{"id":2027,"date":"2023-07-15T23:09:17","date_gmt":"2023-07-15T21:09:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.shd.org.rs\/about-society\/istorijat\/"},"modified":"2023-09-22T20:16:09","modified_gmt":"2023-09-22T18:16:09","slug":"istorijat","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.shd.org.rs\/en\/about-society\/istorijat\/","title":{"rendered":"History"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The archives of the Serbian Chemical Society were burnt in the bombing of Belgrade in 1941. But a great number of important documents concerning the history of the Society were preserved and later collected from members or Sections and Affiliates, so that, based on them, important events in the life and work of the Society, for the first fifty years, could be described after all. The reader will probably feel that the history of the Society of that time shows some blanks and that some of the descriptions are based on unreliable conclusions which are not supported by a satisfactory number of documents. The period of the next fifty years does not have such faults.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Hundred years ago, on November 15th according to the Julian calendar, that is, on November 27th according to the Gregorian calendar, 1897, in the old building of the State Chemical Laboratory (today the building of the Institute of Chemistry, Technology and Metallurgy in Njego\u0161eva Street) in Belgrade, eleven Belgrade chemists gathered together. On the previous day, November 14th, 1897 according to the Julian calendar, that is, November 26th according to the Gregorian calendar, they all received summons from the professor of the Velika \u0160kola (later the University) and director of the State Chemical Laboratory, Dr. Marko T. Leko so that, as was written by his own hand in the mentioned summons, \u201cthey could raise the question of founding the Serbian Chemical Society\u201c.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Invitation of the meeting initiating the foundation of the Serbian Chemical Society<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

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The immediate cause for this gathering, as can be seen from this note, was a letter sent to Prof. Leko by \u201cThe Main Committee of the III International Congress of Applied Chemistry which was to take place in Vienna in July 1898.\u201d In this letter it was suggested that a board should also be organized for Serbia with the task to incite among, colleagues as great an attendance at the Congress as possible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At this gathering, as can be seen from the minutes written by Dr. Marko Nikolic, \u201cThe preliminary meeting of The Serbian Chemical Society,\u201d beside the summoner Dr. Marko T. Leko and the mentioned recorder Dr. Marko V. Nikolic, the following persons were present:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Dr. Marko T. Leko<\/h4>

Prof. of the Velika Skola and Director of the State Chemical Lab<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Dr. Dobrosav M. Knez-Milojkovic <\/h4>

State Chemist in Belgrade <\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Dr. Aleksandar K. Zega <\/h4>

Chemist of the Municipality of Belgrade <\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Jovan N. Bademlic <\/h4>

Chemist, Principal of the II Male High School in Belgrade<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Dr. Milorad Z. Jovicic <\/h4>

High School Teacher in Belgrade <\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Vojislav R. Prljevic  <\/h4>

Chemist at the Laboratory of the Mining Department in Belgrade<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Radomir S. Majstorovic <\/h4>

Chemist of the State Chemical Laboratory<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Dr. Luka Panic <\/h4>

Employed at the Pharmaceutical Warehouse in Belgrade<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Dr. Marko Nikolic <\/h4>

Manager of the Chemical Laboratory of the Belgrade Custom<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Dr. Josif Sodomski<\/h4>

Chemist at the Commission of State Monopolies<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Dr. Sima Lozanic*<\/h4>

Professor of the Velika Skola and Minister of Economy<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Dr. Kosta M. Jovanovic<\/h4>

\u0423\u043f\u0440\u0430\u0432\u043d\u0438\u043a \u0420\u0443\u0434\u0430\u0440\u0441\u043a\u0435 \u043b\u0430\u0431\u043e\u0440\u0430\u0442\u043e\u0440\u0438\u0458\u0438 \u041c\u0438\u043d\u0438\u0441\u0442\u0430\u0440\u0441\u0442\u0432\u0430 \u043d\u0430\u0440\u043e\u0434\u043d\u0435 \u043f\u0440\u0438\u0432\u0440\u0435\u0434\u0435<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

*Summons were also sent to theSima Lozanic Professor of the Velika Skola and Minister of Economy who, at the time was away, so he could not attend the meeting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At that \u201cpreliminary meeting\u201d, Marko Leko conveyed to the attendees the request of the Central Committee of the III International Congress of Applied Chemistry \u201cto have in Belgrade a committee formed for Serbia whose task would be to insist upon the great possible response to the Congress and to prepare papers for it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At the same time, M. Leko raised the question of founding a society of Serbian chemists. After the first question had been discussed for a longer time, it was principally decided \u201cthat one should accept the invitation of the Central International Committee in Vienna,\u201d and it was agreed \u201cthat they should inform the Central International Committee of having communicated it to the Society of Serbian Chemists and the Society would take up the role of the Committee for Serbia, communicating all activities to the Central International Committee.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u0410fter a long discussion, it was decided to found an association of Serbian chemists, and only chemists, not a \u201cchemical-physical-mineralogical society as they had tried to do some time before.\u201d Also, a principle decision was made, among others, \u201cto begin working without any statutes, or officials (except secretary), to fix the day of society meetings and to have the second preliminary meeting take place on December 4th, 1897.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At the second meeting, everybody agreed upon the following tasks of the Chemical Society:<\/p>\n\n\n\n