208 anniversary of University of Belgrade

208th ANNIVERSARY | University of Belgrade

“Learning in stride, look to the centuries!"
 

Dositej Obradović Monument in University Park in Belgrade / Photo: Dnevno.rs / Logo: Faculty of Forestry

September 13th is celebrated as the Day of the University of Belgrade. On that date, 208 years ago, the Great School (Velika Škola) started its operations, under the direction of founder and the first professor Ivan Jugović (Jovan Savić, a former professor of Karlovac Gymnasium) / 13. septembar obeležava se kao dan Univerziteta u Beogradu. Tog datuma, pre 208. godina, počela je sa radom Velika škola, pod upravom osnivača, i prvog profesora, Ivana Jugovića (Jovana Savića, nekadašnjeg profesora Karlovačke gimnazije). 

Dositej Obradović

Ivan Jugović (Jovan Savić)

A significant contributor to the establishment of the Great School, giving the initiative and knowledge, was Dositej Obradović, one of the most respected intellectuals of the time, writer, educator, reformer, a member of the Governing Council of Serbia - the first minister of education. His words "O dužnom počitaniju k naukam" inaugurated the Great School, as well announcing a new era of cultural and educational prosperity of Serbia / Značajan doprinos osnivanju Velike škole, svojom inicijativom i znanjem, pružio je Dositej Obradović, jedan od najcenjenijih intelektualaca tog doba, književnik, prosvetitelj, reformator, član Praviteljstvujuščeg sovjeta - prvi ministar prosvete u Srbiji. Njegovom besedom "O dužnom počitaniju k naukam" svečano je otvorena Velika škola, ali i najavljeno novo doba kulturnog i prosvetnog uzdizanja zemlje.

The Great School was initially organized as a combined (classical gymnasium and college) and the first professors, in addition to Dositej and Ivan Jugović were Sima Milutinović-Sarajlija, Miljko Radonjić, Lazar Vojnović and others. After interruptions, due to turbulent times of fight for national independence, with the official decree on Knez Miloš Obrenović, from 1 July 1838, the school renews its work under the name of the Beogradski Licej (Belgrade Lyceum), first in Kragujevac, then in Belgrade (1841), and with the decision by the government on 24th September 1863 it grew into the Great School (establishment of faculties of Law, Philosophy and Engineering - some of the professors were Sima Lozanić, Milan Jovanović-Batut, Mihailo Petrović Alas, Jovan Cvijić, Đura Daničić, Josif Pančić ...). The adoption of the Law on the University, in March 1905, the school was promoted to University (with the right to award doctorates). Selection of teachers was then entrusted to eight full professors, very respected at that time: Jovan Žujović, Sima Lozanić, Jovan Cvijić, Mihailo Petrović Alas, Andra Stevanović, Dragoljub Pavlović, Milić Radovanović and Ljubomir Jovanović./ Škola je u početku bila organizovana kao kombinovana (klasična gimnazija i visoka škola) a prvi profesori, pored Dositeja i Ivana Jugovića, bili su Sima Milutinović Sarajlija, Miljko Radonjić, Lazar Vojnović i drugi. Nakon prekida u radu, tokom turbulentnih perioda borbi za nezavisnost, ukazom kneza Miloša Obrenovića, od 1. jula 1838, škola obnavlja svoj rad pod imenom Licej, prvo u Kragujevcu, zatim u Beogradu (1841), a odlukom vlade, 24. septembra 1863. prerasta u Veliku školu (ustanovljava se Pravni, Filozofski i Tehnički fakultet, profesori su Sima Lozanić, Milan Jovanović-Batut, Mihailo Petrović Alas, Jovan Cvijić, Đura Daničić, Josif Pančić...). Donošenjem Zakona o Univerzitetu, marta 1905. škola prelazi u rang univerziteta (uz pravo dodele titula doktorata), Izbor nastavnog kadra tada je poveren osmorici redovnih profesora, to su bili Jovan Žujović, Sima Lozanić, Jovan Cvijić, Mihailo Petrović Alas, Andra Stevanović, Dragoljub Pavlović, Milić Radovanović i Ljubomir Jovanović.

First professors of the University of Belgrade (1905)

The Amendments to the Law, in 1919 were the beginnings of the establishment of new faculties: Medicine, Theology, and Agriculture (two departments: Agriculture and Forestry). The most credit for the establishment of the Faculty of Agriculture had Sima Lozanić, the professor of Agricultural Chemistry, and the Rector of Belgrade University at the time, with the help of Jovan Žujović, geologists and petrologist, who was also the Minister of Education (In 1930, the Faculty of Agriculture changed its name to the Faculty of Agriculture and Forestry, and in 1949 the Faculty of Forestry was established as independent / The roots of modern science and arts taught at the TMD first began with the establishment of Wood-industrial department (1956), and later continued to develop, following the objective needs, finally with the formation of three sub-departments/concentrations for Technology, Management, and Design (2004)   / Izmenama i dopunama Zakona, 1919. otpočinje aktivnost na osnivanju Medicinskog, Bogoslovskog, i Poljoprivrednog fakulteta sa dva odseka: Poljoprivredni i Šumarski (Najveću zaslugu za osnivanje Poljoprivrednog fakulteta imao je Sima Lozanić, profesor Agrikulturne hemije, tadašnji Rektor Beogradskog Univerziteta, uz pomoć Jovana Žujovića, geologa i petrografa, tada ministra prosvete. Fakultet 1930. menja naziv u Poljoprivredno-šumarski, a 1949. Šumarski se izdvaja kao poseban fakultet. Začeci savremenih nauka i veština koja se izučavaju na odseku TMP otpočeli su su sa formiranjem Drvno-industrijskog odseka (1956),  i kasnije se razvijali, prateći objektivne potrebe, konačno do formiranja tri usmerenja, za tehnologije, menadžment i projektovanje nameštaja i proizvoda od drveta (2004), u obliku koji nam je poznat danas.
                                         

Josif Pančić

Sima Lozanić

Jovan Žujović

During the World.War II classes were suspended, and after the liberation of Belgrade University has re-started its activity, on 5th December 1944, organizing the Commission for the renewal of the University. The members of this Commission were: Siniša Stanković (biologist), Borislav Stevanović (psychologist), Vasa Čubrilović (historian), Sreten Šljivić (physicist), Bajić Baja (psychologist), Jevrem Nedeljković (physiologist),  Jovan Đorđević  (lawyer), Stevan Đelineo (physiologist), Petar Kolendić (literary historian), Aleksandar Leko (chemist) and  Mladen Josifović (Phytopathologist)./ Nastava je bila obustavljena za vreme II sv. rata, a posle oslobođenja Beograda Univerzitet je ponovo počeo sa radom 5. decembra 1944. kada je oformljena Komisija za obnovu Univerziteta. Članovi ove komisije bili su: biolog Siniša Stanković, psiholog Borislav Stevanović, istoričar Vasa Čubrilović, fizičar Sreten Šljivić, psiholog Baja Bajić, fiziolog Jevrem Nedeljković, pravnik Jovan Đorđević, fiziolog Stevan Đelineo, zatim književni istoričar Petar Kolendić, pa hemičar Aleksandar Leko i fitopatolog Mladen Josifović.

From the University of Belgrade emerged University of Skopje (1949), University of Novi Sad (1960), University of Niš (1965), University of Prishtina (1970), University of Podgorica (1974) and the University of Kragujevac (1976). /  Od Univerziteta u Beogradu nastali su Univerzitet u Skoplju (1949), Univerzitet u Novom Sadu (1960), Univerzitet u Nišu (1965), Univerzitet u Prištini (1970), Univerzitet u Podgorici (1974) i Univerzitet u Kragujevcu (1976).

Student Reading Room "Carnegie", Begrade University Library "Svetozar Marković"

Today, the University of Belgrade comprises 31 faculties, 11 research institutes, the University library, and 7 university centres. The faculties are organized into 4 groups: social sciences and humanities; medical sciences; natural sciences and mathematics; and technological sciences. On Shanghai Ranking (ARWU), the University of Belgrade currently ranks between 201st and 300th place, and in 2014 it was ranked 151-200 in the area of mathematics and physics./ Univerzitet u Beogradu danas čine 31 fakultet, 11 naučnih instituta, Univerzitetska biblioteka, i sedam univerzitetskih centara. Na prestižnoj Šangajskoj listi (ARWU) Univerzitet je rangiran u grupi 201-300 mesta. U 2014. u oblasti matematike i fizike bio je rangiran u grupi 151-200 mesta.

"Magic Box", Belgrade University Library "Svetozar Marković"

The Monument in the memory of Dositej Obradović (1914) located in the University park in Belgrade, was the work of respected Croatian sculptor Rudolf Valdec, and among other, it contains the engraved well known words of Dositej ''Iduć' uči, u vekove gleda!" (“Learning in stride, look to the centuries!") / Spomenik Dositeju (1914), sada u Akademskom parku u Beogradu, delo je hrvatskog vajara Rudolfa Valdeca (1911). Pored ostalog, ovaj spomenik krase i Dositejeve poznate reči uklesane u osnovu  "Iduć' uči, u vekove gleda!"

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