Stojan Novaković Стојан Новаковић
38thPrime Minister of Serbia
In office 1895–1896
Monarch	Alexander I
Preceded by	Nikola Hristić
Succeeded by	Đorđe Simić
In office February 1909 – October 1909
Monarch	Peter I
Preceded by	Petar Velimirović
Succeeded by	Nikola Pašić
Personal details
Born	Kosta Novaković (1842-11-13)13 November 1842 Šabac,Principality of Serbia
Died	17 February 1915(1915-02-17) (aged 72) Niš,Kingdom of Serbia
Resting place	Belgrade New Cemetery
Party	Progressive Party
Occupation	historian,philologist,politician anddiplomat
Signature

Stojan Novaković (Serbian Cyrillic:Стојан Новаковић; 13 November 1842 – 17 February 1915) was aSerbian politician, historian, diplomat, writer,bibliographer, literary critic, literary historian,^[1] and translator. He held the post of Prime Minister of theKingdom of Serbia on two occasions, post of minister of education on three occasions, minister of interior on one occasion and leading the foremostliberalpolitical party of that time in Serbia, theProgressive Party. He was also one of the most successful and skilled Serbian diplomats,^[2] holding the post of envoy toConstantinople,Paris,Vienna andSaint Petersburg.

Noted intellectual, Stojan Novaković was the president of theSerbian Academy of Sciences and Arts, head of theNational Library^[3] the first president and a founding member ofSerbian Literary Guild, Professor at theBelgrade'sGrande école, member ofSerbian,Yugoslav,French,Czech,Polish andRussian academies.^[4] Stojan Novaković is considered one of the foremost Serbian historians of the nineteenth century and one of the founders of modern Serbian historiography.^[5][6]

Novaković was the first Serbian-educated scholar of the 19th century that obtained international renown. After finishing his secondary education in Belgrade (1860), he studied law and philosophy until 1863 at theBelgrade Lyceum (Licej) that was eventually transformed into the Belgrade'sGrandes écoles (Velika škola). In 1865 he became a professor in this Belgrade institution of higher learning.^[7] By 1872 he was the librarian of theNational Library and curator of theNational Museum in Belgrade.^[8]

As a young scholar, he was founder and editor of the journalVila (Fairy Lady) that was published from 1865 to 1868. In the early years of his scholarly engagement, Novaković translated into SerbianLeopold von Ranke's monumental workDie Serbische Revolution, as well as its revised and updated edition (1864–1892)^[9] as well as the equally famousHistoire de Charles XII byVoltaire (1897) and Joseph Scherr,General History of Literature from German (1872–1874). An admirer ofAdam Mickiewicz, Novaković translated into Serbian his famous poemGrażyna in 1886 and the famous poem "The Captive of the Caucasus" byAlexander Pushkin. Stojan Novaković was one of the founders and first president of theSerbian Literary Cooperative in 1892, a prestigious publishing house for the most important literary and historical works.

He was strongly influenced by internationally renowned professors of Slavic philology and literature, in particular byPavel Jozef Šafárik, who was living and working in Serbia at the time, andĐura Daničić, the translator of theBible into the vernacular.^[10] Under the influence of Daničić, Novaković wrote "The History of Serbian Literature," (Istorija srpske književnosti) in 1867 (revised in 1871), and compiled also the first "Serbian Bibliography" (Srpska bibliografija za noviju književnost, 1741–1867) in 1869, published by the Serbian Learned Society,^[11][12] which resulted in him becoming a corresponding member of theYugoslav Academy in Zagreb in 1870. He prepared simplified, but complete manuals for Serbian grammar that were widely published and used in various schools.

In 1865 Novaković was elected member ofSerbian Learned Society in Belgrade, the precursor of theSerbian Royal Academy (Serbian:Srpska kraljevska akademija), officially founded in 1886. When the Serbian Royal Academy was founded Novaković was made one of its 16 initial members, while in 1906 he became President of the Academy, a position he held until his death in 1915. It was at the initiative of Novaković that the Serbian Royal Academy started comprehensive research and collection of various materials available throughout the Serb-inhabitedBalkans, which realized theDictionary of Serbo-Croatian Literary and Vernacular Language. Although a disciple of Đura Daničić, who was concentrated primarily on linguistic issues, Novaković managed to expand the field of research, establishing a multi-disciplinary approach in treating all the social sciences related to national history, culture and tradition.

The early works of Novaković were mainly on poetry and literature, including his own early poetry (Pevanija, 1862) and attracted minor interest, as did his early novels (Nesrećni andjelak, Kob, Lepa Nerećanka, Vampir, Kaludjer) written between 1862 and 1865. Novaković was the Serbian counterpart to the prominent Slavist scholars, philologists such asCzechDobrovský orŠafárik amongSlovaks,Jernej (Bartholomeus) Kopitar andFranz Miklosich amongSlovenians, andVatroslav Jagić amongCroats.

A scholar of Renaissance knowledge and interest, Novaković was able to use sources published in a dozenSlavic languages, as well as the growing literature in French, English, and German. After learning Latin and Greek, Novaković, already established as a promising scholar in Slavic literature and linguistics, was able to use medieval sources for his extensive historical research on medievalSerbia and theBalkans.

His first major study on historic geography, published in 1877, covered the reign ofStefan Nemanja (Zemljište radnje Nemanjine). His major work on medieval Serbia, the monograph on lateNemanjić period (Serbs and Turks in 14th and 15th centuries), was published in 1893, while his other important works based on unused documents including the studies ofpronoia (Pronijari i baštinici) from 1887, village life in the medieval epoch (Selo), a comprehensive social and historical study, from 1891, andThe Old Serbian Army (Stara srpska vojska), from 1893, as well as a study on medieval Serbian capitals inRascia andKosovo (Nemanjićke prestonice: Ras, Pauni, Nerodimlje), published in 1911, were considered as chapters of the comprehensive, multi-volume monographThe People and the Land in the Old Serbian State (Zemlja i narod u staroj srpskoj državi) which was never fully completed.

The comprehensive volume of medieval documents under the title Legal Documents of Serbian Medieval States (Zakonski spomenici srpskih država srednjeg veka), from 1912, still stands as the main source on the subject for medieval Serbia (Rascia),Bosnia, andDioclea (Zeta). Another major volume is a scholarly edition of theSerbian Emperor Stefan Dušan's Code (Zakonik Stefana Dušana cara srpskog), based on the manuscript found inPrizren,^[13] and a work on the Byzantine legal sources of Serbian medieval law (Matije Vlastara Sintagmat), a subject he treated on several occasions.

His other studies, also based on primary sources and available literature in various languages, covered the modern period, prior and during theSerbian revolution (1804–1835):The Ottoman Empire prior to the Serbian Insurrection, 1780-1804 (Tursko carstvo pred srpski ustanak 1780-1804),The Resurrection of Serbia (Vaskrs države srpske)^[14] in 1904 (translated intoGerman and published inSarajevo in 1912), as well as the detailed analysis of first phase of Serbian Revolution (Ustanak na dahije 1804). In 1907, equally important was the analysis of the struggle between “supreme and central government” in insurgent Serbia:The Constitutional Question and the Law under Karageorge (Ustavno pitanje i zakon Karadjordjeva vremena).

Apart from scholarly work, Novaković published political analysis mostly under the pseudonym "Šarplaninac". These studies on contemporary politics, ethnographic questions, religious strife and national propaganda of various Balkan states, were published as a collection of papers under the titleBalkan Questions (Balkanska pitanja) in 1906. In addition to political works, Novaković published several travelogues, onConstantinople (Pod zidinama Carigrada),Bursa (Brusa) andTurkey-in-Europe (S Morave na Vardar).

Novaković became the Minister of Education and Religious Affairs inJovan Ristić’s Liberal cabinet in April 1873 and started to prepare the Law on high schools in Serbia.^[15] In October 1873 he became anew the Librarian, and in November 1874 again the Minister of Education in the Cabinet of Aćim Čumić and in 1875 was offered the same ministerial post at the government of Prime Minister Danilo Stefanović. He became a professor at the Belgrade'sGrandes écoles in 1875, while from 1880 to 1883 he was, for the third time, the minister of education in theMilan Piroćanac conservative Progressive government, when he managed to regulate the status and legal position of both primary and secondary schools. Stojan Novaković, a kind of SerbianJules Ferry, introduced compulsory primary education for Serbian children, and prepared and made passed dozens of important, often French-inspired bills into laws in the National Assembly. Being an early member of the group of Western-oriented intellectuals that formed theProgressive Party (Napredna stranka) in 1880, soon to be a pillar of KingMilan Obrenović's Austrophile and Turkophile policy, Novaković was, as other Progressives led byMilan Piroćanac and Milutin Garašanin, in favour of enlightened Western-inspired reforms that were to be introduced to the predominantly peasant society of Serbia.^[16][17] In 1883, Novaković became a member of the State Council (Državni Savet), only to be reassigned shortly as Minister of Interior 1884 in Milutin Garašanin's government. He soon stepped down after judging that Garašanin was making too many concessions to KingMilan Obrenović, before eventually returning to a more stable State Council.

Novaković eventually entered into Serbian diplomacy in 1885. He was sent as the Serbian envoy toConstantinople, considered, along withVienna andSt. Petersburg, as one of the most important posts in that period. The diplomatic convention with Ottoman Turkey signed in 1886, due to Novaković's skillful negotiations, made possible the opening of Serbian consulates inSkopje, andThessaloniki. Novaković stayed as Serbian envoy to Constantinople for almost seven years, until 1892. He was instrumental in organizing a huge network of Serbian consulates, secular and religious Serbian schools and Serb religious institutions throughout Turkey-in-Europe, in particular inKosovo,Metohija andMacedonia betweenSkopje andMonastir (Bitolj, Bitola). Furthermore, Novaković initiated the establishment of closer Serbian-Greek cooperation, both with the government inAthens and thePatriarchate of Constantinople.He became the first politician to decide to use the marginal, the nascent and ideologically unformed at this timeMacedonian nationalism as an ideology, in order to oppose the strong Bulgarian positions inMacedonia and as a transitional stage towards the completeSerbization of the Slavic population in Macedonia, and even became the creator of thepejorative expression "Macedonism".^[18][19]

As President of State Council, 1892–1895, Novaković was a member of a foreign policy committee that was instrumental to the flourishing of Serbian schools in theOttoman Empire, as well as to the restoration of the vacant bishopric seat inPrizren inOld Serbia (theVilayet of Kosovo) to a SerbianMetropolitan.

As the Prime Minister under KingAleksandar Obrenović (1895–1896), Novaković managed to convert the state debt, and avoid the financial collapse of Serbia. In order to obtain efficient protection of persecutedChristian Serbs inOttomanTurkey, Novaković sided withRussia, laying the ground for further political gains in that area. After resigning from the government, Novaković, in October 1897, retired from leadership in theProgressive Party.

Appointed anew as Serbian envoy to Constantinople (1897–1900), Novaković organized the first diplomatic action in order to protect Christian Serbs in thevilayet of Kosovo (Old Serbia), that were being persecuted byMuslimAlbanian outlaws. Lacking Russian support, this action, additionally suppressed byAustria-Hungary, did not bring tangible results but raised awareness of both the Serbian and European public of the difficult conditions of the Serbs living under Turkish rule. The correspondence of Novaković with the Ottoman Foreign Minister was published in a bilingualFrench-Serbian “blue book”,Documents diplomatiques. Correspondance concernant les actes de violence et de brigandage des Albanais dans la Vieille Serbie (Vilayet de Kosovo) 1989-1889 (Ministère des Affaires Etrangères, Belgrade 1899). After a brief appointment toParis in 1900, Novaković was reassigned toSt. Petersburg, where he remained to be the envoy of Kingdom of Serbia until 1904.

He retired in 1905. Nevertheless, as the most senior of Serbian statesmen, Novaković was appointed Prime Minister of the all-party government (1908–1909) during theBosnian crisis provoked by theannexation of Bosnia & Herzegovina by Austria-Hungary, considered both as a violation of theTreaty of Berlin of 1878 and of legitimate Serbian interests. Novaković got no tangible results in his mission to Constantinople in order to persuade theYoung Turk government to oppose the annexation of Bosnia. After being abandoned by bothRussia andFrance in the annexation crisis,Serbia was obliged to formally accept thefait accompli imposed by Vienna in March 1909. His last, highly successful diplomatic mission as the first delegate was as the head of the Serbian delegation at the Conference of Ambassadors in London summoned after theBalkan Wars (1912–1913). During difficult deliberations inLondon, the efforts and expertise offered by Novaković proved vital in providing significant territorial gains for Serbia inOld Serbia and Macedonia at the expense of Ottoman Turkey.

After retirement in 1905, Novaković published a memoir in 1912 regarding the political situation in Serbia from 1883 to 1903, covering two decades of rule of the two lastObrenović rulers, various issues regarding the Constitution (he was in favor of two chamber system), and the role of the King and the level of democracy in the then-highly politically divided society of Serbia (Dvadeset godina ustavne politike u Srbiji : 1883-1903 : istorijsko-memoarske zapiske k tome vremenu i k postanju i praktikovanju Ustava od 1888 i 1901).

More of a cabinet scholar than a political leader, Novaković remained famous for his vast knowledge on various sources, strict methodological approach, dispassionate analysis and patriotic interest in discovering unknown historical data on Serbian history.

Novaković was born asKosta Novaković but changed his first name toStojan. One of his close friends and correspondents was sociology pioneer and juristValtazar Bogišić. He was married to Jelena Kujundžić, sister ofMilan Kujundžić Aberdar.^[20]

He is included inThe 100 most prominent Serbs list.^[21] Novaković received a number of orders and decoration both in Serbia and abroad.

HistorianRadovan Samardžić called him "a great polyhistor" and noticed Novaković's importance on the development of Serbian historiography and his influence on the work of drVladimir Ćorović.^[22]

Novaković authored more than 400 works and 50 books.^[23]

• Spomenica Stojana Novakovića, Beograd, Srpska knjizevna zadruga 1921 (contributions by Pavle Popović, Stanoje Stanojević, Slobodan Jovanović, Ljubomir Protić, Jovan M. Jovanović)
• Dimitrije Djordjevic, “Stojan Novaković. Historian, Politician, Diplomat”,Historians and Nation Builders ‘ Central and South Eastern Europe, ed by Denis Deletant and Harry Hanak, Mc Millan Press, London 1988, pp. 11-69.
• Dimitrije Djordjević, “Stojan Novakovic”,Serbian Studies, North American Association for the Serbian Studies, Chicago, 1985–1986, pp 39–57.
• Stojanu Novakoviću u spomen, ed. A. Mitrović, Beograd, Srpska književna zadruga 1996 (contributions byAndrej Mitrović, Mihailo Vojvodič, Dušan T. Bataković, and others)
• R. Samardžić, “Stojan Novaković”, in:One Hundred Most Eminent Serbs, Belgrade, Princip 2004, pp. 287–294.
• Elena Yarovaya, Serbian Heraldry according to Stojan Novaković's Manuscript. On Russian-Serbian Academic Contacts in the Second Quarter of the XIX cent. Belgrade Studies. SPb., 2016. Pp. 233-344. (in Russian)ISBN 978-5-93572-694-2

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• RTS Documentary - Staro srpsko pisano nasleđe: Stojan Novaković polihistor i vizionar

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