Jovan M. Žujović (
Serbian Cyrillic
The Serbian Cyrillic alphabet (, ), also known as the Serbian script, (, ), is a standardized variation of the Cyrillic script used to write the Serbian language. It originated in medieval Serbia and was significantly reformed in the 19th cen ...
: Јован M. Жујовић; 18 October 1856 – 19 July 1936) was a Serbian
geologist
A geologist is a scientist who studies the structure, composition, and History of Earth, history of Earth. Geologists incorporate techniques from physics, chemistry, biology, mathematics, and geography to perform research in the Field research, ...
and
anthropologist
An anthropologist is a scientist engaged in the practice of anthropology. Anthropologists study aspects of humans within past and present societies. Social anthropology, cultural anthropology and philosophical anthropology study the norms, values ...
, known as a pioneer in
geology
Geology (). is a branch of natural science concerned with the Earth and other astronomical objects, the rocks of which they are composed, and the processes by which they change over time. Modern geology significantly overlaps all other Earth ...
,
paleontology
Paleontology, also spelled as palaeontology or palæontology, is the scientific study of the life of the past, mainly but not exclusively through the study of fossils. Paleontologists use fossils as a means to classify organisms, measure ge ...
and
craniometry
Craniometry is measurement of the cranium (the main part of the skull), usually the human cranium. It is a subset of cephalometry, measurement of the head, which in humans is a subset of anthropometry, measurement of the human body. It is d ...
in
Serbia
, image_flag = Flag of Serbia.svg
, national_motto =
, image_coat = Coat of arms of Serbia.svg
, national_anthem = ()
, image_map =
, map_caption = Location of Serbia (gree ...
. He was a professor at
Belgrade University, president of the
Serbian Royal Academy and the first president of the Serbian Geological Society.
Biography
He was born in
Brusnica as the son of Mladen Žujović, head of the Rudnik district (1811-1894) and Jelena, née Danić. He completed elementary school in
Nemenikuće
Nemenikuće ( sr-cyrl, Неменикуће) is a village in the Sopot, Serbia, Sopot City Municipality, City municipality, in the suburban area of Belgrade, Serbia. It had a population of 1833 by the 2022 census. It is located on the slopes of ...
and
Belgrade
Belgrade is the Capital city, capital and List of cities in Serbia, largest city of Serbia. It is located at the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers and at the crossroads of the Pannonian Basin, Pannonian Plain and the Balkan Peninsula. T ...
, high school in Belgrade, and then the department of natural sciences of the
Great School (1877).
After studying in Paris, he returned to Serbia and became the first Serb to scientifically research geology of Serbia and at the time neighbouring countries. Before Žujović, only two other scientists showed any interest in geology of Serbia,
Johann Gottfried Herder
Johann Gottfried von Herder ( ; ; 25 August 174418 December 1803) was a Prussian philosopher, theologian, pastor, poet, and literary critic. Herder is associated with the Age of Enlightenment, ''Sturm und Drang'', and Weimar Classicism. He wa ...
and
Ami Boué.
As the first educated geologist in Serbia, he was elected in 1880 as a substitute at the Department of Mineralogy with Geology at the Great School in Belgrade. This was the beginning of the modern geological school in Serbia. In addition to mineralogy and geology, he also started teaching paleontology. He brought the first polarizing microscope from Paris and introduced microscopic examinations of our soil. He became a full professor at the Great School in 1883. In a relatively short time (1880-1900), he produced a geological map of Serbia and wrote basic geology textbooks.
He founded the Geological Institute of the Great School (1889), launched the first geological journal in Serbia, "Geological Annals of the Balkan Peninsula" (1889), founded the Serbian Geological Society (1891). And everything that Žujović founded back then still exists today. He is one of the founders of the Museum of Serbian Land (today's
Museum of Natural History, Belgrade). He introduced agrogeology at the Faculty of Agriculture, for the establishment of which he is also very responsible. He was also professor of applied geology at the Technical Faculty after the First World War. He published his scientific works in many foreign and domestic publications. He was one of the founding members and a member of the first Board of the Serbian Archaeological Society in 1883.
During the founding of the Serbian Royal Academy, King
Milan I of Serbia appointed the first 16 members of the academy by decree on April 5, 1887. Among them was Jovan Žujović, as the youngest. According to the customs of the time, he became the secretary of the academy. After the death of
Stojan Novaković, he became the president of the Serbian Royal Academy on April 2, 1915. He held this position for six years, until 1921.
When the University of Belgrade was founded in 1905, he was chosen as a full professor, one of the eight who then chose the entire teaching staff of the university. Also, during the ceremonial opening of the university, he gave a speech on behalf of the Serbian Royal Academy.
On top of geology Žujović is known for his work in
anthropology
Anthropology is the scientific study of humanity, concerned with human behavior, human biology, cultures, society, societies, and linguistics, in both the present and past, including archaic humans. Social anthropology studies patterns of behav ...
. In his book, ''Stone Age'', published in 1893, relying mostly on French scientists, he reviewed the contemporary state of knowledge in
paleoanthropology
Paleoanthropology or paleo-anthropology is a branch of paleontology and anthropology which seeks to understand the early development of anatomically modern humans, a process known as hominization, through the reconstruction of evolutionary kinsh ...
. Later, between 1927, and 1929, in the book ''Genesis of the Earth and Our Country'', he wrote about the biological past of the
Earth
Earth is the third planet from the Sun and the only astronomical object known to Planetary habitability, harbor life. This is enabled by Earth being an ocean world, the only one in the Solar System sustaining liquid surface water. Almost all ...
starting from the beginning of mankind. The work takes particular interest in the history of the
Balkan
The Balkans ( , ), corresponding partially with the Balkan Peninsula, is a geographical area in southeastern Europe with various geographical and historical definitions. The region takes its name from the Balkan Mountains that stretch throug ...
peninsula
A peninsula is a landform that extends from a mainland and is only connected to land on one side. Peninsulas exist on each continent. The largest peninsula in the world is the Arabian Peninsula.
Etymology
The word ''peninsula'' derives , . T ...
.
Žujović's life's work "Geology of Serbia" was printed in 1893. With this work, Žujović covered everything that was necessary for the territory of Serbia to be considered a geologically explored area. Serbia then became one of the few European countries that were completely geologically explored in the 19th century.
Beside Serbian Royal Academy, Žujović was also a member of
Yugoslav Academy of Sciences and Arts and
Hungarian Academy of Sciences
The Hungarian Academy of Sciences ( , MTA) is Hungary’s foremost and most prestigious learned society. Its headquarters are located along the banks of the Danube in Budapest, between Széchenyi rakpart and Akadémia utca. The Academy's primar ...
as well as geological society in
Kiev
Kyiv, also Kiev, is the capital and most populous List of cities in Ukraine, city of Ukraine. Located in the north-central part of the country, it straddles both sides of the Dnieper, Dnieper River. As of 1 January 2022, its population was 2, ...
,
Ukraine
Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It is the List of European countries by area, second-largest country in Europe after Russia, which Russia–Ukraine border, borders it to the east and northeast. Ukraine also borders Belarus to the nor ...
.
In Serbian politics, he was a devoted democrat, Senator in 1901 and the member of the People's Radical Party of
Nikola Pašić. After 1905, Žujović joined the Independent Radical Party of
Ljubomir Stojanović
Ljubomir Stojanović ( sr-cyr, Љубомир Стојановић, sometimes mentioned as ''Ljuba Stojanovic'') (6 August 1860, Užice – 16 June 1930) was a Serbian politician, philologist and academic.
Biography
Stojanović was a philologist ...
. In the government of Independent Radicals, Žujović was a Minister of Foreign Affairs from 12 August to 15 December 1905. Also, Žujović held the post of Minister of Education and Religious Affairs on two occasions, from 16 May to 30 July 1905, and from 11 October 1909 to 12 September 1910.
Žujović had two brothers, Milenko Žujović, who authored books on
jurisprudence
Jurisprudence, also known as theory of law or philosophy of law, is the examination in a general perspective of what law is and what it ought to be. It investigates issues such as the definition of law; legal validity; legal norms and values ...
, and Dr. Jevrem Žujović, whose
mentor
Mentorship is the patronage, influence, guidance, or direction given by a mentor. A mentor is someone who teaches or gives help and advice to a less experienced and often younger person. In an organizational setting, a mentor influences the perso ...
was
Jean Alfred Fournier.
Jovan Žujović, geologist, researcher, politician, diplomat, erudite, scientist who marked the golden age of Serbian geology, died on July 19, 1936 in Belgrade.
Selected works
*''Geologische Uebersicht des Koenigreiches Serbien'', Wien, 1886.
*''Петрографска минералогија'', 1887;
*''Петрографија --'', 1889, 1895;
*''Основи за геологију Краљевине Србије'', 1889;
*''Sur les roches éruptives de la Serbie'', Paris, 1893.
*''Sur les terrains sédimentaires de la Serbie'', Paris, 1893.
*''Геологија Србије''
eology of SerbiaI-II, Belgrade 1893, 1900.
*''Општа геологија''
eneral Geology Belgrade 1923.
*''Les roches eruptives de la Serbie'', Paris, 1924.
*''Постање земље и наше домовине --'', 1927, 1929;
*''Снабдевање села водом. Извори и бунари'', 1931.
Legacy
Žujović was decorated
Legion of Honour
The National Order of the Legion of Honour ( ), formerly the Imperial Order of the Legion of Honour (), is the highest and most prestigious French national order of merit, both military and Civil society, civil. Currently consisting of five cl ...
,
Order of St Sava,
Order of the White Eagle and several French and Bulgarian decorations.
He is included in
The 100 most prominent Serbs.
See also
*
Sima Lozanić
*
Svetolik Radovanović
*
Sava Urošević
*
Vladimir K. Petković
*
Jovan Cvijić
Jovan Cvijić ( sr-Cyrl, Јован Цвијић, ; 1865 – 16 January 1927) was a Serbs, Serbian geographer, Ethnology, ethnologist, university professor and academic.
He was the president of the Serbian Academy of Sciences and Arts, S ...
*
Petar Pavlović
*
Mihailo Petrović Alas
Mihailo Petrović Alas ( sr-Cyrl, Михаило Петровић Алас; 6 May 1868 – 8 June 1943), was a Serbian mathematicians, mathematician and inventor. He was also a distinguished professor at Belgrade University, an academic, fisherma ...
*
Ljubomir Jovanović
*
Jelenko Mihailović
*
Milan Nedeljković
*
Milorad Dimitrijević-Kvaks
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Žujović, Jovan
1856 births
1936 deaths
People from Gornji Milanovac
Vasojevići
Serbian anthropologists
Members of the Serbian Academy of Sciences and Arts
University of Belgrade Faculty of Philosophy alumni
Rectors of the University of Belgrade
Paleontology in Serbia
Serbian paleontologists
Burials at Belgrade New Cemetery
Education ministers of Serbia
People from the Kingdom of Serbia
University of Paris alumni