Vladimir Corovic
Encyclopedia
Vladimir Ćorović was a 20th-century Serbian historian
, member of the Serbian Academy of Sciences and Arts
(SANU). He is best known for his many acclaimed works on the history of Serbs
and Yugoslavia
.
in Herzegovina
, then under Ottoman
sovereignty but under Austro-Hungarian
administration, to an Orthodox, Serb
family involved in business.
Having finished primary school and the Gymnasium
in Mostar, in which he was one of many future intellectuals, among whom were also his brother, Svetozar Ćorović
. He continued his studies at the University of Vienna
in 1904, studying Slavic Archaeology
, History
and Philology
. He was active in the Serbian academic group „Zora“. He gained a Ph.D.
in 1908 with a thesis on Lukijan Mušicki
. His professors at Vienna were Vatroslav Jagić
, Konstantin Jireček, and Milan Rešetar
. In 1908 he went to Munich
for specialized studies with Karl Krumbacher
.
He spent some time in Bologna
and Paris
, exploring Old Slavic manuscripts. He moved to Sarajevo
in September, 1909, and worked as a custos
and later administrator
at the National Museum of Bosnia and Herzegovina
, this period started his intensive years of working. He was a contributor to many known Serbian papers, such as „Bosanska vila“, „Srpski književni glasnik“ and „Letopis Matice srpske“. He was also a secretary of the Serbian cultural society „Prosvjeta
“ and organizer of its calendar of 1911.
After the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria
on June 28th, 1914, Austro-Hungarian authorities arrested Ćorović. He was indicted in the Banja Luka process (Бањалучки процес, November 3rd, 1915 - April 22nd, 1916) where he was first sentenced to 5 years, but the high court increased it to 8 years because of his work at „Prosvjeta“. The new Austro-Hungarian King, Charles I of Austria, after international pressure, released political prisoners in 1917 - giving them amnesty; Ćorović was released from Zenica
, where he had spent the most time in prison.
He then went to Zagreb
, where he together with several Yugoslav
writers (Niko Bartulović, Ivo Andrić
and Branko Mašić) established the „Književni Jug"-paper. At this time he worked closely with other Yugoslav politicians in different countries, especially in Austro-Hungarian territories. He wrote the "Black Books" (Beograd-Sarajevo, 1920), about the persecution and murders of Serbs of Bosnia
and Herzegovina
. He was present at the proclamation of the formation of Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes in Belgrade
on December 1, 1918.
at the University of Belgrade
since 1919, and Rector
of the University in the 1934/35 and 1935/36 academic years.
His scientific work includes interpretations of ancient Greek
and Serbian records, medieval historiography and monograph
s about the Serbian monasteries of Bosnia (Tvrdoš
, Duži, Zavala) to the relations between the Serbs of Montenegro
and Muslims in Albania
.
The Holy Mountain and Chilandar was published by the Chilandar
brethren in 1985. Ćorović did not manage to finish this manuscript or to do the pre-press because World War started and when trying to fled the country with government he died in a plane crash on 12 April 1941 somewhere in Greece
. Since Ćorović's unfinished manuscript was untitled, the Chilandar inhabitants decided to use the variant of the descriptive exactness of the manuscript itself (Holy Mountain and Chilandar until the 16th Century), although bibliographies show the abridged title.
History of Serbia
The history of Serbia, as a country, begins with the Slavic settlements in the Balkans, established in the 6th century in territories governed by the Byzantine Empire. Through centuries, the Serbian realm evolved into a Kingdom , then an Empire , before the Ottomans annexed it in 1540...
, member of the Serbian Academy of Sciences and Arts
Serbian Academy of Sciences and Arts
The Serbian Academy of Sciences and Arts is the most prominent academic institution in Serbia today...
(SANU). He is best known for his many acclaimed works on the history of Serbs
Serbs
The Serbs are a South Slavic ethnic group of the Balkans and southern Central Europe. Serbs are located mainly in Serbia, Montenegro and Bosnia and Herzegovina, and form a sizable minority in Croatia, the Republic of Macedonia and Slovenia. Likewise, Serbs are an officially recognized minority in...
and Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia refers to three political entities that existed successively on the western part of the Balkans during most of the 20th century....
.
Early
Vladimir Ćorović was born in MostarMostar
Mostar is a city and municipality in Bosnia and Herzegovina, the largest and one of the most important cities in the Herzegovina region and the center of the Herzegovina-Neretva Canton of the Federation. Mostar is situated on the Neretva river and is the fifth-largest city in the country...
in 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...
, then under Ottoman
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
sovereignty but under Austro-Hungarian
Austria-Hungary
Austria-Hungary , more formally known as the Kingdoms and Lands Represented in the Imperial Council and the Lands of the Holy Hungarian Crown of Saint Stephen, was a constitutional monarchic union between the crowns of the Austrian Empire and the Kingdom of Hungary in...
administration, to an Orthodox, Serb
Serbs
The Serbs are a South Slavic ethnic group of the Balkans and southern Central Europe. Serbs are located mainly in Serbia, Montenegro and Bosnia and Herzegovina, and form a sizable minority in Croatia, the Republic of Macedonia and Slovenia. Likewise, Serbs are an officially recognized minority in...
family involved in business.
Having finished primary school and 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 Mostar, in which he was one of many future intellectuals, among whom were also his brother, Svetozar Ćorović
Svetozar Ćorović
Svetozar Ćorović is a Bosnia and Herzegovina novelist of Serbian descent In his books, he often wrote of life in Herzegovina region and Mostar...
. He continued his studies at the University of Vienna
University of Vienna
The University of Vienna is a public university located in Vienna, Austria. It was founded by Duke Rudolph IV in 1365 and is the oldest university in the German-speaking world...
in 1904, studying Slavic Archaeology
Archaeology
Archaeology, or archeology , is the study of human society, primarily through the recovery and analysis of the material culture and environmental data that they have left behind, which includes artifacts, architecture, biofacts and cultural landscapes...
, History
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...
and Philology
Philology
Philology is the study of language in written historical sources; it is a combination of literary studies, history and linguistics.Classical philology is the philology of Greek and Classical Latin...
. He was active in the Serbian academic group „Zora“. He gained a Ph.D.
Doctor of Philosophy
Doctor of Philosophy, abbreviated as Ph.D., PhD, D.Phil., or DPhil , in English-speaking countries, is a postgraduate academic degree awarded by universities...
in 1908 with a thesis on Lukijan Mušicki
Lukijan Mušicki
Lukijan Mušicki was a Serbian poet, prose writer, and polyglot.Mušicki was a monk, and later abbot of a monastery in Fruška Gora, whose religious poetry in Church Slavonic, a language distant from the spoken koine, but the only literary language of his time, was recognised and valued by the...
. His professors at Vienna were Vatroslav Jagić
Vatroslav Jagic
Vatroslav Jagić was a Croatian language researcher and a famous expert in Slavic languages in the second half of the 19th century.-Life:...
, Konstantin Jireček, and Milan Rešetar
Milan Rešetar
Milan Rešetar was a Serb-Catholic, linguist, Ragusologist, historian and literary critic.After the gymnasium in Dubrovnik, he attained studies of classic Philology and Slavistics in Vienna...
. In 1908 he went to Munich
Munich
Munich The city's motto is "" . Before 2006, it was "Weltstadt mit Herz" . Its native name, , is derived from the Old High German Munichen, meaning "by the monks' place". The city's name derives from the monks of the Benedictine order who founded the city; hence the monk depicted on the city's coat...
for specialized studies with Karl Krumbacher
Karl Krumbacher
Karl Krumbacher was a German scholar who was an expert on Byzantine culture.He was born at Kürnach im Allgäu in Bavaria, and was educated at the Universities of Munich and Leipzig, and held the professorship of the middle ages and modern Greek language and literature in the former from 1897 to his...
.
He spent some time in Bologna
Bologna
Bologna is the capital city of Emilia-Romagna, in the Po Valley of Northern Italy. The city lies between the Po River and the Apennine Mountains, more specifically, between the Reno River and the Savena River. Bologna is a lively and cosmopolitan Italian college city, with spectacular history,...
and Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
, exploring Old Slavic manuscripts. He moved to Sarajevo
Sarajevo
Sarajevo |Bosnia]], surrounded by the Dinaric Alps and situated along the Miljacka River in the heart of Southeastern Europe and the Balkans....
in September, 1909, and worked as a custos
Custos
Custos is the Latin word for guard. It occurs in titles such as* Custos rotulorum, keeper of the rolls* Custos * Custos...
and later administrator
Arts administration
Arts Administration is the business end of an arts organization responsible for facilitating the day-to-day operation of the organization and fulfilling its mission...
at the National Museum of Bosnia and Herzegovina
National Museum of Bosnia and Herzegovina
The National Museum of Bosnia and Herzegovina is located in central Sarajevo, the capital of Bosnia and Herzegovina. It was established in 1888, having originally been conceived around 1850...
, this period started his intensive years of working. He was a contributor to many known Serbian papers, such as „Bosanska vila“, „Srpski književni glasnik“ and „Letopis Matice srpske“. He was also a secretary of the Serbian cultural society „Prosvjeta
Prosvjeta
Serbian Cultural Society "Prosvjeta" is the central cultural, educational and scientific institution of the Serbs in Croatia, with the aim of preserving and developing national identity....
“ and organizer of its calendar of 1911.
After the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria
Assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria
On 28 June 1914, Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria, heir presumptive to the Austro-Hungarian throne, and his wife, Sophie, Duchess of Hohenberg, were shot dead in Sarajevo, by Gavrilo Princip, one of a group of six Bosnian Serb assassins coordinated by Danilo Ilić...
on June 28th, 1914, Austro-Hungarian authorities arrested Ćorović. He was indicted in the Banja Luka process (Бањалучки процес, November 3rd, 1915 - April 22nd, 1916) where he was first sentenced to 5 years, but the high court increased it to 8 years because of his work at „Prosvjeta“. The new Austro-Hungarian King, Charles I of Austria, after international pressure, released political prisoners in 1917 - giving them amnesty; Ćorović was released from Zenica
Zenica
Zenica is an industrial city in Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is the capital of the Zenica-Doboj Canton of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina entity...
, where he had spent the most time in prison.
He then went to Zagreb
Zagreb
Zagreb is the capital and the largest city of the Republic of Croatia. It is in the northwest of the country, along the Sava river, at the southern slopes of the Medvednica mountain. Zagreb lies at an elevation of approximately above sea level. According to the last official census, Zagreb's city...
, where he together with several Yugoslav
Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia refers to three political entities that existed successively on the western part of the Balkans during most of the 20th century....
writers (Niko Bartulović, Ivo Andrić
Ivo Andric
Ivan "Ivo" Andrić was a Yugoslav novelist, short story writer, and the 1961 winner of the Nobel Prize in Literature. His writings dealt mainly with life in his native Bosnia under the Ottoman Empire...
and Branko Mašić) established the „Književni Jug"-paper. At this time he worked closely with other Yugoslav politicians in different countries, especially in Austro-Hungarian territories. He wrote the "Black Books" (Beograd-Sarajevo, 1920), about the persecution and murders of Serbs of Bosnia
Bosnia (region)
Bosnia is a eponomous region of Bosnia and Herzegovina. It lies mainly in the Dinaric Alps, ranging to the southern borders of the Pannonian plain, with the rivers Sava and Drina marking its northern and eastern borders. The other eponomous region, the southern, other half of the country is...
and 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...
. He was present at the proclamation of the formation of Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes in Belgrade
Belgrade
Belgrade is the capital and largest city of Serbia. It is located at the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers, where the Pannonian Plain meets the Balkans. According to official results of Census 2011, the city has a population of 1,639,121. It is one of the 15 largest cities in Europe...
on December 1, 1918.
Professor
He was professor of Serbian historyHistory of Serbia
The history of Serbia, as a country, begins with the Slavic settlements in the Balkans, established in the 6th century in territories governed by the Byzantine Empire. Through centuries, the Serbian realm evolved into a Kingdom , then an Empire , before the Ottomans annexed it in 1540...
at the University of Belgrade
University of Belgrade
The University of Belgrade is the oldest and largest university of Serbia.Founded in 1808 as the Belgrade Higher School in revolutionary Serbia, by 1838 it merged with the Kragujevac-based departments into a single university...
since 1919, and Rector
Rector
The word rector has a number of different meanings; it is widely used to refer to an academic, religious or political administrator...
of the University in the 1934/35 and 1935/36 academic years.
His scientific work includes interpretations of ancient Greek
Ancient Greek
Ancient Greek is the stage of the Greek language in the periods spanning the times c. 9th–6th centuries BC, , c. 5th–4th centuries BC , and the c. 3rd century BC – 6th century AD of ancient Greece and the ancient world; being predated in the 2nd millennium BC by Mycenaean Greek...
and Serbian records, medieval historiography and monograph
Monograph
A monograph is a work of writing upon a single subject, usually by a single author.It is often a scholarly essay or learned treatise, and may be released in the manner of a book or journal article. It is by definition a single document that forms a complete text in itself...
s about the Serbian monasteries of Bosnia (Tvrdoš
Tvrdoš
Tvrdoš is a 15th-century Serb Orthodox monastery near the city of Trebinje, Republika Srpska, Bosnia and Herzegovina. The 4th-century foundations of the first Roman church on the site are still visible today....
, Duži, Zavala) to the relations between the Serbs of Montenegro
Serbs of Montenegro
Montenegrin Serbs is a regional, ethnographic group of ethnic Serbs. They compose the second largest ethnic group in Montenegro after the Montenegrins....
and Muslims in Albania
Albania
Albania , officially known as the Republic of Albania , is a country in Southeastern Europe, in the Balkans region. It is bordered by Montenegro to the northwest, Kosovo to the northeast, the Republic of Macedonia to the east and Greece to the south and southeast. It has a coast on the Adriatic Sea...
.
The Holy Mountain and Chilandar was published by the Chilandar
Hilandar
Hilandar Monastery is a Serbian Orthodox monastery on Mount Athos in Greece. It was founded in 1198 by the first Serbian Archbishop Saint Sava and his father, Grand Prince Stefan Nemanja of the medieval Serbian principality of Raška...
brethren in 1985. Ćorović did not manage to finish this manuscript or to do the pre-press because World War started and when trying to fled the country with government he died in a plane crash on 12 April 1941 somewhere in Greece
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
. Since Ćorović's unfinished manuscript was untitled, the Chilandar inhabitants decided to use the variant of the descriptive exactness of the manuscript itself (Holy Mountain and Chilandar until the 16th Century), although bibliographies show the abridged title.
Works
- Vojislav Ilić (Mostar, 1906)
- Srpske narodne pripovijetke (Matica srpska: Novi Sad, 1909)
- Pokreti i dela (Geca Kon: Beograd, 1920)
- Crna Knjiga. Patnje Srba Bosne i Hercegovine za vreme svetskog rata 1914-1918. (Beograd, 1920)
- Velika Srbija (Narodno delo: Beograd, 1924)
- Bosna i Hercegovina (Srpska književna zadruga: Beograd, 1927)
- Luka Vukalović i hercegovački ustanci od 1852-1862 (Srpska kraljevska akademija: Beograd, 1923)
- Ujedinjenje (Narodno delo: Beograd, 1928)
- Mostar i njegova srpska pravoslavna opština (Beograd, 1933)
- Istorija Jugoslavije (Narodno delo: Beograd, 1933)
- Odnosi između Srbije i Austrougarske u XX veku (Državna štamparija Kraljevine Jugoslavije: Beograd, 1936)
- Historija Bosne knj. I (Srpska kraljevska akademija: Beograd, 1940
- Istorija Srba (BIGZ: Beograd, 1989) - posthumno, koristeći originalni rukopis
Quote
- The names of the martyrs for the idea must be disclosed and recorded on the pages of the history of this movement, which, like all those until now, will confirm how this phenomenon has continually repeated itself in our past and has almost acquired the form of a periodical national event. — Vladimir Ćorović, The Black Book