Balcanica 2013 Issue 44, Pages: 255-283
https://doi.org/10.2298/BALC1344255P
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Herbert Vivian a British traveller in late nineteenth-century Serbia
Pejić Radmila (Institute for Balkan Studies, Serbian Academy of Sciences and Arts, Belgrade)
The famous British journalist and author Herbert Vivian (1865-1940) visited
Serbia twice (1896 and 1903). On his first visit he stayed for several months
in order to research into everyday life, customs, political situation and
economic potentials of Serbia, which were little known to the British public.
His famous book Servia. The Poor Man’s Paradise (1896) was a major
contribution to British travel writing about Serbia with its in-depth
analysis and rather objective portrayal of the country‘s political system,
religious practices and economic situation. He was convinced that his book
would have an effect on the British attitude towards Serbia by drawing
attention of British high society to this country. Vivian was highly
impressed by the simple life of Serbian peasants, an idealised
self-sufficient social group that was satisfied with the land they tilled.
After the 1903 regicide, Vivian, an admirer of the late King Alexander
Obrenović became disappointed with Serbia’s elite, but remained enchanted
with the simple life of Serbian peasants. This article analyses the accuracy
of his account and provides a fresh insight into Vivian’s attitude towards
Serbia.
Keywords: Serbia, nineteenth century, Herbert Vivian, British public opinion, travel writing, Serbian society, Serbian peasantry
Projekat Ministarstva nauke Republike Srbije, br. 177011: History of
political ideas and institutions in the Balkans in the 19th and 20th
centuries