Stevan Sremac
Encyclopedia
Stevan Sremac (November 11, 1855, Zenta
(Serbian: Senta) – August 13, 1906, Sokobanja
) was a Serbia
n realist
and comedy
writer. He is considered one of the best truly humorous Serbian writers.
in Bačka
on the 11th of November 1855. He spent his early childhood in the city of his birth, and moved to Belgrade
to study after his parents died. While still a university student, he joined the Serbian Army and participated in the 1876 and 1877-1878 wars as a volunteer. In 1878 he graduated from Belgrade's Grande École in philosophy. He became a teacher, working in this profession for the rest of his life—in the southern Serbia's cities of Pirot
, Niš
and Belgrade. He died accidentally of blood poisoning in Sokobanja
on the 12th of August 1906.
He started writing relatively late, at 33, with novelized
chronicle
s of events and personages from Serbian history. These weren't published until 1903 under title Iz knjiga starostavnih (From ancient books).
In political sense, he was an activist of Liberal party (Serbia), which was pretty conservative with strong nationalist sentiments and supported the rule of Obrenović dynasty
.
, Bačka
in particular, Belgrade
, and mostly, southern parts of Serbia. But it is his humor for which Sremac is best known and remembered.
Many of his works were turned into films; his most popular novel Pop Ćira i pop Spira was made into TV series in 1980s, while feature films Zona Zamfirova
(2002) and Ivkova slava (2005), both by director
Zdravko Šotra
saw huge success in Serbia and Montenegro
.
Senta
Senta is a town and municipality on the bank of the Tisa river in the Vojvodina province, Serbia. Although geographically located in Bačka, it is part of the North Banat District...
(Serbian: Senta) – August 13, 1906, Sokobanja
Sokobanja
Sokobanja is a well-known spa town and municipality situated in eastern Serbia.-Population:In 2011 the population of the Sokobanja town is 7,972, while population of the whole municipality is 15,981...
) was a Serbia
Serbia
Serbia , officially the Republic of Serbia , is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeast Europe, covering the southern part of the Carpathian basin and the central part of the Balkans...
n realist
Realism (arts)
Realism in the visual arts and literature refers to the general attempt to depict subjects "in accordance with secular, empirical rules", as they are considered to exist in third person objective reality, without embellishment or interpretation...
and comedy
Comedy
Comedy , as a popular meaning, is any humorous discourse or work generally intended to amuse by creating laughter, especially in television, film, and stand-up comedy. This must be carefully distinguished from its academic definition, namely the comic theatre, whose Western origins are found in...
writer. He is considered one of the best truly humorous Serbian writers.
Biography
Jovan Sremac was born in SentaSenta
Senta is a town and municipality on the bank of the Tisa river in the Vojvodina province, Serbia. Although geographically located in Bačka, it is part of the North Banat District...
in Bačka
Backa
Bačka is a geographical area within the Pannonian plain bordered by the river Danube to the west and south, and by the river Tisza to the east of which confluence is located near Titel...
on the 11th of November 1855. He spent his early childhood in the city of his birth, and moved to Belgrade
Belgrade
Belgrade is the capital and largest city of Serbia. It is located at the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers, where the Pannonian Plain meets the Balkans. According to official results of Census 2011, the city has a population of 1,639,121. It is one of the 15 largest cities in Europe...
to study after his parents died. While still a university student, he joined the Serbian Army and participated in the 1876 and 1877-1878 wars as a volunteer. In 1878 he graduated from Belgrade's Grande École in philosophy. He became a teacher, working in this profession for the rest of his life—in the southern Serbia's cities of Pirot
Pirot
Pirot is a town and municipality located in south-eastern Serbia. According to 2011 census, the town has a total population of 38,432, while the population of the municipality is 57,911...
, Niš
Niš
Niš is the largest city of southern Serbia and third-largest city in Serbia . According to the data from 2011, the city of Niš has a population of 177,972 inhabitants, while the city municipality has a population of 257,867. The city covers an area of about 597 km2, including the urban area,...
and Belgrade. He died accidentally of blood poisoning in Sokobanja
Sokobanja
Sokobanja is a well-known spa town and municipality situated in eastern Serbia.-Population:In 2011 the population of the Sokobanja town is 7,972, while population of the whole municipality is 15,981...
on the 12th of August 1906.
He started writing relatively late, at 33, with novelized
Novelization
A novelization is a novel that is written based on some other media story form rather than as an original work.Novelizations of films usually add background material not found in the original work to flesh out the story, because novels are generally longer than screenplays...
chronicle
Chronicle
Generally a chronicle is a historical account of facts and events ranged in chronological order, as in a time line. Typically, equal weight is given for historically important events and local events, the purpose being the recording of events that occurred, seen from the perspective of the...
s of events and personages from Serbian history. These weren't published until 1903 under title Iz knjiga starostavnih (From ancient books).
In political sense, he was an activist of Liberal party (Serbia), which was pretty conservative with strong nationalist sentiments and supported the rule of Obrenović dynasty
House of Obrenovic
The House of Obrenović was a Serbian dynasty that ruled Serbia from 1815 to 1842, and again from 1858 to 1903. They came to power through the leadership of their progenitor Miloš Obrenović in the Second Serbian uprising against the Ottoman Empire, which led to the formation of the Principality of...
.
Literary work
Sremac's period spent in Niš was his most productive period. During that period, he published Božićna pečenica (1893), Ivkova slava (1895), Vukadin (1903), Limunacija na selu (1896), Pop Ćira i pop Spira (1898), Čiča Jordan (1903), and Zona Zamfirova (1906), all characterized with local colouring, realism, humour, and satire. Because of their high dramatic quality, many of these were later dramatized, with Ivkova slava, being the most successful. Sremac's characters are usually small merchants, clerks, priests, artists, and just simple folk in small Serbian towns. A realist and sharp observer, he was able to point out the changes sweeping Serbian society into a new era. Some of his stories dealing with vanishing way of life that had persisted for centuries have an unforegetable nostalgic flavor. His depiction of the patriarchal atmosphere of Serbia of his time is done in a humorous vain, but never mockingly, except when he ridicules his political opponents. Sremac's short stories reveal his love for the slowely disappearing "old way" of life. The plots are placed in his native VojvodinaVojvodina
Vojvodina, officially called Autonomous Province of Vojvodina is an autonomous province of Serbia. Its capital and largest city is Novi Sad...
, Bačka
Backa
Bačka is a geographical area within the Pannonian plain bordered by the river Danube to the west and south, and by the river Tisza to the east of which confluence is located near Titel...
in particular, Belgrade
Belgrade
Belgrade is the capital and largest city of Serbia. It is located at the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers, where the Pannonian Plain meets the Balkans. According to official results of Census 2011, the city has a population of 1,639,121. It is one of the 15 largest cities in Europe...
, and mostly, southern parts of Serbia. But it is his humor for which Sremac is best known and remembered.
Many of his works were turned into films; his most popular novel Pop Ćira i pop Spira was made into TV series in 1980s, while feature films Zona Zamfirova
Zona Zamfirova
Zona Zamfirova is a 2002 comedy-drama film directed by Zdravko Šotra. It is based on the 1906 book by Serbian author Stevan Sremac...
(2002) and Ivkova slava (2005), both by director
Film director
A film director is a person who directs the actors and film crew in filmmaking. They control a film's artistic and dramatic nathan roach, while guiding the technical crew and actors.-Responsibilities:...
Zdravko Šotra
Zdravko Sotra
Zdravko Šotra is a Bosnian Serb film director and screenwriter.-References:...
saw huge success in Serbia and Montenegro
Serbia and Montenegro
Serbia and Montenegro was a country in southeastern Europe, formed from two former republics of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia : Serbia and Montenegro. Following the breakup of Yugoslavia, it was established in 1992 as a federation called the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia...
.
Partial Bibliography
- Božićna pečenica (Christmas Roast) (1893)
- Ivkova slava (Ivko's slavaSlavaThe Slava , also called Krsna Slava and Krsno ime , is the Serbian Orthodox tradition of the ritual celebration and veneration of a family's own patron saint. The family celebrates the Slava annually on the patron saint's feast day...
) (1895) - Limunacija na selu (Illemonation in the Village) (1896)
- Pop Ćira i pop Spira (Priest Ćira and Priest Spira) (1898)
- Iz knjiga starostavnih (From Ancient Books) (1903—1909).
- Vukadin (1903)
- Čiča Jordan (Uncle Yordan) (1903)
- Zona Zamfirova (1906)
See also
- Serbian literatureSerbian literatureSerbian literature refers to literature written in Serbian and/or in Serbia.The history of Serbian literature begins with theological works from the 10th- and 11th centuries, developing in the 13th century by Saint Sava and his disciples...