ABOUT THE CONFERENCE       PROGRAMME       SPEAKERS

Matija Mesić, the First Rector of the Francis Joseph I University, and the Faculty of Law as Its Largest Constituent

Presentation by Assist. Prof. Dunja Milotić, PhD

            The purpose of the presentation is to provide an overview of the role and activities of Matija Mesić in the long-running process of the establishment of the Francis Joseph I University in Zagreb, starting from his work at the Law Academy, the only higher education institution on the Croatian territories from 1850 until the founding of the University of Zagreb. As a former Director of the Law Academy, Mesić participated directly in the preparations for the opening of the University of Zagreb. At the joint session of chosen professors from three Faculties (of Theology, Law, and Philosophy), held on 4 October 1874, Mesić, who had been appointed full professor of Croatian History at the Faculty of Philosophy in April, was elected the first Rector of the University by secret ballot. This was endorsed by the Land Government and Viceroy Ivan Mažuranić on 9 October 1874. His election was carried out in accordance with  Article 4 of the Instruction for the Implementation of the Act Establishing the Francis Joseph I University in Zagreb, promulgated by the Government by edict on 5 September 1874. According to the Article mentioned, until the adoption of a special law on the appointment of the Rector, the Rector was to be elected among full professors in the same manner in which Deans are appointed, only through separate assemblies. The Vice-Rector was appointed in the same manner for the first year. Later, the Vice-Rektor was the person appointed Rector in the previous year. The election of the Rector for the following academic year 1875/1876 was to be held in the second half of June 1875. However, it was postponed by special Order of the Land Government until the Act on the Election of the Rector was sanctioned. Since the sanction of the Act was not expected to be carried out very soon, the Land Government order the election to be held in July, and thus it was held on 15 July 1875 in accordance with Article 4 of the Instruction. The professors and associate professors of all three Faculties participated in the election, provided that they were members of the assemblies of professors. The votes were cast in writing, and Stjepan Spevec, a professor from the Faculty of Law, was elected by 13 out of  19 votes. The inauguration of the Rector for the current academic year, the most famous ceremony of the University, was held on 19 October, the anniversary of the founding of the Croatian university. It is interesting to note that Rector Josip Pliverić ended his speech on the occasion of his inauguration in 1892 with the words “which were uttered on today's date eighteen years ago by the first Rector of the Croatian university, my dear Uncle Matija Mesić...”

            The 1874 Act on the Organisation of the University as well as further normative acts implementing its general provisions were drafted after the model of Austrian laws and regulations, therefore the Land Government decreed on 21 April 1875 that Austrian regulations were to apply to the University in matters not year regulated by special regulations. The explanation for this lies in the efforts to remove the impediments to the arrival of Croatian students from Istria and Dalmatia to the University of Zagreb. Despite that, the full reciprocity between the University of Zagreb and Austrian universities was not achieved before the dissolution of the Monarchy. After completing their studies in Zagreb, students had to pass state professional and stringent supplementary examinations at an Austrian university as a requirement for civil service in Austria. This is, for example, seen in the decision of the Austrian Minister for Liturgy and Classes of 10 October 1902, whereby instructions for the recognition of completed studies and passed examinations by Dalmatian and Istrian students at the Faculty of Law of the University of Zagreb were issued to all deans of faculties of law as well as presidents of panels for state examinations in Cisleithania.

            Finally, we will provide a brief overview of the reform efforts with regard to law studies, which was very topical and much discussed during the period immediately following the establishment of the University of Zagreb, and which was encouraged by similar reform efforts in Austria and Hungary. Another link with Matija Mesić is the emphasis on the importance of studying canon law at the Faculty of Law, as seen in the inauguration speech of Rector Kosta Vojnović in 1877: “And for the prosperity and future of our Croatia, canon law, which is a common science for two Faculties, should educate and instil in our youth the beautiful ideal of peace and harmony between the Church and State, corresponding to the unique nature of man, which cannot be divided, where the eternal battle between his most noble sentiments cannot be natural, which corresponds to the entire history of the European culture, where we witness the strand of fate of the Church and our Homeland intertwined through centuries. Finally, it corresponds to our history, whose grandest chapters testify to that beautiful brotherhood that created and elevated Croatia into its golden age, delivered it from its days of sorrow, and will restore its glory”.

Key words: Matija Mesić, Rector, Francis Joseph I University, Faculty of Law