SHORT HISTORY OF THE BOTANICAL GARDEN

At the proposal of Josif Pancic and by the decree of the Ministry of Education of the Kingdom of Serbia, the Royal Botanical Garden in Belgrade was founded in 1874. the Garden was affiliated to the “Great School”, which included in its budget a new 1,400 thaler item for its construction and annual maintenance, and Josif, as Botany professor, was entitled to be responsible for its governance.

Originally, the Garden was set up at the Danube banks in Dorcol. The completion of works on ground’s ordering, construction  of buildings and the greenhouse and plant growing took a few years.   Over that period two great floods occurred, destroying almost the entire plant fund, which Pancic himself had been tortuously collecting.

After the failures with the original/first Garden, the distinguished scientist was assiduously trying to find  the better location for the new one. Unfortunately, all the efforts failed, though constantly made until his death in 1888. Soon after his death , in 1889, the king Milan Obrenovic donated the estate that he had inherited from his grandfather Jevrem  -who was keen to see  his people educated -  to ”the Great School” in Belgrade through the letter running:

" To Mr. Minister of Education and Church Affairs, Today, on the first day after the unction of my son, His Majesty Our King Alexander I, I decided to bequeath to the country my garden here in Belgrade - located in the municipality of Palilula, opposite the Palilula military barracks- for educational purposes i.e. for botanical garden, provided it  is named ”Jevremovac” in memory of our, my and my son’s, glorious ancestor, Mr Jevrem T.Obrenovic, great education admirer." You are kindly asked Mr. Minister to be so kind and receive on behalf of the country this gift. Milan August 2nd, 1889, Belgrade