About Me
Jovan Cvijic (1865 - 1927) was a Serbian geographer, president of the Serbian Royal Academy of Sciences, and rector of the University of Belgrade.
Jovan Cvijic was born on October 11 (September 29, Julian calendar) 1865 in Loznica . His father was Todor Cvijic, a Montenegrin merchant. His mother was Marija, maiden name Avramovic, from Korenita, a village in the Jadar area, which is close to Tronoša Monastery and Tršic, village where Vuk Stefanovic Karadžic was born. He finished primary school in Loznica, and lower gymnasium in Loznica and Šabac. Cvijic finished higher gymnasium in Belgrade, in First Belgrade Gimnasium.When he finished gymnasium in 1884, Cvijic wanted to study medicine abroad, but his municipality couldn't pay his scholarship. His professor from Šabac gymnasium, Vladimir Karic, suggested he attend geography lectures at 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 a lecturer in Second Belgrade Gimnasium. After that, in 1889, he started studies of physical geography and geology at Vienna University with state scholarship. Cvijic finished his studies in Vienna in 1892, and in 1893 he defended his doctoral dissertation on subject "Das Karstphänomen" on the same university.March, 1893 he became regular professor at the Philosophy Faculty of Great School in Belgrade. First he held physical geography and etnography lectures, and later only geography lectures.
e started his scientific work while a student at Great School, when he wrote "Appendix to our geographical terminology," and continued as high-school professor, and student in Vienna, when he examined geography of eastern Serbia, Istria and Adriatic and on this topic he wrote several works and his dissertation. His whole life he dedicated to examination of Serbia and Balkans, and almost every year he traveled across the Balkans.Apart from pure geography, Cvijic is known for his work in geology (geomorphology, tectonics, paleogeology, neotectonics). His monography about Karst generated very positive reviews in European scientific circles, and his speech about the structure and classification of mountains on The Balkan Peninsula based on geology-tectonic knowledge made him famous as the first Southern-Slavic geotectonist. He always included geology in his geography works. His two books named "Geomorphology" are valuable even today, and represent outstanding base for modern research. He also explored Balkans' psychology types.In 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 Philosophy Faculty in 1893 and was the Head of it from the start until 1927. Together with other geographers and natural scientists he founded the Serbian Geographic Society 1910 in Belgrade. He was the president of this society until his death. He was twice rector of Belgrade University in 1906/07 and in 1919/20.Cvijic was known world-wide among scientists, and received many acknowledgements. He became Associate of the Serbian Royal Academy of Sciences on February 5th 1896, and full member on February 4th, 1899. By the act he became a president of The Serbian Royal Academy, on April 12th 1921. He held this position for the rest of his life. Beside this, he was an associate of The USSR Science Academy, Yugoslav Academy of Sciences and Arts, Science association Parnasos (Athens), honorable doctor of Sorbonne and Charles University (Prague). He was honorable member of many geographical, etnographical, natural science, and other associations across the world (Petrograd, Budapest, Bucharest and others). He received English, French and American medals for scientific achievements.
