Unique Donation from Inheritors of Prof. Stephan Bobchev

The Annual Book of the Free University for Political and Economic Sciences issued in 1922 was donated by the inheritors of Prof. Stephan Bobchev – Anelia Yordanova, Nikola Bobchev and Konstantin Bobchev - to the Rector Prof. D.Sc. (Econ.) Statty Stattev. For the first time UNWE will possess the issue where are published: the lecturer body management, statute plan of lectures and examination regulations, speeches of Prof. Bobchev at the opening of the university in 1920 and on the occasion of the 1^st Anniversary of the university, report for development and state of the university during 1921/1922 academic year, lectures time-table, etc.

Prof. D.Sc. (Econ.) Statty Stattev (in the middle) and the three grantors

Part of donation is the original of the newspaper Morning. The issue is unique because it is the first pupils` newspaper in Bulgaria and it is a handwritten newspaper issued for the longest period of time before the Liberation of Bulgaria. Bobchev was 14 years old when he began to publish the newspaper. For one year and a half there were issued 180 volumes of small size with text in two columns illustrated by drawings and edifying texts to them. The child Stephan was meanwhile an author, editor and artist of the newspaper. 

The original of the newspaper Morning

The unique issues

Exclusively interesting is the collection with compositions of Prof. Bobchev issued in 1897 (with handwritten notes to the texts) where are presented also two magazines whose founder and long standing Chief Editor is Stephan Bobchev - Juridical Review and Bulgarian Collection (a magazine for literature and public knowledge).

In the literature memory of UNWE there is already the book History of Bulgarian People by Prof. Bobchev issued in Plovdiv in 1897 having a special label on its back cover saying: Library of S. S. Bobchev. Such labels have also some books by Bulgarian and foreign authors from his private library given by the grantors. 

History of Bulgarian People by Prof. Bobchev issued in Plovdiv in 1897	A portrait photo of Bobchev as Minister Plenipotentiary of Bulgaria in Petersburg

In the donation there were also: a Protocol from a session of the Ministry of National Education in 1911 when Bobchev was its Minister; the collection S. S. Bobchev As a Scientist (Some Foreign Critics and Reviews on His Scientific Works) issued in 1921 on the occasion of his 50^th Anniversary; volumes of Slavonic News (the newspaper of the Slavonic Association in Bulgaria whose Chairman for 38 years has been Prof. Bobchev)  and the magazine Juridical Review (from 1930); a portrait photo of Bobchev as a Minister Plenipotentiary of Bulgaria in Petersburg, two cards from the private correspondence of Prof. Bobchev one of which is an invitation for tea from princess Evdokia, etc.

Prof. Stattev heartily thanked to the three inheritors and expressed his hope that more belongings, manuscripts and books of Prof. Bobchev would be donated to the UNWE and exhibited at the museum of UNWE which currently was being constructed. The Rector announced that the first books from the library which were digitized were the works and textbooks of Prof. Bobchev and they were available for reading in the university website (e – library). Prof. Stattev outlined that the books donated would also be digitized for reading online by all.