Nezir Škaljić

Nezir Škaljić (23 February 1844 – 10 March 1905) was a Bosnian politician who served as the third Mayor of Sarajevo from 1899 and his death in 1905.[1] His governance saw the development of asphalt, a sewage system and the spa Bentbaša in Sarajevo. Škaljić was also a judge in several smaller towns and later on Bosnia's Supreme Court.

Nezir Škaljić
3rd Mayor of Sarajevo
In office
1899 – 10 March 1905
Preceded byMehmed Kapetanović
Succeeded byEsad Kulović
Personal details
Born(1844-02-23)23 February 1844
Rogatica, Bosnia Eyalet, Ottoman Empire
Died10 March 1905(1905-03-10) (aged 61)
Sarajevo, Condominium of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Austria-Hungary

Early life

Škaljić was born and educated in the eastern Bosnian town of Rogatica. He became a local judge in his birth-town as well as the towns of Fojnica and Srebrenica.

Political career

Škaljić was one of the four founding fathers of the independent 'Islamic Community in Bosnia and Herzegovina' (Bosnian: Rijaset Islamske Zajednice BiH).[2] Its creation enabled Bosniak religious and political emancipation from the Ottoman Empire. Škaljić was recipient of a first class 'Grand Cross' Imperial Austrian Order of Franz Joseph.

In 1899, Škaljić took over as mayor of Sarajevo when Mehmed Kapetanović was forced to step down due to ill health.[3]

Austria-Hungary in this period in Sarajevo carried out the development of a modern sewage system. In 1901, the first modern asphalts appeared in Sarajevo, first surrounding the Sacred Heart Cathedral and later throughout the city. He opened the narodna banja (the people's spa) Bentbaša, on 20 July 1902. The spa is still in operation.

Family history

The Škaljić family emigrated to Sarajevo in 1672, during the Great Turkish War, from Škaljari,[4] their settlement in the Bay of Kotor. Once in Sarajevo, the family bought large portions of land "stretching from the outskirts of Sarajevo to Rogatica in eastern Bosnia".[5] They excelled as merchants, trading primarily with the German speaking world. Other Škaljić's were political leaders, Islamic and legal scholars.[6] One of Sarajevo's streets still bears the family name–'Škaljića sokak'.[7]

Nezir Škaljić's great-grandson is modern-day Bosnian politician Fehim Škaljić.[8]

Other Škaljić family members include Abdulah Škaljić, the Balkan linguist and author of the book Turcisms in Serbo-Croatian language (bos. Turcizmi u srpsko-hrvatskom jeziku), first published in 1966.[9] The book has since been published in ten editions, and is still considered "a unique and irreplaceable" source for the study of South Slavic language and culture.[10]

References
  1. "Gradonačelnik koji je asfaltirao Sarajevo..." RadioSarajevo. 12 November 2012. Archived from the original on 11 January 2014. Retrieved 11 January 2014.
  2. "Rijaset Islamske zajednice u Bosni i Hercegovini". Rijaset. 26 December 2006. Retrieved 11 January 2014.
  3. "Nezir ef. Škaljić – gradonačelnik koji je asfaltirao Sarajevo". Sandzak. 17 June 2013. Retrieved 11 January 2014.
  4. "Most 127 (38) - časopis za obrazovanje, nauku i kulturu-Mostar-BiH-Nasuf Fazlagić". Most.ba. Retrieved 11 January 2014.
  5. "Husnija Kamberović - Begovski Zemljisni Posjedi u BiH od 1878 do 1918" (PDF). Mediafire. Retrieved 11 January 2014.
  6. "Naksibendijska tekija "MEJTAS"". Tekija-mejtas.orgfree. Retrieved 11 January 2014.
  7. "Greška 404 - Dani". Bhdani. Archived from the original on 10 May 2013. Retrieved 11 January 2014.
  8. "Grad Sarajevo: Sarajevski gradonačelnici 1878.-2009". Sarajevo. Retrieved 11 January 2014.
  9. "Abdulah Skaljic-Turcizmi u Srpsko-Hrvatskom Jeziku". Scribd. Retrieved 11 January 2014.
  10. "Četrdeset pet godina jedne izuzetne knjige". Jergovic. 21 July 2010. Retrieved 11 January 2014.
Political offices
Preceded by
Mehmed Kapetanović		 Mayor of Sarajevo
1899–1905		 Succeeded by
Esad Kulović
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