Origin (1887–1891) In 1879,
Milan Nedeljković (1857–1950) received a scholarship to continue his education in
Paris at the
Sorbonne. He studied mathematics and at the
College de France extraordinary studying physics. In
Paris Observatory was formed the first School of Astronomy, which Nedeljkovic successfully completed. During the study he also finished courses in
meteorology, precision mechanics and
seismology. After five years of study in Paris, he returned in 1884 in Belgrade where he became a professor of astronomy and meteorology at the Grand School (
University of Belgrade). At the same time launching a campaign for the establishment of observatory at Grand School, but was rejected because of financial circumstances. Finally, after three long years, the decree of the founding of the Observatory was signed on by the Minister of Education and Church Affaires of
Kingdom of Serbia Milan Kujundžić Aberdar on the initiative of professor Nedeljković. Nedeljković was appointed first director of the newly founded Observatory. On 1 July 1887 Nedeljković started his activity at the provisory astronomical and meteorological observatory which was located in the rented house of the Gajzler family at 66
Svetozara Markovića Street. Adopting the justified request of Prof. Nedeljković, a new Minister of Education, Dr
Vladan Đorđević passed on 27 September 1888 the Regulation on the establishment of unified network of meteorological stations in the whole country. Then Observatory become Central meteorological station for data collection.
Vračar (1891–1929) Observatory was operating in the Gajzler house until 1 May 1891, when it was moved into its own building. specifically constructed for that purpose at 8
Bulevar Oslobođenja. New observatory building was located close to the previous, across the Vračar plateau. In the 1950s a park was planted around it which in 2010 was named
Park Milutin Milanković. During the withdrawal from Belgrade at the end of the
World War I in 1918, the Austro-Hungarian army destroyed all the instruments in the observatory. Nedeljković remains one of the most important figures in the history of Serbian astronomy. He managed to acquire instruments for the new observatory from the war reparations from Germany, not spending the state money. The total value of the instruments he obtained was three times higher than the entire cost of the construction of the new observatory building.
Zvezdara from 1929 Citing
Yugoslavia's need for such a facility, which countries such as the
Soviet Union and the
United Kingdom already possessed, An uninhabited area was chosen specifically for being high and, at the time, far from downtown Belgrade. Observatory is organization with more about 52 employees, of which 39 are researchers. The complex was enlarged to . In 2001 the state placed the building of the observatory under protection, declaring it a
cultural monument. As of 2017, the Large Refractor is still operational, so as the dome above it, but it can't be used for further scientific research due to the heavy light pollution in Belgrade. == Mount Vidojevica ==