National Museum in Pančevo | Museums in Serbia

National Museum in Pančevo actually represents a local museum of southern Banat as its scientific and research activities encompass the area of Opovo, Kovačica, and Kovin.

The Pančevo National Museum is divided into departments of ethnology, history, art history, archaeology, documentation center, library, photo and preparatory workshop. However, the museum collections go beyond local boundaries, as seen in the objects exhibited in the Permanent Exhibition.

The museum was founded by Dr. Borislav Jankulov in 1923, with items collected from private collections of the people of Pančevo, and it is one of the older institutions of this kind in the country.

It is housed in the building of the former Magistrate, built in the 1830s in the neoclassical style. With its location and architecture, it dominates the main city square. The inscription "Justice is the foundation of power" on the façade is of historical significance, as it was the motto of Emperor Franz Joseph, indicating that this city was under direct administration from Vienna.

The museum building served as the City Hall until 1965 when it became the home of the Museum, City Library, and Archive. Since 1982, only the Museum has remained in the building.

However, the building used to house the city police headquarters with a prison unit. In the basement of the building, there are still four prison cells. As a testament to the presence of criminals and political enemies, the walls bear engraved names, dates, and various inscriptions left behind by them.

The flag of the Serbian Voivodeship from 1848 is an extremely important museum artifact that testifies to the struggle for establishing Serbian statehood in Vojvodina in the mid-19th century. It is one of the few surviving original flags from this period, reminding us that Pančevo was the center of the Serbian movement and the largest liberated city under Serbian control at that time.

One of the most significant items in the Pančevo National Museum is the so-called "enchained tree." After the city was declared a Free Military Community in the late 18th century, there was an economic boom and craft development. In order for an apprentice to become a master, after three to four years of apprenticeship, they had to pass the "kalfa" exam, followed by several more years of "baking the craft" before finally taking the master's exam. The newly appointed master had the right, in a solemn ceremony, to drive a nail into a specially prepared "enchained tree." Hundreds of nails driven into the enchained tree still testify to the number of craftsmen and the economic development of the city.

One of the central exhibits, and at the same time one of the most famous works in Serbian painting, is "The Migration of the Serbs" by Paja Jovanović. Although the artist painted several versions of "The Migration," the one in the Pančevo National Museum is the most famous and frequently reproduced.

The art department of the Pančevo museum also preserves some original works by Uroš Predić, Konstantin Danilo, and other painters from this area.

Admission to the Pančevo National Museum is free, and it is open every day from 10 am to 6 pm. More information can be found on the official website of the Museum.