The first nursing course at the Belgrade Military Hospital was inaugurated in 1906 through the efforts of Ljubica Luković, who personally completed the three-month training program to help establish a professional nursing reserve. This achievement marked a significant shift in medical service delivery in Serbia, where she transitioned from a teacher and translator into a central figure for humanitarian organization and military support.
Early Education and Writing
Born in Pančevo in 1858, Ljubica Avramović was the daughter of Jeftimije Avramović, a professor and philologist. She attended the Belgrade Higher Girls' School and earned a teaching degree. Her early professional life involved translating French literature and contributing articles to magazines such as The Hostess and Bosnian Villas under the pseudonym Etinecelle. Her writing focused on encouraging women to seek education and professional independence.
Twenty questions, eight minutes on the clock, and a percentile measured against everyone who has taken it. No sign-up.
Take the IQ test →Social and Charitable Organization
In 1875, she joined the Belgrade Women's Society, an organization founded under Princess Natalie to assist the sick and promote education. Following her 1877 marriage to military officer Stevan Luković, she continued to establish charitable societies at her husband's various military posts. In 1899, she helped found the Princess Ljubica Society in Belgrade, serving as its comptroller and vice president to collect funds for churches and monasteries.
Leadership at the Circle of Serbian Sisters
Luković became president of the Circle of Serbian Sisters in 1905. Under her leadership, the organization launched the newsletter Vardar, which expanded its readership from 5,000 to 40,000 people. She also collaborated on fundraising efforts across Europe to construct a 140-bed facility in the Vračar neighborhood, known as the 4th Reserve Hospital, which treated approximately 1,500 patients.
Military Service and Final Years
During the conflict starting in October 1912, Luković served at the 4th Reserve Hospital for over ten months. Later, she organized a network of aid stations along Serbian railway lines to provide supplies for troops. In January 1915, while delivering relief funds from England to the facility in Valjevo, she contracted typhus. She died on 11 February 1915 and was buried in Niš.
Fast facts
- Born: 1858, Pančevo
- Died: 11 February 1915, Valjevo Hospital
- Nationality: Serbia
- Key Organization: Circle of Serbian Sisters
- Burial Site: Niš
- Posthumous Award: Florence Nightingale Medal (1925)
Questions readers ask
What was the purpose of the Circle of Serbian Sisters?
The organization provided humanitarian aid to individuals regardless of their religious or ethnic background.
How did Luković support military medical efforts?
She helped establish the first nursing training course in Serbia, built a 140-bed hospital, and organized supply stations for troops.
Achievements
- Fields: women's rights
.jpg)
