Captain Miša Building

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The building is now the seat of the Rectorate of Belgrade University

The Captain Miša building on Studentski trg No. 1 in Belgrade is one of the most representative palaces in the city of the 19th century.

history

The building was constructed between 1857 and 1863. At the time of its construction, the building was, as it should be a true architectural and architectural monument, as one of the most magnificent and tallest buildings in Belgrade, an object of admiration from fellow citizens. It was built next to the former "Imperijal" hotel. Together with him, it formed a series of public objects on Belgrade's main square - the Great Market. The construction of this property in the immediate vicinity of Knez Mihailova Street, which was just in the process of being regulated, marked a turning point in terms of construction methods and architectural attitudes that prevailed in Belgrade's construction industry at the time. The architecture of this building bears witness to the transformation of Belgrade from an oriental town into a European capital with a modern urban structure and representative buildings.

The palace got its popular name from its builder, Captain Miša Anastasijević, the well-known Belgrade salt merchant and ship owner. Anastasijević received the title “Danube Captain” from Prince Miloš Obrenović as a thank you for their cooperation and friendship. The palace was built according to the plans of the Czech architect Jan Nevole, who at the time of construction was the chief engineer of the Popečiteljstvo vnutrenih dela (Ministry of Interior). The builder Josef Steinlechner carried out the work on the construction of the property. The original intention of the captain Miša was to build the building for the not predetermined ruling couple - his daughter Sara and Đorđe Karađorđević. However, after the National Assembly decided on St. Andrea's Day in 1859 to put Prince Miloš back on the Serbian throne, all hopes that Karađorđević would come to power were unfounded. During its construction, the building was bequeathed to the "Fatherland" to accommodate several cultural and educational institutions of the then Principality of Serbia. Immediately after the end of construction, the “Velika Škola” University moved in, followed by the grammar school, the Ministry of Education, the “Realka” secondary school, the national library, the national museum, etc. a. In addition, the ballroom of this palace was a stage for important historical events: in 1864 the assembly met here; In 1868 the founding assembly of the first engineering association in Serbia was held here; In his ballroom there was also the first exhibition of architectural photographs and copies of frescoes from Serbian medieval monasteries, organized by Mihailo Valtrović and Dragutin Milutinović, in 1875.

As a result of the fate and turbulent history of Belgrade and Serbia, the Captain Miša building has suffered major damage several times. During the bombing of Belgrade in 1862, when the scaffolding was still in place, the Serbs used it as a fortress, which is why it was badly damaged by Turkish shells. During the Serbian-Turkish Wars (1876–1878) it was used for military purposes, while it suffered the greatest damage in World War I when a large part of the left wing was destroyed. From 1919 to 1921 significant work was carried out on the repair and expansion of the property.

For many years the building, as the first palace of Central European style in Belgrade, maintained its reputation as the most beautiful and monumental building that attracted the looks of fellow citizens, as well as globetrotters and travel writers. As one of the most important objects of Serbian architecture of the 19th century, which is a significant testimony to its historical development, the Captain Miša building was one of the first to be listed as a cultural monument of great importance for the state. The building was protected by the Ordinance on the Protection of Belgrade Antiquities of 1935, but the first legal act was passed in 1946 by the Art Museum in Belgrade, which was responsible for the protection of cultural heritage after World War II .

architecture

Front of the building

The wealth of decorative elements on the facades, which come from the architectural sources of Byzantium, Gothic and Early Renaissance, aroused the admiration of the Belgrade people, who called the building a “Venetian palace”. Originally, the building had a symmetrical, regular base, with two separate parts separated by the entrance area (vestibule) on the ground floor and the ballroom on the upper floor. The contrast between the golden yellow flat surfaces and the window frames and details made of terracotta contributed to the romantic tone of the facade design. The symmetry of the building is underlined by the division of the façade into three parts with a central area (risalite), by the accentuated roof rim and the watchtower at the top, and by the slightly lower lateral risalits. The most representative are the central facades, separated by deep half-columns (pilaster strips) that end with turrets at the roof rim. The windows (biforias) that are modeled on the semicircular, segmented Venetian arches stand out here.

In addition to the friezes on the blind arcades and the decorative attic in the highest area, the decorative repertoire also includes two full sculptures in the niches, which are set up symmetrically on both sides of the main entrance at the level of the upper floor. The thematic and symbolic meaning of the sculptures "Apollo with lyre" and "Minerva with spear and shield" allude to the artistic, educational and scientific purpose that was assigned to the building during its construction. The sculptures, as well as the medallions with angel motifs above the entrance, are the work of an unknown creator. The peculiarity of the decorative sculpture on the main facade is also shown in one of the rare surviving coats of arms of the Principality of Serbia, which is located in a medallion above the window of the upper floor, as well as in the two lateral medallions with the year of the end of construction made of terracotta. The abundance of details made of terracotta and other industrial materials indicate the extraordinary wealth of the builder of the object, as these materials could only be imported from abroad at the time the object was built. It is believed that the copies were made on the Kapitän Miša building in Vienna or Pest, with which Serbia was in the closest cultural and artistic relationships at that time. The stone facade parts, especially the decoratively processed consoles of the balcony and the arches surrounding the entrance area, were made with stone from Serbia.

In addition to its beauty and attractiveness, the Kapitän Miša building also attracted the attention of passers-by due to its height. As the tallest building in Belgrade, which held this title until almost the beginning of the 20th century, it was used to erect a watchtower that "rises 120 paces over the square and offers the most beautiful view of Belgrade and its surroundings". In a square glass tower - a pavilion, a guard warned the fire brigade day and night with a long trumpet before a fire would break out, as it was possible for him to see the panorama of almost the whole of what was then Belgrade in front of him. This glass watchtower was in operation until 1919 when, due to the introduction of telephone lines, reporting by trumpets was too slow and out of date. The building probably got its final cubic volume in the form of a closed block with an inner courtyard in 1905 when the college was converted into the Belgrade University. Due to the expansion of the educational needs and programs of the newly founded university, the rooms available in the Captain Miša building were no longer sufficient for the qualitative exercise of teaching needs. After the building was expanded, three departments of the technical faculty were quartered in addition to the existing ones. The architecture lessons also took place in the inner courtyard, where the architect Branko Tanazevič taught the students in a separate studio built for this purpose. For a while there was also an experimental antenna for wireless telegraphy on the building, which was installed according to the ideas of the designer and professor Đorđe Stanojević.

The inscription "Miša Anastasijević his fatherland", written in large gold letters above the entrance, says that a Serbian patriot who has become rich gave this palace to the state for educational purposes and that he fully furnished it at his own expense.

Miša Anastasijević

Captain Miša Anastasijević (1803-1885) was a great benefactor of Serbian education and culture. He invested particular attention and resources in the development of the school system, helping to print books in Serbian, including works by Vuk Karadžić and Matija Ban. He was the founder and benefactor of the Belgrade Reading Room and its president for a full thirty-nine years.

architect

The architect Jan Nevole (1812–1903), of Czech descent, was the chief engineer in the construction department of the Ministry of the Interior in the Principality of Serbia. He planned projects for numerous buildings in Serbia, while in Belgrade he mainly erected buildings for military purposes. He experienced Serbia as his second home, which can be seen from the tendency to combine the knowledge he gained at the Prague Technical School and the Vienna Art Academy with the elements of Serbian building tradition. The captain miša building is the only surviving realized object in Belgrade.

literature

Web links

Commons : Captain Miša Building  - collection of pictures, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ^ G. Rasch, Lighthouse of the East, Prague 1873.