Dimitrije Matić (; 18 August 1821 – 17 October 1884) was a Serbian

philosopher Philosophy ('love of wisdom' in Ancient Greek) is a systematic study of general and fundamental questions concerning topics like existence, reason, knowledge, Value (ethics and social sciences), value, mind, and language. It is a rational an ...

, jurist, professor, and politician who served as Minister of Education, Minister of Justice and Minister of Foreign Affairs. He was President of the National Assembly, which ratified the 1878 Treaty of Berlin proclaiming Serbia's independence. He was a liberal-minded philosopher and politician who believed that the rule of force was unacceptable and that governments should promote and support popular education.Daskalov 2013, p. 112 A prominent lawyer, writer and translator, he helped organized the college's law school; a prominent statesman, he secured major reforms in education. Matić was a tireless worker who dedicated his life to the creation of modern Serbia.

Early life and education

Dimitrije Matić was born in 1821 in

Ruma Ruma (; ) is a town and municipality in the Srem District of the Autonomous Province of Vojvodina, Serbia. As of 2022, the town has a population of 27,747, while the municipality has a population of 48,621. History Traces of organized human life ...

, the Kingdom of Slavonia, a province of the

Habsburg monarchy The Habsburg monarchy, also known as Habsburg Empire, or Habsburg Realm (), was the collection of empires, kingdoms, duchies, counties and other polities (composite monarchy) that were ruled by the House of Habsburg. From the 18th century it is ...

within the

Austrian Empire The Austrian Empire, officially known as the Empire of Austria, was a Multinational state, multinational European Great Powers, great power from 1804 to 1867, created by proclamation out of the Habsburg monarchy, realms of the Habsburgs. Duri ...

. His father, Iliya Matić, is said to have participated in the wars against

Napoleon Napoleon Bonaparte (born Napoleone di Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French general and statesman who rose to prominence during the French Revolution and led Military career ...

. His mother Spasenija was the aunt of Vladimir Jovanović. Dimitrije Matić had three brothers Matej, Miloje, and Djordje. Matić completed elementary school in Ruma, a secondary school in

Sremski Karlovci Sremski Karlovci ( sr-Cyrl, Сремски Карловци, ) is a town and municipality located in the South Bačka Districtautonomous province of Vojvodina, Serbia. It is situated on the banks of the Danube, from Novi Sad. According to the 202 ...

before moving to the

Principality of Serbia The Principality of Serbia () was an autonomous, later sovereign state in the Balkans that came into existence as a result of the Serbian Revolution, which lasted between 1804 and 1817. Its creation was negotiated first through an unwritten agre ...

.
He first attended Military School then after being offered a scholarship entered the newly founded

Lyceum The lyceum is a category of educational institution defined within the education system of many countries, mainly in Europe. The definition varies among countries; usually it is a type of secondary school. Basic science and some introduction to ...

. The teachers had been trained abroad in Austria, Switzerland, and France and the classes were taught in Latin and German.
In the summer of 1840, Matić completed his cursus of Philosophy and then a year later his Legal Studies. The same year he moved to Belgrade joining his older brother Matej, who works as a clerk in the office of Prince

Mihailo Obrenović Mihailo ( sr-cyr, Михаило) is a South Slavic masculine given name. It is a variant of the Hebrew name ''Michael'', and its cognates include Mihajlo and Mijailo. Common as a given name among Serbs, it is an uncommon surname. Notable peopl ...

, and entered the civil service. After the

Skupština () is a Serbo-Croatian word for '' assembly'', referring to Parliament. As such, it is used in the name of the following assemblies: * Narodna skupština Srbije, National Assembly of Serbia * Skupština Crne Gore, National Assembly of Montenegro ...

elected Alexander Karađorđević there is a shift of dynasty and Mihailo Obrenović is deposed, Matić left the country with the Prince; during that time Matić lived in the Vrdnik Monastery on

Fruška Gora Fruška gora ( sr-Cyrl, Фрушка гора) is a mountain in Syrmia, with most of the mountain being part of Serbia and its westernmost edge extending into eastern Croatia. The Serbian part of the mountain forms the country's oldest National p ...

mountain returning in 1843. On his return, he starts working as a lawyer and becomes secretary of Captain

Miša Anastasijević Mihailo "Miša" Anastasijević ( sr-cyr, Миша Анастасијевић; February 24, 1803 – January 27, 1885) was a businessman and the second richest man in Serbia in the 19th century, through his successful salt export from Wallachia ...

. Matić received a post-graduate scholarship from the government to study philosophy in

Berlin Berlin ( ; ) is the Capital of Germany, capital and largest city of Germany, by both area and List of cities in Germany by population, population. With 3.7 million inhabitants, it has the List of cities in the European Union by population withi ...

and Law in

Heidelberg Heidelberg (; ; ) is the List of cities in Baden-Württemberg by population, fifth-largest city in the States of Germany, German state of Baden-Württemberg, and with a population of about 163,000, of which roughly a quarter consists of studen ...

. In 1847 he received his Ph.D. degree in philosophy at the

University of Leipzig Leipzig University (), in Leipzig in Saxony, Germany, is one of the world's oldest universities and the second-oldest university (by consecutive years of existence) in Germany. The university was founded on 2 December 1409 by Frederick I, Electo ...

. His doctoral thesis was called: ''Dissertatio de via qua Fichtii, Schellingii, Hegeliique philosophia e speculativa investigatione Kantiana exculta sit;'' it addressed the question of how the philosophy of

Fichte Johann Gottlieb Fichte (; ; 19 May 1762 – 29 January 1814) was a German philosopher who became a founding figure of the philosophical movement known as German idealism, which developed from the theoretical and ethical writings of Immanuel Kan ...

, Schelling and

Hegel Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel (27 August 1770 – 14 November 1831) was a 19th-century German idealism, German idealist. His influence extends across a wide range of topics from metaphysical issues in epistemology and ontology, to political phi ...

developed from

Immanuel Kant Immanuel Kant (born Emanuel Kant; 22 April 1724 – 12 February 1804) was a German Philosophy, philosopher and one of the central Age of Enlightenment, Enlightenment thinkers. Born in Königsberg, Kant's comprehensive and systematic works ...

's speculative thought. Among his professors in Berlin were Hegel's successor Georg Andreas Gabler (1786–1853),

Otto Friedrich Gruppe __NOTOC__ Otto Friedrich Gruppe (15 April 1804 – 7 January 1876) was a German philosopher, scholar-poet and philologist who served as secretary of the Prussian Academy of Arts in Berlin. Poems by Gruppe were set to music by Johannes Brahms, ...

and

Johann Karl Wilhelm Vatke Johann Karl Wilhelm Vatke, known as Wilhelm Vatke (March 14, 1806April 18, 1882) was a German Protestant theologian, born in Behnsdorf, near Magdeburg. After acting as ''Privatdozent'' in Berlin, he was appointed in 1837 professor extraordinarius ...

. He was mostly influenced by his Berlin professor

Karl Ludwig Michelet Karl Ludwig Michelet (4 December 1801 – 15 December 1893)
was a German

Karl Heinrich Rau. After obtaining the approval of the Ministry of Education, he left Heidelberg for Paris to extend his law studies. During the uprising of the Serbs against the force of Hungary, Matić was a member of the People's Committee in Karlovci and participated in organizing the army as deputy secretary of the Military Council, as an elected member of the Main Board at the May Assembly of 1848 he oversaw the proclamation of Serbian Vojvodina. His younger brother Stevan was severely wounded and later died of his wounds in Belgrade.Jovanovic 2008, p. 65.

Law career

Law Professor

He returned to Serbia in 1848 and is appointed Professor of Political Science and Civil Law at the

in Belgrade, he will stay until 1851. Since few textbooks existed, he wrote and printed the Civil Code, the Principles of State Law and the Public Law of Serbia. Dimitrije Matić and Kosta Cukić were both professors at the Lyceum whose lectures captivated the imagination and spoke to the anxieties of the first self-defined liberal generation. While continuing the tradition of cultivating, on the German model, the "Principles of the Rational State Law; as he entitled one of his major works (1851), Matić took the contrasting of the "legal state" to the "police state" one sizable step further by upholding a

Kantian Kantianism () is the philosophy of Immanuel Kant, a German philosopher born in Königsberg, Prussia (now Kaliningrad, Russia). The term ''Kantianism'' or ''Kantian'' is sometimes also used to describe contemporary positions in philosophy of mi ...

notion of "freedom as legality" personal autonomy and rule of law and demanding a definite check on the state's power to interfere with individual freedom. Matić was the first to talk about the "people's rights" (narodna prava), such as personal freedom, political and civil rights, which constituted a "natural limit to the state power"; and about popular representation as to the "organ of the people's rights." A constitutional monarchy with a representative body safeguarding the "people's rights" (not sovereignty) was for Matić the "historical" form of the state that stood closest to the "rational idea of the state". Dimitrije Matić and Kosta Cukić texts and lectures helped lay the theoretical foundations of Serbian liberalism as they criticized the existing political system in Serbia. An entire generation of the future leaders of the Serbian liberal movement were their students, most notably

Jevrem Grujić Jevrem Grujić ( sr-Cyrl, Јеврем Грујић; November 8, 1827 – September 15, 1895) was a Serbian lawyer, politician, and diplomat who played a key role in shaping 19th-century Serbian politics. Known as an ideologue of Serbian liberali ...

, Vladimir Jovanović, and

Jovan Ristić Jovan Ristić ( sr-Cyrl, Јован Ристић; 16 January 1831 – 4 September 1899) was a Serbian politician, diplomat and historian. Biography Ristić was born in Kragujevac in a poor family where he attended elementary school. In 1842 he ...

. Three years later, Matić and Cukić were dismissed from their positions because of what was seen as their negative influence on students. Dimitije Matić is transferred into the administration. He became a member of the Court of Cassation, the highest court in the Serbian judicial system. Together with

Dimitrije Crnobarac Dimitrije (Serbian Cyrillic: Димитрије) is a masculine given name. Dimitrije is a Serbian variant of a Greek name Demetrius. It may refer to: * Dimitrije, Serbian Patriarch (1846–1930) of the Serbian Orthodox Church * Dimitrije Avramovi ...

, he was sent by the Serbian government on a mission to Western countries to learn the judicial organization, and especially the procedure in civil disputes, with the aim to shorten and speed up court proceedings in Serbia. On his return he was tasked with drafting the proposal of the first Serbian university; he also worked in the commission proposing new civil procedures. In 1848 Matić became a member of the Society of Serbian Letters (''Društvo srpske slovesnosti''), a precursor to the

Serbian Academy of Sciences and Arts The Serbian Academy of Sciences and Arts (; , SANU) is a national academy and the most prominent academic institution in Serbia, founded in 1841 as Society of Serbian Letters (, DSS). The Academy's membership has included Nobel Prize, Nobel la ...

. The society was founded in November 1841 to promote the codification of the modern Serbian language, work on the issue of spelling and spread literacy and teaching throughout the country. King Mihailo suspended the activity of the society in 1864 as he suspected some of its members of using its offices to spread liberal ideas. Dimitrije Matić was an honorary member then a permanent member of the Department of Philology and Philosophy then the committee for the spread of science and literature. Matić's History of Philosophy (1865) and "Encyclopaedia of Science" was written within the framework of the Serbian Learned Society.

Ministerial offices

Upon the return of Miloš Obrenović, Dimitrije Matić is appointed Minister of Education on 3 November 1859, in the Government of Cvetko Rajović. In that post, he is succeeded by

Ljubomir Nenadović Ljubomir Nenadović (14 September 1826 – 21 January 1895) was a Serbian writer, poet, translator, diplomat, minister of education and member of the Serbian Royal Academy. Family Ljubomir was born in Brankovina, Valjevo, Principality of Serbi ...

. Matić urged the elderly Prince to create a university. Based on the experience he had gained in foreign universities (Berlin, Heidelberg, Paris) and using the Greek example (Athens University founded in 1837), Matić thinks that he has quite a willing pre-condition for starting a university in Serbia, which he proposes to Prince Miloš. At first, Miloš ordered that Matić's project be implemented immediately but suddenly changes his mind, Matić who could not hide his dissatisfaction with the monarch and resigned in protest from his position. After the death of Miloš and the return of Prince

in September 1860, Matić returned to the cassation court in late 1860, staying until 1862. On 10 June 1868 Prince Mihailo is killed and regency is established to rule in 14-year-old Prince Milan's name; in this three-way appointment,

Milivoje Blaznavac Milivoje Petrović Blaznavac ( sr-cyr, Миливоје Петровић Блазнавац; 16 May 1824 – 5 April 1873) was a Serbian general and politician who served as regent from 1868 to 1872, as well as head of government from 1872 to 1873 ...

and Jovan Ristić played the main role. Dimitrije Matić becomes secretary-general of the State Council. In 1868 Matić became Minister of Education again in the government of

Đorđe Cenić Đorđe Cenić ( sr-Cyrl, Ђорђе Ценић; 6 February 1825, in Belgrade – 7 October 1903, in Vienna) was a Serbian politician, lawyer, professor and academic. Biography Born to a family of Dimitrije Cenić, a prominent trader based in Bel ...

then in the government of

Radivoje Milojković Radivoje Milojković ( sr-Cyrl, Радивоје Милојковић; 9 January 1833 – 16 December 1888) was a Serbian politician. In the aftermath of Prince Mihailo's assassination in 1868, he served as Interior Minister under several Liber ...

. For four years, he was able to organize multiple reforms; opening a higher institution of learning such as Écoles normales supérieures for more advanced education, and the first training college for teachers in the Principality of Serbia, in Kragujevac in 1871. He is also credited for the introduction of physical education in elementary schools when in 1868 he sent a Circular to 207 elementary school teachers recommending them to dedicate 3–4 lessons weekly to

gymnastics Gymnastics is a group of sport that includes physical exercises requiring Balance (ability), balance, Strength training, strength, Flexibility (anatomy), flexibility, agility, Motor coordination, coordination, artistry and endurance. The movem ...

. Matić increased teachers' s salaries and introduced modern methods of teaching. He was also acting minister of Foreign Affair during the period in the government of Đorđe Cenić then in the government of Radivoje Milojković, in 1872 became a member of the State Council again.

Independence of Serbia

Matlć was a member of the delegation that signed a military alliance with Montenegro, before declaring war on Turkey. After the conflict he is a member of the diplomatic corps that negotiated peace with Turkey on 1 March 1877.
On March 3, 1878, The Peace Agreement of San Stefano did not meet the war plans for the expansion of Serbia and caused the dissatisfaction of the Great Powers, which demanded its revision and call for the Congress of Berlin. Serbia tried to attain support for its independence and territorial expansion within the requested borders from many countries. The attempt of the Serbian government to ensure Italian support at the Congress of Berlin was encouraged by the arrival of Italian volunteers who participated In the armed conflict during 1876. The goal or the diplomatic mission and Dimitrije Matić was to ensure Italian support to Serbia, which the Italian representative In Serbia and the Italian government In resignation also supported. The Serbian Prince opted for diplomatic action in Italy and decided to send Dimitrije Matić to

Rome Rome (Italian language, Italian and , ) is the capital city and most populated (municipality) of Italy. It is also the administrative centre of the Lazio Regions of Italy, region and of the Metropolitan City of Rome. A special named with 2, ...

. Matić assessed the audience with King

Umberto I Umberto I (; 14 March 1844 – 29 July 1900) was King of Italy from 9 January 1878 until his assassination in 1900. His reign saw Italy's expansion into the Horn of Africa, as well as the creation of the Triple Alliance among Italy, Germany an ...

as a diplomatic success since he enjoyed all honors and was able to put forward Serbian demands. In 1878 Dimitrije Matić is elected president of the National Assembly of Serbia, which accepted the provisions of the Treaty of Berlin and recognized Serbia's independence; Serbia acquired almost 4,000 square miles (10,360 km) on its southeastern frontier. Serbia remained a principality until 1882, when it became a kingdom.

Minister of justice

At the new Assembly, elected on October 29, 1878, the liberals got an even more convincing majority; Dimitrije Matić became Minister of Justice in the second government of Jovan Ristić. After the Muslims had left, the question of their property occurred, in many cases, the Turks were the landowners, and the Serbian peasants were tilling the soil and they had to give a certain part of the harvest to the Turks. After the Berlin congress, the Serbian Government decided to give that land to the peasants, for Serbia was a country of free peasant's estates, but before that, a temporary solution was found. All of the Turkish state property, as well as the private land of those Muslims, who tilled it by themselves, had been rented out. The peasants who worked on the Turkish private land had to continue to do so until the final solution was found According to article 39 of the Berlin treaty, Muslims, who did not wish to live in Serbia, were allowed to keep their property and to rent it to other people. This article disabled the ceding of the land to peasants without any payments to its owners, and the Serbian government did not have enough money to give compensations to the Turks. Therefore, the government and the Assembly had to agree and a special “agricultural law” was passed by which it was decided that the peasants should pay for the land by themselves. Prices and payment conditions were to be established by a free bargain. The peasants had misused this law in different ways, so the Government was forced to float a loan abroad and to pay off the former landowners

Personal life

Dimitrije Matić was married and had three children: * Colonel Dr. Stevan Matić (1855–1913) * Persida Durić married to General

Dimitrije Đurić Dimitrije Đurić ( sr-Cyrl, Димитрије Ђурић; 29 September 1838 – 19 October 1893) was a Serbian army officer, minister of defence, professor at the military academy and member of the Serbian Royal Academy of Science. He also serve ...

, twice Minister of Defense and professor at the military academy; they had three sons: artillery Captain Milan Đurić (died at the battle of Vranje on March 30, 1911), Miloš and Velizar and four daughters: Stanislava married to Colonel Dr

Roman Sondermajer Colonel Doctor of Medicine, Dr. Roman Sondermajer Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George, CMG (Serbian language, Serbian: ) (28 February 1861– 30 January 1923) was a Royal Serbian Army physician who served as Chief Surgeon of the Ro ...

(children: Lt Col Vladislav Sondermajer, aviation pioneer Tadija Sondermayer,

Stanislav Sondermayer Stanislav "Staško" Sondermajer (5 September 1898 – 5 August 1914) was the youngest Serbian soldier killed at the beginning of the First World War during the Battle of Cer; he died on the battlefield at the age of 15. Early life Stanisla ...

, the youngest hero of the

battle of Cer The Battle of Cer was a military campaign fought between Austria-Hungary and Serbia in August 1914, starting three weeks into the Serbian Campaign of 1914, the initial military action of the First World War. It took place around Cer Mountain an ...

and daughter Jadviga); Dragica Sajnović married to Vladimir Sajnović, Spasenija "Pata" Marković married to Major Djordje Ristić and Ljubica married to Colonel Mihailo Naumović. * Jelena Čolak-Antić married to Colonel

Ilija Čolak-Antić Ilija Čolak-Antić (4 July 1836 – 12 October 1894) was a Serbian Army officer and Defence diplomacy, military diplomat who played a significant role in the Serbian–Turkish Wars (1876–1878), Serbian–Turkish Wars, leading military units a ...

, commander of the Ibar Army (1836–1894), a descendant of Vojvoda

Čolak-Anta Simeonović Čolak-Anta Simeonović (Serbian Cyrillic: Чолак-Анта Симеоновић; 1777–1853) was a Serbian military commander and revolutionary leader who played a significant role in the First Serbian Uprising (1804–1813), the initial ph ...

; they had a daughter, Jovanka and two sons: Boško Čolak-Antić Marshal of the Court under King Peter I and Division General

Vojin Čolak-Antić Vojin I. Čolak-Antić (; 4 August 1877 – 29 July 1945), also spelled Voyin Tcholak-Antitch, was a Serbian senior army officer in the Royal Serbian Army and the Royal Yugoslav Army who held a number of senior commands, staff and diplomatic func ...

married to Mara Grujić, daughter of prime minister

Sava Grujić Sava Grujić ( sr-Cyrl, Сава Грујић, ; 25 November 1840 – 3 November 1913) was a Serbian politician, statesman, general, army officer, and author, serving five times as Prime Minister of Serbia#Kingdom of Serbia (1882–1918), Prime ...

Dimitrije Matić died aged 63 on October 17, 1884, in Belgrade.

Published works

Matić was a prolific and eminent writer in Serbian, German and French, his most important work is The Public Law of the Principality of Serbia. * The Explanation of the Civil Code in three volumes (1850–1851) * Public Law of the Principality of Serbia (1851) * His own diary during his studies in Germany entitled "Đački Dnevnik" (Student's Diary, 1845–1848) * The Principles of Rational State Law according to Heinrich Zoepfl's (1851) (new edition 1995) *Short Review (according to Hegel's Psychology in Encyclopaedia of the Philosophical Sciences) *Translated "The Science of Education" by Gustav Adolf Riecke in three parts (1866–1868)Die wechselseitige Schul-Einrichtung und ihre Anwendung auf Würtemberg.'' Esslingen: Harburger, 1846 (Digitalisate Bibliothek für Bildungsgeschichtliche Forschung, MDZ München)'' *Translated "Machat's Little French Grammar "by Jean Baptise Machat (1854) *Translated "The History of Philosophy" by

Albert Schwegler Albert Schwegler (10 February 18195 January 1857) was a German philosopher and Protestant theologian. Biography Schwegler was born at Michelbach in Württemberg, the son of a country pastor. He entered the University of Tübingen in 1836, and wa ...

in two parts (1865) * Translated "History of Philosophy" by

* Translated "Homage to Marcus Aurelius" by Antoine-Léonard Thomas * Translated "Marcus Aurelius" by Ignaz Aurelius Fessler in three volumes (1844)

Notes

: a. In 1863 when Matić was Secretary-General of the State Council, Captain Miša Anastasijevic donated his magnificent

building A building or edifice is an enclosed Structure#Load-bearing, structure with a roof, walls and window, windows, usually standing permanently in one place, such as a house or factory. Buildings come in a variety of sizes, shapes, and functions, a ...

for the use of education. It is today the

University of Belgrade The University of Belgrade () is a public university, public research university in Belgrade, Serbia. It is the oldest and largest modern university in Serbia. Founded in 1808 as the Belgrade Higher School in revolutionary Serbia, by 1838 it me ...

's administration and governance building.

References

Citations

Bibliography

* * * * * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Matic, Dimitrije 1821 births 1884 deaths 19th-century Serbian philosophers Serbian political philosophers Belgrade Higher School alumni Leipzig University alumni Heidelberg University alumni People from Ruma Politicians of Vojvodina Presidents of the National Assembly (Serbia) Serbian jurists Foreign ministers of Serbia Education ministers of Serbia Justice ministers of Serbia