Stefan Stratimirović
Encyclopedia
Stefan Stratimirović was Metropolitan
of the Serbian Orthodox Church
in the Austrian Empire
between 1790 and 1836. Having been appointed Metropolitan at the age of 33, Stratimirović maintained control over church life decisively and autonomously. He was an aid to Karađorđe during the First Serbian Uprising
and actively participated in the silencing of Tican's Rebellion
in 1807.
family originating from Herzegovina
,
Stratimirović lived in a private estate awarded to his family by Marie Therese in 1745. He was given a good education; he graduated from grade schools
in Kulpin and Begeč
, and later he attained the Gymnasium
in Novi Sad
, from which he also graduated. He afterwords studied philosophy
and law
in Vienna
and Buda, later moving on to theology
which he studied privately in Sremski Karlovci
under
Serbian archimandrite
Jovan Rajić
, because there were not yet any Serbian theology schools at the time. In 1784 he joined the Serbian Orthodox Church
as a monk
, and in 1786 he was appointed Bishop
of Vršac
. Later on he was appointed in the Eparchy of Buda, where he served for four years. On October 29, 1790, Stratimirović was made Metropolitan
of Karlovci
at the Assembly of Timişoara
, at the age of 33.
in 1792, in 1794 the Karlovci Theology School, and in 1795 the Blagodejanije fund
(later called Stefaneum).
He edited and expanded the Metropolitan library and established higher discipline within the clergy
. As a religious leader he inspired independence and supported the First Serbian Uprising, despite leading the clergy remotely from within the Austrian Empire. He led a struggle against Viennese attempts of unifying Serbs with the Austrian Empire. He was a devoted enthusiast of both science and literature.
Under the strong influence of the conflict for preserving orthodoxy
, Stratimirović gradually became more and more conservative and in so doing was opposed to the language reformations of Dositej Obradović
, Sava Mrkalj
, and Vuk Stefanović Karadžić
. During the First Serbian Uprising
he helped the rebels in secret by assisting in the supply of munitions and gunpowder from Prussia
. In 1807 he played an active role in silencing Tican's Rebellion
in Srem
.
His heritage included many written works in a variety of languages as well as subjects. Although only two of his major works were ever printed during his lifetime, he wrote many other works in Latin
, German
and Serbian
, among which there are historical
, clerical, literary and other texts. After his death in 1836, more of his works were printed in published. Although requested, a biography
was never written on his behalf, and only a list of his works and an outline on his life were ever written and published for the general public.
as a member of the Vigilantia lodge in Osijek
. While the details of his membership and activities within the lodge are few, there is clear evidence of his membership in the lodge charter, which also suggested that he was a lodge master at some time during his membership. The Vigilantia lodge was also notable for several other members, who like Stratimirović also played a vital role in the history of Serbia. These include Pavle Marković, Josif Jovanović Šakabenta and Stefan Novaković.
Metropolitan bishop
In Christian churches with episcopal polity, the rank of metropolitan bishop, or simply metropolitan, pertains to the diocesan bishop or archbishop of a metropolis; that is, the chief city of a historical Roman province, ecclesiastical province, or regional capital.Before the establishment of...
of the Serbian Orthodox Church
Serbian Orthodox Church
The Serbian Orthodox Church is one of the autocephalous Orthodox Christian churches, ranking sixth in order of seniority after Constantinople, Alexandria, Antioch, Jerusalem, and Russia...
in the Austrian Empire
Austrian Empire
The Austrian Empire was a modern era successor empire, which was centered on what is today's Austria and which officially lasted from 1804 to 1867. It was followed by the Empire of Austria-Hungary, whose proclamation was a diplomatic move that elevated Hungary's status within the Austrian Empire...
between 1790 and 1836. Having been appointed Metropolitan at the age of 33, Stratimirović maintained control over church life decisively and autonomously. He was an aid to Karađorđe during the First Serbian Uprising
First Serbian Uprising
The First Serbian Uprising was the first stage of the Serbian Revolution , the successful wars of independence that lasted for 9 years and approximately 9 months , during which Serbia perceived itself as an independent state for the first time after more than three centuries of Ottoman rule and...
and actively participated in the silencing of Tican's Rebellion
Tican's Rebellion
The Tican's Rebellion was a rebellion of the Syrmian peasants against feudal relations in society. The rebellion started in April 1807 on the estate of Ruma of earl Karlo Pejačević and estate of Ilok of earl Odescalchi...
in 1807.
Early life and Appointment
Born in Kulpin as a descendant of a nobleNobility
Nobility is a social class which possesses more acknowledged privileges or eminence than members of most other classes in a society, membership therein typically being hereditary. The privileges associated with nobility may constitute substantial advantages over or relative to non-nobles, or may be...
family originating from Herzegovina
Herzegovina
Herzegovina is the southern region of Bosnia and Herzegovina. While there is no official border distinguishing it from the Bosnian region, it is generally accepted that the borders of the region are Croatia to the west, Montenegro to the south, the canton boundaries of the Herzegovina-Neretva...
,
Stratimirović lived in a private estate awarded to his family by Marie Therese in 1745. He was given a good education; he graduated from grade schools
Elementary school
An elementary school or primary school is an institution where children receive the first stage of compulsory education known as elementary or primary education. Elementary school is the preferred term in some countries, particularly those in North America, where the terms grade school and grammar...
in Kulpin and Begeč
Begec
Begeč is a village in Serbian province of Vojvodina. It is located in Novi Sad municipality, in South Bačka District. Begeč is situated on the river Danube, approximately 15 km west from Novi Sad, on Bačka Palanka-Novi Sad road...
, and later he attained the Gymnasium
Gymnasium (school)
A gymnasium is a type of school providing secondary education in some parts of Europe, comparable to English grammar schools or sixth form colleges and U.S. college preparatory high schools. The word γυμνάσιον was used in Ancient Greece, meaning a locality for both physical and intellectual...
in Novi Sad
Novi Sad
Novi Sad is the capital of the northern Serbian province of Vojvodina, and the administrative centre of the South Bačka District. The city is located in the southern part of Pannonian Plain on the Danube river....
, from which he also graduated. He afterwords studied philosophy
Philosophy
Philosophy is the study of general and fundamental problems, such as those connected with existence, knowledge, values, reason, mind, and language. Philosophy is distinguished from other ways of addressing such problems by its critical, generally systematic approach and its reliance on rational...
and law
Law
Law is a system of rules and guidelines which are enforced through social institutions to govern behavior, wherever possible. It shapes politics, economics and society in numerous ways and serves as a social mediator of relations between people. Contract law regulates everything from buying a bus...
in Vienna
Vienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
and Buda, later moving on to theology
Theology
Theology is the systematic and rational study of religion and its influences and of the nature of religious truths, or the learned profession acquired by completing specialized training in religious studies, usually at a university or school of divinity or seminary.-Definition:Augustine of Hippo...
which he studied privately in Sremski Karlovci
Sremski Karlovci
Sremski Karlovci is a town and municipality in Serbia, in the autonomous province of Vojvodina, situated on the bank of the river Danube, 8 km from Novi Sad...
under
Serbian archimandrite
Archimandrite
The title Archimandrite , primarily used in the Eastern Orthodox and the Eastern Catholic churches, originally referred to a superior abbot whom a bishop appointed to supervise...
Jovan Rajić
Jovan Rajic
Jovan Rajić was a Serbian writer, historian, traveller, and pedagogue, considered one of the greatest Serbian academics of the 18th century...
, because there were not yet any Serbian theology schools at the time. In 1784 he joined the Serbian Orthodox Church
Serbian Orthodox Church
The Serbian Orthodox Church is one of the autocephalous Orthodox Christian churches, ranking sixth in order of seniority after Constantinople, Alexandria, Antioch, Jerusalem, and Russia...
as a monk
Monk
A monk is a person who practices religious asceticism, living either alone or with any number of monks, while always maintaining some degree of physical separation from those not sharing the same purpose...
, and in 1786 he was appointed Bishop
Bishop
A bishop is an ordained or consecrated member of the Christian clergy who is generally entrusted with a position of authority and oversight. Within the Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox Churches, in the Assyrian Church of the East, in the Independent Catholic Churches, and in the...
of Vršac
Vršac
Vršac is a town and municipality located in Serbia. In 2002 the town's total population was 36,623, while Vršac municipality had 54,369 inhabitants. Vršac is located in the Banat region, in the Vojvodina province of Serbia. It is part of the South Banat District.-Name:The name Vršac is of Serbian...
. Later on he was appointed in the Eparchy of Buda, where he served for four years. On October 29, 1790, Stratimirović was made Metropolitan
Metropolitan bishop
In Christian churches with episcopal polity, the rank of metropolitan bishop, or simply metropolitan, pertains to the diocesan bishop or archbishop of a metropolis; that is, the chief city of a historical Roman province, ecclesiastical province, or regional capital.Before the establishment of...
of Karlovci
Sremski Karlovci
Sremski Karlovci is a town and municipality in Serbia, in the autonomous province of Vojvodina, situated on the bank of the river Danube, 8 km from Novi Sad...
at the Assembly of Timişoara
Timisoara
Timișoara is the capital city of Timiș County, in western Romania. One of the largest Romanian cities, with an estimated population of 311,586 inhabitants , and considered the informal capital city of the historical region of Banat, Timișoara is the main social, economic and cultural center in the...
, at the age of 33.
Metropolitan of Karlovci
As metropolitan, Stratimirović paid special attention to the building of educational institutions. With the help of merchant Dimitrije Anastasijević Szabov he founded the Gymnasium of KarlovciGymnasium of Karlovci
The Gymnasium of Karlovci or the High School of Karlovci, located in the town of Sremski Karlovci in Serbia, is the oldest Serbian secondary school on the slopes of Fruška Gora. This type of school is comparable to U.S...
in 1792, in 1794 the Karlovci Theology School, and in 1795 the Blagodejanije fund
Collective investment scheme
A collective investment scheme is a way of investing money alongside other investors in order to benefit from the inherent advantages of working as part of a group...
(later called Stefaneum).
He edited and expanded the Metropolitan library and established higher discipline within the clergy
Clergy
Clergy is the generic term used to describe the formal religious leadership within a given religion. A clergyman, churchman or cleric is a member of the clergy, especially one who is a priest, preacher, pastor, or other religious professional....
. As a religious leader he inspired independence and supported the First Serbian Uprising, despite leading the clergy remotely from within the Austrian Empire. He led a struggle against Viennese attempts of unifying Serbs with the Austrian Empire. He was a devoted enthusiast of both science and literature.
Under the strong influence of the conflict for preserving orthodoxy
Orthodoxy
The word orthodox, from Greek orthos + doxa , is generally used to mean the adherence to accepted norms, more specifically to creeds, especially in religion...
, Stratimirović gradually became more and more conservative and in so doing was opposed to the language reformations of Dositej Obradović
Dositej Obradovic
Dositej Dimitrije Obradović was a Serbian author, philosopher, linguist, polyglot and the first minister of education of Serbia...
, Sava Mrkalj
Sava Mrkalj
Sava Mrkalj was a Serbian linguist, grammarian, philologist, and poet known for his attempt to reform the Serbian language before Vuk Karadžić....
, and Vuk Stefanović Karadžić
Vuk Stefanovic Karadžic
Vuk Stefanović Karadžić was a Serbian philolog and linguist, the major reformer of the Serbian language, and deserves, perhaps, for his collections of songs, fairy tales, and riddles to be called the father of the study of Serbian folklore. He was the author of the first Serbian dictionary...
. During the First Serbian Uprising
First Serbian Uprising
The First Serbian Uprising was the first stage of the Serbian Revolution , the successful wars of independence that lasted for 9 years and approximately 9 months , during which Serbia perceived itself as an independent state for the first time after more than three centuries of Ottoman rule and...
he helped the rebels in secret by assisting in the supply of munitions and gunpowder from Prussia
Prussia
Prussia was a German kingdom and historic state originating out of the Duchy of Prussia and the Margraviate of Brandenburg. For centuries, the House of Hohenzollern ruled Prussia, successfully expanding its size by way of an unusually well-organized and effective army. Prussia shaped the history...
. In 1807 he played an active role in silencing Tican's Rebellion
Tican's Rebellion
The Tican's Rebellion was a rebellion of the Syrmian peasants against feudal relations in society. The rebellion started in April 1807 on the estate of Ruma of earl Karlo Pejačević and estate of Ilok of earl Odescalchi...
in Srem
Srem
Śrem is a town on the Warta river in central Poland. It has been situated in the Greater Poland Voivodeship since 1999; from 1975 to 1998 it was part of the Poznań Voivodeship...
.
His heritage included many written works in a variety of languages as well as subjects. Although only two of his major works were ever printed during his lifetime, he wrote many other works in Latin
Latin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
, German
German language
German is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
and Serbian
Serbian language
Serbian is a form of Serbo-Croatian, a South Slavic language, spoken by Serbs in Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Croatia and neighbouring countries....
, among which there are historical
History
History is the discovery, collection, organization, and presentation of information about past events. History can also mean the period of time after writing was invented. Scholars who write about history are called historians...
, clerical, literary and other texts. After his death in 1836, more of his works were printed in published. Although requested, a biography
Biography
A biography is a detailed description or account of someone's life. More than a list of basic facts , biography also portrays the subject's experience of those events...
was never written on his behalf, and only a list of his works and an outline on his life were ever written and published for the general public.
Freemasonry
A more or less obscure trait of Stratimirović was that he was, at sometime after (also sometimes speculated during) his academic years in Buda and Vienna, admitted into FreemasonryFreemasonry
Freemasonry is a fraternal organisation that arose from obscure origins in the late 16th to early 17th century. Freemasonry now exists in various forms all over the world, with a membership estimated at around six million, including approximately 150,000 under the jurisdictions of the Grand Lodge...
as a member of the Vigilantia lodge in Osijek
Osijek
Osijek is the fourth largest city in Croatia with a population of 83,496 in 2011. It is the largest city and the economic and cultural centre of the eastern Croatian region of Slavonia, as well as the administrative centre of Osijek-Baranja county...
. While the details of his membership and activities within the lodge are few, there is clear evidence of his membership in the lodge charter, which also suggested that he was a lodge master at some time during his membership. The Vigilantia lodge was also notable for several other members, who like Stratimirović also played a vital role in the history of Serbia. These include Pavle Marković, Josif Jovanović Šakabenta and Stefan Novaković.
Further reading
- Народна енциклопедија Срба, Хрвата и Словенаца, Ст. Станојевић, Загреб, 1925. – 1929.