Ilarion Ruvarac

Ilarion Ruvarac
Ilarion Ruvarac
Born	Jovan (1832-09-01)September 1, 1832 Sremska Mitrovica, Austrian Empire
Died	August 8, 1905(1905-08-08) (aged 72) Grgeteg monastery, Fruška Gora, Austria-Hungary
Nationality	Serbian
Occupation	historian and Orthodox priest
Known for	introduction of critical methods into Serbian historiography

Ilarion (Jovan) Ruvarac (Serbian: Иларион Руварац; Sremska Mitrovica, September 1, 1832 — Grgeteg, August 8, 1905) was historian and Orthodox priest, a member of the Serbian Academy of Sciences and Arts (first Serbian Learned Society and Serbian Royal Academy of Sciences). Ruvarac introduced the critical methods into Serbian historiography. He was archimandrite of Grgeteg monastery. His three brothers were all distinguished—the eldest, Lazar Ruvarac, as a high government official; the second, Kosta Ruvarac (1837–1864), as a writer and literary critic; and the youngest, Dimitrije Ruvarac, as a historian, Orthodox clergyman, politician and one of the most active publishers of his time.

Jovan Ruvarac was born at Sremska Mitrovica on 1 September 1832 to Very Reverend Vasilije Ruvarac (1803–1873) and his wife Julijana, née Šević. He had three brothers, Lazar, Kosta and Dimitrije. His childhood was spent at Stari Slankamen and Stari Banovac in Srem, where he went to grammar school. In 1847 his family moved from Banovac to Karlovci and later to Vienna, where he completed his high school education at the Gymnasium of Karlovci and a gymnasium in Vienna before he enrolled at the University of Vienna's School of Law in 1852. At the same time, he studied history, a passion of his going back to high school days when two of his professors, Jakov Gerčić and Aleksandar Stojačković, instilled in him a curiosity that remained with him for the rest of his life. In Vienna in the early 1850s he met poet Branko Radičević, philologist Vuk Karadžić, and historian Leopold von Ranke. After graduating with a law degree in 1856, he enrolled at the Theological Seminary of Saint Arsenius (Sveti Arsenije) in Sremski Karlovci, graduating in 1859. Upon completing his studies in law, history, and theology, he decided to take holy orders and the new name of Ilarion on the date of his tonsure at Krušedol monastery on 1 January 1861. Under his new name (Ilarion), he published numerous historical studies that he had written up until then. Ruvarac was devoted to his scholastic work in history, and was hospitable to the many friends and strangers who found their way to Karlovci. He had great admiration for Vuk Karadžić and Đura Daničić, although their relation were never intimate. He met writer Jovan Subotić (1817–1886) in 1852 and their mutual admiration and respect for each other lasted until Subotić's death in 1886. He was appointed clerk of the Serbian Orthodox Ecclesiastical Court at Karlovci. In 1872 he became a member of the teaching staff at the Gymnasium of Karlovci, his Alma mater. He was elevated to the rank of Archimandrite at the Monastery of Grgeteg in 1874, and a year later, he was appointed rector of the Theological Seminary of Saint Arsenius in Karlovci. He was prominent in secular as well as religious works, interesting himself in every movement that promoted health, morality, or education, and especially serviceable as friendly, unofficial counsellor of all classes. His theology was that of a liberal high-churchman, and his sympathies were broad. In early 1880 he was commissioned to report on the state of education among Serbs in Austria-Hungary, and his able performance of this task brought him an offer of the bishopric of Karlovci, which he declined. In 1882 he decided to resume his monastic career as archimandrite of the Monastery of Grgeteg. The last years of his life were passed in complete seclusion at the monastery. He died there on the 8th of August 1905.