The Heroic Circle of Serbian Sisters: A History

Introduction

This paper offers a brief overview of the extraordinary history of the Circle of Serbian Sisters (CSS, Kolo srpskih sestara) which operated during extremely difficult and turbulent times in the Balkans during the twentieth century. Many of its brave and patriotic leaders and members alike laid down their lives for the noble cause—sacrificing for their country and the Serbian nation.

The underlying environment in which the nascent and independent Serbian Kingdom emerged after centuries of Ottoman occupation was characterized by a sense of a strong and growing intellectual and national identity. A social and intellectual elite was emerging with a clear sense of a national awakening and awareness to the fact that there were Serbs still living in different regions of the Balkans in the Austro-Hungarian and Ottoman empires.

The Circle of Serbian Sisters was founded in Belgrade, Serbia, on August 28, 1903. Envisioned as a patriotic, humanitarian, and cultural organization of Serbian women living in the Kingdom of Serbia,¹ its mission was primarily to respond to the great human suffering of their brethren living under foreign occupation.

During World War I the role of CSS expanded. The organization provided training for nurses who later served on many battlefields caring for wounded Serbian soldiers. When the war ended in 1918, the new Kingdom had to be rebuilt and the Sisters established and operated a Home of War Invalids in Belgrade. They founded a Boarding House for young women, initially intended only for those whose fathers had perished in the war, but later it was made available to all young women who attended different educational institutions.

Through such action the CSS demonstrated high moral standing and patriotic responsibility. The great success of their mission can be attributed to their ability to act promptly, organize and establish networks, overcome many obstacles, and show great courage in the face of adversity.

It is important to note that prior to the establishment of the CSS there were only a few women’s organization in Serbia, most notably the Jewish Women’s Society, founded in 1874 in Belgrade; and the Women’s Society founded in 1875 in Belgrade which enjoyed “high protection” from Countess Natalija, later Queen Natalija, wife of King Milan.

These societies shared similar humanitarian goals including the promotion of women’s causes. The Women’s Society worked with the Red Cross during the Serbian-Turkish war (1876–77) and the Bosnia and Herzegovina uprising (1875–78). The members of the Women’s Society collected money, clothing and worked in hospitals helping sick and wounded soldiers. It had offices in 14 towns in Serbia. Through a special decree, King Milan (1882–89) established a new gold and silver medal for women,² recognizing their important work.

The Conditions That Prompted the Creation of the CSS

At the turn of the twentieth century Old Serbia and Macedonia were still under Ottoman occupation. The Serbian population lived in dire conditions, victimized by the Turks, Albanians, and Bulgarians. More than 150 villages were burned, people were expelled from their homes and moved to Asia Minor, while many were tortured and killed. Women and children fled to the mountains and lived in hiding (zbeg). Those horrific conditions prompted the creation of the CSS.

In June 1903, after learning about this great Serb suffering in the two neighboring regions, two prominent Serbian women Nadežda Petrović (Figure 1),³ acclaimed artist (Figure 2),⁴ and Delfa Ivanić, the wife of Ivan Ivanić, Consul in the Serbian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, together with five friends decided to organize a women’s patriotic, humanitarian, and cultural organization. The main goal of the first meeting was to give financial support to all Serbian victims. Ivan Ivanić and Branislav Nušić, acclaimed Serbian playwright and Consul in Priština, were asked to draw preliminary by-laws for the new organization. Nušić suggested the name “Kolo srpskih sestara,” i.e., “The Circle of Serbian Sisters.” The name was accepted.

The second meeting was held in July 1903. These seven women together with the two men, several other guests, and newspaper reporters attended...