|
Background
Two Centuries of Pančevo Library
Long-lasting tradition of Pančevo Library began in the 19th century.
Back then, the people of Pančevo used to establish "reading-clubs",
where books were exchanged and journals could be found. At the same time,
these were also the places where the people of Pančevo could meet.
Mr Srećko Mileker mentions in his "History of Pančevo" that
in 1810. there used to be a reading-club "that would lend many useful
books". In 1840, Pančevo Library financed the printing of Vidaković's
opus under the name of "Serbian Library" ("Serbska biblioteka").
In 1845. a tavern had been established that was later moved to Lazar Dragičević's
house near the "Bugler" ("Trubač"), and was granted
work permit the following year. Eight years later, Mr Karlo Vitigšlager
founded a lending library in his bookstore and bookbindery, where the
citizens could, with a minimal financial compensation, borrow a book to
read for a certain period of time, and in 1867. he opened a real book-lending
library. In the same year, in November, Dr Svetislav Kasapinović founded
"The Society for Distributing Useful Books among the People".
Two years later, teachers' library had been established, later taken over
by the Orthodox Church Community. In the same year, the Statute of the
German Society for Reading and Sociability was ratified. This Society
was in existence until 1883. Officers' tavern with 3244 books was mentioned
in the year 1872, along with the fact that it was rapidly falling into
ruin.
Libraries received the greatest number of books by way of donation. The
Church Community Library, for example, received a great number of books
in 1891. from the daughter of priest Vasa Živković, from publishers and
printers the brothers Jovanović, Dr Ljubomir Nenadović and others. That
year the Library had 2731 literary works and 4399 volumes in Serbian,
German, Russian, Hungarian and other languages. In 1922 its holdings totalled
6000 books, and today Pančevo Orthodox Church Community Library is the
best preserved library of the kind, with exceptionally valuable holdings.
In 1893. and 1894, the people of Pančevo gathered once again in the Serbian
reading-club located in the building of Serbian Orthodox Church Community.
Based on the saved record of the reading-club foundation, this year is
regarded as the starting point of continuous existence of the reading-circles
in Pančevo.
On 15 October 1893, the first promoters' meeting for the foundation of
the Serbian reading-club in Pančevo was held. The President of the temporary
board was Dr Ljubomir Gađanski, and one of the board members was Luka
Popović. Hungarian Ministry of Internal Affairs confirmed the rules of
the reading-club on 16 June 1894, so on 5 August the first major Assembly
was convened for the purpose of its constitution.
The reading-club was opened on 30 September 1894. Immediately upon its
foundation, it subscribed to a great number of newspapers and journals.
Its budget amounted to about 1800 Forints.
Serbian Farmers' reading-club was founded in 1902, and in 1919 the Artisans'
reading-club. The People's Bank Library was founded in 1914 and it was
famous for its valuable and considerable holdings of books in German and
Hungarian. It was already in 1922 that it had 7500 books. On 15 July 1906
the new seat of the reading-club was sanctified in the building of Serbian
Church Community next to the Hall of St. Sava. It was around this institution
that many intellectual Serbs from Pancevo gathered. Its secretaries, at
different times, were Dr Vladimir Aleksić, Milan Mandrović, Dr Dušan Bošković,
Petar Barjaktarević and others. One of the trustees was Ivan Martinović,
and the host Dr Mihovil Tomandl.
During WWI, the reading-club was closed, as ordered by police and military
authorities, and the furniture and other articles were carried off. After
the liberation, it had neither its seat nor its furniture. Former members
met in July 1919 to renew the reading-club's activity. It had been suggested
to the local Hungarian society "Tarshashker" to rent its premises
for the reading-club or to unite with them into one society under the
name "Tavern", but the Hungarian society refused it. On 27 July
1919, the town police requisitioned these premises and gave them to the
Serbian reading-club. The building in the Street Zmaj Jovina No 5, which
became the property of the reading-club after several years, was the most
beautiful building on the territory of Vojvodina ever owned by any reading-club
at the time. It had a spacious, parquet-floor hall for parties, conversation
hall, reading-room, board meeting hall, library room, servants' quarters,
all auxiliary rooms, indoor bowling-room and a beautiful garden. It was
well equipped, it had two billiard tables, electrical lighting and all
the necessary reparations on the building were carried out. It had 240
members and an annual budget of 50.000 Dinars. It was subscribed to all
Serbian daily newspapers and journals and to a considerable number of
foreign journals. It purchased all major and valuable Yugoslav literary
publications.
Pančevo Town Library was mentioned on 11 October 1923, and its foundation
is connected with the name of Dr Vladimir Margan, a famous public and
cultural figure of the time. The main holdings of this library consisted
of the citizens' donations. The library was later moved to the City Hall
and, together with the Museum, it made a whole. Just before WWII, the
Town Library (or the City Hall Library, as also called) counted 8000 books.
In addition to the mentioned ones, in 1941 there were also the libraries
of the comprehensive secondary and other schools. The Town Library was
closed in the course of WWII, and reopened in 1944. One of the first orders
by the Military Administration for Banat referred to the collection and
maintenance of books. It was already on 15 November 1944 that the Library
was officially recognized as an institution, and a year later it was opened
to public. The manager was a writer and attorney, Mr Mihovil Tomandl.
At that time, it had 45.820 books that were arranged according to the
international decimal system, and it was located in the building of the
former Serbian reading-club. It counted 48 members.
The books from the former Border Library - Deutscher Banater Gränz Bibliothek
de KUK Militar kommunitates, the Peoples Bank and savings bank and those
from the Russian settlement library in Pančevo, all made part of the Town
Librarys holdings. The Border Library holdings have not been prepared
for the public, a greater part of the Peoples Bank holdings was transferred
in the fifties, and the "Russian holdings" are being processed
by the librarian - Mrs Nesiba Palibrk-Sukić.
The Library was later moved to the City Hall building, and in 1975 it
was named "Veljko Vlahović".
On 27 June 1980, the first part of the new library building was formally
opened, which had been financed by the citizens contributions. The second
part of this project, for a similar-size building, has unfortunately not
to this day been implemented, thus creating considerable problems in work,
limiting activities and slowing down further development of this institution.
In the nineties, the Library took back its earlier name Pančevo Town
Library.
|
