Mihajlo Miša Anastasijević

Prince of the Danube

Mihajlo Anastasijević, better known as Captain Miša, was a true example of a man who created an empire out of nothing. He began as an orphan and, through work and the salt trade, became the richest man in Serbia in the 19th century. Prince Miloš appointed him "Danube Captain", which gave him great power and control over trade on the river.

He had a fleet of more than 70 ships and employed thousands of people. Although he had political ambitions (he wished his daughter Sara to become a Serbian princess by marrying Đorđe Karađorđević), history remembers him above all as the greatest benefactor of the University of Belgrade.

Captain Miša's Mansion

His palace on Studentski Trg, the largest and most beautiful building in Belgrade at the time, was donated to the state to house "educational and cultural institutions". Today it is the seat of the Rectorate of the University of Belgrade, a symbol of Serbian higher education.