Guardians of the Belgrade Cultural Heritage Treasury

"Everything may be but one thing: a great, wise and still spiritual people who build lasting works for the sake of divine love in order to make a country appear nicer and to enable men to have an easier and better life, may not vanish forever. If they disappear, that would mean that divine love would also fade and go out from the world."

Ivo Andrić ("The Bridge on the Drina")

One finds a rich and versatile heritage of monuments in the Belgrade area: archaeological sites, objects of the folklore civil engineering, sacral edifices, archetypal buildings, urbane and rural entities, fortresses, exceptional places, cemeteries, public monuments and memorials. The aforementioned cultural treasury is taken care of by the Institute for the Protection of Cultural Monuments of the City of Belgrade.

This important institution is home to a great number of experts of different profiles: art historians, architects, archaeologists, ethnologists, architecture and civil engineering technicians, photographers, lawyers, archivists, librarians. In addition to doing a significant and interesting job, the employees are lucky to work in a magnificent atmosphere. The Institute for the Protection of Cultural Monuments of the city of Belgrade is situated at a very important site in Belgrade, in Kalemegdan Park, next to the Victory monument. Is there anything more beautiful than to look at the confluence of the Sava and the Danube from your work place?

Yesterday...

The Institute for the Protection of Cultural Monuments of the City of Belgrade is located in a 19th century building that underwent restoration and reconstruction (from 1919 to 1925) after it was severely damaged by Austrian bombings. The history of the edifice begins with the establishment of the Serbian Military Headquarters in 1884, on whose ruins the headquarters’ new building was constructed after World War One. Its basement and a part of the ground floor represent the remaining part of an older building, while a part of the first floor was added in the Wandriegel construction system with a shallow roof and extended eaves. At the same time, as a counterpart to the Headquarters building, an almost identical edifice was constructed above the Roman Well, where the Victory monument stands today. The Military Museum, opened in 1937, used to be located in these two structures. Both the interior and exterior of the buildings have been reworked in keeping with the museum’s requirements.

In time, the museum’s funds increased and it requested a more adequate space. In 1961, the museum was moved to the building of the Military-Geographic Institute, where it still resides.

The building above the Roman Well was torn down in 1958 due to its poor condition, while the Institute for the Protection of the Cultural Monuments of the City of Belgrade was moved to the other building in 1961. The Institute was founded on May 27, 1960 by an authority known back then as the Popular Board of the City of Belgrade. Although the building was considered a temporary solution even at the time of its construction, it has remained at this outstanding location within the Belgrade Fortress, becoming one of its recognisable symbols.

Belgrade City Institute for the Protection of Cultural Monuments   Kalemegdan 14, Blegrade Director: Milena Jočić, B.Arch. zzkgb@beotel.yu, www.belgradeheritage.com Tel: +381 11 32 87 557 PR: Lidija Kotur Field of activity: protection of immovable cultural treasure – research and valuation, architectural and conservation projects, the Belgrade Fortress, Documentation, Works on Conservation and Restoration.

Today...

From its establishment the Institute has not had an easy task. It was supposed to remove any doubt that there was anything in Belgrade to protect after so much devastation from numerous wars. Today, after forty-six years of existence, the Institute is custodian of 340 structures in the city, 15 of which are cultural treasures ranked as extremely significant; 51 cultural objects are considered of great importance; 272 are considered significant.

Through all phases of its work, and with the participation of its experts, a voluminous historical, technical and photo documentation archive has been created and enriched in the Institute. It served as a basis to start publishing, including a number of expert publications.

Tomorrow...

We suggest that you take the time during the summer holiday to visit some of the Belgrade buildings that have been reconstructed, but let us mention at least a few sites. Besides the Belgrade Fortress, you may want to visit the Mansion of Princess Ljubica, the Mansion of Prince Miloš in the Topčider neighbourhood, the House of Army Commander Stepa Stepanović in Kumodraž, the House of Sculptor Dragomir Arambašić located at 20 Gospodar Jovanova St., the late Roman tomb in Brestovik, the Terazije Fountain and the First City Hospital at 19 George Washington St. Of course, don’t forget to snap a couple of photos for your family album in front of the Institute for the Protection of Cultural Monuments of the City of Belgrade. Smile, please!