Материјални положај београдских студената и студентске демонстрације 1968. године
The Material Situation of the Belgrade Students and the Student Demonstrations in 1968

Author(s): Dragomir Bondžić
Subject(s): Cultural history, Economic history, Political history, Post-War period (1950 - 1989)
Published by: Institut za noviju istoriju Srbije
Summary/Abstract: Among the students’ demands during the June demonstrations of 1968, material problems of students and the University and demands that they be solved as soon as possible, also featured on the students’ list of demands, albeit on modest scale and at the end of the list. Much more than by students themselves, this motive were used by the government and the press, in order to compromise them and reduce their protest to defense of selfish sectional interests. Throughout the years, the living and working conditions of the students in Belgrade were so bad that they left perceptible marks on social structure, efficiency of studying, and certainly influenced, together with other factors, the swelling of rebellious feelings, irritation and tensions among the students. Therefore they shouldn’t be left out when looking for the causes of the June demonstrations of 1968. The material problems and problems of everyday life of the Belgrade students were numerous, deep and difficult to solve under the conditions prevailing during the economic reform and attempts at introducing more efficient market parameters in Yugoslavia’s socialist economy in mid-1960s. Despite efforts and investments since 1945, these problems persisted and increased over time. They affected lodging and solutions of lodging problems, food and its improvement, credits and grants for students, health-care, and operation of the Students’ Community as well as matters of medication, refreshment, cultural and sport life of the Belgrade students. These problems were held up already before the student demonstrations, and the demands of the students’ protest of June 1968 gave a new impulse to attempts at improving the students’ living standards. However, although the authorities speeded up passing of some decisions aimed at improving the students’ living standard which had already been in the making, the more serious and more.

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