Berlin Observatory
The construction of the new Berlin Observatory proceeded from a cabinet order of 10 November 1830 according to the design of Schinkel. An approximately one hectare plot was acquired at a price of 15,000 Thalers in the present-day area of Berlin-Kreuzberg. The foundation stone was laid on 22 October 1832 and the observatory was ready by 1835, on the area currently bounded by the streets ″Friedrichstraße″, ″Besselstraße″ and ″Lindenstraße″. The southern end of the ″Charlottenstraße″ was later named ″Enckeplatz″ in honor of the director at that time and the observatory acquired the address of Enckeplatz 3 A (now: ″Enckestraße 11″).
Park Milutin Milanković
New building of the Belgrade Observatory, as previously a rented private house was used, was built and opened on 1 May 1891 on the location of modern park. The site atop of Vračar hill was specifically chosen due to its elevation. The building was specifically constructed for that purpose. It was constructed according to the design of architect Dimitrije T. Leko and equipped with the modern small instruments for astronomical and meteorological observations. Two small astronomical pavilions were also built. The Observatory was a workshop for practical training for the students of the Grand School and People’s Observatory, but was opened for the citizens, too – for example, in 1910 the Halley's comet was observed. Apart from its importance for astronomy and meteorology, the newly built Observatory was a cradle of the seismic and geomagnetic researches in Serbia as the observatory was equipped with an seismograph. In 1924, by ruling of the Faculty Council the Observatory was divided into two separate institutions: Astronomical Observatory and Meteorological Observatory of Belgrade University. In 1929 funds were granted for the constructions of a new, modern, observatory, at distance southeast from the city's centre, at the high hill on Veliki Vračar, while the old building remained a meteorological observatory. As original Serbian word for an observatory was "zvezdara", old building became known as the "Stara Zvezdara" (Old Zvezdara) while the new observatory was simply called "Zvezdara", giving its name to the Veliki Vračar hill, the surrounding forest, the neighborhood which developed later and the modern municipality of Zvezdara.