Portrait of Jovan Cvijic by Uros Predic Jovan Cvijic (Serbian Јован Цвијић) (1865. - 1927.), greatest Serbian geographer, president of Serbian Royal Academy, rector of Belgrade University
Jovan Cvijic was born on october 11. (september 29. by old calendar) 1865. in Loznica (Лозница). His father was Todor Cvijic, merchant by ocupation. His mother was Marija, maiden name Avramovic, from Korenita, village in Jadar area, which is close to Tronosa Monastery and Trsic, village where Vuk Stefanovic Karadzic was born. He finished primary school in Loznica, and lower gimnasium in Loznica and Sabac. Cvijic finished higher gimnasium in Belgrade, in First Belgrade Gimnasium.
When he finished gimnasium in year 1884, Cvijic wanted to study medicine aboard, but his municipality couldn't pay his scholarship. His professor from Sabac gimnasium, Vladimir Karic, suggested him to attend geography lectures on Great School in Belgrade. Cvijic did that, and entered the Nature-mathematics section of Great School. He finished his studies in the year of 1888. For one school-year he was lecturer in Second Belgrade Gimnasium. After that, in 1889. he started studies of physical geography and geology on Wienna University with state scolarship. Cvijic finished his studies in Wienna in 1892, and in 1893. he defended his doctor disertation on subject Das Karstphänomen on the same university.
March, 1893. he became regular professor of Phylosophy Faculty of Great School in Belgrade. First he held physical geography and etnography lectures, and later only geography lectures.
He started scientific work as student of Great School, when he wrote work Appendix to our geographical terminology, and continued as high-school professor, and student in Wienna, when he examined geography of eastern Serbia, Istra and Adriatic and on this topic he wrote several works and his disertation. His whole life he dedicated to examination of Serbia and Balkans, and he almost every year traveled across Balkans.
Exept in pure geography, Cvijic is known by his work in geology (geomorphology, tectonics, paleogeology, neotectonics). His monography about carst generated very positive reviews in Europian scientific circles, and his speech about structure and classification of mountins on Balkan peninsula based on geology-tectonic knowledge made him famous as first Southern-Slavic geotektonist. He always included geology in his geography works. His two books named Geomorphology are actual even today, and represent outstanding base for modern research. He also explored Balkan psychology types.
1905, when Belgrade University was founded, he was among first eight regular professors, who elected the rest of the staff.
He founded Geography college of Phylosophy Faculty in 1893. and was on head of in from the start until the year of 1927. Together with other geographers and natural scientists je founded Serbian Geography Society 1910. in Belgrade. He was president president of this society until he died. He was twice rector of Belgrade University 1906/07 and 1919/20.
Cvijic was World-wide known scientists, and received many acknowledgements. He became associate of Serbian Royal Academy on february the 5-th 1896, and full member on february the 4-th, 1899. By the act he became a president of Serbian Royal Academy, on april the 12-th 1921. He held this position for the rest of his life. Beside this, he was associate of USSR Science Academy, Yugoslav Acedemy of Sciences and Arts, Science association Parnasos (Athens), onorable doctor on Sorbona and Czech University (Prague). He was onorable member of many geographical, etnographical, natural science, and other associations across the World (Petrograd, Budapest, Bucharest, ...). He received English, French and American medal for scientific achievments.
For more than 30 years of intense scientific works, he published many significant works. One of most important is Balkan peninsula.
More important (geological) work:
- Geography researches in area of Kucaj in Eastern Serbia, 1893;
- Das Karstphänomen, 1893, Wien;
- Karst, 1895;
- Structure and classification of Balkan peninsula mountains, 1902;
- Die Tektonik der Balkanhalbinsel mit besonderer Berückichtigung der neueren Fortschritte in der Kenntnis der Geologie von Bulgarien, Serbien und Mazedonien, 1904, Wien;
- Fondaments of geography and geology of Macedonia and old Serbia I-III, 1906-1911;
- Grundlinien der Geographie und Geologie von Mazedonien und Alt-Serbien. Nebst Beobachtungen in Thrazien, Thessalien, Epirus und Nordalbanien, 1908, Gotha;
- Lake plastics of Sumadija, 1909;
- Geomorphology I-II, 1924, 1926.
Over 30 years he traveled through Balkans, which resulted in number of works, and founding "anthropogeographic school".
Typical for his work is influence of climates and geography on human built (morphology) and Cvijic was among first to emphasize that human is ekosensibile creature. When it comes to forming of antropology types Cvijic underlines social structure (ocupation), endogamy and egsogamy and migration as primary factors. Particulary strong is influence of geography enviroment on etnophychological caracteristics of population Basic concepts of this state, Cvijic gave in his work Antropogeographical problam of Balkan peninsula, whick is further elaborated in work Balkan peninsula and Southern-Slavic countries (Cvijic, J.: Balkan peninsula and Southern-Slavic countries, II, Belgrade 1931.). This work was first published in French language, and in 1922 expanded and printed in Serbian. Etnopsychological typisation that Cvijic gave in this works, was ideologically severely criticized after WWII in Yugoslavia.
He died on january, 16. 1927, in Belgrade, at age 62.
On november 21. and 22. 2002, Serbian Academy of Sciences and Arts organised a scientific meeting Social-political work of Jovan Cvijic (http://www.sanu.ac.yu/ciril/skupovi/cvijic.htm)
There is Jovan Cvijic Memorial museum (http://www.mgb.org.yu/srp/pmuz/cvijic/cvijic.htm) in his family house in Belgrade (Jelena Cetkovic street 5). This house was built in 1905. and since 1963. is under protecton of state. In this house is legacy of Jovan Cvijic with 1463 items.
There is geographic institute Jovan Cvijic in Belgrade, number of schools and streets in Serbia are named after him. He even entered Djordje Balasevic's (famos singer in Serbia) song (Some new kids: And in Jovan Cvijic's street some new kids grow now...). Without a doubt Jovan Cvijic is bigest and most significant Serbian geographer. His students continued his work, and six of them later became members of Serbian Academy. Their names are:
Pavle Vujevic, Borivoje Z. Milojevic, ..., Milisav Lutovac.
His life was particulary researched by geographer Milorad Vasovic who wrote a book Jovan Cvijic - scientist, public worker, statesman on 454 pages, 1994.
Jovan Cvijic works on Internet
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