Panta Lunjevica

Photo of Panta Milićević Lunjevica, father of Queen Draga

Pantelija Panta Milićević Lunjevica (Serbian Cyrillic: Пантелија Панта Милићевић Луњевица; 1840–1887) was a Serbian higher administrative officer,[1] the chief (načelnik) of the Šabac district (srez or okrug),[2] and chief (načelnik) of the Belgrade district.[3] He is better known as the father of Draga Mašin, Queen of Serbia.

Biography

He was educated,[4] formerly working as a military officer and policeman.[5] He was a loyal to the Obrenović dynasty and a liberal.[2] Panta was the son of Nikola Lunjevica (1776–1842), blood-relative of Princess Ljubica, a commander (vojvoda) of the Serbian Revolution[4] and close comrade of Prince Miloš. Nikola's wife, his mother was Đurđija Čarapić (1804-1882), a cousin of vojvoda Ilija Čarapić (died 1844), husband of Stamenka Karađorđević (1799-1875), fourth daughter of Karađorđe Petrović, Grand Vožd of Serbia.[6] With the financial held of his mother, Panta renovated the Vujan Monastery in 1858, which had earlier been renovated by his father in 1800 and later became burial place of almost all members of the Lunjevica family, except for Queen Draga, who is buried in St. Mark's Church, Belgrade.[7] He founded the library in Aranđelovac.[5] With his wife Anđelija Koljević, he had seven children; two sons, Nikola and Nikodije, and five daughters, Hristina, Đina, Ana, Draga and Vojka. Draga was the Queen consort of Serbia (1900–1903) as the wife of King Aleksandar Obrenović. Panta's wife Andjelija was a dipsomaniac, while in 1887, Panta himself died in a psychiatric institution.[8] After the May Coup in 1903 where their sister and both brothers were killed, all surviving sisters of Lunjevica family, namely Djurdjina, Vojka and Hristina, left the country, now ruled by the rivaling Karadjordjevic dynasty, and settled permanently in Switzerland with their families.[9][b]

Gallery

• 
  Panta's mother, Djurdjija Lunjevica (née Čarapić) (1804-1882)
• 
  Panta's sister, Jelena Pavlovic, born Lunjevica (1832-1913)
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  Panta and his wife, Andjelija with children
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  Queen Draga as a girl
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  Panta's son, Nikola Lunjevica
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  Panta's son, Nikodije Lunjevica
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  Panta's daughters: Hristina, Vojka and Djurdjina
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  Vujan monastery, burial place of Lunjevica family

References

1. Schreiber 1971, p. 219.
2. Jovanović 1926, p. 206.
3. Stoimirović 1971, p. 199.
4. Malenić 1901, p. 111.
5. Gavrilo Kovijanić (1986). Tragom čitališta u Srbiji. Narodna knjiga. p. 150.
6. Српско учено друштво (1872). Гласник Српскога ученог друштва ... pp. 305–.
7. Nikola Čupić (1937). Godišnjica Nikole Čupića. Vol. 46. Štampa Državne štamparije Kraljevine Jugoslavije. p. 103. Никола Луњевица 1800 године, а обновио ју је његов син и наследник Панта Луњевица са матером својом 1858.') „Док су Турци у Србији владали многи су босански бегови по њој надгледали и оправљали чесме и ћуприје које су ...
8. Vucinich, Wayne S. (2006). Serbia Between East and West. The Events of 1903–1908. ACLS History E-Book Project. p. 324. ISBN 978-1-59740-242-2.
9. Petrović, Hristina, "The Truth About the Life of Queen Draga", Fortnightly Review, London, December 1906.

Sources

• Jovanović, Slobodan (1926). Влада Милана Обреновића, од Слободана Јовановића ... Издавачка књижарница Г. Кона.
• Malenić, Milivoj J. (1901). Posle četrdeset godina: u spomen proslave četrdesetogodišnjice Sv. Andrejske velike narodne skupštine. U Drž. štamp. Kralj. Srbije.
• Schreiber, Georg (1971). Balkan aus erster Hand. Geschichte u. Gegenwart in Berichten von Augenzeugen u. Zeitgenossen. Arena-Verlag.
• Stoimirović, Milan Jovanović (1971). Siluete starog Beograda. I. Jovanović-Stojimirović.