Ilija Antonovic

Ilija Antonović (Serbian Cyrillic: Илија Антоновић; 1843–1915) was a Serbian merchant and great benefactor of the University of Belgrade and other charities.

Biography

Ilija Antonović was born in 1843 in Melnik near the border of Ottoman Serbia (now North Macedonia) to Anton and Lascarina. He studied in a Greek school. He worked for his relative Anastas Zach, and later opened his own iron business and became rich. He left all his wealth to University of Belgrade and the Belgrade Trade Youth (Beogradske Trgovačke Omladine).

Coming to Belgrade from regions of South Serbia, Ilija Antonović found an opportunity dealing in steel when it became a valued commodity before and after the turn of the century. In 1915, he bequeathed all his possessions to the University of Belgrade, the Belgrade Gymnasium for Girls, a Belgrade hospital, women's associations, etc. To the Beogradske Trgovačke Omladine (Belgrade Merchants Youth association) he bequeathed a building at 16 Krgujevac Street (Kragujevačkoj ulici Broj 16) with its entire revenue going towards the spiritual and moral education of Belgrade youth pursuing a degree in commerce and business administration. Also, he bequeathed the Serbian Orthodox Cathedral in Belgrade the sum of 250 dinars in memory of his deceased brother.He was regular suscriber and supporter of a periodical Svetlosti, an organ of the Society of Light (Društvo Svetlost) based in Belgrade, Serbia, and in Nikšić, Montenegro.

Source

• Spomenica Beograske Trgovačke Omladine 1880-1930, Belgrade, 1931, page 64

References

• Translated and adapted from Bulgarian Wikipedia: https://bg.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Илия_Антонович