View source for Becicherecu Mic

{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2020}}
{{Infobox Romanian subdivision
|type                   = commune
|county                 = Timiș
|population_total       = auto
|map_caption            = Location in Timiș County
|leader_name            = Raimond-Ovidiu Rusu
|leader_term            = 2012&ndash;
|leader_party           = PSD
|image_map              = Becicherecu Mic jud Timis.svg
|coordinates            = {{coord|45|50|N|21|3|E|region:RO|display=it}}
|image_skyline           = Église 03570.JPG
|image_caption           = Serbian church in Becicherecu Mic
|image_shield            = ROU TM Becicherecu Mic CoA.PNG
|area_footnotes          = <ref>{{cite web |url=https://ghidulprimariilor.ro/ro/businesses/view/city_hall/PRIM%C4%82RIA-BECICHERECU-MIC/117694 |title=Primăria Becicherecu Mic |work=Ghidul Primăriilor}}</ref>
|area_total_km2          = 46.65
|elevation_m             = 
|postal_code             = 307040
|website                 = {{URL|https://www.becicherecu-mic.ro/}}
}}
'''Becicherecu Mic''' ({{langx|hu|Kisbecskerek}}; {{langx|de|Fischdorf}} or ''Kleinbetschkerek''; {{langx|sr|Мали Бечкерек|Mali Bečkerek}}) is a [[communes of Romania|commune]] in [[Timiș County]], [[Romania]]. It is composed of a single village, Becicherecu Mic. It also included [[Dudeștii Noi]] until 2004, when it was split off to form a separate commune. Its name means "Small Becicherec", as opposed to the "Great Becicherec" (''Becicherecu Mare'' in Romanian), located in [[Serbia]] and renamed [[Zrenjanin]] in 1946.

== Location ==
Becicherecu Mic is located {{Convert|17|km|mi|abbr=on}} northwest of [[Timișoara]], on the national road [[DN6]] Timișoara–[[Sânnicolau Mare]]–[[Cenad]]. It is also connected to the Timișoara–Cenad railway, which passes to the south, with the Pescărețul Mic station.

It borders [[Dudeștii Noi]] to the east, [[Satchinez|Hodoni]] to the north, [[Săcălaz]] to the southeast, [[Săcălaz|Beregsău Mare]] to the south, [[Cărpiniș|Iecea Mică]] and [[Iecea Mare]] to the west and [[Biled]] to the northwest.<ref name="strategie" />

== History ==
[[File:Haynau 1849 augusztus 9-én Kis-Becskereknél.jpg|thumb|left|[[Julius Jacob von Haynau]] and his army on campaign near Kisbecskerek in 1849, during the [[Hungarian Revolution of 1848|Hungarian Revolution]]]]
Becicherecu Mic is mentioned as early as 1232 by the name ''terra Potkerequ''.<ref>{{cite book |title=Erdély, Bánság és Partium történeti és közigazgatási helységnévtára |last=Szabó |first=M. Attila |publisher=Pro-Print Kiadó |location=Miercurea Ciuc |date=2003}}</ref> A hundred years later, in 1334, the parish of ''Pechkereky'' pays the [[Holy See|Vatican]] the "papal tithe", a grant from believers to support armed action against pagans.<ref name="strategie">{{cite web |url=https://www.becicherecu-mic.ro/images/doc/interes_public/Strategia%20de%20dezvoltare%20local%C4%83%20a%20comunei%20%C3%AEn%20perioada%202014%20-%202020.pdf |title=Strategia de dezvoltare a comunei Becicherecu Mic |work=Primăria comunei Becicherecu Mic |date=2015}}</ref> During the Hungarian occupation, in 1462, the village is given to the Hagymásy family from [[Săcălaz|Beregsău]].<ref name="strategie" /> During the Turkish occupation (1552–1716), the name of the settlement would have been ''Crucea'' ("cross"), the hearth of the village being probably located on the Cross Hill.<ref name="strategie" /> After the reconquest of [[Banat]] by the [[Habsburg Empire]], in 1717, the imperial administration records the settlement with the name ''Peschered'', in Romanian ''Pescăreț'' ("pond with fish").<ref name="strategie" /> In 1723, in [[Count Claude Florimond de Mercy|County Mercy]]'s ''Karte des Temeswarer Banates'' ([https://www.oldmapsonline.org/map/cuni/1053104 see online]), the settlement appears for the first time under the name ''Becicherecu Mic''. Its origin comes by [[rhotacism]] from the proper noun ''Pechereky'', the name of a landowner.<ref name="strategie" /> First German settlers arrive here in 1727.<ref name="cj-timis">{{cite web |url=http://www.cjtimis.ro/judetul-timis/primariile-din-judetul-timis/comuna-becicherecu-mic/ |title=Fișa Primăriei comunei Becicherecu Mic pe anul 2013 |work=Consiliul Județean Timiș}}</ref> In 1748, 24 Romanian families brought from [[Transylvania]] were also colonized here.<ref name="cj-timis" /> Between 1920 and 1925, the village was named ''Țichindeal'', after scholar {{ill|Dimitrie Țichindeal|ro}}, born here in 1775.<ref name="cj-timis" />

== Demographics ==
<div style="float:left">
{{Pie chart
|thumb=left
|caption=Ethnic composition (2021)<ref name="etnie" />
|label1=[[Romanians]]|value1=75.68|color1=#8080ff
|label2=[[Romani people|Roma]]|value2=2.12|color2=#80ffff
|label3=[[Serbs]]|value3=1.84|color3=#c03f3f
|label4=[[Ukrainians]]|value4=1.84|color4=#ffff80
|label5=[[Hungarians]]|value5=1.18|color5=#80ff80
|label6=Unknown|value6=16|color6=#9f9f9f
|label7=Others|value7=1.34|color7=#555555}}
{{Pie chart
|thumb=left
|style=clear:none;
|caption=Religious composition (2021)<ref name="religie" />
|label1=[[Eastern Orthodox Church|Orthodox]]|value1=65.73|color1=#8080ff
|label2=[[Pentecostal]]s|value2=6.4|color2=#3fc03f
|label3=[[Roman Catholic]]s|value3=4.03|color3=#ffff80
|label4=[[Serbian Orthodox Church|Serbian Orthodox]]|value4=2.36|color4=#c03f3f
|label5=[[Baptist]]s|value5=1.6|color5=#80ffff
|label6=Unknown|value6=17.25|color6=#c0c0c0
|label7=Others|value7=1.8|color7=#9f9f9f
|label8=[[Irreligion|Irreligious]], [[Atheism|atheists]] and [[Agnosticism|agnostics]]|value8=0.83|color8=#555555}}
</div>
Becicherecu Mic had a population of 2,875 inhabitants at the 2021 census, up 0.77% from the 2011 census. Most inhabitants are [[Romanians]] (75.68%), larger minorities being represented by [[Romani people|Roma]] (2.12%), [[Serbs]] (1.84%), [[Ukrainians]] (1.84%) and [[Hungarians]] (1.18%). For 16% of the population, ethnicity is unknown.<ref name="etnie">{{cite web |url=https://www.recensamantromania.ro/rezultate-rpl-2021/rezultate-definitive-caracteristici-etno-culturale-demografice/ |title=Populația rezidentă după etnie |website=RPL 2021 |publisher=Institutul Național de Statistică}}</ref> The village was previously divided into four parts, although in recent decades the inhabitants have mixed: the "German bend" – towards the railway station, the "Serbian bend" – practically in the center of the village, the "Romanian bend" – around the Romanian church and the "Gypsy outskirts" or Chertiz, a group of specific houses, along with Serbs and Romanians.<ref name="strategie" /> At the end of [[World War II]] many of the [[Germans|German]] inhabitants left the village because of Soviet occupation. The inhabitants traveled through Yugoslavia and Hungary for about seven weeks to get to Austria on 1 November 1944. The inhabitants were then assigned families to stay with. 

By religion, most inhabitants are [[Eastern Orthodox Church|Orthodox]] (65.73%), but there are also minorities of [[Pentecostal]]s (6.4%), [[Roman Catholics]] (4.03%), [[Serbian Orthodox Church|Serbian Orthodox]] (2.36%) and [[Baptist]]s (1.6%). For 17.25% of the population, religious affiliation is unknown.<ref name="religie">{{cite web |url=https://www.recensamantromania.ro/rezultate-rpl-2021/rezultate-definitive-caracteristici-etno-culturale-demografice/ |title=Populația rezidentă după religie |website=RPL 2021 |publisher=Institutul Național de Statistică}}</ref>
{| class="toccolours" 
|-
! align="center" colspan="2" style="background:#ccccff;" | Census<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.kia.hu/konyvtar/erdely/erd2002/tmetn02.pdf |title=Temes megye településeinek etnikai (anyanyelvi/nemzetiségi) adatai 1880-2002 |last=Varga |first=E. Árpád |access-date=10 September 2021 |archive-date=10 June 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070610213704/http://www.kia.hu/konyvtar/erdely/erd2002/tmetn02.pdf |url-status=dead }}</ref>
! align="center" colspan="6" style="background:#ccccff;" | Ethnic composition
|-
! Year !! Population !! [[Romanians]] !! [[Hungarians]] !! [[Germans]] !! [[Romani people|Roma]] !! [[Ukrainians]] !! [[Serbs]]
|-
| 1880 || 3,379 || 428 || 21 || 2,395 || – || – || 498
|-
| 1890 || 3,687 || 403 || 25 || 2,651 || – || – || 562
|-
| 1900 || 3,738 || 422 || 40 || 2,659 || – || – || 557
|-
| 1910 || 3,666 || 421 || 95 || 2,531 || – || – || 546
|-
| 1920 || 3,642 || 382 || 70 || 2,533 || – || – || –
|-
| 1930 || 3,318 || 431 || 35 || 2,294 || 83 || – || 461
|-
| 1941 || 3,098 || 436 || 20 || 2,142 || – || – || –
|-
| 1956 || 2,564 || – || – || – || – || – || –
|-
| 1966 || 2,693 || 1,544 || 12 || 734 || 69 || 68 || 250
|-
| 1977 || 2,774 || 1,741 || 18 || 619 || 107 || 63 || 208
|-
| 1992 || 2,316 || 1,913 || 26 || 94 || 98 || 53 || 125
|-
| 2002 || 2,417 || 2,062 || 31 || 48 || 132 || 74 || 63
|-
| 2011 || 2,853 || 2,382 || 43 || 33 || 80 || 40 || 51
|-
| 2021 || 2,875 || 2,176 || 34 || 26 || 61 || 53 || 53
|}
== Politics and administration ==
The commune of Becicherecu Mic is administered by a mayor and a local council composed of 13 councilors. The mayor, Raimond-Ovidiu Rusu, from the [[Social Democratic Party (Romania)|Social Democratic Party]], has been in office since 2012. As from the [[2024 Romanian local elections|2024 local elections]], the local council has the following composition by political parties:<ref>{{cite web |url=https://istoric.rezultatevot.ro/elections/116/results?division=locality&countyId=18648&localityId=18675 |title=Alegeri locale 2024 |work=Rezultate Vot}}</ref>
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! colspan="2" | Party 
! Seats 
! colspan="8" | Composition
|-
| style="background-color:{{party color|Social Democratic Party (Romania)}}" |
| [[Social Democratic Party (Romania)|Social Democratic Party]] || '''8'''
| style="background-color:{{party color|Social Democratic Party (Romania)}}" |
| style="background-color:{{party color|Social Democratic Party (Romania)}}" |
| style="background-color:{{party color|Social Democratic Party (Romania)}}" |
| style="background-color:{{party color|Social Democratic Party (Romania)}}" |
| style="background-color:{{party color|Social Democratic Party (Romania)}}" |
| style="background-color:{{party color|Social Democratic Party (Romania)}}" |
| style="background-color:{{party color|Social Democratic Party (Romania)}}" |
| style="background-color:{{party color|Social Democratic Party (Romania)}}" |
|-
| style="background-color:{{party color|Save Romania Union (2022)}}" |
| [[Save Romania Union]] || '''2'''
| style="background-color:{{party color|Save Romania Union (2022)}}" |
| style="background-color:{{party color|Save Romania Union (2022)}}" |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| style="background-color:{{party color|Alliance for the Union of Romanians}}" |
| [[Alliance for the Union of Romanians]] || '''1'''
| style="background-color:{{party color|Alliance for the Union of Romanians}}" |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| style="background-color:{{party color|Social Liberal Humanist Party}}" |
| [[Social Liberal Humanist Party]] || '''1'''
| style="background-color:{{party color|Social Liberal Humanist Party}}" |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| style="background-color:{{party color|National Liberal Party (Romania)}}" |
| [[National Liberal Party (Romania)|National Liberal Party]] || '''1'''
| style="background-color:{{party color|National Liberal Party (Romania)}}" |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|}

== Economy ==
The economic activity is a consistent one, supported at local level by 223 firms active in fields such as [[agriculture]], [[trade]], [[production (economics)|production]], [[software]], [[construction]] and [[iron processing]], among others.<ref name="strategie" />

The agricultural area of the commune consists of {{Convert|3,464|ha|acre|abbr=on}} of arable land on which grains are grown: [[wheat]], [[maize]], [[barley]], [[two-rowed barley]], [[sunflower]] and [[rapeseed]]; {{Convert|2|ha|acre|abbr=on}} of orchards with fruit trees and pasture that covers an area of {{Convert|418|ha|acre|abbr=on}}.<ref name="strategie" />

== Notable people ==
* {{ill|Dimitrie Țichindeal|ro}} (1775–1818), priest, teacher and fabulist
* [[Ștefan Orbulescu]] (1929–2007), poet and publicist
* [[Aurel Șunda]] (b. 1957), footballer and manager

== References ==
{{Commons category|Becicherecu Mic, Timiș|Becicherecu Mic}}
{{Reflist}}

{{Timiș County}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Communes in Timiș County]]
[[Category:Localities in Romanian Banat]]