Institute of histology and embryology 'prof. Dr Aleksandar Đ. Kostić' through the prism of its founder's fate

The Institute of Histology and Embryology "Prof. dr Aleksandar Đ. Kostić" is celebrating its 100th anniversary this year. The founder of the Institute, the first Professor of Histology and Embryology, and the first Director of the Institute was Professor Aleksandar Đ. Kostić, PhD, one of the last Renaissance figures of the XX century. Investing tremendous effort and enthusiasm he developed the Institute, from a bare room, with only four walls, a floor, and a ceiling, into a building which was, in the late 1920s, considered to be one of the most modern buildings housing a scientific institute in South-East Europe, which, for that time, had exceptionally good conditions for research and teaching, a very dedicated staff, but also a highly developed research potential, a rich library, terminology unit, and a photography department. After the bombing of Belgrade and of the Institute, on April 6, 1941, he rebuilt the building and reestablished the Institute, yet once more, during his lifetime, and then, due to ideological differences, he was forced into retirement and removed from the Faculty. He was morally rehabilitated posthumously, together with a group of teachers from the Faculty of Medicine, at the session of the Academic Council of the Faculty of Medicine held on January 24, 2001.