Neolithic findings of
ceramics and burial with Greek-style pots dating to late fifth century BCE have been found in the area. The town was founded in 1717 when this region was included into the
Habsburg monarchy. It was part of the
Banatian Military Frontier of the Monarchy and, since 1774, was a seat of the
Illyrian (Serbian) section of the Banatian Frontier. Briefly, in 1787–1788, the town was controlled by the Ottomans. In 1848–1849, the town was part of autonomous
Serbian Vojvodina, but in 1849 it was again placed under military administration. With the abolishment of the Military Frontier, the town was included into
Temes county of the
Kingdom of Hungary, one of two autonomous parts of
Austria-Hungary. The town was also a seat of the district since 1867. According to the 1910 census, the town itself was mainly populated by
Germans with a group of
French, but its surrounding municipal area was mainly populated by
Serbs. Census recorded 11,524 citizens in the town, of whom 6,062 spoke German language, 1,994 Serbian, 1,806 Romanian, and 1,213 Hungarian. The municipal area numbered 36,831 inhabitants, of whom 20,987 spoke
Serbian, 8,234
Romanian, and 4,791
German. The total population of the town and its municipal area counted together was 48,355, of whom 22,981 spoke Serbian, 10,853 German, 10,040 Romanian, and 2,122
Hungarian. In the 1920s, it was a center of Russian
emigration in Yugoslavia. Between 1918 and 1945 Bela Crkva was part of the
Kingdom of Yugoslavia. From 1945 until 1992 it was part of the
Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. From 1992-2006 it was part of
Serbia and Montenegro. Since 2006 it has been part of the independent republic of Serbia. ==Inhabited places==