Legacy Collections

Legacy Collections comprise materials that have been donated, inherited or purchased. They once belonged to distinguished scientists, cultural icons or public figures. From a scholarly standpoint, these collections bear exceptional importance since they have usually been meticulously assembled, housing primary and secondary literature specific to their respective fields. Additionally, they serve as priceless resources for delving into the lives and works of their original owners. As these collections are unique and indivisible entities, they possess museum-like qualities and are safeguarded in commemorative spaces—thus maintaining the integrity of their content and evoking an atmosphere that transports contemporary users back to the time when the library first took shape. These library segments are showcased through individual author catalogues.

Legacy Collections contain personal libraries by the following people:

Branibor Djeljković (1916–2003)

He was a fine-art photographer, professor at the Faculty of Dramatic Arts, researcher and specialist in vintage photography. He started practising photography in 1935. He contributed to establishing the Fotografija (Photography) magazine and served as its editor from the inaugural issue (published in August 1948). He was also one of the founding members and part of the editorial board of Beogradski objektiv Belgrade’s Lens (Belgrade’s Lens), published from 1956 until 1959.

Dr Tihomir Đorđević (1868–1944)

He was an academician and professor at the Faculty of Philosophy in Belgrade specialised in ethnology and folklore. He was one of the pioneers of scientific ethnology in Serbia. He edited several books in the Ethnographic Collection of the Serbian Academy of Sciences and Arts and authored numerous original and landmark studies, such as Naš narodni život (Our Folklife) spanning ten volumes.

Dr Veselin Čajkanović (1881–1946)

He was a corresponding member of the Serbian Academy of Sciences and Arts and a professor at the University of Belgrade. Educated in the field of classical philology, he studied ethnology and the history of religion among Serbs. He translated Virgil into Serbian, and his most significant study on pre-Christian Serbian beliefs is titled O srpskom vrhovnom bogu (On the Serbian Supreme God).

Dr Mihailo Dinić (1899–1970)

He was a historian, member of the Serbian Academy of Sciences and Arts and professor at the Faculty of Philosophy in Belgrade. He focused on the medieval history of Serbia and published documents from the Dubrovnik Archives, along with numerous essays on the history of Serbia, Bosnia, Dubrovnik and Croatia.

Dr Petar Kolendić (1882–1969)

He was a literary historian, member of the Serbian Academy of Sciences and Arts and professor at the University of Belgrade. He primarily focused on literature from Dubrovnik and Dalmatia, publishing a significant number of studies and essays on our older literature.

Milan Rakić (1876–1938)

He was one of the greatest Serbian poets, a member of the Serbian Academy of Sciences and Arts, president of the PEN Club and diplomat. He wrote around fifty poems, characterised by elegance and innovative verse, solidifying his position at the pinnacle of the Yugoslav early 20th-century literary scene.

 

Dr Miloš Đurić (1892–1967)

He was a classical philologist, member of the Serbian Academy of Sciences and Arts and professor at the University of Belgrade. He became well-known for his translations of classical works by Homer, Plato, Aristotle, Aeschylus and Sophocles, among others. He also translated works by modern authors, such as Durant, Adler, Jung and more.

Miloš Crnjanski (1893–1977)

He was an expressionist poet and one of the most significant Serbian writers, acclaimed for his notable works such as Migracije (Migrations) and Roman o Londonu (A Novel on London), among others. He served as a high school professor, a journalist and later a diplomat in Rome and Berlin. Following World War II, he lived in exile in London until his return to Yugoslavia in 1965.

Milica Prodanović (1897–1992) and Borjana Prodanović (1930–1994)

Milica Prodanović was one of the most distinguished librarians in Serbia. She headed the University Library in Belgrade from 1944 to 1961. Her daughter, Borjana, was a regular professor of theatre directing at the Faculty of Dramatic Arts. She directed numerous theatrical performances and wrote articles on theatrical arts.

Ljubomir Micić (1895–1971)

He was a writer, poet and literary critic. He initiated and edited the international literary magazine Zenit, and founded the Zenitism movement. He wrote poetry, prose, critiques, manifestos and polemics, as well as articles on literature, theatre, film and visual arts.

Dr Olivera Mladenović (1914–1988) and Dr Živomir Mladenović (1910–2011)

Dr Olivera Mladenović was an ethnologist and ethnomusicologist, a specialist in Slavic studies, translator and contributor to many prestigious scientific journals.

Dr Živomir Mladenović was a literary historian, scientific advisor to the Serbian Academy of Sciences and Arts (SANU) and translator. He studied folk literature and the works of Vuk Karadžić and Jovan Skerlić.

Miloš Jevtić (1935–)

He is a publicist and journalist with the Cultural Editorial Office of Radio Belgrade, known for his series of broadcasts called “Guest of the Second Programme of Radio Belgrade”, in which he interviewed some of the most distinguished personalities from the worlds of art, culture and science, which he compiled into a collection titled “Responses”.

Ljubica Cuca Sokić (1914–2009)

She was a painter, a member of the Serbian Academy of Sciences and Arts and a professor at the Faculty of Fine Arts in Belgrade. She was also one of the founders of the Desetorica art group. Since the 1930s, she exhibited her work in numerous group and solo exhibitions, both domestically and internationally. Apart from painting, she also illustrated children’s books and magazines.

Desanka Maksimović (1898–1993)

Desanka Maksimović was a member of the Serbian Academy of Sciences and Arts. She is one of the most renowned and beloved poets from Serbia and former Yugoslavia. Her works have been translated into numerous languages, and she was also involved in translation work from Russian and Bulgarian.

 

Collection Curator

Velibor Prelic, Senior Librarian

velibor.prelic@nb.rs

Phone: +381 11 2451 242 ext. 73

Радно време

понедељак – петак од 8.00 – 20.00
(поручивање публикација 8.00 – 19.00)

субота од 8.00 – 15.00
(поручивање публикација 8.00 – 14.00)

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