On October 10-11, 2013, the 41st Educational Symposium of the Clinic of psychiatry, Clinical Center of Serbia (KCS) was held in Belgrade, coinciding with the 90th anniversary of the Psychiatry and Neurology Clinics of KCS. The festive program took place at the Yugoslav Drama Theatre, where Prof. Dr. Vladimir Kostić and Doc. Dr. Srđan Milovanović spoke about the development of the Neurology and Psychiatry Clinics. The symposium was held at the Ilija M. Kolarac Endowment and was dedicated to the history, significant individuals in Serbian psychiatry, and future developmental directions. Special sessions focused on comorbid conditions and the controversies of modern psychiatry and psychology.
In honor of the anniversary, the establishment day of the Clinic for Nervous and Mental Diseases, October 10 (1923), was celebrated.
The history of neuropsychiatry at the Belgrade Faculty of Medicine began with the founding of the Clinic for Mental and Nervous Diseases on October 10, 1923. The first professor of neuropsychiatry was Prof. Dr. Laza Stanojević, who was appointed Associate Professor of Neurology and Psychiatry at the Faculty of Medicine on May 9, 1922. He served as the Clinic’s director until his retirement in 1945. From its founding until 1945, the development of neuropsychiatry was significantly influenced by Prof. Dr. Vladimir Vujić, Prof. Dr. Uroš Jekić, and Prof. Dr. Jovan Ristić. This generation of professors and pioneers of neuropsychiatry nurtured future professors and leaders of the development of neurology and psychiatry in Serbia, including Prof. Stojiljković, Prof. Šternić, Prof. Ignjatović, Prof. Veljković, Prof. Milovanović, Prof. Vesel, and Prof. Paunović, as well as Prof. Radojičić, Prof. M. Ristić, Prof. Gospavić, Prof. Lukić, Prof. Lević, and Prof. Vranješević.
Among the prominent figures in Serbian neuropsychiatry of the 20th century, trained and educated at the Neuropsychiatric Clinic of the Faculty of Medicine, are Doc. Igor Milosavljević, Dr. Veselin Savić, and academician Vladeta Jerotić. Since its establishment, the Clinic has been a pioneer in the treatment of psychiatric and neurological disorders in the former Yugoslavia. It has played a major role in the education of many generations of doctors, whose knowledge was further disseminated both within the country and globally. Modern psychotherapeutic procedures were first implemented within its framework, and it was an innovator in the application of pharmacotherapy in psychiatry, in line with the leading centers in Paris and London.
The development of medical psychology began at the Clinic through close collaboration between Prof. Berger, Prof. Ignjatović, and Prof. Milovanović. The Clinic continues to uphold its tradition today, providing patients with treatment and care according to the latest guidelines while maintaining a focus on research and education.
