First Belgrade Gymnasium


First Belgrade Gymnasium is a gymnasium with a long tradition, founded in 1839 in Belgrade, Serbia. Since 1938, it is situated in the center of the city, on 61 Cara Dušana Street. The Church of St. Alexander Nevsky is located next to the school.
In October 1838, Kragujevac was the capital of Serbia. But despite it being the main cultural center at the time, Miloš Obrenović decided for First Belgrade Gymnasium to be founded in Belgrade, in an area called Dorćol. The school was instituted on 18 June 1839. At that time, it was located on Jug Bogdan's Street number 26, which was the residence of Nikola Selaković. At the very beginning, it had only two grades, but in the next four years, the school's system was significantly upgraded so at the end, it had a total of five grades. It could be said that in the 1842–43 school year, the school actually became a real gymnasium.
The first school professors were Vasilije Berara and Mihajlo Popović, who functioned as the school's headmaster as well. According to a law from 1844, and thanks to Jovan Sterija Popović, teachings and classes in the school were reformed, so that the 6th grade was actually added to the school's system. With this addition, First Belgrade Gymnasium received the same status like other European higher class schools. That year, the school got its first library.
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History

After the First World War, it was named the First Male Real Gymnasium in Belgrade. Since it was merged with the Fourth Women's High School in 1959, it changed its name to the First Belgrade High School. During the period of directed education, it was called the Educational Organization "Moša Pijade", but in 1990 it was returned to its old name First Belgrade High School. The gymnasium started operating at Jug Bogdanova 26, in a house that was leased from Nikola Selaković, after which it often changed its location.
During the school year 1844/45. the school moved into the Konak of Princess Ljubica, from where school took place during the 1846/47 school year. Later it moves to the surroundings of the Saborna Crkva, to the building of the current Faculty of Applied Arts and to Ulica Kralja Petra No. 4.
In June 1858, Prince Petar publicly took the exams he had studied that year at this place. Among others, Vuk Karadžić was also present. In 1863, the first Belgrade high school solved the problem of its accommodation more permanently based on the gift of Captain Miša Anastasijevićc, i.e. it was housed in the Captain Miša building, together with the Great School, the Library, the Museum and the Society of Serbian Literature.
As the school became cramped due to the increasing number of students in the Big School, from the beginning of the school year 1898/99. until 1904. The First Belgrade High School was housed in three buildings: the building at 4 Kralja Petra Street, the Belgrade Realka building and the building near the Vaznenjenska Church. In this period, the Gymnasium had 72 professors and a large number of students.
In 1905, the First Belgrade High School moved into the leased "Dom Svetog Sava" at Cara Dušana Street 13 because the buildings of Realka and Kralja Petra Street 4 were in very bad condition. But even that accommodation was not satisfactory due to the distance from the city center, so at the beginning of 1935 it was decided to solve the issue of accommodation by building a building specially intended for that purpose.
Since the Belgrade Municipality gave a plot of land near the Church of St. Alexander Nevsky, a loan was taken, and on September 20, 1936, the foundation stone of the new high school building at Cara Dušana Street 61 was consecrated. The First Belgrade High School moved into that building on April 27, 1938. where it remains to this day.

The school today

In 2009, the high school celebrated its 170th anniversary. The great jubilee of Serbian education, as part of a variety of activities, was crowned on June 6 with the Ceremonial Academy at the National Theatre.
The anniversary of 180 years of existence was celebrated during 2019.
The jubilee of 185 years of existence was celebrated in 2024.
Today, the First Belgrade High School has thirty-seven classes, 1,050 students divided into natural-mathematical, social-linguistic and classes for students with special abilities for computing and informatics, developed cabinet teaching and modern studies. The gymnasium is characterized by high-quality educational work and teaching staff, engaged pedagogical and psychological service and traditionally exceptional student potential.

Notable alumni