RITAM GRADA / RHYTHM OF THE CITY
130 YEARS OF THE GREAT GLASSHOUSE Oasis of serenity at the centre of the bustling city The glasshouse of Jevremovac Botanical Garden has always been a symbol of the advance of science and education, but also the city’s place among European architectural tendencies B elgrade’s beautiful botanical garden is an oa- sis of serenity in the bustling city, a pleas- ant spot for a picnic, a leisurely stroll or just hanging out under one of its shady trees. The Victorian style glasshouse and tranquil Japa- nese garden are just bonus features of this lush greenery. Belgrade’s Jevremovac Botanical Garden opened in 1847 by a decree issued by the Ministry of Education of the then Kingdom of Serbia, on the basis of a sug- gestion of prominent Serbian doctor and botanist Jo- sif Pančić, who also became its first administrator. The garden was declared a natural monument in 1995 and a cultural monument in 2007.
den, which includes a collection of Far Eastern fauna. The botanical garden sprawls over an area of five hec- tares and includes the Botanical Institute and library. Its outdoor area cultivates around 1,500 species of trees, shrubs and plants originating from European and exotic regions, while approximately 1,000 species are nurtured in the glasshouse. This garden perhaps isn’t as large as those that can be found in some other European cities, but it does offer various activities and truly diverse flora to explore. During just one visit, you can see the Herbar- ium of the Botanical Institute, which is one of the most important and richest herbariums in Southeast Europe, but also the Library containing over 7,000 books and 300 scientific and professional journals. The Garden is nonetheless dominated by the great glasshouse that was commissioned by Milan Obrenović and made in Dresden, and which still captivates visitors with its aesthetics and architecture, while it also symbol- ises the rapid development of Belgrade and Serbia during the period of the Obrenović dynasty. When it was erected on the site in 1892, only 15 years had elapsed since Ser- bia had declared its independence from Ottoman rule, but Belgrade nonetheless received a building that then represented truly exotic architecture that didn’t even ex- ist in Europe’s advanced countries. Belgrade doesn’t have many preserved buildings that were designed and imple- mented in the art nouveau style, which is why this hot- house is a unique example of what was then a new style in Europe and Serbia. Today’s collection of plants in the large glasshouse consists of over 1,000 species originating from various parts of the world, many of which are classed as rare and endangered. Apart from the exceptional aesthetic atmosphere provided to visitors by this rich collection of plants, it also holds special importance with its edu- cational and scientific applications. You can discover everything about its history, de-
This location was preceded by another, near the Dan- ube in the Dorćol neighbourhood. Unfortunately, unfa- vourable conditions meant that it had to be relocated. It was thus raised on an estate that King Milan Obrenović donated to the Great School, where Pančić taught bota- ny. That patch of land was a former orchard of the king’s grandfather, Jevrem, which is why the Botanical Gar- den is called Jevremovac – Jevrem’s garden. The large glasshouse, covering an area of 500 square metres, was built 130 years ago, in 1892, and at the time represent- ed one of the most beautiful in the Balkans, while it was in 2004 that Jevremovac received its own Japanese gar-
velopment, plants and oth- er important facts at the current exhibition that has been jointly organised by the Belgrade City Institute for the Protection of Cultur- al Monuments, the Institute of Botany and Jevremovac Botanical Garden, and which commemorates the 130 th an- niversary of the existence of the great glasshouse. Kolekciju biljaka u velikoj staklenoj bašti danas čini više od 1.000 vrsta iz različitih krajeva sveta Today’s collection of plants in the large glasshouse consists of over 1,000 species originating from various parts of the world
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