UniBIT brought Bulgarians and Spaniards together for a 200-year celebration Fish primer in Barcelona

“The Fish Primer“ has its new life. 200 years after its publication by Dr. Petar Beron, it came to life in the 21st century in a scientific forum of UniBIT, supported by the Ministry of Culture and the Vice President of the Republic of Bulgaria, Mrs. Iliana Yotova.
The boutique university celebrated the Day of the Unification of Eastern Rumelia with the Principality of Bulgaria in Barcelona with a round table and exhibition dedicated to the Fish Primer – one of the most significant works in the history of Bulgarian education and culture.
In the largest hall of the emblematic Pignatelli Palace – Center of the Royal Artistic Club in Barcelona, gathered scientists, public figures, businessmen, diplomats, Bulgarians living in Spain. The celebration of the spirit and the Bulgarian language began with the opening of a unique exhibition "The Unknown Fish Primer". The exhibition presents the seven editions of “Primer with different teachings” of Dr. Peter Beron, which are kept in the funds of the National Library “St. St. Cyril and Methodius“. Curators of the exhibition – 12 posters presenting emblematic pages of Bulgarian literature are Assoc. Prof. Krasimira Aleksandrova, director of NBKM, Dr. Boyana Mincheva, Assoc. Dr. Vasil Zagorov and ch. Assistant Professor Hristo Hristov, Ph.D. Until the end of 2024, the exhibition will tour all over Spain under the patronage of the Bulgarian ambassador to Spain, Mr. Alexey Andreev.
The seven editions were published in the period 1824-1862. Visitors to the exhibition got to know the unknown scientist Peter Beron – the revivalist, deeply convinced of the need for education in the 19th century, who marked the beginning of a new era in Bulgarian education.
A brooch on the lapel of the exhibition is the exposition of literary monuments, which are a cornerstone in the development of Bulgarian literature over the centuries, leading to the awakening of Bulgarian national identity and the restoration of Bulgarian statehood in 1878.
On the day when we celebrate the National Day of Bulgaria, the “Pinyateli“ is also decorated with the facsimile editions of “Collection for various needs“ or “Traveller’s Book” of Yakov Kraykov, published in Venice in 1571/72, which is considered an early example of the Bulgarian first printing art; of “Abagar“ – the book, published in 1651 in Rome, unique with its apocryphal content, elements of the new Bulgarian language and an interesting scroll form, was worn rolled up as an amulet, a book product of the Catholic culture in Bulgaria in the 16th century; of the first transcript of “Slavic Bulgarian History” of Father Paisiy Hilendarski from 1765, the work of the great Bulgarian writer Sofroniy Vrachanski, who in 1806 laid the foundation of the new Bulgarian printed literature with his “Nedelnik”; of “Bulgarian grammar“ of Father Neofit Rilski, printed in 1835 in Kragujevac – a true worthy continuation of Dr. Petar Beron's ideas for modern secular education in the Bulgarian language, of the life of the great martyr Georgi Novi Sofia, published by Nikola Karastoyanov in Samokov in 1855, and of the “Staroplaninche“ calendar. of Hristo Danov, published in Belgrade in 1856; of the ethnographic collection "Bulgarian folk songs", compiled and published by the Miladino brothers in Zagreb in 1861; on the first edition of Dobri Voinikov's current comedy – “The Misunderstood Civilization”, published in Bucharest in 1871 – one of the first representatives of fiction in Bulgaria.
UniBIT scientists paid special attention to Peter Beron as a European scientist. Education began in his native Kotel, then across the Danube in Bucharest, where he developed his interest in the natural sciences – mathematics, physics, astronomy. He studied philosophy at the University of Heidelberg, and a year and a half later moved to study medicine at the University of Munich, where he obtained his doctorate in medicine in 1831. He invested the income accumulated from his medical practice in scientific activities, and from 1839 onwards traveled for scientific purposes to Paris, London, Berlin, Vienna and Prague, establishing significant scientific contacts. His encyclopedic scientific production is expressed in 31 books published in Latin (1), French (25), German (2) and Greek (3). To them can be added the seven editions of the “Fish Primer” and the bibliographic rarity “Red Scripture”. Some of his scientific works in the fields of astronomy, medicine and philosophy caused a wide scientific response, which in an excellent way shows that the modest efforts required at the beginning of Bulgarian secular education can be combined with the great scientific ideas, examining empirically and philosophically way the beginning of the universe.
To this successful combination of the educational mission and the scientific research of Dr. Peter Beron, the reports of UniBIT scientists, presented at a Round Table in Barcelona and published in a scientific collection in Bulgarian and in Spanish, “200 years since the publication of “ A Primer of Various Teachings“ (“ Fish primer“) d. with the stamp of the academic publishing house “ About the letters – Oh I wrote“.
The forum was opened by the Rector of UniBIT Prof. Dr. Irena Peteva.
This project synthesizes the research efforts of colleagues from the University of Library Science and Information Technology, Sofia, Bulgaria, in order to rediscover the meaning and meaning of the work of the first Bulgarian scientist Dr. Petar Beron, embodied in his published in 1824 “Primer with different teachings“ (“Fish Primer“). This is a special honor for us. Our product – the collection also presents the topic of the European dimensions of Dr. Peter Beron's work with an emphasis on the essence of European cultural topos as territories for cultural communications and exchange of values. For the past century and a half of a free Bulgarian state and two centuries since the publication of the “Fish Primer”, the work and name of Dr. Petar Beron has deeply rooted in our national nature, becoming an emblem of our modern development and hopes us for a more humane and more successful European future. And we keep it and pass it on to the generations after us – what is the mission of UniBIT, Prof. Peteva said in his address.
Vice President Iliana Yotova was a special guest at the celebration of UniBIT and the Royal Artistic Club in Barcelona. In her inspiring speech, she paid special attention to the Fish Book as a revolutionary act in Bulgarian history and to Peter Beron as a wake-up call.
Among the official guests were also His Excellency Mr. Aleksey Andreev, Ambassador of the Republic of Bulgaria in Spain, Mr. Svetlin Tsolov – consul general of the Republic of Bulgaria, Mr. Iliyan Valkov, consul of the Republic of Bulgaria in Barcelona, Mrs. Stoyanka Koleva – director of the Bulgarian School in Barcelona, patron Iliyan Penev, sculptor Vezhdi Rashidov.
“The Fish Primer“ in the context of the Bulgarian education system, was the topic of the plenary report of Prof. Dr. Vanya Dobreva and Prof. D.Sc. Stoyan Denchev. Prof. Dr. Ventsislav Velev and Prof. Dr. Hristina Bogova presented the revivalist Petar Beron. Assoc. Dr. Vasil Zagorov and Assoc. Dr. Hristo Hristov presented the “Fish Primer” in the context of Bulgarian textbook publishing until the Liberation. Assoc. Dr. Diana Stoyanova and Ch. Dr. Stelliana Yordanova, assistant professor, visited the “Dr. Petar Beron“ high school. in Edirne as a center for education, science and culture of patriotic Bulgarians. Ch. assistant Dr. Evelina Zdravkova and head Dr. Kamelia Planska paid attention to the media image of Petar Beron today. Associate Professor Dr. Ralitsa Yotova and PhD student Stoyan Boyanov led the audience on the path of Dr. Petar Berov as a cultural route in the Balkans. Ch. Assistant Dr. Arsini Kolev and Head Associate Professor Antoniy Stanimirov presented their scientific research on the image of Dr. Petar Beron in the Bulgarian national memory. Prof. Denchev and Prof. Dr. Ivanka Pavlova presented a report on the topic: “From the “Fish Primer” of Peter Beron to modern Bulgarian higher education. Benevolent Critical Analysis“.
The celebration of 200 years since the publication of the first new Bulgarian textbook “ Primer with different lessons“ (“The Fish Primer“) – achievement of Bulgarian culture from the 19th century, published by Petar Beron (1824), was under the patronage of the National Commission for UNESCO of the Republic of Bulgaria and the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Bulgaria.
UniBIT built on this anniversary with three special ceremonies at the Pignatelli Palace – awarding the title “Honorary Professor“ of UniBIT to Mr. Felix Benz, presentation of an honorary badge of UniBIT to Mr. Iliyan Penev and a deluxe edition of the “Fish Primer” (in wooden fittings), which is a donation to the Catalan Library.
UniBIT donated phototype copies of the Fish Primer and Slavic Bulgarian History to representatives of the Bulgarian community through Mrs. Stoyanka Koleva - director of a Bulgarian school in Barcelona, to whom Prof. Stoyan Denchev presented a plaque on behalf of the Minister of Education and Science, Prof. . Galin Tsokov.
The event is part of the project “The beginning of Bulgarian literature– European cultural projections (200 years since the publication of the Fish Primer)”, led by Prof. Ph.D. n. Vanya Chavdarova Dobreva with contract NIP-2024-05 dated 25.04.2024
This scientific research project initiates a new study on the essence and significance of one of the most famous Bulgarian books from the period of our Renaissance – “The Fish Primer“ of Dr. Petar Beron, carried out by scientists from UniBIT, with the exceptional assistance of the Ministry of Culture, which included the forum in the national cultural calendar of Bulgaria.