About the Library

The Matica Srpska Library is the oldest Serbian library of national importance and the first public and scientific library of the Serbs. Together with the Matica Srpska Literary Society it was founded in Pest in 1826, without any explicit intention, as it is natural for books to gather in a literary society. The founders of the Matica Srpska, led by Jovan Hadžić, wrote that their goal is “to spread out literature and enlightenment of the Serbian people, that is, to publish and distribute Serbian manuscripts around the world.”

The Matica Srpska Library has more than 4,000,000 books and other publications in its collections.