politics
March 23, 2026
Milutin Milanković Married for Love
A recently published interesting article, "Vožd Karađorđe the most famous Serbian 'bride-snatcher'," discusses the formation of some marriages in Serbia in the 19th and early 20th centuries. It talks about the brutal snatching of brides without their consent and the consent of their families. One such abduction, carried out by Duke Pavle Cukić, was described in his famous "Pomenik" by Milan Đ. Milićević, a great historian of the 18th and 19th centuries in Serbia. Besides violent abductions, Milićević also describes another type – simulated abductions. Namely, when two young people fall in love and decide to marry, but do not have the consent of the bride's family, simulated abductions were performed, where several of the groom's friends, by agreement and with the bride's consent, would take the bride (runaway) to the groom's house at night. Violent abductions were forbidden by Miloš Obrenović and gradually fell into oblivion.
TL;DR
- Serbian marriages in the 19th and early 20th centuries involved practices like bride-snatching and simulated elopements.
- Violent bride-snatching was eventually forbidden, while simulated abductions occurred with the bride's consent.
- High-ranking individuals often married women from wealthy merchant families, with dowries playing a significant role.
- Milutin Milanković, a distinguished scientist, prioritized love over wealth, rejecting offers from affluent families.
- Milanković's patriotism led him to leave a well-paid engineering career in Vienna to become a university professor in Belgrade.
- He married Hristina Topuzović out of love, despite initial reluctance and societal expectations.
- Milanković also contributed significantly as a civil engineer, designing bridges and other important structures.
Continue reading the original article