Jovan Cvijić

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Jovan Cvijić

Photograph by Milan Jovanovic, 1911.
Born (1865-09-11)11 September 1865
Loznica, Principality of Serbia
Died 16 January 1927(1927-01-16) (aged 61)
Belgrade, Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes
Resting place Novo groblje, Belgrade
Nationality Serbian
Fields geography, geology, folklore
Alma mater University of Belgrade, University of Vienna
Notable students Pavle Vujević
Petar Jovanović

Jovan Cvijić (Serbian Cyrillic: Јован Цвијић, pronounced [jɔ̌ʋan tsʋǐːjitɕ]; 11 October 1865 – 16 January 1927) was a Serbian geographer, president of the Serbian Royal Academy of Sciences, and rector of the University of Belgrade. A world-renowned scientist, Cvijić is considered the founder of geography in Serbia. He started his scientific career as geographer and geologist, and continued his activity as anthropogeographer and sociologist.

Early life and family

Jovan (English: John) Cvijić was born on October 11 [O.S. September 19] 1865, in Loznica, then part of the Principality of Serbia. The Cvijić family was a branch of the Spasojević brotherhood of the Piva tribe (Pivljani) in Old Herzegovina (currently Montenegro). His father, Todor Cvijić, was a merchant. Jovan's grandfather Živko was a chairman of the Loznica municipality and a supporter of the House of Obrenović in Mačva. He was a katana, during the Katana Uprising against the Defenders of the Constitution in 1844. Furthermore, he was punished by lashing after a successful action conducted by Toma Vučić-Perišić, after which he soon died.

Jovan's great-grandfather, Cvijo Spasojević was pater familias of the Cvijić family. Cvijo was a famous hajduk leader in that part of Old Herzegovina. He fought against the Ottoman Empire during the First Serbian Uprising of 1804. After its collapse in 1813, he moved to Loznica where he built a two-story house between the trend and church. He opened a store that was a trading business for his family.

Jovan's father Todor (who died in 1900) was into trading before taking a clerkship in the municipality. Jovan's mother Marija (born Avramović) was from a respectable family from the village of Koremita in Jadar region, located near the Tronosa and Trsić, the birthplace of Vuk Stefanović Karadžić. Todor and Marija had two sons Zivko and Jovan, and three daughters. Cvijić often said that in his childhood years his spiritual education was mostly influenced by his mother and her family in general, they were quiet, composed and homely, while he wrote with far less emotions about his father and father's family. But, in his works on ethnic psychology Cvijić had praised the dinaric ethnic type and characteristics, which his father belonged to.

Education

Young Cvijić

After graduating from elementary school in Loznica, Cvijić went to lower grammar school in Loznica (first two years) and then to grammar school in Šabac (third and fourth year). Finally he enrolled and graduated from The First Belgrade Grammar school, department of natural sciences and mathematics in 1884. Upon graduation he wanted to study medicine, but Loznica municipality was unable to give him a scholarship to study abroad. His teacher in grammar school suggested he attend geography classes on "Velika skola" in Belgrade (nowadays University of Belgrade). Cvijić took his advice and enrolled in the natural sciences department. He graduated in 1889. During his education Cvijić was dedicated to reading in many languages. In grammar school he studied English, German and French, which was very helpful during his university studies because they did not have a corresponding literature in Serbian. He wrote his scientific and other papers in these foreign languages.

During the 1888-1889 school year he worked as a geography teacher in The Second Male Grammar School in Belgrade. In 1889 he enrolled in the study of physical geography and geology at Vienna University. At the time, geomorphology was taught by a famous scientist, Dr. Albrecht Penck, and geotectonics was taught by Professor Sis (the president of the Austrian Academy of that time), and climatology by Julius Han.

Cvijić received his PhD in 1893, in the Vienna University.[1] His thesis was called "Das Karstphanomen", and it introduced him to the public, making him well known in the science world. His paper was later translated into several languages (in Serbian as "Karst", 1895) and thanks to it Cvijić is regarded as the founder of karsology. British scientist Archibald Geeky wrote that this was a "pioneering" paper.[citation needed]

Research

Jovan Cvijić did his first and most important field research in the region of eastern Serbia. Observing the structure of Kucaj mountain and Prekonoska cave, he found the idea for his PhD thesis, which he presented in Vienna in 1892, and honorarily promoted on January 22, 1893.

Ethnographic map of the Balkans, by Cvijić

Besides this, Cvijić was interested in geology (geomorphology) etc. His monograph on lime karst led to positive reactions in European scientific circles, but what made him famous was his being the first geotecomuscientist, and an introductory academic lecture that made him known as the first tectonicst among South Slavs.

The lime fields of Serbia were the topic of other scientists before Cvijić, but not their main subjects. They were: Otto won Pirch - 1830, Amie Boue - 1840, Felix Philipee Kanitz, Milan Ð. Milicevic, Jovan Žujovic, Vladimir Karic... The records of their research were mainly descriptive with general conclusions.

Another significant step forward Cvijić made while he was observing the surrounding of Midzor, Stara planina peak, and Rila mountain (Bulgaria) where he recognized the traces of glacial processes in the form of 102 mountain lakes.

It had not been previously thought that this region was influenced by glacial processes, so Cvijić's discovery was a turning point in glacial process studies in the part of dispersement.

Thanks to this research, Cvijić made a breakthrough in world science once again with his anthropogeographical survey in "Balkan Peninsula 1918", 1922-I, 1931-II based on his research of Balkan psychological types.

Cvijić did research for 38 years, during which he led expeditions over the Balkans, Southern Carpathian Mountains and Asia Minor. The expeditions resulted in numerous research papers.

The two-volume "Geomorphology" by Jovan Cvijić gives a geomorphological picture of the Balkan peninsula terrain and has not lost value today, as it still represents an important starting point in that science.

Works

Statue of Cvijić, at the Students' Park in Belgrade
“ You should get used to constant thinking about a problem, work, profession until you find a solution. There are bright moments, especially bright nights, which are rare; where you can find an answer to a question or come up with a research plan. That time of spiritual lucidity and creativity should be put to use, and not thinking about rest according to that ordinary human, oriental laziness. That does not hurt the body, and if does hurt, the body exists in order to be spent properly. ”

In more than 30 years of intense scientific study, Cvijić published many significant works. One of the most important is The Balkan Peninsula.

The most important works (on geology) include:

For over 30 years he traveled throughout the Balkans, producing a number of works and founding the "human geography school".

Typical for his work is the analysis of the influence of climate and geography on human building patterns (morphology). Cvijić was among the first to emphasize that humans are ecologically sensitive creatures. When it comes to the formation of anthropology types he underlines social structure (occupation), endogamy and exogamy and migration as primary factors. Particularly strong is the influence of environment on a population's ethnopsychological characteristics.

Cvijić revealed the basic concepts for this in his work on the human geographical problems of the Balkan peninsula, and elaborated further in his work The Balkan peninsula and Southern-Slavic countries, first published in French, and, in 1922, expanded and printed in Serbian. The ethnopsychological classification that Cvijić described in these works was severely criticized ideologically in Yugoslavia after World War II.

Teaching profession

After his return from Vienna, in March 1893, he found a position as a professor of the Faculty of Philosophy in Velika Skola in Belgrade. He taught physical geography and ethnography in the beginning, but only geography later on.

Traveling as both a student and as a professor all over the Balkans later in life, he developed an interest in folklore life and culture. Therefore he organized researches in ethnography, in the department of geography, as additional subjects.

After the transformation of Velika skola into the University of Belgrade, on the October 12, 1905 Jovan Cvijić became one of the first eight tenure professors in the university. Beside Cvijić, the others were: Jovan Žujović, Sima Lozanić, Mihailo Petrović Alas, Andra Stevanović, Dragoljub Pavlovic, Milic Radovanovic and Ljubomir Jovanović. These eight professors chose other colleagues for tenure positions.

Cvijić played an important and active part in the School reforms helping with the foundation of a special ethnography department where the first professor was his oldest student and assistant Jovan Erdeljanovic, and then Tihomir Djordjevic, while Cvijić stayed in the geography department. His influence was crucial in founding five new faculties: medicine, agriculture and theology in Belgrade, philosophy in Skopje and the Subotica Law School.

Cvijić's review of the schooling system

Cvijić thought that the grammar school education of that time should last seven, not eight years. He felt that young men should be included early into life and independent work.

“ Grammar school form the intelligence and character perhaps even deeper stronger than university; it influences the spirit and moral value of future intellectuals. Besides university, the moral and spiritual situation and its development depend on the type of grammar school, what will its civilization get, and in the end, will it slow or interfere with the development of great personalities, which show the properties of one nation. ”

He published five detailed instructions for terrain research of the population and habitats in order to help and direct his associates in their work. Cvijić published a large number of information on teaching and science in the article "On scientific research and our University", published in 1907.

Anthropogeographic school

In his anthropogeographical researches, Cvijić studied migrations, village and town habitats, house types, material culture of population in regions under the influence of different civilizations, psychological types and varieties, folklore dress and the households. He conducted researches over thirty years, especially of the Balkan peninsula, which resulted in numerous paper and establishment of "Anthropogeographic school". He traveled during difficult social and political times, exposing himself to many unpleasant and dangerous, even life threatening situation, especially in the countries which were under the Ottoman and Austrian rule up to the first world war.

In these trips he had been acquainted with the living conditions of the Balkan peninsula population, which led to his interest in ethnographic and laer psycho-social issues. Cvijić himself said how little he had known about the life in Bulgaria, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Macedonia up to the period from 1896–1898, when he saw how difficult was life in these parts. Up to that moment, as he later said, he did not have much interest in folklore, ethnology and national politics. Since then, however, he became very active in solving these questions. Cvijić, as the organizer of numerous scientific trips visited the most dangerous and unexplored regions, developed inclination to empirical research. These researches he could support with his vast scientific knowledge.

In the year 1896. Cvijić published the "Instructions for studying villages in Serbian and other Serbian lands" which was later corrected and adjusted to specific conditions in other Balkan regions where they were later applied.

In Serbia, based on these instructions developed a widespread movement for folklore life research which enabled the creation of first methodological and systematically gathered data in ethnology. The research was conducted, not only by Cvijić's students and associates but by many intellectuals-amateurs mostly village teachers and priests. This united and vast scientific effort represents the unique and significant phenomenon in international scientific life.

Cvijić's thesis on the effects of climate and relief on the human morphology is the basis in his scientific approach in the anthropogeographic studies, where he practically stresses that a man is an eco-sensible being. When forming anthropological types is in question, Cvijić states primary factors are social structure, i.e. profession, endogamy, egzogamy and migrations. He especially stressed the effects of geographical environment on ethnopsychological characteristics of the population. Basic conception is given in the paper "Anthropogeographical problems" of Balkan peninsula from 1902. Later on, influenced by Cvijić's paper PhD Milorad Dragic former student of Cvijić, elaborated the topic of ethnopsychological research in paper "Instructions for studying the settlements and psychological properties" from 1911, after which Cvijić expanded his thesis in "Balkan peninsula and Southslavic lands. This paper was first printed in French, and later considerably expanded and printed in Serbian.

The sudden interest for anthropogeographical and ethnographic researches was one of the greatest moves in Cvijić's scientific career. Cvijić's efforts and scientific research abilities helped him with gathering important data which he used during the negotiations on forming state border of the new state after World War I.

Contribution to determining of state borders of SCS Kingdom

After the First World War Cvijić contributed to the determining the state borders of new Yugoslav state using his scientific researches as an argument in the negotiations. He used the researches in demography and anthropogeography. The knowledge he gathered was used in setting the accurate ethnic expansion of South Slavs.

Twice the French geographer Paul Vidal de la Blache invited professor Cvijić to Paris on behalf of the University of Paris; in 1917 and at the beginning of 1919. Cvijić gave lectures on Balkan physical and political geography. At the end of 1918, the Serbian government named him their principal expert on ethnographic borders and in 1919 he was elected president of a unit dealing with territorial issues as part of the state delegation to the Paris Peace Conference Here alongside Mihajlo Pupin, another influential scientist, his efforts creating ethnographic charts of the Yugoslav countries 1918–1919) helped set the borders of a new country – Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenians. It was agreed that the new country should get Banat, Baranja, Dalmatia and Bled triangle (Bled, Bohinj, Triglav).

Academic

Cvijić became a world-renowned scientist, and he received numerous awards. He was a member of thirty scientific societies (academies, geographical and natural societies etc.) and he received ten decorations. He also received a gold medal for his work, from New York geographical society (1924) and English and French medals, as well. Two kinds of saffron were named after Cvijić.

He was:

Controversy

Jovan Cvijić has been criticised for lack scientific impartiality owing to his support of Serbia's political advancement.[2] Cvijić's work as a reputable geographer, was used as a scientific justification for Greater Serbian politics and Serbian territorial claims.[2]

“ ...for economic independence, Serbia must acquire access to the Adriatic Sea and one part of the Albanian coastline: by occupation of the territory or by acquiring economic and transportation rights to this region. This, therefore, implies occupying an ethnographically foreign territory, but one that must be occupied due to particularly important economic interests and vital needs.[2] ”

According to Cvijić the true Bulgarians were "different from the other South Slavs in their ethnic composition". Cvijic descriubed as Slav three ethnographic groups previously thought of as Bulgarians: the Macedonian Slavs, the Shopi, and the Torlaks. He even excluded the region of Sofia, Bulgaria's capital, from the Bulgarian stock and maintained the three types above were eminently Slavic and therefore Serbian.[3]

He stated that Serbia can operate with a much larger entity that the territory it now holds.[4]

Legacy

Together with a group of geographers and biologists he founded the Serbian Geographic Society in 1910, in Belgrade. He was the president until his death. In the year 1912 he started a magazine Serbian Geographic Society Herald, which still exists. He gave seminars once a week for the students of similar sciences, which were also attended by the teachers from Belgrade grammar schools.

Statue of Cvijić, Belgrade
Grave of Jovan Cvijić

Jovan Cvijić founded the Faculty of Philosophy's Geographical Institute in 1923, the first establishment of that type in Balkans, and was its manager from the foundation to 1927.

In Belgrade 1947. Serbian Academy of Sciences and Arts founded a Geographical Institute which was named "Jovan Cvjic". The institute was founded with a primary reason to improve geographic science.

On November 21/22 2002, the Serbian Academy of Sciences and Arts organised a scientific meeting "The Social-political work of Jovan Cvijić".[5]

There is Jovan Cvijić Memorial museum at his family's house in Belgrade (5, Jelena Ćetković Street).

The house was built in 1905, and since 1996, it has been protected by the state as a cultural monument. It has unique internal decoration, made by the founder of national decoration art – Dragutin Inkiostri Medenjak. Cvijić, according to his own nature, shared the enthusiasm of the intellegentsia of that time for the creation of a national style based on Balkan folklore elements.

Today in the house you can find a legacy of Jovan Cijic which contains 1,476 subjects, containing manuscripts, letter, notes, olans, books, paintings, geographical charts, atlases, personal items, etc. Museum occasionally gives lectures on the subject.

In Serbia, a number of schools and streets are named after Jovan Cvijić. He is still considered the most significant Serbian geographer. His work has been continued by his students, six of whom later became members of the Serbian Academy, including Pavle Vujević, Borivoje Z. Milojević and Milisav Lutovac.

His life and work were particularly well-researched by geographer Milorad Vasović, who in 1994 wrote a 454-page book Jovan Cvijić - scientist, public worker, statesman.

Major works

  • Geografska ispitivanja u oblasti Kučaja u ist. Srbiji, 1893.;
  • Das Karstphänomen, 1893.;
  • Karst, 1895.;
  • Struktura i pojela planina Balkanskog poluostrva, 1902.;
  • Antropografski problemi Balkanskog poluostrva, Naselja srpskih zemalja, I 1902.;
  • Die Tektonik der Balkanhalbinsel mit besonderer Berückichtigung der neueren Fortschritte in der Kenntnis der Geologie von *Bulgarien, Serbien und Mazedonien, 1904.;
  • Osnove za geografiju i geologiju Makedonije i Stare Srbije I-III, 1906.—1911.;
  • Grundlinien der Geographie und Geologie von Mazedonien und Alt-Serbien. Nebst Beobachtungen in Thrazien, Thessalien, Epirus und *Nordalbanien, 1908.;
  • Aneksija Bosne i Hercegovine i srpsko pitanje, 1908.;
  • Jezerska plastika Šumadije, 1909.;
  • Dinarski Srbi, 1912.;
  • Izlazak Srbije na Jadransko More, 1912.;
  • Raspored Balkanskih naroda, 1913.;
  • Jedinstvo i psihički tipovi dinarskih južnih Slavena, 1914.;
  • Severna granica južnih Slavena (La frontiere septentrionale des Jugoslaves), 1919.;
  • Balkansko poluostrvo i južnoslavenske zemlje, osnovi antropogeografije, I, 1922.;
  • Geomorfologija I-II, 1924., 1926.
  • Balkansko poluostrvo i južnoslavenske zemlje, osnovi antropogeografije, II, 1931.;
Academic offices
Preceded by
Sima Lozanić		 Rector of University of Belgrade
1906–1907 		Succeeded by
Andra J. Stevanović
Preceded by
Đorđe Stanojević		 Rector of University of Belgrade
1919–1920 		Succeeded by
Slobodan Jovanović
Preceded by
Jovan Žujović		 Chairman of Serbian Academy of Sciences and Arts
1921–1927 		Succeeded by
Slobodan Jovanović

References

  1. ↑ "Ethnographic Map of the Balkan Peninsula". World Digital Library. Retrieved 23 January 2013. 
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Jovan Cvijic, Selected statements
  3. ↑ "The National Question in Yugoslavia. Origins, History, Politics", Ivo Banac, pp. 307-328, Cornell University Press, 1984.
  4. ↑ Cvijic, "O nacionalnom radu", commemorative speech 1907, reprinted in Govori i Clanci, I, Beograd 1921 p. 51-76
  5. ↑ "Social-political work of Jovan Cvijić". 

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