![Josif milovuk](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/8a/Josif_milovuk.jpg)
Josif Milovuk (
Trpinja, 10 April 1787 –
Pest, 23 August 1850) was a successful Serbian merchant, book publisher,
lithographer
Lithography () is a planographic method of printing originally based on the immiscibility of oil and water. The printing is from a stone (lithographic limestone) or a metal plate with a smooth surface. It was invented in 1796 by the German a ...
, author and one of the founders of
Matica srpska
The Matica srpska ( sr-Cyrl, Матица српска, Matica srpska, la, Matrix Serbica, grc, Μάτιτσα Σρπσκα) is the oldest Serbian language independent, non-profit, non-governmental and cultural-scientific Serbian national inst ...
.
Biography
He was born in the village
Trpinja in
Srem
Syrmia ( sh, Srem/Срем or sh, Srijem/Сријем, label=none) is a region of the southern Pannonian Plain, which lies between the Danube and Sava rivers. It is divided between Serbia and Croatia. Most of the region is flat, with the ex ...
, to father Ilija and mother Pelagija, who died when Josif was nine years old. Even as a young man, he stood out with a strong sense of the cultural and educational progress of the Serbian people.
He attended primary school in his native village, and after finishing high school and ''École Polytechnique'' in
Sremski Karlovci
Sremski Karlovci ( sr-cyrl, Сремски Карловци, ; hu, Karlóca; tr, Karlofça) is a town and municipality located in the South Bačka District of the autonomous province of Vojvodina, Serbia. It is situated on the banks of the Danu ...
in 1814, Milovuk moved to
Pest, where he began to trade.
After arriving in Pest, he started trading in canvas and then began collecting books, establishing contact with Serbian writers, and opening a bookstore. He published the books at his own expense and then sold them. Due to poor book sales at the time, he published advertisements informing the people about the printing of books, price, length and short contents of books.
In 1821, he collected subscribers for
Vuk Karadžić
Vuk Stefanović Karadžić ( sr-Cyrl, Вук Стефановић Караџић, ; 6 November 1787 (26 October OS)7 February 1864) was a Serbian philologist, anthropologist and linguist. He was one of the most important reformers of the moder ...
's "Narodne pesme".
He married Macarena Božitovac in 1822, who bore him three children, Milan, Dušan and Danica. Their best man was the merchant Georgije Stanković, and the second witness (''stari svat'') was Andrija Jovanović. Only after his marriage did he become a citizen
Pest, although he had lived there since 1814.
He was a contemporary and friend of
Vuk Karadžić
Vuk Stefanović Karadžić ( sr-Cyrl, Вук Стефановић Караџић, ; 6 November 1787 (26 October OS)7 February 1864) was a Serbian philologist, anthropologist and linguist. He was one of the most important reformers of the moder ...
,
Sava Mrkalj,
Jovan Sterija Popović
Jovan Sterija Popović (; sr-cyr, Јован Стерија Поповић; 13 January 1806 – 10 March 1856) was a Serbian playwright, poet, lawyer, philosopher and pedagogue who taught at the Belgrade Higher School. Sterija was recognized by ...
and
Joakim Vujić.
''Letopis'' and Matica srpska
In addition to trading and collecting books, Josif Milovuk helped many writers publish their works. After he was about to shut down his operation owing to low income but instead, he took the ''Letopis''
Matica Srpska
The Matica srpska ( sr-Cyrl, Матица српска, Matica srpska, la, Matrix Serbica, grc, Μάτιτσα Σρπσκα) is the oldest Serbian language independent, non-profit, non-governmental and cultural-scientific Serbian national inst ...
over, under the same conditions for its editor
Georgije Magarašević
Georgije Magarašević (Adaševci, 10 September 1793 – Novi Sad, 6 January 1830), was a Serbian writer, historian, bibliographer, editor and publisher, dramatist, translator and collector of folk proverbs. He belongs to the same generation of ...
, under which it was issued until then. Milovuk paid Georgije Magarašević for the first issue of the magazine in 1826 and spent
royalties for the next two. Due to the weak financial situation, he decided not to publish the
Matica srpska
The Matica srpska ( sr-Cyrl, Матица српска, Matica srpska, la, Matrix Serbica, grc, Μάτιτσα Σρπσκα) is the oldest Serbian language independent, non-profit, non-governmental and cultural-scientific Serbian national inst ...
organ ''Letopis'' alone, so together with his brother-in-law
Gavrilo Bozitovac, he invested more money. After that, on 18 January 1826, Milovuk invited the participation of traders, buyers, and merchants from Pest,
Petar Rajić,
Jovan Demetrović Jovan may refer to:
*Jovan (given name), a list of people with this given name
*Jovan, Mawal, a village on the western coastal region of Maharashtra, India
* Jōvan Musk, a cologne
*Deli Jovan, a mountain in eastern Serbia
*Róbert Jován (born 196 ...
,
Andrej Rozmirović, and
Djordje Stanković. Everyone accepted Milovuk's idea but still showed some caution. Although the previous agreement was "that there is no championship over the other",
Jovan Hadžić
Jovan Hadžić ( sr-cyr, Јован Хаџић, pseudonym Miloš Svetić; 8 September 1799 – 28 April 1869) was a Serbian writer, legislator and initiator, that is, the principal co-founder of the Serbian cultural society ''Matica Srpska''. He ...
demanded at the founding meeting that "one chairman be appointed". The merchants did not like that, but they did not want to hinder the final formation of that patriotic society. During the meeting, after investing some 700
forints
The forint ( sign Ft; code HUF) is the currency of Hungary. It was formerly divided into 100 fillér, but fillér coins are no longer in circulation. The introduction of the forint on 1 August 1946 was a crucial step in the post-World War II sta ...
. In a "chest", the company was named
Matica srpska
The Matica srpska ( sr-Cyrl, Матица српска, Matica srpska, la, Matrix Serbica, grc, Μάτιτσα Σρπσκα) is the oldest Serbian language independent, non-profit, non-governmental and cultural-scientific Serbian national inst ...
, Jovan Hadžić was elected president, Josif Milovuk was elected general manager, and Jovan Demetrović was elected treasurer (he had a wooden chest, which was opened with two keys), and Gavrilo Bozitovac and Djordje Stanković for "locksmiths of a multi-story chest" (each with one key).
At the very beginning of their work at ''Matica'', a problem arose regarding its legal status. Josif Milovuk was in favour of immediately asking for a work permit in
Vienna
en, Viennese
, iso_code = AT-9
, registration_plate = W
, postal_code_type = Postal code
, postal_code =
, timezone = CET
, utc_offset = +1
, timezone_DST ...
, and Hadžić, as president, was against it. That is why Milovuk, at a meeting on 3 May 1826, with two other founders, "erased himself from the number of contributors." Those who belonged to Matica Hadžić and Andrej Rozmirović returned, and after only three months, although deserving as founders, they stopped being members of ''Matica''.
Due to his disagreement with Jovan Hadžić, Milovuk left ''Matica srpska'', turned around and established cooperation with Vuk Karadžić and published his works, "Miloš Obrenović, Prince of Serbia" and "Danica". The disagreement and conflict with Jovan Hadžić became even greater because he was an opponent of "Vuk's reform". Milovuk devoted himself entirely to publishing; he published works by
Sima Milutinović Sarajlija
Simeon "Sima" Milutinović "Sarajlija" ( sr-cyr, Симеон "Сима" Милутиновић "Сарајлија", ; 3 October 1791 – 30 December 1847) was a poet, hajduk, translator, historian and adventurer. Literary critic Jovan Skerlić ...
,
Dositej Obradović
Dositej Obradović ( sr-Cyrl, Доситеј Обрадовић; 17 February 1739 – 7 April 1811) was a Serbian writer, biographer, diarist, philosopher, pedagogue, educational reformer, linguist, polyglot and the first minister of education ...
,
Jovan Sterija Popović
Jovan Sterija Popović (; sr-cyr, Јован Стерија Поповић; 13 January 1806 – 10 March 1856) was a Serbian playwright, poet, lawyer, philosopher and pedagogue who taught at the Belgrade Higher School. Sterija was recognized by ...
and many others.
Together with Gavrilo Bozitovac, who also resigned from
Matica srpska
The Matica srpska ( sr-Cyrl, Матица српска, Matica srpska, la, Matrix Serbica, grc, Μάτιτσα Σρπσκα) is the oldest Serbian language independent, non-profit, non-governmental and cultural-scientific Serbian national inst ...
, he published a large number of works by Serbian authors, almanacs, and maps. In 1826, they published "Hristoitija" and "Venac od alfavita" by
Dositej Obradović
Dositej Obradović ( sr-Cyrl, Доситеј Обрадовић; 17 February 1739 – 7 April 1811) was a Serbian writer, biographer, diarist, philosopher, pedagogue, educational reformer, linguist, polyglot and the first minister of education ...
, and in 1826, "Characteristics or descriptions of the people living in the whole country of Avram Branković". In addition to all that, Milovuk himself published "Zorica", the book
Sima Milutinović Sarajlija
Simeon "Sima" Milutinović "Sarajlija" ( sr-cyr, Симеон "Сима" Милутиновић "Сарајлија", ; 3 October 1791 – 30 December 1847) was a poet, hajduk, translator, historian and adventurer. Literary critic Jovan Skerlić ...
, ''Imeslov'' or Dictionary of personal names of various Slavic peoples "(1828)
Jovan Pačić and
Ján Kollár
Ján Kollár ( hu, Kollár János; 29 July 1793 – 24 January 1852) was a Slovak writer (mainly poet), archaeologist, scientist, priest, politician, and main ideologist of Pan-Slavism.
Life
He studied at the Lutheran Lyceum in Pressburg ( ...
, "Prince Lazar, Tsar of Serbia" (1831) by Jefta Popović, "Life and Knightly Wars of the Glorious Prince of Epirus George Kastriot Skenderbeg" (1827),
Jovan Sterija Popović
Jovan Sterija Popović (; sr-cyr, Јован Стерија Поповић; 13 January 1806 – 10 March 1856) was a Serbian playwright, poet, lawyer, philosopher and pedagogue who taught at the Belgrade Higher School. Sterija was recognized by ...
, "Vladimir and Kosara" (1829),
Laza K. Lazarević.
Vuk Stefanović Karadžić helped to publish "Danica" in 1829, and he wrote him a dedication in the entertainer as a token of gratitude. As a sign of gratitude,
Jovan Hadžić
Jovan Hadžić ( sr-cyr, Јован Хаџић, pseudonym Miloš Svetić; 8 September 1799 – 28 April 1869) was a Serbian writer, legislator and initiator, that is, the principal co-founder of the Serbian cultural society ''Matica Srpska''. He ...
(under the pseudonym "
Miloš Svetić") also wrote "Ode to Master Josif Milovuk".
In 1833, Milovuk tried to found the "Society Of Serbian Letters" (Literary Society) and on
St. George's Day gathered a large number of interested people, among whom were
Jovan Vilovski, Slovak
Ján Kollár
Ján Kollár ( hu, Kollár János; 29 July 1793 – 24 January 1852) was a Slovak writer (mainly poet), archaeologist, scientist, priest, politician, and main ideologist of Pan-Slavism.
Life
He studied at the Lutheran Lyceum in Pressburg ( ...
,
Laza K. Lazarević, but they did not get the consent of the
Austrian emperor
The Emperor of Austria (german: Kaiser von Österreich) was the ruler of the Austrian Empire and later the Austro-Hungarian Empire. A hereditary imperial title and office proclaimed in 1804 by Holy Roman Emperor Francis II, a member of the Hou ...
, who estimated that such a society would encourage the awakening of the Serbian national consciousness.
["Pravda", Belgrade, 29 July 1933]
In 1827, he donated a large number of books to the library of the church community in
Pest, and was one of the 48 contributors to the Belgrade City Library, which he founded with
Gligorije Vozarović Gligorije ( sr, Глигорије) is a masculine given name. It may refer to:
* Gligorije Elezović (1879–1960), Serbian historian
*Gligorije Trlajić (1766–1811), Serbian writer, poet, polyglot and professor
{{given name
See also
* Grigori ...
in 1832.
See also
*
Matica srpska
The Matica srpska ( sr-Cyrl, Матица српска, Matica srpska, la, Matrix Serbica, grc, Μάτιτσα Σρπσκα) is the oldest Serbian language independent, non-profit, non-governmental and cultural-scientific Serbian national inst ...
*
Jovan Hadžić
Jovan Hadžić ( sr-cyr, Јован Хаџић, pseudonym Miloš Svetić; 8 September 1799 – 28 April 1869) was a Serbian writer, legislator and initiator, that is, the principal co-founder of the Serbian cultural society ''Matica Srpska''. He ...
References
{{authority control
1787 births
1850 deaths
People from Vukovar-Srijem County
People from Pest, Hungary
Businesspeople from Budapest
Booksellers (people)