Figure 11. Milan Vapa
HISTORY OF CONTEST SITE
HISTORY OF CONTEST SITE PLANNED FOR THE NEW NIKOLA TESLA MUSEUM
Although the building of the former Milan Vapa’s Paper Mill has not been in use for several decades, this significant building, due to its representative, architectural, construction and historical values, was declared a cultural monument and is under special protection of the state, as one of the best preserved examples of the industrial architecture in Belgrade and Serbia. Although it looks abandoned compared to its surrounding that is undergoing day-to-day transformation, this magnificent building is still proudly standing as a tribute to the years of biggest economic growth of Belgrade.
Industrial development in Belgrade started in the first half of the nineteenth century, but due to political and economic circumstances its progress was slow. Significant progress was achieved at the end of the nineteenth century when the first laws on industry were passed, the railway was built and electricity was introduced. These factors enabled faster development of industry, and thus influenced urbanization of the city. That is why it is not surprising at all that the first factories in Belgrade were located along the railway line running along the right bank of the Sava and Danube rivers and connecting the Serbian capital with Austria-Hungary. Back then Austria-Hungary was the biggest trading partner of Serbia, what was putting the country in an extremely unfavorable and dependent position. At the beginning of the 20th century it was decided to initiate extensive investment in domestic factories and to strengthen domestic production. The first industrial zones and factory complexes were built on the outskirts of the city, along important communications, such as primary roads, railways and river banks.
The founder of the first paper mill in Belgrade was Milan Vapa, who was born near the City of Čačak. As he himself pointed out, he came to Belgrade on August 2, 1889, as a poor child from Šumadija, in search of work. By a twist of fate, he got job of a bookbinding apprentice. After a few years of apprenticeship, his path led him further, to Pest, where he improved his craft.
After his return to Belgrade, he started to work in the State Printing House where he worked until 1905, when together with his partners he founded a paper processing workshop, later registered as the mill, and that is why he bought a house at the urban neighborhood Kosančićev venac for the needs of the mill.
The mill at Kosančićev venac was extremely important for development of the Serbian economy. It began its work on the Annunciation Day on March 25, 1910 and operated until the First World War. From foundation of the State Printing House in 1831 until th opening of the Milan Vapa’s Mill, Serbia had to import paper from Austria-Hungary. These were the years of the customs war, what additionally emptied the chronically empty state coffers.
During the First World War, the Mill was completely devastated and all machines were taken out. After the war, with the creation of a new state, there was an increasing need to accelerate development of this branch of economy. The typically unwavering Milan Vapa accepted this challenge as well. He returned from Switzerland to Belgrade and commenced an exhausting correspondence with the Austrian government about return of the machines located in Vienna. With the money he received as the damages and the loan obtained from the French-Serbian Bank, Milan bought a new land near the railway station at Senjak and began to build a large and modern paper mill. He sold his house at Kosančićev venac, where the original mill was located, to the Ministry of Education. The Ministry moved the National Library into this building, which was then demolished in the bombing of Belgrade on April 6, 1941
The Milan Vapa’s Paper Mill was the first purpose-built mill that was constructed after the First World War. The Mill location was not chosen by accident. Traffic accessibility of the location was good, it was near Miloš Veliki Street, on the route of the road connecting Belgrade with Obrenovac and further on with Šabac, later named Topčiderski drum (Topčider Road), and in 1930 its name was changed to Vojvoda Mišić Boulevard which it is bearing at present.
Figure 12. Previous appearance of the today’s Vojvoda Mišić Boulevard
Figure 13. Layout of the Mill complex, 1930.
Figure 14. Milan Vapa’s Paper Mill, appearance in 1930
A steam mill was previously located at the site of the Mill, in its immediate vicinity there was Weifert’s First Steam Brewery, and construction of a new building of the State Printing House (today’s BIGZ Palace) was also planned. The Mill itself was built next to the Sava Railway Bridge, and it had its own industrial railway line, a quay for docking ships on the Sava, an electric crane for unloading and loading of goods and its own water pump. Furthermore, the Mill was located in the immediate vicinity of the Main Railway Station at Senjak.
Construction of the new Mill with its own power plant and water supply commenced in September 1921 and it was completed in March 1924. It ceased to operate at the beginning of the World War II.
The Mill and the Mill plants were designed by the architect Karl Hanisch, a specialist in industrial construction, thus the Mill building was constructed in the spirit of industrial buildings from the beginning of the last century. The design of the interior was planned so as to satisfy the production process and paper storing. Within the building there were owner’s office, kitchen, dining room, workers’ infirmary and rest rooms. In the spacious interior there were also departments for mechanical production of paper, sorting and packing, processing of raw materials, hall for cooling and cutting, warehouse for storing finished goods, laboratory, boiler room and power plant. All departments were equipped with state-of-the-art German machines.
The surface area of the Mill building, as well as the exceptional equipping of all production plants, classified the Vapa’s Mill among the largest factories of that time in Serbia, which produced fine paper for writing, printing and drawing, squared and cadastral paper, wrapping paper, industrial paper, fine luxury and newsprint paper.
The Milan Vapa’s Mill is significant because it was the first purpose-built mill and because it was the only mill of this type in Serbia for three decades. At the time of its construction, it belonged to a large and modern industrial enterprises, and according to foreign experts it could be compared with similar paper mills in developed European countries. With its urban position it represents a material testimony to the existence of once extremely important industrial zone of the city, while its representative architecture points out to the importance and significance that was attached to shaping the industrial buildings that have left a great mark in the development and overall image of the city.
During the World War II, the Mill operated occasionally. After the war, renovation of the building damaged during the bombing in 1944 commenced, while the machines remained almost undamaged. After the war the Mill was nationalized and production continued under the name Beograd. During the 1950s, the Mill ceased its operation and the production of paper was relocated to the Palilula municipality, on the river island Ada Huja (today the Belgrade Paper Factory). When the Mill was vacated the building changed use for the needs of the company for international freight forwarding and public warehouses Jugošped, whose name still can be seen on the roof of the building. When Jugošped moved out the building was used as a warehouse, studio for young musicians and artists, etc. The exterior of the building has retained its original author expression. However, over the years the interior has been adapted to various purposes, so it no longer reflects the authentic state as its exterior.
Archival graphic documentation of the Milan Vapa’s Paper Mill is provided in the Accompanying Content Documentation: I Information Documentation, 01 Archival graphic documentation of the Milan Vapa’s Paper Mill