Bezdan was under this name for the first time mentioned in written documents in 1579 as a village with ten families. With the Charter of empress Maria Teresa issued on 10th April 1772, it acquired status of “a free and royal town”, a significant privilege her residents paid for 1.010 forints. At that time the settlement counted 400 households. Apart from farmers and fishermen 51 craftsmen made good profit as well among who the leading role had 15 weavers who soon set up a well organized guild.
The weaving tradition was developed and changed completely by János Smit, an artistic weaver who moved to Bezdan in 1871. He received the government’s support that obliged him to engage at least 5 new workers after what he stopped with his work with hemp and flax and started weaving damask from specially processed flax imported from Check Republic and England. Weaving was at that time performed on the cutting–edge technology which has been preserved in an unchanged condition till the present day, which leaves on a new product patina of the old time while manually woven elaborate and versatile designs contribute to its special quality.
Exactly this sort of manufacturing and technology old for almost a century and a half makes the company "Novitet–Dunav", which proceeds with the tradition, not only an exclusive manufacturer of such a unique product but also an important tourist destination, which had has been proved many times so far.