Prince Milan Obrenović (1854-1881): From Baron to a Sovereign

Promotion of the book by Suzana Rajić “Prince Milan Obrenović (1854–1881): From Baron to a Sovereign” will be held at the Gallery of the National Museum Kraljevo, on Tuesday, September 16th, 2025, starting at 7 p.m. This is the first of three planned volumes that will illuminate the life and reign of one of the most significant – and most controversial – rulers of 19th century Serbia.

The first volume covers the first twenty-seven years of Milan Obrenović’s life. At just 14 years old, he ascended the Serbian throne, and by age 22, he had assumed supreme command of the army and led two wars against the Ottoman Empire. Although often portrayed in historiography and public discourse as a weak and unworthy ruler, it was during his reign that Serbia gained international recognition of independence (1878), expanded its territory by nearly one-third, was elevated to the status of a kingdom (1882), and inaugurated its first railway line between Belgrade and Niš.

For this monograph, the author conducted extensive research into unpublished archival material across 38 collections housed in 17 institutions in Serbia and abroad – including Belgrade, Novi Sad, Kragujevac, Moscow, Bucharest, Vienna, and London. The book has been published as a luxurious hardcover edition, featuring nearly 300 illustrations, many of which are being made available to the academic and general public for the first time.

The significance of the work will be discussed by the author, professor Suzana Rajić, PhD, head of the Chair for the History of the Serbian People in the Modern Era and Director of the Center for Serbian Studies at the Faculty of Philosophy of the University of Belgrade, Danko Leovac, PhD, associate professor at the Department of History of the Faculty of Philosophy of the University of Belgrade and Darko Gučanin, historian and director of the National Museum Kraljevo.