Graduating from the University of Belgrade Faculty of Architecture at age 22, Jelisaveta Načić became the first female architect in Serbia. Despite facing systemic barriers that initially prevented her from joining the Ministry of Construction, she secured a pivotal role with the Municipality of Belgrade, eventually serving as the city's first chief architect during a formative era of urban development.
Professional Barriers and Municipal Service
Načić matriculated from school in 1896 and pursued technical studies despite prevailing social norms that discouraged women from entering the field. Upon graduation, she encountered a restrictive hiring environment within the Ministry of Construction, which mandated completed military service for officials. Overcoming this, she entered the service of the Belgrade Municipality. Her early career saw the construction of the Small Staircase in Kalemegdan Park in 1903, an intervention that integrated public infrastructure into the landscape of the capital city.
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Her portfolio includes institutional and ecclesiastical designs across the region. In 1906, she completed the Kralj Petar I Elementary School, a structure widely recognized for its proportions. Načić was also responsible for the Alexander Nevsky Cathedral in Belgrade, completed in 1929 in a Moravian style, and the Church of Saint Michael the Archangel in Shtime. Beyond institutional work, she pioneered social housing in the Balkans by designing the first collective housing complex for workers.
Interruption and Later Life
The onset of the First World War halted her professional trajectory. Načić was interned in the Nezsider concentration camp in Austria, an event that effectively ended her 16-year architectural career. While held in captivity, she met her future husband, Luka Lukai. Following the war, the couple relocated to Dubrovnik. Načić lived the remainder of her life in the city, eventually receiving a state pension in recognition of her contributions to the field. She died in Dubrovnik in 1955.
Fast facts
- Born: 1878, Belgrade
- Died: 1955, Dubrovnik
- Alma Mater: University of Belgrade Faculty of Architecture
- Major Project: Alexander Nevsky Cathedral, Belgrade
- Notable Infrastructure: Small Staircase in Kalemegdan Park
- Pioneering Achievement: First female architect in Serbia
- Social Contribution: Designed first collective housing for workers in the Balkans
- Languages: Serbian
Questions readers ask
What was Jelisaveta Načić's primary role in Belgrade?
She served as the city's first chief architect while employed by the Municipality of Belgrade.
Why did her architectural career end?
Her career was cut short following her internment at the Nezsider concentration camp during the First World War.
Achievements
- Notable work: Alexander Nevsky Cathedral, Belgrade
- Notable work: Elementary School King Petar I
- Notable work: Small Staircase in Kalemegdan Park
- Notable work: Church of Saint Michael the Archangel in Shtime
- Trained at University of Belgrade Faculty of Architecture
