ПЕТРОВСКА СКУПШТИНА И СЛОБОДА ШТАМПЕ
Serbian National Assembly in 1848 and the Freedom of the Press

Summary/Abstract: The Principality of Serbia was by no means immune to the revolutionary developments in Europe in 1848, reflected in both accomplished and attempted social changes. The foreign policy of the Principality of Serbia was clearly manifested in de facto sovereignty, in establishing diplomatic cooperation with the Royal court in Vienna and in participation of the Serbian Army units in quashing the “Hungarian Uprising”. The state in internal affairs was reflected in the developments at the Serbian National Assembly held on St. Peter’s Day in 1848, which pointed to the drawbacks of the Constitutionalists’ regime and some new tendencies in the Serbian society. One of the requests clearly articulated at St. Peter’s Day Assembly was to regulate the freedom of the press. Many participants argued that such a request was quite inappropriate, unnecessary and even redundant considering the circumstances of insufficient literacy in Serbia. Yet, this request was officially proposed, elaborated and promulgated at the Assembly. The dissemination of this idea in Serbia was fairly gradual and its exercise was suspended for quite a while. The request promulgated at St. Peter’s Day Assembly may be observed a nucleus of some new tendencies forecasting the inception of a civil society in Serbia, which were clearly reflected in the request to provide the legal framework for the freedom of the press.

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