From "Court Jew" Origins to Civil-Servant Nationalism: Hajim S.Davico (1854-1916)

This article examines the life and works of Hajim S. Davico in the context of the history of Serbian Jews, of the "Court Jew" Davico family and of the Serbian and Triestine context of the late 19(th) and early 20(th) century. Hajim Davico was an active proponent of linguistic acculturation, and in his career as a diplomat he proved total devotion to Serbian national cause, to the brink of complete assimilation. Indeed, his national allegiance put Davico in the position to interfere even in the matters of the SerbianOrthodox Church. The provisions of the Berlin congress, the Davico family background and the need of Serbian bureaucracy for capable and educated men, have all contributed to the rise of this Serbian Jewish diplomat in less than two decades after the emancipation of Jews in Serbia.