Marija Trandafil je bila novosadska dobrotvorka.
Rođena u bogatoj novosadskoj porodici, postaje štićenica (takođe) bogatih rođaka nakon smrti roditelja, a staratelji je sa 16 godina udaju za četrdesetogodišnjeg Jovana Trandafila. Marija je bila pismena i govorila je nemački jezik.
Marija je pripadala Novosađankama i Vojvođankama dobrotvorkama koje su samostalno uvećavale svoje bogatstvo i investirale ga u pomoć siromašnim slojevima. Ono što je karakteristično za pomenute dobrotvorke jeste da su većina bile udovice, što važi i Mariju. Nakon smrti muža (i dece koja su prerano preminula) Marija se posvećuje dobrotvornom radu i zaveštavanju, najviše ulažući u obrazovanje dece i pomaganje najsiromašnijima.
Bračni par Trandafil je i pre Jovanove smrti dobar deo svog kapitala testamentom odredio za razne dobrotvorne svrhe, a nakon muževljeve smrti Marija kapital uvećava i povećava broj zaveštavanja. Marija je ulagala novac i u obnovu novosadske Nikolajevske crkve (preko puta Matice srpske, u kojoj je i sahranjena pored supruga i dece), te je iz temelja obnovila i opremila, takođe novosadsku, Jermensku crkvu (koja je pripada katoličkoj zajednici). Ipak, najviše je pomagala siromašnima i bolesnima, kao i učenicima. Marija je stipendirala đake novosadske gimnazije, a njeno najveće zaveštanje je „Zavod za negu i izdržavanje sirote i siromašne srpske dece“ koje se nalazilo u današnjoj zgradi Matice srpske u Novom Sadu.
Kada je u Novom Sadu vladala glad, Marija je hranom pomagala gladne bez obzira na njihovu naciju i veru. U njenom vlasništvu su bile mnoge kuće u strogom centru Novog Sada, u Zmaj Jovinoj, Miletićevoj, Pašićevoj i Dunavskoj. Danas trg koji se nalazi između Matice srpske i Nikolajevske crkve nosi ime po Mariji Trandafil.
Marija Trandafil was a benefactress from Novi Sad, Serbia.
She was born in a wealthy family in Novi Sad. After the death of her parents she lived with her relatives who married her to Jovan Trandafil when Marija was 16 and Jovan was 40 years old. Marija was literate and spoke German language.
Marija was one of the benefactresses from Vojvodina who increased their wealth and invested it into helping the poor. Most of those benefactresses were widows, and so was Marija. After the death of her husband (and children who died early, too), Marija had dedicated herself to doing charitable work and invested a lot into children’s education and helping the poorest.
Even before her husband’s death, Marija and Jovan specified in their will that they wanted most of their wealth to be given to charity, and after Jovan’s death Marija increased her capital and bequeathing. She invested her money into the renovation of Nikolajevska church in Novi Sad and fully renovated and equipped Armenian church, also in Novi Sad. However, most of her charity work was directed towards children and the poor. She gave out scholarships to pupils of Novi Sad’s grammar school and her biggest bequeath was an “Institute for support of poor Serbian children”.
During the hunger period in Novi Sad Marija gave out food to those who didn’t have it, regardless of their nationality and religion. She owned numerous houses in the main streets of Novi Sad. Today, one square in this city is named after Marija.