Milan Jovanović - Batut | Origin of Street Names

Milan Jovanović - Batut (1847 - 1940) was a Serbian and Yugoslav physician, an honorary doctor of medicine at several European universities, and the founder of the Faculty of Medicine in Belgrade, where he served as its first professor and dean.

He was born in Sremska Mitrovica, into a prosperous merchant family that traditionally and wholeheartedly supported the Serbian unification movement in Vojvodina, eventually leading to their near impoverishment. As a child with exceptional intellectual potential, young Milan Jovanović managed to pursue medical studies in Vienna thanks to contributions from prominent residents of Mitrovica after completing his basic education.

Despite facing financial difficulties and studying intermittently, he completed his medical studies at the age of 31. However, this had no impact on the enthusiasm and desire of the young doctor to further expand his knowledge. In the following years, he underwent professional training at European universities (Paris, Prague, Berlin). In 1885, he returned to his homeland and embarked on his medical and educational mission.

An interesting anecdote is associated with Milan Jovanović and the origin of his unusual nickname. When he returned to the country, there were two other doctors with the same name and surname in medical circles. In order to differentiate themselves socially and professionally, the three doctors agreed on nicknames. One added a middle initial to his name, another adopted the nickname "Bombajac," and the third became known as "Batut" – derived from the surname of a dear family friend.

Milan Jovanović - Batut was particularly interested in studying bacteria and infectious diseases, specifically epidemiology. In addition to dozens of scientific papers in this field, he published numerous publications on health intended for the general public, using understandable language to emphasize the importance of hygiene in everyday life and other health factors.

The significance of such enlightening work was quickly recognized both in the country and in Europe. Batut became the rector of the Belgrade Grand School (the predecessor to the University), rejecting numerous offers from medical faculties across Europe to continue his work in the development of bacteriology.

Arguably, the greatest contribution and legacy that Milan Jovanović - Batut left to Serbian society is the establishment of the Faculty of Medicine in Belgrade. At a time when the health conditions of the people were alarming, especially after the tragic Great War when the boundaries between medicine and quackery were blurred, Batut fought for the establishment of an institution that would demonstrate its civilizational significance for the Serbian people in the coming decades.

Milan Jovanović - Batut, an honorary doctor of the universities in Vienna, Prague, Zagreb, and Belgrade, was the recipient of numerous accolades, including the prestigious French Legion of Honour.

Having reached old age and continuing to write until almost his last day, Dr. Milan Jovanović - Batut passed away in Belgrade at the age of 93.

The name of one of the greatest Serbian physicians and scientists is now carried by the Institute of Public Health of Serbia, and the memory of Milan Jovanović - Batut is preserved through several streets in cities across Serbia.