Jovanka Bončić-Katerinić

Jovanka Bončić-Katerinić (; 5 July 1887 – 27 December 1966) was a Serbian and then Yugoslav architect who worked in the interwar period. Born in Serbia, Bončić-Katerinić was the first woman to obtain an engineering degree in Imperial Germany.

Education and early life Bončić was born in Niš, Serbia, in 1887. Her father was Mihailo, a lawyer and judge. Her mother, Katarina Petrović, was originally from Belgrade. Bončić first attended elementary school in Požarevac and then in Vranje. In 1913, she graduated with a bachelor's degree in architecture and also one in engineering.

In 1914, Bončić married Ukrainian engineer Andrej Katerinić, whom she met at Darmstadt University. They lived in several cities, including Petrograd, Riga, Moscow, Kozelovo, Kiev, Padolsky and the outskirts of Odessa. In 1931, she helped construct the Banski Dvor cultural center in Banja Luka. Banski Dvor is today a national monument of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

She was the architect of several structures in Belgrade. In 1935, she built the "Queen Mary Women Teachers Training School" and co-designed the Faculty of Law building with architect Petar Bajalović. She also worked on the reconstruction of the "Ankera" home located on Balkanska street. She is known for having designed Belgrade's Faculty of Veterinary Medicine in 1939. The structure is free standing and has an unadorned facade.

Awards and distinctions In 1928, Bončić was decorated with the Order of St. Sava from the Yugoslav government. Ten years later she received the Order of the Yugoslav Crown.

A geology prize in her name is awarded at Darmstadt University, where she became the first woman to receive an engineering degree in Germany in 1913. The Berlin newspaper "Illustrierte Zeitung" even covered the story of Bončić's graduation with a photo of her surrounded by an all male class. The Darmstadt University campus also boasts a street in her name.