Drаgišа Lapčević
October 13, 1864, - August 14, 1939, Belgrade
Politician and Essayist
Plot 40, Grave 65
Politician, journalist and writer Drаgišа Lаpčević, completed only several grades of elementary school, however he quickly earned quite a reputation in the public, as educated individual. Even though he started his career working odd jobs predominantly of manual nature, he was soon appointed municipal registry clerk. He learned German and French languages himself, so he could read socialist literature and publications. He participated in establishing of the Labor Movement in the Kingdom of Serbia and wrote for magazine “Social-democracy” and “Laborers’ Gazette”, including being their editor. As an opponent to the Obrenović Dynasty he was incarcerated after Saint John's Eve Uprising, but was soon released. He moved to Belgrade in 1902, with the purpose to support establishing and managing of the laborers organizations. He was one of the founders of the Serbian Social-democratic Party and become its president in 1903. In 1905, he resigned due to exclusion of the Group “Jovаnović-Skerlić-Jovičić”, but was reinstated to his former position within the party in 1908. After the 9th Congress, due to feud with Dimitrije Tucović on inclusion of the farmers into the Party, he resigned in 1911, especially considering the fact that Tucović’s stand was accepted at the Party Congress of 1912. At the 2nd Congress of the Yugoslav Communist Party in 1920, he was leading the group of so-called „Centrists ", who, in terms of the Party program, Statute and tactics were in sync with the stands of the Second International. He withdrew from political life in 1923. Among other duties he was elected President of the Serbian Journalists’ Association, whereas the National Assembly appointed him its librarian. He remained at the position in the library until retirement. He wrote significant number of newspaper articles and published more than fifty books and brochures related to the labor movement. His most prominent works are as follows: Laborers’ requirements and proposal of the Law on Stores, Communal Politics, How the Bourgeois Society Rips off the Laborers, History of Socialism in Serbia, War and Serbian Social Democracy & etc.