Pregled radova o osnivanju Narodne biblioteka Srbije

Sažetak

Pitanje o vremenu osnivanja Narodne biblioteke Srbije predstavlja jedno od najsloženijih pitanja u oblasti proučavanja istorijskog razvoja ove značajne ustanove. Tim pitanjem su se bavili mnogi istraživači, koji su u svojim radovima iznosili raznovrsne pretpostavke i zaključke. Ovim preglednim radom će biti prikazan razvoj predmetnih istraživanja u pomenutoj oblasti, sa posebnim težištem na naučnim i stručnim radovima u kojima su razmatrana pojedina specifična pitanja, koja se odnose na pribavljanje prvih knjiga (1830), uređenje knjižnog fonda pri državnoj štampariji (1831), ustanovljenje obaveznog primerka, osnivanje biblioteke u knjižari Gligorija Vozarovića (1832) i formiranje objedinjenog knjižnog fonda pri Ministarstvu prosvete (1838). Takođe će biti ukazano na odnos istraživača prema naučnom preispitivanju dva ključna pitanja, od kojih se prvo odnosi na postanak knjižnih fondova, čijim je postepenim objedinjavanjem nastao prvobitni fond Narodne biblioteke, a drugo na institucionalno formiranje same bibliotečke ustanove.

Ključne reči: Narodna biblioteka Srbije, osnivanje biblioteke, istoriografija, radovi o biblioteci.

Abstract

The question of the time when the National Library of Serbia was founded is one of the most complex questions in the field of studying the historical development of this important institution. This issue has been addressed by many researchers, who presented various assumptions and conclusions in their works. This review paper will present the development of subject research in the mentioned field, with a special focus on scientific and professional papers in which some specific issues were considered, related to the acquisition of the first books (1830), the arrangement of the book fund at the state printing house (1831), the establishment of a legal deposit, the establishment of a library in the bookshop of Gligorije Vozarović (1832) and the formation of a unified book fund at the Ministry of Education (1838). Attention will also be pointed out to the attitude of researchers towards the scientific review of two key issues, the first of which refers to the creation of book collections that with its gradual unification, the original book collection of the National Library was created, while the second refers to the institutional formation of the library institution itself.

Keywords: National Library of Serbia, founding of the library, historiography, works about the library.

Narodna biblioteka Srbije (u daljem tekstu: NBS) predstavlja jednu od najznačajnijih ustanova kulture u Republici Srbiji, a zajedno sa ostalim centralnim (nacionalnim) bibliotekama sa područja nekadašnje zajedničke države (Jugoslavije) spada u red najvažnijih bibliotečkih ustanova na širem prostoru jugoistočne Evrope. Proučavanje istorijskog razvoja NBS zauzima posebno mesto u oblasti proučavanja istorije bibliotekarstva u Srbiji, tako da je prošlost ove ustanove bila predmet brojnih istraživanja, kako onih koja su bila fokusirana na razna specifična pitanja, tako i onih u kojima je istorija NBS bila obrađivana u celini (Kićović, 1960; Durković-Jakšić, 1963; Kovijanić, 1990; Ristić, 2016).

Jedan od najvećih izazova, sa kojim su se suočavali mnogi istraživači koji su se bavili proučavanjem prošlosti NBS, predstavljalo je pitanje o vremenu i načinu osnivanja ove ustanove. Tim povodom su iznošene razne pretpostavke, koje su se zasnivale na različitom tumačenju dostupnih istorijskih izvora (Mitrović 1977).

Neke od pomenutih pretpostavki iznošene su u naučnim radovima, dok su se druge pojavljivale izvan užih stručnih okvira, prvenstveno u informativnoj publicistici. Pošto naučni radovi imaju primarni značaj za razvoj predmetnih istraživanja, ovaj pregledni rad će biti baziran prvenstveno na analizi stručne literature.1

U naučnoj literaturi postoji saglasnost da su povoljni uslovi za nastanak i razvoj savremenih ustanova kulture u Kneževini Srbiji stvoreni tek nakon dobijanja sultanovog hatišerifa iz 1830. godine. Tim visokim pravnim aktom ozvaničena je unutrašnja autonomija u mnogim oblastima političkog i društvenog života, uključujući i pravo na autonomno uređivanje raznih pitanja u oblasti vođenja kulturne politike (Ljušić, 1986: 396).

Do tog vremena, na području Kneževine Srbije postojale su samo “starinske” biblioteke, prvenstveno pri pojedinim manastirima, kao i privatne zbirke knjiga u vlasništvu viđenijih ličnosti, a u toku je bio i proces spontanog formiranja priručnih biblioteka pri pojedinim nadleštvima. Javnih biblioteka nije bilo, tako da je uporedo sa dobijanjem autonomije pokrenut rad na pribavljanju novih izdanja, u cilju stvaranja knjižnih fondova. U stručnoj literaturi postoji saglasnost da je pitanje o potrebi formiranja savremenih knjižnih fondova u Kneževini Srbiji razmatrano već tokom 1830. i 1831. godine, što je posvedočeno i tadašnjom službenom prepiskom, koja je sačuvana fragmentarno (Ristić, 2016: 22).

Nasuprot tome, među istraživačima ne postoji saglasnost o tačnom vremenu i načinu osnivanja centralne državne biblioteke, što je posledica različitog tumačenja dostupnih podataka iz primarnih istorijskih izvora (Mitrović, 1977). Reč je o izvorima koji se odnose na vreme i način formiranja pojedinih knjižnih fondova, iz kojih se tokom vremena razvio fond centralne biblioteke. Razlike postoje i u načelnim pitanjima, koja se odnose na tačno vreme i način institucionalnog formiranja biblioteke kao posebne ustanove, do čega je došlo znatno kasnije u odnosu na vreme osnivanja pomenutih knjižnih fondova (Ristić, 2016: 23-35).

U centru pažnje nalazi se razdoblje koje započinje 1830. godine, kada dolazi do prvih poklona koji su namenjeni budućoj biblioteci, i traje do 1853. godine, koja označava prekretnicu u institucionalnom razvoju biblioteke, pošto je upravo tada započeta reorganizacija bibliotečkog fonda, koji se do tada nalazio neposredno pri Ministarstvu prosvete. Tom prilikom, za prvog bibliotekara postavljen je Filip Nikolić, čime je biblioteka najzad počela da dobija svoju organizacionu strukturu (Kićović, 1957: 261-270). Proces institucionalnog razvoja zaokružen je tek 1881. godine, donošenjem posebnog zakona, čime je Narodna biblioteka poprimila oblik samostalne ustanove (Ristić, 2016: 42-43).

Upravo u vreme donošenja pomenutog zakona, Jovan Bošković2 je povodom pitanja o vremenu i načinu formiranja centralne države biblioteke ukazao na vesti iz budimskog Srpskog letopisa (1832), koje su svedočile da je te godine (15. februara, po starom kalendaru) u Beogradu bila osnovana nova biblioteka srpska. Tim povodom, Bošković je posebno istakao pokroviteljsku ulogu Jevrema Obrenovića, čiji je unuk knez Milan bio vladar Srbije (Bošković, 1881).

Tu tezu je podržalo i uredništvo časopisa Srbadija, u kome je Boškovićev prilog bio objavljen, tako da je tvrdnja o osnivanju Narodne biblioteke na dan 15. februara 1832. godine, pod pokroviteljstvom Jevrema Obrenovića ponovljena i u narednom godištu istog časopisa (god. II, br. 2, str. 97, 100). Iako u svom prvom članku nije pominjao beogradskog knjigovesca Gligorija Vozarevića,3 Bošković je nedugo potom, u posebnom radu, ukazao na njegove zasluge u raznim oblastima kulturnog života, od knjižarstva do izdavaštva, i na to da je Narodna biblioteka bila osnovana upravo 15. februara 1832. godine u Vozarevićevoj knjižari (Bošković, 1882).

U vreme kada se pojavila ova Boškovićeva teza, neki drugi, veoma ugledni istraživači smatrali su da bi početak Narodne biblioteke trebalo tražiti u knjižnim fondovima pri državnim nadleštvima. Stojan Novaković4 je 1871. godine u radu pod naslovom Die Serbische Nationalbibliothek in Belgrad izvodio postanak Narodne biblioteke direktno iz knjižnog fonda Ministarstva prosvete (Novaković, 1871).

Milan Milićević5 je 1888. godine u svečanoj besedi povodom prijema u Srpsku kraljevsku akademiju, naslovljenoj Narodna biblioteka u Beogradu, takođe zauzeo stanovište da je ova ustanova “ malo pomalo postajala, još otkad su ministarstva počela da za sebe nabavljaju potrebne knjige, naročito Ministarstvo prosvete” (Milićević, 1888: 23).

Posebnu važnost za sagledavanje ovog pitanja imale su napomene objavljene 1892. godine u radu Milovana Spasića,6 koji je još kao mladi službenik izvršio prvo popisivanje knjižnog fonda pri Ministarstvu prosvete (1844). U tim napomenama su bile opovrgnute neke pogrešne predstave, koje su bile prisutne u tadašnjoj javnosti. Izričito je ukazano na neistinitost povezivanja državne biblioteke sa Gligorijem Vozarovićem, a posebnu zanimljivost predstavljala je i završna primedba, koja je glasila:“ Ovake i podobne pogreške mogu potonje pisce istorije prosvetne dovesti u zabunu, pa stvar pogrešno predstaviti.” (Spasić, 1892: 227).

Na pitanje o osnivanju pojedinih biblioteka u Kneževini Srbiji tokom vladavine kneza Miloša osvrnuo se i Tihomir Đorđević,7 ukazavši tim povodom i na podatak iz 1837. godine u kome je knjižni fond pri državnoj štampariji bio označen kao kneževsko-tipografska biblioteka. Iako je ukazao na značaj izvornih podatka o pojedinim bibliotekama, Đorđević se nije upuštao u pronalaženje odgovora na pitanje koja se od njih može smatrati pretečom Narodne biblioteke (Đorđević, 1922: 142-143; Đorđević, 1927: 353-354).

Dotadašnji odnos stručne javnosti prema pomenutom pitanju najbolje je posvedočen člankom o Narodnoj biblioteci u Beogradu, koji je objavljen 1928. godine u trećem tomu čuvene Narodne enciklopedije, uz napomenu da je nastanak te ustanove tekao postepeno. Tim povodom je ukazano na knjižni fond pri Ministarstvu prosvete, koji je označen kao osnov za stvaranje Narodne biblioteke (Džonić, 1928: 12).

Upravo u to vreme, došlo je do značajnog zaokreta. Prihvativši 1832. godinu, novi upravnik Miloš Zečević8 je u godišnjem izveštaju, koji je bio podnet Srpskoj kraljevskoj akademiji, izričito naglasio da će se stogodišnjica osnivanja Narodne biblioteke navršiti 1932. godine, dodavši da je tim povodom doneta odluka o pokretanju arhivskih istraživanja (Godišnjak SKA 38/1929, 214).

Izvršavajući nalog uprave, Mihailo Podoljski9 je u radovima koji su objavljeni između 1928. i 1932. godine prihvatio tezu po kojoj je Narodna biblioteka bila osnovana 1832. godine. Iako je sama godina bila od nespornog značaja za istorijski razvoj bibliotekarstva u Srbiji, zbog prvog (Davidovićevog) sređivanja depozitnog fonda i kneževog ustanovljavanja obaveznog primerka, Podoljski se povodom pitanja o osnivanju Narodne biblioteke fokusirao na svečani čin osveštavanja, koji je bio obavljen 15. februara (po starom kalendaru) u beogradskoj knjižari Gligorija Vozarovića, i taj zaključak pokušao je da osnaži dodatnim ukazivanjem na razne izvore. Iako mu je na osnovu uvida u arhivsku građu bilo poznato da je sve do 1838. godine pri državnoj štampariji postojao knjižni fond koji nije bio dostupan široj javnosti, Podoljski je u svojim radovima insistirao na kontinuitetu tog knjižnog korpusa sa onim koji je bio predmet osveštavanja u Vozarovićevoj knjižari (Podoljski ,1928; 1930; 1932).

Nepouzdan u tumačenju izvora i izvođenju zaključaka, Podoljski se nedugo potom pokazao nepouzdanim i kao službenik Narodne biblioteke. Tokom narednih godina, protiv njega su vođeni postupci zbog izvesnih prestupa, koji su između ostalog bili povezani i sa njegovim potonjim boravcima u Austriji i Nemačkoj, usled čega je sredinom 1942. godine i zvanično izgubio službu (Durković-Jakšić, 1995: 13; Stošić, 2020: 64-72).

Stradanje Narodne biblioteke prilikom nemačkog bombardovanja Beograda 6. aprila 1941. godine predstavljalo je ne samo tragičnu prekretnicu u savremenoj istoriji ove ustanove već je svojom simbolikom uticalo i na odnos stručne i šire javnosti prema njenoj starijoj prošlosti. Potreba za kolektivnim prevazilaženjem nedavnog stradanja ispoljavala se na razne načine, uz isticanje istorijskog kontinuiteta ustanove, što je posvedočeno već tokom 1942. godine, kada je Đorđe Radojičić10 objavio prigodan rad koji je bio posvećen obeležavanju stotinu i desete godišnjice osnivanja biblioteke (Radojičić, 1942).

Posebnu pažnju ovim pitanjima posvetio je Miraš Kićović,11 koji je u svojoj monografiji pod naslovom Istorija Narodne biblioteke u Beogradu (1960) prihvatio stanovište Boškovića i Podoljskog po kojem je Narodna biblioteka osnovana 1832. godine u Vozarovićevoj knjižari, i to kao nekakva poludržavna ustanova. Slične stavove je zastupao i u drugim radovima (Kićović, 1955; 1956; 1957; 1973).

Kićoviću je bilo poznato da je knez Miloš u posebnom ukazu o uspostavljanju Državnog saveta od 14. februara 1835. godine stavio u dužnost popečetelju crkvenih dela i narodnе prosvete da podigne i nadgleda biblioteku (Kićović, 1960: 27), što je svedočilo da takva ustanova (centralna državna biblioteka) u to vreme još uvek nije postojala. Uprkos tome, Kićović je u svim svojim radovima zastupao tezu o njenom osnivanju 1832. godine.

Kićovićeve zaključke temeljitoj kritici podvrgnuo je Jeremija Mitrović,12 koji je između ostalog ukazao i na izvorno svedočanstvo Vozarovićevog kuma i poznatog književnika Sime Milutinovića – Sarajlije, koji je kao savremenik i neposredni svedok tadašnjih zbivanja opisao Vozarovićevu knjižnicu kao varošku biblioteku, formiranu od knjiga koje je Vozarović izdvojio iz sopstvene knjižare, uz napomenu da je osnivanje Vozarovićeve biblioteke pobudilo zavist u delu javnosti, što je predstavljalo nesumnjivo svedočanstvo o njenom privatnom karakteru (Mitrović, 1960a; 1960b; 1962a; 1962b).

U posebnoj studiji, Jeremija Mitrović je 1963. godine ukazao na osnivanje knjižnog fonda pri državnoj štampariji, koja je ustanovljena 1831. godine, naglasivši da je taj fond prvobitno imao depozitni, a potom i priručni karakter, koji je zadržao sve do reorganizacije koja je izvršena 1853. godine. Istim povodom je zauzeo stanovište da osnivanje centralne državne biblioteke u Kneževini Srbiji nije bilo povezano sa osnivanjem biblioteke u knjižari Gligorija Vozarovića (Mitrović, 1963).

U pomenutim radovima, Mitrović je ukazivao na značaj pojedinih izvora iz 1870. godine koji su svedočili da je Vozarovićeva čitaonica sa bibliotekom u tadašnjoj beogradskoj javnosti smatrana pretečom Beogradskog čitališta, koje je ustanovljeno 1846. godine, iz čega je proisticao zaključak da je kasnije posezanje za 1832. godinom u kontekstu nastanka Narodne biblioteke predstavljalo naknadnu konstrukciju, koja je dobila konačni oblik tek u Boškovićevim radovima iz 1881. i 1882. godine (Mitrović, 1962; 1963).

Ljubomir Durković-Jakšić13 je u radu pod naslovom Istorija srpskih biblioteka (1801–1850) došao do zaključka da je u Beogradu 1832. godine formirana posebna biblioteka, ali ne kao državna, već kao privatna ustanova, koja je nastala u knjižari Gligorija Vozarovića. Takođe je smatrao da je nešto ranije, već u vreme osnivanja državne štamparije (1831), od knjiga koje su stigle zajedno sa štamparskim materijalom iz Rusije bila oformljena interna biblioteka, koja je imala prvenstveno depozitni karakter (Durković-Jakšić, 1963).

Milen Nikolić14 je prvobitno zastupao stav da je biblioteka bila osnovana 1832. godine pri državnoj štampariji u Beogradu, kao i da je od svog uspostavljanja imala karakter državne ustanove, koja samim tim nije bila istovetna sa knjižnicom koju je utemeljio Gligorije Vozarović (Nikolić, 1954: 39). U kasnijim radovima iz 1973. godine, Nikolić je dodatno razradio svoje prvobitne stavove, nastojeći da osnaži tezu o postojanju državne biblioteke kao potpuno samostalne ustanove, već od 1832. godine (Nikolić, 1973a; 1973b).

Uočivši razmere problema, Gavrilo Kovijanić15 je 1971. godine podržao napore koje su u cilju razrešenja spornih pitanja ulagali Spasić, Durković i Mitrović. U isto vreme, zauzeo je kritički stav prema tezama koje su zastupali Bošković, Podoljski i Kićović, naglasivši tim povodom: “ Postoji opravdana bojazan da se jedna dezinformacija, u naučnoj oblandi, ozvaniči, što bi na današnjem stupnju razvijenosti istorijske nauke bilo nedopustivo i neshvatljivo, bez obzira na reperkusije i posledice koje bi iz toga proizašle”, a zatim je istim povodom dodao: “ U predočenom sporu ne radi se toliko o pomanjkanju izvora, koliko o nenaučnom izvođenju dokaza i zaključaka.” U cilju razrešenja, predložio je održavanje posebnog naučnog skupa koji bi bio posvećen spornim pitanjima o vremenu i načinu osnivanja NBS (Kovijanić, 1971: 6) .

U istoj studiji iz 1971. godine, Kovijanić je stao na sasvim suprotno stanovište u odnosu na stavove svojih neistomišljenika, pokušavši da dokaže da je u periodu od 1831. do 1838. godine u Beogradu postojala samo jedna biblioteka. Smatrajući da se sve izvorne vesti odnose na knjižne fondove pod državnim okriljem, Kovijanić je pokušao da ospori tezu o postojanju zasebne javne biblioteke u knjižarskoj radnji Gligorija Vozarovića. Tim povodom je naglasio: “ Nemamo nikakvih razloga da pretpostavimo koincidenciju, tj. da se istovremeno radi o pojavi dveju biblioteka u Beogradu. Bio bi to luksuz za ono vreme. Reč je, dakle, o jednoj i istoj Biblioteci, na koju se odnose i arhivski i novinski podaci.” (Kovijanić, 1971: 6)

Kovijanić je takođe smatrao da bi institucionalni početak centralne državne biblioteke trebalo tražiti u formiranju biblioteke pri Ministarstvu prosvete. Tim povodom je ukazao na značaj izvornih podataka koji su svedočili o načinu formiranja tog knjižnog fonda, koji je nastao 1838. godine, kada se Ministarstvo prosvete još uvek nalazilo u Kragujevcu, gde je i izvršeno sabiranje knjiga iz raznih državnih nadleštava (Kovijanić, 1971).

Preseljenje NBS u novu zgradu (1973) bilo je propraćeno objavljivanjem prigodnog zbornika pod naslovom: Narodna biblioteka: 6. april 1973, koji je između ostalog sadržao i odluku o zvaničnom proglašenju Dana Narodne biblioteke (6. april), u spomen na njeno stradanje 1941. godine. U istom zborniku objavljeni su i prigodni govori u kojima je povodom pitanja o vremenu osnivanja ukazivano na značaj 1832. godine (Đurić, 1973).

Jeremija Mitrović je 1977. godine prikazao razvoj dotadašnjih stavova o vremenu i načinu osnivanja centralne državne biblioteke u Kneževini Srbiji, ukazavši tom povodom i na glavne istorijske izvore. U istom radu je izložio različita mišljenja prethodnih istraživača, ukazavši na polemički karakter dotadašnjih rasprava. Mitrović je takođe ukazao na potrebu razlikovanja pitanja o postepenom zasnivanju prvobitnih knjižnih fondova u periodu od 1830. do 1838. godine i pitanja o organizacionom formiranju ustanove, koja je prvog bibliotekara dobila tek 1853. godine (Mitrović, 1977).

Pomenute polemike nisu ostale bez učinka. U istorijskom pregledu, koji je objavljen 1979. godine u Godišnjaku NBS, Miodrag Živanov16 je pokušao da premosti problem, putem ukazivanja na postupno formiranje biblioteke. Iako je 1832. godinu smatrao ključnom, zaobišao je tezu o osnivanju Narodne biblioteke u Vozarovićevoj. Umesto toga, ukazao je na prve depozite knjiga i rad Dimitrija Davidovića (Živanov, 1979).

U naučnoj monografiji pod naslovom Čitališta u Srbiji u XIX veku, Desanka Stamatović17 je 1984. godine ukazala na genezu predmetnih istraživanja, opredelivši se povodom pitanja o vremenu osnivanja Narodne biblioteke za 15. februar 1832. godine, a ujedno je prihvatila i tezu o njenom osnivanju u Vozarovićevoj knjižari. Slične stavove je zadržala i u nekim kasnijim radovima (Stamatović, 1984; 1990; 1995).

Dodatni korak ka isticanju važnosti 1832. godine za istorijski razvoj bibliotekarstva u Srbiji učinjen je 1985, objavljivanjem prigodnog zbornika kod naslovom: Narodna biblioteka Srbije: Spomenica 1832–1982. (Šuljagić, 1985).

Gavrilo Kovijanić, priređivač trotomnog zbornika izvorne građe o istoriji NBS, zadržao je svoj stav da je centralna državna biblioteka u Kneževini Srbiji proistekla iz knjižnih fondova pri državnim nadleštvima, koji su objedinjeni 1838. godine, uz uvažavanje izvornih podataka koji su svedočili o prvom sređivanju depozita i ustanovljenju obaveznog primerka tokom 1832. godine (Kovijanić, 1990).

Uprava NBS-a početkom 2002. godine, donela je odluku kojom je za dan ove ustanove umesto dotadašnjeg datuma (6. april) određen 28. februar. Ta novina je potom uneta i u Statut NBS (Službeni glasnik Republike Srbije, br. 12/2005). Početkom 2013. godine, isti datum 28. februar zvanično je usvojen i kao Nacionalni dan knjige (Službeni glasnik Republike Srbije, br. 18/2013).

Posebnu pažnju predmetnom istraživanju poklonio je istoričar Dejan Ristić,18 koji je na osnovu proučavanja arhivske građe i kritičkog preispitivanja literature došao do zaključka da se osnivanje centralne državne biblioteke u Kneževini Srbiji mora sagledavati kao postepeni proces, koji je otpočeo formiranjem pojedinih knjižnih fondova nakon 1830. godine, sa posebnim naglaskom na presudnoj važnosti njihovog naknadnog objedinjavanja (1838) pod okriljem biblioteke koja je zasnovana pri Ministarstvu prosvete. Istim povodom, Ristić je ukazao i na kulturno-istorijski značaj posebne biblioteke koja je osnovana 1832. godine u knjižari Gligorija Vozarovića, uz napomenu da se ta knjižnica ne može smatrati pretečom centralne državne biblioteke, koja se prema svedočenju nespornih istorijskih izvora razvila neposredno iz depozitne biblioteke pri Ministarstvu prosvete (Ristić, 2015; 2016).

Iako su radovi savremenih istraživača značajno doprineli daljem unapređivanju predmetnih istraživanja (Brzulović-Stanisavljević, 2017), pred stručnom javnošću se i dalje nalaze brojna kompleksna pitanja, koja zahtevaju dodatna istraživanja. Pitanje o vremenu i načinu osnivanja centralne državne biblioteke u Kneževini Srbiji svakako je nešto čemu se treba posvetiti. Stručnjaci bibliotečke struke će sigurno posvetiti vremena ovom pitanju kao i mnogim pitanjima koja su se kasnije pojavila u vidu raznih individualnih konstrukcija o formativnom periodu današnje NBS. Ovaj pregledni rad ima za cilj da budućim istraživačima ove teme bude smernica za dalja i detaljnija istraživanja.

The National Library of Serbia (hereinafter: NBS) represents one of the most significant cultural institutions in the Republic of Serbia, and together with other central (national) libraries from the territory of the former common state (Yugoslavia), it belongs to the ranks of the most important library institutions in the wider area of South-eastern Europe.

The study of the historical development of the NBS occupies a special place in the field of the study of the history of librarianship in Serbia, so the past of this institution has been the subject of numerous studies, both those that focused on various specific issues and those in which the history of the NBS was treated as a whole (Kićović, 1960; Durković-Jakšić, 1963; Kovijanić, 1990; Ristić, 2016).

One of the biggest challenges faced by many researchers studying the past of the NBS was the question of when and how this institution was founded. On this occasion, various assumptions were made, which were based on different interpretations of available historical sources (Mitrović, 1977).

Some of the mentioned assumptions were presented in scientific papers, while others appeared outside the close professional framework, primarily in informational nonfiction. Since scientific works are of primary importance for the development of subject research, this review will be based primarily on the analysis of professional literature.19

There is an agreement in the scientific literature that favorable conditions for the creation and development of modern cultural institutions in the Principality of Serbia were created only after receiving the sultan’s hatt-i sharif in 1830. This high-level legal act formalized internal autonomy in many areas of political and social life, including the right to autonomously regulate various issues in the field of cultural policy (Ljušić, 1986: 396).

By this time, only “quaint” libraries existed in the territory of the Principality of Serbia, primarily at certain monasteries, as well as private book collections owned by prominent figures, and the process of spontaneous formation of auxiliary libraries at competent authorities was also underway. There were no public libraries, so together with gaining autonomy, work on obtaining new editions has started, with the aim of creating book funds. In the professional literature, there is an agreement that the question of the need for the formation of modern book collections in the Principality of Serbia was already considered between 1830 and 1831, as evidenced by the official correspondence of that time, which has been preserved in fragments (Ristić, 2016: 22).

On the other hand, there is no agreement among researchers on the exact time and method of establishing the central state library, which is a consequence of different interpretations of available data from primary historical sources (Mitrović, 1977). It is a case of sources related to the time and method of formation of individual book collections, from which the central library collection developed over time. There are also differences in matters of principle, which refer to the exact time and method of the institutional formation of the library as a special institution, which occurred much later compared to the time of the establishment of the aforementioned library funds. (Ristić, 2016: 23-35).

In the centre of attention is the period that begins in 1830, when the first gifts intended for the future library are made, and lasts until 1853, which marks a turning point in the institutional development of the library, because it is the time when the reorganization of the library fund began and which until then was located directly under the Ministry of Education. On that occasion, Filip Nikolić was appointed as the first librarian, with whom the library finally started to get its organizational structure (Kićović, 1957: 261-270). The process of institutional development was rounded only in 1881, with the adoption of a special law, which gave the National Library form of an independent institution (Ristić, 2016: 42-43).

Right at the time of passing the aforementioned law, Jovan Bošković20 in connection with the question about the time and method of formation of the central state library pointed to the news in Srpski letopis / Serbian Chronicle (1832) from Buda, which testified that a new Serbian library was founded in Belgrade that year (February 15, according to the old calendar). On this occasion, Bošković particularly highlighted the patronizing role of Jevrem Obrenović, whose grandson Prince Milan was the ruler of Serbia. (Bošković, 1881)

This thesis was also supported by the editorial board of the journal Srbadija, in which Bošković’s contribution was published, so that the claim about the foundation of the National Library on February 15, 1832, under the patronage of Jevrem Obrenović, was repeated in the following year of the same journal (vol. II, no. 2, pp. 97, 100). Although he did not mention in his first article, the Belgrade’s bookbinder Gligorije Vozarević,21 shortly afterward, in a special paper, Bošković pointed out his merits in various areas of cultural life, from bookselling to publishing, and the fact that the National Library was founded on February 15, 1832, in Vozarević’s bookshop (Bošković, 1882).

At the time when Bošković’s thesis appeared, some other, highly respected researchers believed that the beginning of the National Library should be sought in the book collections of state authorities. Stojan Novaković22 in 1871 in a paper entitled Die Serbische Nationalbibliothek in Belgrad / The Serbian National Library in Belgrade, drew the conclusion of the National Library directly from the book funds of the Ministry of Education (Novaković, 1871).

In 1888, Milan Milićević23 in a solemn speech on the occasion of his admission to the Serbian Royal Academy, entitled The National Library in Belgrade, also took the position that this institution “developed bit by bit, ever since the ministries started to acquire the necessary books for themselves, especially the Ministry of Education” (Milićević, 1888: 23).

Remarks published in 1892 in the work of Milovan Spasić,24 who, as a young official, carried out the first inventory of the book collection at the Ministry of Education (1844) were of particular importance for perceiving this issue. In these remarks, some misconceptions, which were present in the public at that time, were refuted. The falsity of linking the state library with Gligorije Vozarović was explicitly pointed out, and the final remark, which read: “ These and similar mistakes can confuse the later writers of the history of education and misrepresent the matter” (Spasić, 1892: 227).

Tihomir Đorđević,25 also addressed the question of the establishment of individual libraries in the Principality of Serbia during the reign of Prince Miloš, and in this regard, pointed to the information from 1837, in which the book collection at the state printing house was designated as the typographic library of the prince. Although he pointed out the importance of the original information on individual libraries, Đorđević did not engage in finding an answer to the question, which of them can be considered the forerunner of the National Library (Đorđević, 1922: 142-143; 1927: 353-354).

The previous attitude of the professional public towards the mentioned issue is best evidenced by the article about the National Library in Belgrade, which was published in 1928 in the third volume of the famous National Encyclopaedia, with the note that the establishment of this institution was gradual. In this regard, reference was made to the book collection at the Ministry of Education, which was designated as the basis for the creation of the National Library (Džonić, 1928: 12).

Just at that time, there was a significant turning point. Having accepted the year 1832, the new director, Miloš Zečević26 in the annual report, which was submitted to the Serbian Royal Academy, expressly emphasized that the centenary of the founding of the National Library will be in 1932, adding that marking this occasion a decision was made to initiate archival research ( Godišnjak SKA 38/1929: 214).

Carrying out the order of the administration, Mihailo Podoljski27 in works published between 1928 and 1932, accepted the thesis that the National Library was founded in 1832. Although the year itself was of indisputable importance for the historical development of librarianship in Serbia, due to the first (Davidović’s) arrangement of the deposit fund and the prince’s establishment of a legal deposit, Podoljski, regarding the question about the establishment of the National Library, focused on the solemn act of sanctification, which was performed on February 15 (according to the old calendar) in the Belgrade bookstore of Gligorije Vozarović, that conclusion he tried to strengthen by pointing to various sources. (Podoljski 1928; 1930; 1932)

Unreliable in interpreting sources and drawing conclusions, Podoljski soon proved to be unreliable as an employee of the National Library. During the following years, proceedings were conducted against him due to certain offenses, which, among other things, were connected with his stays in Austria and Germany, as a result of which he officially lost his service in mid-1942. (Durković-Jakšić, 1995: 13; Stošić, 2020: 64-72)

The plight of the National Library during the German bombing of Belgrade on April 6, 1941, represented a tragic turning point not only in the modern history of this institution but also influenced the attitude of professionals and the general public towards its older past with its symbolism. The need for a collective overcoming of recent suffering was manifested in various ways, with the emphasis on the historical continuity of the institution, which was evidenced already in 1942, when Đorđe Radojičić28 published an appropriate work dedicated to marking the one hundred and tenth anniversary of the library’s founding (Radojičić, 1942).

Special attention was paid to these questions by Miraš Kićović,29 who in his monograph entitled Istorija Narodne biblioteke u Beogradu / History of the National Library in Belgrade (1960) accepted the position of Bošković and Podoljski, according to which the National Library was founded in 1832 in Vozarović’s bookstore as a semi-state institution (Kićović 1955; 1956; 1957; 1973).

Kićović was aware that Prince Miloš, in a special decree on the establishment of the Državni savet / State Council dated February 14, 1835, tasked the Member of the Government for church works and public education in the Principality Serbia, to build and supervise the library (Kićović, 1960: 27), which testified that such an institution (central state library) did not yet exist at that time. Despite this, in all his works, Kićović advocated the thesis that the library was founded in 1832.

Kićović’s conclusions were subjected to thorough criticism by Jeremija Mitrović,30 who, among other things, pointed to the original testimony of Vozarović’s best man and the famous writer Sima Milutinović – Sarajlija, who, as a contemporary and direct witness of the events at the time, described Vozarović’s library as a hamlet library, formed by books which Vozarović separated from his own bookstore, noting that the establishment of Vozarović’s library aroused envy in part of the public, which was an undoubted testimony of its private character (Mitrović 1960a; 1960b; 1962a; 1962b).

In a special study, Jeremija Mitrović in 1963 pointed to the creation of a book fund at the state printing house, which was established in 1831, stressing that this fund originally had a depository, and then a reference character, which it maintained until the reorganization that took place in 1853. On the same occasion, he took the position that the establishment of the central state library in the Principality of Serbia was not connected with the establishment of the library in Gligorije Vozarović’s bookstore (Mitrović, 1963).

In the aforementioned works, Mitrović pointed to the importance of certain sources from 1870, which have testified that Vozarović’s reading room with a library was considered by the Belgrade public of that time to be the forerunner of the Beogradsko čitalište / Belgrade Reading Room, which was established in 1846, which led to the conclusion that the later reach for 1832, in the context of the creation of the National Library, represented a subsequent construction, which took its final shape only in Bošković’s works from 1881 and 1882 (Mitrović 1962; 1963).

Ljubomir Durković-Jakšić31 in his work entitled Istorija srpskih biblioteka (1801–1850) / History of Serbian Libraries (1801–1850), came to the conclusion that a special library was formed in Belgrade in 1832, but not as a state, but as a private institution, which was created in the bookstore of Gligorije Vozarović. He also believed that a little earlier, already at the time of the founding of the state printing house (1831), an internal library was formed from the books that arrived together with the printing material from Russia, which had primarily a depository character. (Durković-Jakšić, 1963).

Milen Nikolić32 originally represented the position that the library was founded in 1832 at the state printing house in Belgrade, as well as that from its establishment it had the character of a state institution, which was therefore not the same as the library founded by Gligorije Vozarović (Nikolić, 1954: 39). In later works from 1973, Nikolić further elaborated on his original views, trying to strengthen the thesis of the existence of the state library as a completely independent institution, already since 1832 (Nikolić 1973a; 1973b).

Realizing the extent of the problem, in 1971 Gavrilo Kovijanić supported the efforts made by Spasić, Durković and Mitrović in order to resolve the disputed issues.

Realizing the scale of the problem, in 1971, Gavrilo Kovijanić33 supported the efforts made by Spasić, Durković and Mitrović in order to resolve the disputed issues. At the same time, he took a critical stance towards the theses endorsed by Bošković, Podoljski and Kićović, emphasizing in this connection: “ There is a justified fear that a piece of misinformation, in a scientific guise, will become official, which would be inadmissible and incomprehensible at today’s level of development of historical science, regardless of the repercussions and consequences that would result from it, and then for the same issue he added: In the presented dispute, it is not so much a matter of a lack of sources as of an unscientific presentation of evidence and conclusions.” Towards resolution, he proposed holding a special scientific meeting, which would be dedicated to disputed questions about the time and method of establishing the NBS (Kovijanić, 1971: 6) .

In the same study from 1971, Kovijanić took a completely opposite position compared to the views of his dissenters, trying to prove that in the period from 1831 to 1838 there was only one library in Belgrade. Believing that all the original news refer to book collections under the auspices of the state, Kovijanić tried to dispute the thesis about the existence of a separate public library in the bookstore of Gligorije Vozarović. On the occasion, he emphasized: “We have no reason to assume a coincidence, i.e., that two libraries appeared in Belgrade at the same time. It would have been a luxury for that time. It is, therefore, just a talk about one and the same Library, to which both archival and newspaper data refer.” (Kovijanić, 1971: 6).

Kovijanić also believed that the institutional beginning of the central state library should be sought in the formation of a library at the Ministry of Education. Marking the occasion, he pointed out the importance of the original data that testified to the way the book fund was formed, which was created in 1838, when the Ministry of Education was still located in Kragujevac, where books from various state authorities were collected. (Kovijanić, 1971).

The relocation of the NBS to a new building (1973) was accompanied by the publication of a commemorative collection of works with the title: Narodna biblioteka: 6. april 1973. / National Library: April 6, 1973, which, among other things, contained the decision to officially declare National Library Day (April 6), in memory of its plight in 1941. Commemorative speeches were also published in the same collection of works, in which the importance of the year 1832 was pointed out as a question of the time of the foundation (Đurić, 1973).

In 1977, Jeremija Mitrović presented the development of previous views on the time and method of establishing the central state library in the Principality of Serbia, pointing to the main historical sources. In the same paper, he presented the different opinions of previous researchers, pointing out the polemical character of the previous discussions. Mitrović also pointed out the need to distinguish between the question of the gradual establishment of the original library collections in the period from 1830 to 1838 and the question of the organizational formation of the institution, which only got its first librarian in 1853. (Mitrović, 1977)

The mentioned polemics did not remain without effect. In the historical overview, which was published in 1979 in the Godišnjak NBS / NBS Yearbook, Miodrag Živanov34 tried to overcome the problem by pointing to the gradual formation of the library. Although he considered the year 1832 to be crucial, he circumvented the thesis about the establishment of the National Library in Vozarović’s bookstore. Instead, he pointed to the first deposits of books and work of Dimitrije Davidović (Živanov ,1979).

In a scientific monograph entitled Čitališta u Srbiji u XIX veku / Reading Rooms in Serbia in the 19th Century, Desanka Stamatović35 in 1984, pointed out the genesis of the subject research deciding on the question of the founding date of the National Library on February 15, 1832, and at the same time, she accepted the thesis about its founding in Vozarović’s bookstore (Stamatović, 1984; 1990; 1995).

An additional step towards highlighting the importance of the year 1832 for the historical development of librarianship in Serbia was taken in 1985, with the publication of an adequate collection of works under the title: Narodna biblioteka Srbije: Spomenica 1832–1982. / National Library of Serbia: Memorial 1832–1982 (Šuljagić, 1985).

Gavrilo Kovijanić, the editor of the three-volume collection of works of original materials on the history of the National Library of Serbia, maintained his position that the central state library in the Principality of Serbia arose from the book collections of the state authorities, which were united in 1838, while respecting the original data that testified to the first arrangement of deposits and the establishment of a legal deposit during 1832 (Kovijanić, 1990).

At the beginning of 2002, the management of the NBS made a decision to make February 28 as the day of this institution instead of the previous date (April 6). This news was then included in the NBS Statute (Službeni glasnik Republike Srbije, br. 12/2005 / Official Gazette of the Republic of Serbia, No. 12/2005). At the beginning of 2013, the same date, February 28, was officially adopted as National Book Day (Službeni glasnik Republike Srbije, br. 18/2013 / Official Gazette of the Republic of Serbia, No. 18/2013).

Historian Dejan Ristić,36 paid special attention to the subject research, based on the study of archival material and a critical review of the literature, came to the conclusion that the establishment of a central state library in the Principality of Serbia must be seen as a gradual process, which began with the formation of individual book funds after 1830, with special emphasis on the crucial importance of their subsequent unification (1838) under the auspices of the library that was founded at the Ministry of Education. On the same occasion, Ristić pointed out the cultural and historical significance of the special library that was founded in 1832 in the bookstore of Gligorije Vozarović, noting that this library cannot be considered the forerunner of the central state library, which, according to the testimony of indisputable historical sources, developed directly from the depository libraries of the Ministry of Education (Ristić, 2015; 2016).

Although the works of contemporary researchers have significantly contributed to the further improvement of subject research (Brzulović-Stanisavljević, 2017), the professional public still faces numerous complex questions that require additional research. The question of when and how the central state library in the Principality of Serbia was founded is certainly something that should be addressed. Experts in the library profession will certainly devote time to this question as well as to many questions that later appeared in the form of various individual constructions about the formative period of today’s NBS. This review paper aims to be a guideline for future researchers of this topic for further and more detailed research.

Bibliografija

Ђорђевић, Тихомир. (1922). Из Србије кнеза Милоша: културне прилике од 1815 до 1839 године. Београд: Издавачка књижарница Геце Кона.

Ђорђевић, Тихомир. (1927). Наука у Србији за владе кнеза Милоша Обреновића. Српски књижевни гласник 22, 351-355.

Ђурић, Светислав (ур.). (1973). Народна библиотека: 6. април 1973. Београд: Народна библиотека Србије.

Живанов, Миодраг. (1979). Историјски развој Народне библиотеке Србије. Годишњак Народне библиотеке Србије 1978, 43-61.

Bibliography

Živanov, Miodrag. (1979). Istorijski razvoj Narodne biblioteke Srbije. Godišnjak Narodne biblioteke Srbije 1978, 43-61.