The Role of Metropolitan Stefan Stratimirović in Health Care Education of Serbs in the Habsburg Monarchy

Abstract

Cooperation between the state and metropolinate of Karlovci in overcoming various problems that aff ected Serbs in the 18 th century was known throughout the century. It was visible in the process of building awareness on epidemics, for in those periods the Church tried, either on its own or stimulated by the State, to support measures in fi ghting epidemics. Although many serious problems were encountered in that process, the metropolitan Stefan Stratimirović (1790-1836) never failed to support all state attempts to improve health conditions and awareness of his congregation, and for that reason during epidemics he occasionally deviated from accepted practice of the church he was leading. He propagated vaccination against smallpox for children, actively participated in furnishing temporary hospitals in war times and in restraining spreading of cholera, the disease that with its death toll replaced plague epidemics. Th is paper indicates signifi cance of metropolitan Stratimirović in health care education of Serbs.