Sava Popović Tekelija
The first Serbian doctor of law and father of Matica Srpska
Enlightener of the nation
Sava Popović Tekelija was one of the most learned and respected Serbs of his time. Born into a noble family in Arad, he became the first Serb to obtain the title of doctor of legal sciences. His life was devoted to a single goal: the cultural and educational advancement of the Serbian people in Austria-Hungary.
As lifelong president of Matica Srpska, he used his authority and money to help this institution become a hive of Serbian culture. He believed that only an educated people can be a free people, and so he directed his vast wealth towards creating an intellectual elite.
Tekelijanum
In 1838 he founded in Pest the "Tekelijanum", an institution for the schooling of poor and the most gifted Serbian pupils. This endowment educated generations of Serbian intellectuals, including Nikola Tesla, Laza Kostić and many other great figures, becoming a "Serbian Pantheon" abroad.
Sava Tekelija
Nobleman & Doctor of Law
- Born: 1761 (Arad)
- Died: 1842 (Pest)
- Title: Doctor of Law
- Office: President of Matica Srpska
- Endowment: Tekelijanum
At a glance
Related
Literature and sources
This list is for further reading and verification. Online sources were checked on 30 September 2026; books and medieval sources are recommended reading, not sources for individual statements on this page.
Online sources
Further reading
- Irena Zečević, Aleksandar Radović, „Biblioteka Matice srpske na osnovu bibliotečke građe i izvora iz posebnih zbirki BMS”, Bibliotekarstvo Srpske 8 (2019), 36–57.
- Srpski biografski rečnik. Novi Sad: Matica srpska, 2004–.