly by a running and swimming marathon. The most popular sports in the 20th century were football, gymnastics, athelitics, handball, volley ball, marathon, wrestling, targeting, canoeing, and there is a great number of sportsmen in our municipality.

Dobos János mgr.