View source for Matica srpska

{{short description|Serbian cultural institution}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2015}}
{{Infobox organization
| name                = Matica srpska
| native_name         = Матица српска
| native_name_lang    = sr
| image               = 
| image_size          = 
| alt                 = 
| caption             =
|type         = [[Cultural institution]], [[Nonprofit organization|Nonprofit]] and [[Non-governmental organization]] 
| logo                = Matica_srpska.jpg
| logo_size           = 200px
| logo_alt            = 
| logo_caption        = Official logo
| status              = Active
| abbreviation        = 
| motto               = 
| formation           = {{Start date and years ago|df=yes|1826|06|01}}
| purpose             = [[Serbian culture|Cultural studies]]
| headquarters        = [[Novi Sad]], [[Serbia]]
| location            = [[Serbia]]
| coordinates         = {{coord|45.259281|19.8451362|display=inline, title}}
| region_served       = 
| membership          = 3.000
| leader_title        = President
| leader_name         = prof. dr. Dragan Stanić
| main_organ          = 
| parent_organization = 
| affiliations        = 
| num_staff           = 
| num_volunteers      = 
| budget              = 
| website             = {{url|http://www.maticasrpska.org.rs}}
| remarks             = 
}}
The '''Matica srpska''' ({{lang-sr-Cyrl-Latn|Матица српска|Matica srpska}}, {{langx|la|Matrix Serbica}})<ref name=n/> is the oldest [[Serbian language]] independent, non-profit, non-governmental and cultural-scientific [[Serbia]]n national institution. It was founded on June 1, 1826, in [[Pest, Hungary|Pest]] (today a part of Budapest)<ref name=MS/> by the [[Serbs|Serbian]] [[Holy Roman Empire|habsburg]] [[legislator]] [[Jovan Hadžić]] and other prominent members of the [[Serbian Revolution]] and [[Serbian Revival|National Revival]]. The Matica was moved to [[Novi Sad]] in 1864.<ref name=MS/> It is the oldest [[matica]] in the world.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://icms.rs/icms1.html|title = Издавачки Центар Матице Српске}}</ref>

The main goals are to restore and promote Serbian national and cultural identity in the fields of art, science, spiritual creativity, economy and public life as well as to care for social development of Serbia. The literary and cultural society played a huge role in the flourishing of science and culture of the Serbs of Vojvodina, [[Serbia]].

The need for national homogenization, enlightenment, as well as the publication of Serbian books, were the main reasons for the formation of such a Society. The immediate reason for founding Matica Srpska was the need to take over the [[:sr:Летопис Матице српске|Serbian Chronicle]] (later the Chronicle of Matica Srpska), the oldest Serbian literary magazine and then the only Serbian newspaper, which was threatened with extinction.

The Matica Srpska Publishing Center has regular publishing activities, including several projects of national importance, such as ''Ten Centuries of Serbian Literature'' (''Десет векова српске књижевности'').

Today, in the Palace of Matica srpska in [[Novi Sad|Novi sad]] more than hundred book presentations, scientific symposia, round table discussions, professional and scientific lectures and concerts of classical music are being organized annually. Matica Srpska is also one of the largest and most important book and magazine publishers in Serbia.

Matica Srpska operates on the territory of [[Croatia]], [[Bosnia and Herzegovina]] ([[Republika Srpska]]) as Association of Members of Matica Srpska in Republika Srpska, as well in [[Montenegro]] as Association of members of Matica Srpska in Montenegro. In addition, Matica Srpska operates in [[Vienna]].<ref>[http://www.politika.rs/scc/clanak/353326/Osniva-se-Matica-srpska-u-dijaspori Оснива се Матица српска у дијаспори („Политика“, 18. април 2016)]</ref>

==Etymology==
The name [[Matica]] is  best translated as "The Centre", although the term ''matica'' in this context translates as "[[queen bee]]" or "parent body", and the adjective ''srpska'' refers to [[Serbia]] and/or [[Serbs]]. According to this, the name of Matica srpska can be literally translated into English as "'''Parent body of the [[Serbs]]'''".
{{Serbian art}}

==History==
<!-- broked the view of image {{more citations needed|section|date=April 2018}} -->
[[Image:Wiki.Vojvodina II Matica srpska 278.jpg|thumb|left|Building of Matica srpska]]
[[Image:Matica_srpska_Constitution_first_page_1864.jpg|thumb|First page of the first 1826 Matica srpska Constitution]]
Of all the Slavic [[matica]]s, ''Matica Srpska'' was the first to be established in the [[Habsburg monarchy|Habsburg Empire]] at the time of a [[Serbian Revival|Serb national and cultural awakening]].<ref>Srbi u Vojvodini, Том 2 by Dušan J. Popović, Matica srpska, 1990, pg. 3<!-- ISSN/ISBN needed --></ref>

[[File:Matica Srpska Charter.jpg|thumb|Matica Srpska Charter]]
During the national awakening from the end of the 18th and the beginning of the 19th century, the Serbs of the [[Serbian Vojvodina]] played a significant role as, though "by force of historical circumstance, they formed at this period the core of Serb intellectual life".<ref>{{Cite journal|url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/4206745|jstor=4206745|last1=Herrity|first1=Peter|title=The Role of the Matica and Similar Societies in the Development of the Slavonic Literary Languages|journal=The Slavonic and East European Review|year=1973|volume=51|issue=124|pages=368–386}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal|url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/29781177|jstor = 29781177|title = The Matica Srpska and Serbian Cultural Development|last1 = Price|first1 = Robert F.|journal = The Quarterly Journal of the Library of Congress|year = 1965|volume = 22|issue = 3|pages = 259–264}}</ref> One of the most important tasks facing the Serbs, in advancing cultural-national rebirth, was the solution of the literary language problem, and, as a result of the first fifty years of the 19th century, saw the [[Serbs in Vojvodina|Vojvodina Serbs]] engaged in an intense debate about the kind of literary language that their newly revitalized, emerging nation should adopt.<ref>{{Cite journal|url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/40867336|jstor = 40867336|title = Problems of Serbo-Croatian Lexicography|last1 = Benson|first1 = Morton|journal = Canadian Slavonic Papers / Revue Canadienne des Slavistes|year = 1978|volume = 20|issue = 3|pages = 297–306|doi = 10.1080/00085006.1978.11091529|url-access = subscription}}</ref>

For the Slavic people, as well as the non-Slavs, under the Habsburg Empire, the ''Matica'' foundation fomented the development of national cultures. Indeed, the oldest is Matica srpska founded in 1826 in Pest by [[Jovan Hadžić]] and his business backers, [[Josif Milovuk]] (1793–1850), [[Jovan Demetrović]] (1778–1830), [[Gavrilo Bozitovac]] (1789–1856), [[Andrej Rozmirović]], [[Petar Rajić]], and [[Djordje Stanković]] (1782–1853) at the same time as the [[Hungarian Academy]] was being built. [[Jovan Hadžić]] prepared its by-laws, secured its charter, and also served as its first president while Josif Milovuk served as its first secretary. In addition to books, it published the journal ''Serbski letopis'', founded two years earlier by [[Georgije Magarašević]],<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.rastko.rs/rastko-hu/istorija/matica_srpska/istorijams.html|title=Rastko Budimpesta|website=www.rastko.rs|access-date=2019-07-08}}</ref> [[Pavel Jozef Šafárik]], and [[Lukijan Mušicki]] in [[Novi Sad]], where Magarašević was professor and Šafárik the director of Novi Sad's Serbian [[Gymnasium (school)|Gymnasium]].

The story of the ''Matica Srpska'' actually began in 1824,<ref name=MS/> when the Austrian authorities permitted writer [[Georgije Magarašević]], a professor at a [[Gymnasium (school)|gymnasium]] in the town of [[Novi Sad]], to publish a literary and scholarly journal entitled ''"Serbski letopis"'' (''"Serbian Annals"'').<ref>name=MS</ref> Magarašević had little financial backing but soon found benefactors who supported his efforts. In time, the writers and editors of the publication developed into a learned society, successfully overcoming pressures applied by mistrustful Austrian officials as well as later financial difficulties. With varying degrees of success but with great perseverance, it has continued to support and guide Serb intellectual endeavor, first, as a part of the [[Habsburg Empire]] and much later as part of the [[Kingdom of Serbs, Croats, and Slovenes]].

In 1838, a wealthy Serb landowner, [[Sava Tekelija]], left the ''Matica'' a legacy to support Serbian students at the [[University of Pest]] and a college named after him, [[Sava Tekelija|Tekelijanum]] (''Tokolyanum'' in Hungarian). The Hungarian authorities were suspicious of the ''Matica'' and even suspended its activities in 1835–1836 for alleged pan-Slavism, but they resisted Serb efforts to move the institution to Novi Sad. In 1863 the move was nevertheless accomplished, and the ''Matica'', as well as the journal ''Letopis'', is flourishing there today.

The ''Matica Srpska'' Society was one of the initiators of the [[Novi Sad agreement]] on the [[Serbo-Croatian language]] (1954), and it led the action for making the unique orthography of the language (1960). They compiled ''The Vocabulary of Serbian Standard Literary Language'' in six volumes (1967–76).<ref name="dml.rs">{{Cite web|url=http://www.dml.rs/index.php/lat/tekstovi-lat/leksikografija-lat/79-recnici-savremenog-srpskog-jezika-lat|title = Društvo mladih lingvista - Rečnici savremenog srpskog jezika}}</ref>

In [[Yugoslavia]], ''Matica Srpska'' was one half of a joint project (with [[Matica hrvatska]]) to develop a common [[Serbo-Croatian]] dictionary. Mid-way through the project (1967), Matica hrvatska, by the declaration of principles about the Croatian language, withdrew, and Matica srpska was left to finish the dictionary on her own.<ref name="dml.rs"/>

''Matica Srpska'' has been an example to many Slavic nations. Based on this model the following institutions were established: Czech Matica in 1831, Illyrian Matica in 1842 (in 1874 renamed to Matica hrvatska); Matica Lužičkosrpska in 1847, Halych-Russian Matica in [[Lviv]] in 1848; Moravian Matica in 1849; Matica Dalmatinska in [[Zadar]] in 1861; [[Slovak Matica]] in 1863; [[Slovenian Matica]] in 1864; Matica Opava in 1877; Matica in the Teschen Princedom in 1898. (from which Silesian Matica came to be in 1968); Polish Matica in [[Lviv]] (1882); Educational Matica in the Teschen Princedom in 1885; Educational Matica in [[Warsaw]] in 1905; Bulgarian Matica in [[Constantinople]] in 1909 and the new Bulgarian Matica in 1989.

==Activities and library==
Matica Srpska publishes the ''Letopis Matice srpske'' magazine,<ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-08-13 |title=[:sr]Летопис Матице српске[:en]Letopis Matice Srpske (Chronicle)[:] |url=https://www.maticasrpska.org.rs/letopis-matice-srpske/ |access-date=2024-08-21 |website=Матица српска |language=sr-RS}}</ref> which is one of the oldest in the world,<ref name=MS/> being continuously published since 1824.

The institution has already published numerous books by authors such as [[Jovan Sterija Popović]] since its inception.<ref>[http://digital.bms.rs/ebiblioteka/publications/view/4567 Publication of 1828] on the Website of the Library, retrieved on 2017-10-28.</ref>

The Law of the ''Matica Srpska Society'' (1986) regulates matters of endowment and legacy, given by the national benefactors, and how money is spent for various cultural and educational purposes.

The ''Matica Srpska'' has a library with over 3,500,000 books and other documents.<ref name=MS/>

==Presidents==
{|class="wikitable"
! colspan=3|President
|--
! #
! Portrait
! Name
|-- bgcolor=#EEEEEE
! style="background:{{party color|Independent (politician)}};"| 1
|[[File:Portrait of Jovan Hadržić by Novak Radonić.jpg|133x133px]]
|[[Jovan Hadžić]]
|-- bgcolor=#EEEEEE
! style="background:{{party color|Independent (politician)}};"| 2
|[[File:JovanovicMihailo F-112-3.jpg|133x133px]]
|[[Mihailo Jovanović (metropolitan)|Mihailo Jovanović]]
|-- bgcolor=#EEEEEE
! style="background:{{party color|Independent (politician)}};"| 3
|[[File:Sava Tekelija by Mor Than.jpg|133x133px]]
|[[Sava Tekelija]]
|-- bgcolor=#EEEEEE
! style="background:{{party color|Independent (politician)}};"| 4
|[[File:Aksentije Marodić - episkop Platon Atanackovć, Galerija Matice srpske.png|133x133px]]
|[[Platon Atanacković]]
|-- bgcolor="#EEEEEE"
! style="background:{{party color|Independent (politician)}};" | 5
|[[File:Uroš Predić - Pavle Trifunac, GMS.png|133x133px]]
|[[Pavle Trifunac]]
|-- bgcolor="#EEEEEE"
! style="background:{{party color|Independent (politician)}};" | 6
|[[File:Mor Adler - Pavle Kojić, GMS.png|133x133px]]
|Pavle Kojić
|-- bgcolor="#EEEEEE"
! style="background:{{party color|Independent (politician)}};" | 7
|[[File:Marodic-Aksentije Stevan-Branovacki GMS MS-47 7 (cropped).png|133x133px]]
|[[Stevan Branovački]]
|-- bgcolor="#EEEEEE"
! style="background:{{party color|Independent (politician)}};" | 8
|[[File:Jovan Popović - dr Jovan Subotić, GMS.png|133x133px]]
|[[Jovan Subotić]]
|-- bgcolor="#EEEEEE"
! style="background:{{party color|Independent (politician)}};" | 9
| [[File:Stevan Pavlović.jpg|133x133px]]
|Stevan Pavlović
|-- bgcolor="#EEEEEE"
! style="background:{{party color|Independent (politician)}};" | 10
|[[File:Đorđe Natošević.jpg|133x133px]]
|[[Djordje Natošević|Đorđe Natošević]]
|-- bgcolor="#EEEEEE"
! style="background:{{party color|Independent (politician)}};" | 11
|
|Laza Stanojević
|-- bgcolor="#EEEEEE"
! style="background:{{party color|Independent (politician)}};" | 12
|[[File:Uroš Predić - Miloš Dimitrijević, GMS.png|133x133px]]
|Miloš Dimitrijević
|-- bgcolor="#EEEEEE"
! style="background:{{party color|Independent (politician)}};" | 13
| [[File:Uroš Predić - Antonije Hadžić, GMS.png|133x133px]]
|[[Antonije Hadžić]]
|-- bgcolor="#EEEEEE"
! style="background:{{party color|Independent (politician)}};" | 14
| [[File:Gedeon Dunđerski.jpg|133x133px]]
|Gedeon Dundjerski
|-- bgcolor="#EEEEEE"
! style="background:{{party color|Independent (politician)}};" | 15
| [[File:Uroš Predić - dr Radivoje Vrhovac, GMS.png|133x133px]]
|Radivoje Vrhovac
|-- bgcolor="#EEEEEE"
! style="background:{{party color|Independent (politician)}};" | 16
|[[File:Васа Стајић, српски филозоф.jpg|133x133px]]
|[[Vasa Stajić]]
|-- bgcolor="#EEEEEE"
! style="background:{{party color|Independent (politician)}};" | 17
|
|Aleksandar Moč
|-- bgcolor="#EEEEEE"
! style="background:{{party color|Independent (politician)}};" | 18
| [[File:Uroš Predić - dr Milan Petrović, GMS.png|133x133px]]
|Milan Petrović
|-- bgcolor="#EEEEEE"
! style="background:{{party color|Independent (politician)}};" | 19
| [[File:Вељко Петровић.jpg|133x133px]]
|Veljko Petrović
|-- bgcolor="#EEEEEE"
! style="background:{{party color|Independent (politician)}};" | 20
|
|Radomir Radujkov
|-- bgcolor="#EEEEEE"
! style="background:{{party color|Independent (politician)}};" | 21
|
|Mladen Leskovac
|-- bgcolor="#EEEEEE"
! style="background:{{party color|Independent (politician)}};" | 22
|
|Milivoj Nikolajević
|-- bgcolor="#EEEEEE"
! style="background:{{party color|Independent (politician)}};" | 23
|
|Živan Milisavac
|-- bgcolor="#EEEEEE"
! style="background:{{party color|Independent (politician)}};" | 24
| [[File:Boško Petrović 1.jpg|133x133px]]
|Boško Petrović
|-- bgcolor="#EEEEEE"
! style="background:{{party color|Independent (politician)}};" | 25
|
|Božidar Kovaček
|-- bgcolor="#EEEEEE"
! style="background:{{party color|Independent (politician)}};" | 26
|
|Čedomir Popov
|-
!27
| [[File:Иван Негришорац.jpg|133x133px]]
|Dragan Stanić
|}

==Editors of ''Letopis Matice srpske''==
{{Div col|colwidth=40em}}
* [[Georgije Magarašević]] (1824–1830)
* [[Jovan Hadžić]] (1830–1831)
* [[Pavle Stamatović]] (1831–1832)
* [[Teodor Pavlović]] (1832–1841)
* [[Jovan Subotić]] (1841–1848)
* [[Sima Filipović]] (1848)
* [[Jovan Subotić]] (1850–1853)
* [[Jakov Ignjatović]] (1854–1856)
* [[Jovan Mladenović-Subota]] (1856–1857)
* [[Jovan Đorđević]] (1857–1859)
* [[Antonije Hadžić]] (1859–1871)
* [[Jovan Bošković]] (1871–1875)
* Antonije Hadžić (1876–1895)
* [[Milan Savić (author)|Milan Savić]] (1896–1911)
* [[Tihomir Ostojić]] (1912–1914)
* [[Vasa Stajić]] (1921)
* Kamenko Subotić (1922–1923)
* Marko Maletin (1923–1929)
* Stevan Ćirić (1929)
* Svetislav Banica (1929)
* Radivoje Vrhovac (1930)
* Todor Manojlović (1931)
* Žarko Vasiljević (1932)
* Nikola Milutinović (1933–1935)
* [[Vasa Stajić]] (1936) [[pedagogue]]
* Nikola Milutinović (1936–1941)
* Živan Milisavac (1946–1957)
* Mladen Leskovac (1958–1964)
* Boško Petrović (1964–1969)
* [[Aleksandar Tišma]] (1969–1973) novelist
* Dimitrije Vučenov (1974–1979)
* Momčilo Milankov (1979)
* Boško Ivkov (1980–1991)
* Slavko Gordić (1992–2008)
* Ivan Negrišorac (2008–2012) is the [[pen name]] of poet Dragan Stanić
* Slobodan Vladušić (2013-2016)
* Đorđe Despić (2017-2020)
* Đorđo Sladoje (2021-2023){{div col end}}

==References==
{{Reflist|refs=<ref name="n">
   The name in Serbia, as "Матица српска" formats only the first word to
   have a capital letter, as also the style in Italian titles or operas.
   For the name in English, each word can have a capital letter, as
   customary for English titles.</ref><ref name="MS">
   [http://www.maticasrpska.org.rs/matica/index-eng.html "MATICA SRPSKA"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130308062436/http://www.maticasrpska.org.rs/matica/index-eng.html |date=8 March 2013 }},
   maticasrpska.org.rs, 2013. Retrieved 2013-05-31.</ref>
}}

==External links==
*[http://www.maticasrpska.org.rs/ Matica srpska official website]
{{Commons category|Matica srpska}}
*[http://www.bms.ns.ac.rs/bmseng101a.htm The Matica Srpska Library]

{{Novi Sad|state=autocollapse}}

{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Matica srpska| ]]
[[Category:Cultural organizations based in Serbia|Srpska, Matica]]
[[Category:Serbs of Vojvodina]]
[[Category:Habsburg Serbs]]
[[Category:Language regulators]]
[[Category:Culture of Vojvodina]]
[[Category:Culture of Serbia]]
[[Category:Culture in Novi Sad]]
[[Category:History of Budapest]]
[[Category:Organizations established in 1826]]
[[Category:Libraries in Serbia]]
[[Category:Book publishing companies of Serbia]]
[[Category:Serbian cultural organizations]]
[[Category:Serb organizations]]
[[Category:1826 establishments in the Austrian Empire]]
[[Category:Research in Serbia]]