The History of Karlovci Philological Grammar School

In the period of enlightened despotism (18 th century) in Habsburg monarchy, the state authorities understood the importance of secular schools education for the people in general. This resulted in an increase in the level of culture of all subjects of the monarchy. A comparison of what Austria gave to the Serbs in the field of education and what was given to them by the Turks, shows that Serbs were given much enjoyed much better conditions for cultural development during the period of enlightened despotism.

During the whole period of adjustment to the new conditions, our society was desperately in need of educated people. Paradoxically, the conservative uneducated society was rather suspicious and hostile to those whose literacy or foreign education separated them from the rest of the common citizens. The history of education in Serbia, within the territory of the Hungarian Empire, started in 16 th century when rich Serbs used to send their children to monastery schools or hire private tutors to teach them Serbian and Greek.

A new era (1690-1726) was started by archbishop Arsenije Carnojevic the Third who personally pleaded with the court in Vienna to grant him the license to establish a grammar school and printing shop for his people first in 1698 and then in 1706. The court in Vienna ignored both this pleas and the one initiated by metropolitan Isaija Djakovic (1708). In 1727 the Austrian government gave permission for the foundation and building of Serbian public schools. Due to the lack of adequate teaching staff, metropolitan Mojsije Petrovic addressed the Russian Tsar for assistance first in 1718 and then in 1721. On October 1 st 1726, under metropolitan's guidance, with Russian teachers Maksim and Petar Suvoparov, Russian-Slavic school, the first important educational institution was founded. 

In 1731, during the reign of metropolitan Vicentije Jovanovic, another important group of Russian teachers started work here. The most eminent one among them was Emanuil Kozacinski who wrote the famous ‘Death of the Last Serbian Emperor, Uros the Fifth'

After the death of metropolitan Vicentije Jovanovic, the organization of educational processes in Serbian schools was at an exceptionally low level of development. This was conditioned by the fact that his successors (metropolitan's administrator, bishop Vasilije Dimitrijevic and patriarch Arsenije the Fourth) did not understand the importance of education.

The situation improved with the inauguration of metropolitan Pavle Nenadovic (1749-1768), who was the founder of the clerical-public fund. Substantial financial assistance was given for the purposes of education so that the Latin school was founded in 1749 . In 1769, the state regulated the problematic position of Serbian schools. In 1769, the first emperor's decisions were presented, which exempted schools from the authority of the church and transferred them under the authority of the government. Firm legislative foundation consisting of several legal regulations based the newly transformed education system on the principles of European cultural education. The conference in Temišvar (1790) strengthened the legal support to the establishment of educational institutions.

The turning point in the development of the Serbian society in Habsburg monarchy happened in 1790, when, according to Article XXVII, the Serbs were granted civic rights, freedom of religion and privileges that were not contrary to the constitutional laws of the state. It was the initiative of metropolitan Stefan Stratimirovic that enabled the establishment of our grammar school. There were two historic events that played a decisive role there. Emperor Leopold the Second wished to mitigate the discontent of his own peoples by annulling some reforms of Josef the Second and thus showing a great attentiveness to his non-Germanic subjects. In addition, a well-known craftsman and tradesman from Karlovci, Dimitrije Anastasijevic Sabov, together with other citizens, made a generous donation of 17.140 forints in gold and silver for the foundation of the grammar school.

On August 15, 1791, metropolitan Stratimirovic informed the Illiric Court Chancellor about the wishes of the Serbs to found the grammar school and presented him with requirements necessary for its proper functioning. The Illiric Court Office issued the letter of approval for the grammar school which was confirmed by the Emperor's Diploma issued on October 11, 1791, and signed Leopold the Second himself.

Due to many obstructions, the grammar school started the first school year on November 1, 1792 having three teachers, preparation class ( classis preparandorum ) and two grammar classes ( classes gramaticales ). In the following two years, the third grammar class was opened as well as the first class of classical studies ( classis humanitatis ). In the school year of 1796/97 the second class of classical studies was also founded. In the period between the school years of 1796/97 and1851/52, the grammar school consisted of six grades. The school applied the same curriculum that was used in Hungary so the graduated students were able to continue their education at Universities in Austria and Hungary . In 1852 the grammar school got the seventh and eighth grade, and in 1873 students had a possibility to take their final examination.

When Vuk's reformed spelling was officially introduced in Serbia , patriarch Josif Rajacic forbade its usage in Karlovci Grammar School . Nevertheless, thanks to the support of teachers such as Jovan Zivanovic and Stevan Lazic, when the curriculum of Karlovci Grammar school was written the rules of Vuk's spelling were applied.

Since1860, with the support of patriarch Rajacic, St.Sava Day has been celebrated in the school as the official school patron saint's day. In that period, disciplinary measures against the problematic students were precisely defined, and they included physical punishment detention as well as to the expulsion from the institution.

The original location of the grammar school was in the old building of the Latin School , which was very modest and inappropriate. More than 18.000 students were educated there. In the place of the old one, the existing building was erected with the financial support provided by patriarch German and his brother Stevan Andjelic. The building was designed by a Hungarian architect Dyula Partos and it is an example a mixture of elements of the medieval Serbian architecture.

In1907 girls were allowed to attend the classes. In the beginning there were only girls from Sr. Karlovci because the school was not a boarding one and it was possible only for the parents of local girls to have constant supervision of their children.

In 1921 the grammar school became a state funded public grammar school.

In the school chronicles it is possible to find the names of famous Serbs among its students, some of whom are Dimitrije Davidovic, Pavle Solaric, Sima Milutinović Sarajlija, Jakov Gercic, Milovan Vidakovic, Jovan Sterija Popovic, Stevan Supljikac, Branko Radicevic, Josif Rajacic, Jovan Subotic, Ilija Okruglic Sremac, Dimitrije i Ilarion Ruvarac, Jovan Zivanovic, Radivoje Vrhovac, Milan Nedeljkovic, Nikola Radojcic, Vasa Stajic, Vida Ognjenovic, Borislav Mihajlović Mihiz etc.