Founded in 1826 in Pest and relocated to Novi Sad in 1864, Matica Srpska is the oldest Serbian literary, cultural, and scientific institution. Throughout its history, it has played a pivotal role in the development of Serbian science, culture, education, and publishing, while promoting Serbian heritage within the broader European context.
From its earliest years, Matica Srpska developed a distinguished publishing tradition, centered on the Letopis Matice srpske (Chronicle of Matica Srpska), one of the world's oldest continuously published literary and scholarly journals, first issued in 1824. The institution also established an extensive library and became a leading center for scholarly research and cultural preservation.
Today, Matica Srpska brings together nearly 2,000 associates engaged in research across the humanities, social sciences, natural sciences, language and literature, arts, and lexicography. It publishes numerous scholarly journals and major national reference works, including the Serbian Encyclopedia, the Serbian Biographical Dictionary, the Dictionary of the Serbian Language, and the Orthography of the Serbian Language.
Its institutions include the Library of Matica Srpska, with more than 3.5 million books and other holdings, and the Gallery of Matica Srpska, home to one of the most significant collections of eighteenth- and nineteenth-century Serbian art. Through its publishing activities, research projects, and annual scientific and cultural awards, Matica Srpska continues to foster scholarship and preserve the cultural heritage of Serbia.
For nearly two centuries, Matica Srpska has served as a model for similar cultural institutions across the Slavic world and today maintains active collaborations with academic and cultural institutions around the globe.