Stojan Simić ( Boljevci, 25 March 1797 – Belgrade,

Principality of Serbia The Principality of Serbia ( sr-Cyrl, Књажество Србија, Knjažestvo Srbija) was an autonomous state in the Balkans that came into existence as a result of the Serbian Revolution, which lasted between 1804 and 1817. Its creation wa ...

, 10 March 1852) was a Serbian politician and businessman. He was known as a talented speaker and constitutional defender.

Biography

Early political life

Simić and his younger brother

Aleksa Simić Aleksa Simić (Boljevci, March 18, 1800 – Belgrade, March 17, 1872) was a Serbian politician serving as Prime Minister of Serbia, Prime Minister on three terms and Government Minister on multiple terms. Biography Simić was a part of the ''U ...

were influential in Serbian politics during the first half of the 19th century. Together, they gave financial support for cultural and literary projects. Their father, Đorđe Simić, was a captain of the Rasina under

Karađorđe Đorđe Petrović ( sr-Cyrl, Ђорђе Петровић, ), better known by the sobriquet Karađorđe ( sr-Cyrl, Карађорђе, lit=Black George, ; – ), was a Serbian revolutionary who led the struggle for his country's independ ...

during the

First Serbian Uprising The First Serbian Uprising ( sr, Prvi srpski ustanak, italics=yes, sr-Cyrl, Први српски устанак; tr, Birinci Sırp Ayaklanması) was an uprising of Serbs in the Sanjak of Smederevo against the Ottoman Empire from 14 February 1 ...

. As representative of the newly liberated Serbia at Constantinople, Simić transcribed all of the Sultan's edicts (''Hatišerif'') relating to

Serbia Serbia (, ; Serbian: , , ), officially the Republic of Serbia (Serbian: , , ), is a landlocked country in Southeastern and Central Europe, situated at the crossroads of the Pannonian Basin and the Balkans. It shares land borders with Hungar ...

in three languages: Serbian, French, and Turkish. The work he did there served as a basis for the elaboration of the public law of the Principality of Serbia. Simić suggested he fought for "the free will of the people", and objected to autocracy,

oligarchy Oligarchy (; ) is a conceptual form of power structure in which power rests with a small number of people. These people may or may not be distinguished by one or several characteristics, such as nobility, fame, wealth, education, or corporate, r ...

, and

authoritarianism Authoritarianism is a political system characterized by the rejection of political plurality, the use of strong central power to preserve the political ''status quo'', and reductions in the rule of law, separation of powers, and democratic voti ...

Legacy

Simić received a

golden bull A golden bull or chrysobull was a decree issued by Byzantine Emperors and later by monarchs in Europe during the Middle Ages and Renaissance, most notably by the Holy Roman Emperors. The term was originally coined for the golden seal (a ''bull ...

from the

Ravanica The Ravanica Monastery ( sr, / ) is a Serbian Orthodox monastery on Kučaj mountains near Senje, a village in Ćuprija municipality in Central Serbia. It was built in 1375–1377 as an endowment of prince Lazar of Serbia, who is buried t ...

monastery. He used this in

Walachia Wallachia or Walachia (; ro, Țara Românească, lit=The Romanian Land' or 'The Romanian Country, ; archaic: ', Romanian Cyrillic alphabet: ) is a historical and geographical region of Romania. It is situated north of the Lower Danube and so ...

to assist with the establishment of the Belgrade's Grandes écoles. Simić also had a palace built in the center of Belgrade, which housed the Serbian court from 1842 to 1903, when King Alexander and Queen Draga were assassinated. In 1903, the building was demolished. A new royal palace was built on the same site. The portrait of Simić by

Uroš Knežević Uroš Knežević ( sr-cyr, Урош Кнежевић; 2 January 1811 – 21 October 1876) was a Serbian painter. Knežević is best-known as portraitist, having produced more than 200 portraits, mostly of notable people of his time. Life He ...

is currently in the

National Museum of Belgrade The National Museum of Serbia ( sr, / ) is the largest and oldest museum in Belgrade, Serbia. It is located in the central zone of Belgrade on a square plot between the Republic Square (Belgrade), Republic Square, formerly Theatre Square, and th ...

Brother

Stojan's brother

headed the customs administration (as ''bazrdjanbača'') and performed a variety of functions in the field of culture. At the same time, he served as an intermediary between Prince Miloš and the Turkish authorities in Belgrade. Aleksa Simić also participated in the founding of the Gligorije Vozarević bookstore, the first bookstore in Belgrade. This library formed the basis for the

National Library of Serbia The National Library of Serbia ( sr, Народна библиотека Србије, Narodna biblioteka Srbije) is the national library of Serbia, located in the capital city of Belgrade. It is the biggest library, and oldest institution in Ser ...

. The brothers jointly restored the medieval Naupara monastery, built c. 1381, which was demolished by the Turks in 1454, and remained in ruins until 1835. When the restoration was over, the brothers offered the church a bell, sacred books, and other objects necessary for religious ceremonies.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Simić, Stojan 1797 births 1852 deaths Serbian politicians