Remaking History: Tracing Politics in Urban Space - International Burch University - Philopolitics
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Remaking History:
T r a ci ng P o litic s in Urban Space
Lejla Odobašić Novo & Aleksandar Obradović
International Burch University
Sarajevo
2021Authors: Lejla Odobašić Novo & Aleksandar Obradović Publishing: International Burch University Critcal Review: Nerma Prnjavorac Cridge & Vladimir Dulović Proofreading: Adrian Pecotić Project Logo Design: Mina Stanimirović Book Layout Mina Stanimirović & Lejla Odobašić Novo EBook (URL): http://remakinghistory.philopolitics.org/index.html Date and Place: February 2021, Sarajevo Copyrights: International Burch University & Philopolitics Reproduction of this publication for educational or other non-commercial purposes is authorized without permission from the copyright holder. Repro- duction for resale or other commercial purposes is prohibited without prior written permission of the copyright holder. Disclaimer: While every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of information contained in this publication, the publisher will not assume liability for writing and any use made of the proceedings, and the presentation of the participating organizations concerning the legal status of any country, territo- ry, or area, or of its authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries. CIP zapis je dostupan u elektronskom katalogu Nacionalne i univerzitetske biblioteke Bosne i Hercegovine pod brojem COBISS.BH-ID 42832902 ISBN 978-9958-834-67-7
TABLE OF CONTENTS PREFACE Critical Review by Nerma Prnjavorac Cridge... ..................1 Critical Review by Vladimir Dulović .................. .................7 INTRODUCTION...................................................... ...............10 METHODOLOGY and STUDY AREA.................. ...............16 BELGRADE................................................................ ..............22 SARAJEVO............................................................... ..............66 CONCLUSION........................................................... .............174 REFERENCES........................................................... .............179 Acknowledgments.................................................. .............184
(Re)making History: Tracing politics in urban space
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Belgrade_Sarajevo
PREFACEBelgrade_Sarajevo
Critical Review Starting with their names, the differences seem apparent. The
(Re)making History: Tracing politics in urban space
capital city of the former Yugoslavia, Belgrade’s name translates
Nerma Prnjavorac Cridge, Architect/Professor (from Serbo-Croatian, the official language of Yugoslavia) to the
Architectural Association, White City, whilst Sarajevo’s name comes from the Turkish word
School of Architecture London for Palace. During its heyday, Sarajevo was a microcosm of Yu-
goslavia, ethnically and culturally the most diverse of all former
Yugoslav capital cities. The city reached international fame and
Before you is a document about change. (Re)making History: peaked in prosperity and size during the Winter Olympics in 1984,
Tracing Politics in Urban Space is an attempt to arrest moments when an extensive new part of the city and impressive sport
of history - a process still very much in the making. Written by facilities and infrastructure were built. Famous for its tolerance
two authors, Aleksandar Obradović and Lejla Odabašić Novo, and the many religious and ethnic communities living together,
(Re)making History provides a concise analysis of the renaming Sarajevo was commonly referred to as the European Jerusalem.
of streets in recent years in two former Yugoslav cities – Bel- This is the only city in Europe where we can find a Catholic Ca-
grade and Sarajevo. thedral, Serbian Orthodox Church, Jewish Synagogue and Mus-
lim Mosque within 100 meters of each other. Testimony of this
Due to their geographic proximity, shared history, and common is that Emerik Blum, the founder of one of the largest Yugoslav
language, the two cities’ destinies are inextricably bound togeth- conglomerates Energoinvest, which was headquartered in Sara-
er. As in the other former Yugoslav territories, recent changes jevo, was the initiator of Sarajevo’s candidature for the Olympics
have sought to emphasize and deepen divisions. (Re)making and the city’s Mayor during this time.
History shows us how these revisionist steps by subsequent
governments aim to erase the communist past. Often, they end Within Socialist Yugoslavia, cultural and religious differences
up creating absurd contradictions, eloquently described by Cro- were smoothed over through Tito’s politics of promoting Broth-
atian journalist Boris Dežulović as ‘a suicide from behind’. Serbi- erhood and Unity and actively encouraging youth to travel
an historian Dubravka Stojanović astutely interprets this as the across Yugoslavia and physically help build the country. In some
closing in of paranoia and isolation; the exclusion of one’s self cities, this may have been a superficial covering, but the names
from one’s own history and geography. (Re)making History sug- of Sarajevo’s streets from this period tell a story of a genuinely
gests that our collective memory and knowledge is being erased multicultural and pluralist city with a mixed population and many
and repressed, and as such needs to be re-read over and over intermarriages.
again. One needs to understand this study based not only on its
face value, but also as an outline of a complex body of knowl- In Yugoslavia, almost every town and city had its major street
edge of what is absent. (Re)making History demonstrates what named after Tito, with Brotherhood and Unity and the Yugoslav
disappears when tragic events, including war and even geno- National Army also very common street names. Even one whole
cide, repeat in the same territory within a single generation. city, the capital of Montenegro, was named after Yugoslavia’s
life-long president – Titograd. Many others added prefix Titov to
1 2Belgrade_Sarajevo
their names. As this study shows, during Tito’s Yugoslavia, many Muslim city – further, this has led to the rise of a ‘parallel’ city,
(Re)making History: Tracing politics in urban space
streets in Belgrade and Sarajevo shared the same names, often first named Srpsko Sarajevo and now known as East Sarajevo.
named after Yugoslav National Army, Communist War Heroes,
and international statesmen, reflecting the unique political posi- During the siege, Trio redesigned many iconic images, such as
tion of non-alignment. the Coca-Cola sign (one of the main sponsors of the Olympic
Games) by playing on the name of Sarajevo in Cyrillic script.
With the break-up of Yugoslavia, in most former Yugoslav cities,
streets named after Tito were the first to be renamed. The cap- The first victim of the war on the Sarajevo’s street names were
ital of Montenegro changed its name back to Podgorica in 1992. Cyrillic street signs, which were removed from all the buildings.
There is no longer a Tito street in Belgrade, but as (Re)making This was accompanied by a change in the name of the official
History tells us, despite everything that this city suffered, Saraje- Yugoslav language, Serbo-Croat, which quickly became ‘sepa-
vo’s main street has resisted this change and is still called Marša- rate’ languages: Bosnian, Croatian, and Serbian (and later Mon-
la Titova – Marshall Tito’s Street. During one of the many recent tenegrin). Narrow minded nationalist leaders sought to divide
attacks on this street’s name, the cult graphic design group Trio, and erase those who declared themselves as Yugoslav – even
from Sarajevo, ran a poster campaign highlighting the absurdity though the people who use each ‘language’ can understand
of the proposed change being presented as a priority in a city each other perfectly well. Sadly, street names in Sarajevo are
with many more acute needs. only displayed in Latin script, and in East Sarajevo exclusively in
Cyrillic script.
Shortly after Bosnia and Herzegovina was officially recognized
as an independent country on the 1st of March of 1992, its cap- It is perhaps unsurprising that many streets in Sarajevo revert-
ital city Sarajevo entered four years of brutal siege. (Re)making ed to their old pre-communist names – many of Turkish origin.
History traces the name changes which began during the siege, Even those with Bosniak names who fought on the side of Yugo-
when Bosnian Serb paramilitaries seized the Yugoslav National slavs have been replaced, simply because anything Yugoslav is
Army’s arms from the city and surrounded it. Sarajevo endured equated with being Serbian and therefore undesirable.
the longest siege in modern European history, with the 1995 Day-
ton agreement leading to a fragile peace. The siege destroyed Many of the street names seen as ‘pro-Serbian’ disappeared
the diversity of the city’s people – with over half of the pre-war from Sarajevo, and ‘migrated’ to the new areas of East Saraje-
population leaving the city, subsequently replaced by displaced vo. Significantly, there is no longer a Beogradska Street in Sa-
persons from other parts of Bosnia and Herzegovina. rajevo, it was renamed after Emerik Blum. Progressive voices
have called for the reinstatement of the name of Belgrade street
Post-Dayton Bosnia is split across two entities – the Federation as they rightly suggest that Sarajevo shouldn’t follow others,
and Republika Srpska. As the capital of the Federation of Bos- but instead show how, despite everything, the city can still rise
niaks and Croats, Sarajevo has become a predominantly Bosnian above it all; not least because there remains a Sarajevska street
3 4Belgrade_Sarajevo
in Belgrade, perhaps because many Bosnian Serbs from Saraje- ourselves to a better future. Only then can these cities become
(Re)making History: Tracing politics in urban space
vo now live in Belgrade. Beogradska exists in East Sarajevo. known again for their prosperity and cosmopolitan beauty, as
centres of European cultural and artistic creativity. Small positive
Sarajevo’s streets still bear visible marks of the war damage – signs can be seen in Belgrade, where the previous street names
the Sarajevo Roses, red infilled shell marks lie scattered every- are commonly listed (often as many as five different names)
where you go. Yet, as (Re)making History will tell you, only a along with the current names in both Cyrillic and Latin script. In
few streets are explicitly named after recent events, instead this way, they serve as a record of changes. Perhaps the powers
ethnic and nationalist names are asserted. There is no Sniper that be will realise how unnecessary and preposterous it is to
Alley, even though unofficially everyone knows its location. (Re) keep on making such frequent changes.
making History shows that the most tragic conflict in recent Eu-
ropean history has led to a reversal in time, reintroducing names At the time of writing, we find ourselves in the midst of the
and events from an imagined past. worldwide pandemic, with many old borders reinstated and cre-
ated anew. For those of us from the former Yugoslavia, there is
Pertinently, this study shows that the process of revisionism a sense of déjà vu, and even a fear that, rather than just being
along ethno-nationalistic- religious dividing lines is confusing, a medical crisis, the future of whole countries, perhaps even the
complex, illogical, and far from over. This damaging, absurd, and future of the European Union itself, may be at stake. With stud-
short-sighted process is not finished in either of the two cities in ies such as (Re)making History, we can all learn what is worth
focus, and even less so in other cities of the former Yugoslavia. remembering, and returning to, and what must be recorded for
For all these reasons, research like this cannot and should not the future generations. If we don’t allow these words to exist –
be seen as conclusive in any way. As the authors rightly suggest, that’s all they are: words –, then these names retain the ability to
(Re)making History is just a beginning, and they call for many have a hostile impact on our future. After all, violence, especially
more in-depth and wide studies. when hidden, only perpetuates more violence.
However, this study is one of the very important steps in ac-
knowledging, and coming to terms with one’s past, as set out by
Theodor W. Adorno, who argued that societies which attempt
to repress or reinvent their violent pasts are in fact allowing the
violence to continue in perpetuity (Adorno, 1959).
Studies such as this are essential for enabling all of the citizens
of Sarajevo or Belgrade or any other Yugoslav city, all of those
forcibly removed from these cities, the current citizens, and
most importantly the future ones, to be released from our past.
We need to collectively leave the past behind and fully commit
5 6Belgrade_Sarajevo
Critical Review a half. By studying these changes we can observe the ruling
(Re)making History: Tracing politics in urban space
ideologies that shaped not just the city but Serbian society in
Vladimir Dulović, Historian general.
University of Belgrade
The examination of the most recent changes, those that oc-
curred in the past three decades, as given in this work, gives us
The publication “(Re)making History: Tracing politics in urban an insight into present-day reality, into the way Belgraders think
space” is a collaborative effort from Aleksandar Obradović, of or – rather – are conditioned to think. It reveals the dynamic re-
Philopolitics, and Lejla Odobašić Novo, of International Burch lationship between the state, the city government, professionals
University. It analyzes the toponym changes in the central areas and the general public. This analysis leads us through the tur-
of Belgrade and Sarajevo during and after the fall of Yugoslavia. bulent 1990s and sheds new light on how Milošević’s ancien ré-
Through their analysis, the authors also address the underlying gime, clad in nationalist clothing, attempted to signal the change
historical and political shifts that have fragmented the common while keeping it on a mostly modest level. Next, we see the shift
Yugoslav multicultural narrative into more narrow ethnic ones. made by opposition parties, differing in political views but willing
to signal the new era by reviving the idealized past. Lastly, the
Belgrade is a city of stunning historical discontinuity. Little is vis- authors give us a rare opportunity to inspect the confused and
ible today of its nearly two millennia of continuous urban exis- insincere doings of the present authorities.
tence, even from the most splendid eras it experienced during
Roman times, the late medieval period, the centuries spent un- Though this study restrains itself from delving deeper into past,
der the Ottomans, or the brief moment of Hapsburg baroque its findings and analysis of the past thirty years clearly show
reinvention. This partly comes as a result of the disastrous wars us many of the underlying longue durée processes troubling
fought over it, but an equally important factor is the continually Belgrade’s relation with its street names: from having too many
present will for radical change and eradication of the previous names and places to commemorate within a comparatively small
culture(s). This has created a specific environment: a large and city center, to the utter lack of common direction, which signals
important city with little respect for traditions, with an inclination a more fundamental identity crisis in Serbian society as a whole.
to embrace new ideas and forms as well as new, mostly revolu-
tionary beginnings. “(Re)making History: Tracing politics in urban space” explores
the toponyms in Belgrade and Sarajevo at the point of diver-
Studying street names and their changes anywhere in the world gence within their common Yugoslav past. It is a noteworthy
offers an insight into the past and present worldviews of its in- read and acts as a good foundation for the authors’ future am-
habitants, the ideologies, wishes and traumas of a community. bitions in examining the remaining former Yugoslav capitals.
Nowhere is this truer than Belgrade, where most of the streets
have changed names as many as seven times in a century and
7 8(Re)making History: Tracing politics in urban space
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INTRODUCTION
Belgrade_SarajevoBelgrade_Sarajevo
(Re)making History: Tracing politics in urban space
Street names play a powerful role in the formation of collective
and/or national identities, and in the legitimization of political
ideologies by those in power. Often, with a radical formation of
a new ruling elite and political ideology comes the renaming of
streets, public spaces and public institutions as a reflection of
the new ideologies. They become physical testaments to the
historical narrative that is always under reconstruction by those
in power (Robinson et all 2001). Thus, studying the revisionist
trends of street renaming often reflects political shifts, their as-
pirations and eventual downfalls.
The renaming of streets is also an indication of deliberation in
post-communist power shifts. These changes were seen as a
reconfiguration of space and history, which was a fundamen-
tal and essential element of the post-communist transforma-
tion (Light, 2004). Thus, new street names became a means of
creating new public iconographic landscapes in accord with the
principles of the new regimes. Examining these changes might
offer some comprehension of the ways in which post-commu-
nist countries attempted to alter the contours of national identi-
ties and national pasts (Light 2004).
This is also the case with the former Yugoslavia, where street
names often celebrated the socialist ideals which, ultimately,
gave way to series of ethno-national conflicts within the differ-
ent republics and resulted in the fragmentation of geographies
and the resurrection of former national tendencies. Perhaps the
most extreme examples are the city of Belgrade (the former
capital of Yugoslavia and the seat of Yugoslav power during the
1990’s conflict) and the city of Sarajevo (the capital of Bosnia
and Herzegovina, one of the former Yugoslav republics and now
an independent country). The latter was deemed as the most
11 12Belgrade_Sarajevo
heterogeneous in terms of its population and the most reflective
(Re)making History: Tracing politics in urban space
of the Yugoslav notion of “brotherhood and unity” in the way its
population coexisted, and is the city that suffered the longest
siege in modern history at the hands of the Serb forces. After
the last war in the 1990’s, East Sarajevo was built under the ter-
ritory of Republika Srpska almost as an alternate Sarajevo with
its own historical narrative that glorifies the Serbian nation.
This publication analyses the historical undercurrents that de-
fined the trends of name changes in the two cities, and the ways
in which the same tools were most successfully used in creating
and defining new national identities in both cities.
For digital maps please visit:
www. remakinghistory.philopolitics.org
Figure 1. Map of two cities within the context of former Yugoslavia
13 14(Re)making History: Tracing politics in urban space
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Belgrade_Sarajevo
AND STUDY AREA
METHODOLOGYBelgrade_Sarajevo
For the analysis of the two capital cities, Belgrade and Sarajevo,
(Re)making History: Tracing politics in urban space
their historic cores, as defined by the national tourist informa-
tion agencies, were examined. This limitation of the study is
based on the political significance of historic cores, and their
chronological longevity that withstands all the different political
changes. Furthermore, these areas play a very significant role
in the mental map of citizens and thus the formation of collec-
tive identity. It is most common that historic centres, buildings,
squares, streets, and urban scenes become the image of that
nation.
The study examines the names of 52 streets and public spaces
in Belgrade and 112 in Sarajevo with reference dates of 1990, just
before the fall of Yugoslavia, and 2020, the present day. In the
case of Belgrade, the names of certain streets have changed
multiple times in this thirty-year period and some are still in
the process of changing. In Sarajevo, on the other hand, most
changes of street names in the study area occurred between
1992-1995, as the new independent Bosnia and Herzegovina
was being formed. The new ideals of autonomous Bosnian iden-
tity were rooted in the old historical patterns that attest to that
autonomy, which will be explained as well.
Within the study area, the toponyms have been divided into
several categories and then further subdivided into more specif-
ic subcategories (see Table 1). The first category is dedicated to
influential persons, which was further subdivided into four sub-
groups. In the first group are names that are linked to statehood,
including presidents, influential politicians, army leaders, kings
and nobility, mayors, etc. The second subgroup is dedicated to
streets named after culture-creators and artists, such as poets,
writers, painters, sculptors, architects, and other persons who
had a significant cultural impact, as well as scientists and aca-
demics. The third subgroup is dedicated to religion, containing
17 18Belgrade_Sarajevo
names honouring saints, religious orders, priests, bishops, and
(Re)making History: Tracing politics in urban space
Categories Groups Explanation popes, but also buildings named after any religious affiliation.
The fifth subgroup is dedicated to entrepreneurs.
Presidents, politicians, army leaders
Statehood and
Persons and generals, the nobility, kings, em-
Royalty The second group is dedicated to streets named after geo-
perors, etc.
graphical features, with three subgroups. The first subgroup is
Poets, Writers, Painters, Sculptors, Ar- for streets named after geographic features like rivers, towns,
Culture-creator,
chitects, etc./ Renowned person from regions, countries, mountains, etc., while the second subgroup
artists scientists
various scientific fields in this category deals with names associated with the street’s
Religion/religious Saints, religious orders, priests, bish- location in the vicinity of landmarks such as railways stations,
objects ops and popes markets, river-banks, etc. The last subgroup in this category is
Entrepreneurs, benefactors, and for names associated with geographical traits or attributes such
Entrepreneurs craftspeople as narrow, steep, wide, long, hill, etc.
Rivers, towns, regions, countries, In the third categories are the names taken from historical events,
Geography Geographic names institutions, and historical dates (e.g. May 1st International La-
mountains, islands, etc.
bour Day), or from the names of certain social movements or
Vicinity to a railway station, market,
armies. In this category there is a separate subgroup for streets
Localities river-bank, palace, castle, church,
named after historical events and intuitions within Federal Yugo-
hospital, etc.
slavia (SFRJ), as this period played a crucial role in the creation
Narrow, steep, wide, long, hill, and
Appearance (traits, of the names within the 1990 analysis, and the common political
names from nature: orchids, linden
nature) narrative of these two cities. The last category is for crafts and
trees, etc.
trades, wherein streets are named after butchers, blacksmiths,
Historical May 1st (labour day), banks, newspa-
millers, weavers etc.
Events/ pers, social movements, armies, or
All areas
Institutions army units
Finally, some of the streets that could not be placed within one
and Values of the above outlined categories were placed in the ‘other’
Historical event pertaining to WWII group. Since some of the names (honouring persons for exam-
SFRJ and Socialist
and SFRJ (Socialist Federal Republic ple) could be placed into more than one group, certain decisions
Ideals
of Yugoslavia had to be made. This could be the case when, for example, a
Crafts and Places where butchers, blacksmiths, writer or culturally important person was also a participant in an
Crafts and Trades important political movement. In these instances, the decision
Trades millers, weavers etc. once worked
had to be made as to the most important role of the person
Street names that could not be involved: either in the cultural- artistic field, or in the sphere of
Other Other
grouped or categorized. statehood (politics).
19 20(Re)making History: Tracing politics in urban space
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22
Belgrade_Sarajevo
BELGRADEBELGRADE
Belgrade_Sarajevo
(Re)making History: Tracing politics in urban space
Current name Description Year of change Old name Description Source
Ulice i trgovi Beograda
Haile Selassie (1892-1975)
1 (A-M). 2005. Compiled
the last emperor of Ethio-
King Milutin (1253-1321), Cara Haila by Nikola Stojanović and
Kralja Milutina 1990 pia and one of the found-
ruler of Serbia Selasija Ljubica Ćorović. Bel-
ers of the Non-Aligned
grade: Biblioteka grada
Movement
Beograda.
Boris Kidrič (1912-1953) Ulice i trgovi Beograda
Yugoslav and Slovenian 1 (A-M). 2005. Compiled
City of Belgrade, the cap-
politician, one of the most by Nikola Stojanović and
Beogradska ital of Serbia and Yugo- 1991 Borisa Kidriča
prominent leaders of the Ljubica Ćorović. Bel-
slavia
Yugoslav revolutionary grade: Biblioteka grada
movement. Beograda. p. 47
Edvard Kardelj (1910 - Ulice i trgovi Beograda
1979), was a Yugoslav and 1 (A-M). 2005. Compiled
Nikola Tesla (1856 - 1943) Edvard
Nikola Tesla Slovenian politician, one by Nikola Stojanović and
was a world-renowned 1991 Kardelj
Boulevard of the most prominent Ljubica Ćorović. Bel-
scientist and innovator. Boulevard
leaders of the Yugoslav grade: Biblioteka grada
revolutionary movement. Beograda. p. 99
Ulice i trgovi Beograda
Dr. Aleksandar Kostić
1 (A-M). 2005. Compiled
(1893-1983) doctor, histol-
See: Nikola Tesla Boule- by Nikola Stojanović and
dr Aleksandra Kostića ogist, sexologist, profes- 1991 Teslina
vard Ljubica Ćorović. Bel-
sor at the University of
grade: Biblioteka grada
Belgrade
Beograda. p. 221
Ulice i trgovi Beograda
Petar Bojović (1858 - 1945)
The Lower Town (Donji 1 (A-M). 2005. Compiled
was a Serbian and Yugo-
Donjogradski Grad) of the Belgrade by Nikola Stojanović and
Vojvoda Bojović Boulevard slav military commander 1991
Bulevar Fortress, around which the Ljubica Ćorović. Bel-
boulevard circles grade: Biblioteka grada
Beograda. p. 94
Ulice i trgovi Beograda
1 (A-M). 2005. Compiled
King Milan Obrenović Josip Broz Tito (1892—
by Nikola Stojanović and
Kralja Milana (1854—1901), ruler of 1992 Maršala Tita 1980), President of Yugo-
Ljubica Ćorović. Bel-
Serbia slavia
grade: Biblioteka grada
Beograda. p. 396
Ulice i trgovi Beograda
Karl Marx (1818-1983) and
2 (N-Š). 2005. Compiled
Nikola Pašić (1845-1926), Friedrich Engels (1820-
Marx and by Nikola Stojanović and
Nikola Pašić Square Serbian and Yugoslav 1992 1895), German philoso-
Engels Square Ljubica Ćorović. Bel-
politician phers who created scien-
grade: Biblioteka grada
tific communism
Beograda. p. 757
25 26Belgrade_Sarajevo
(Re)making History: Tracing politics in urban space
Current name Description Year of change Old name Description Source
During the SFRY, brother-
hood and unity became the
official state ideology. The Ulice i trgovi Beograda
policy of "brotherhood and 2 (N-Š). 2005. Compiled
Brotherhood and unity" has contributed to by Nikola Stojanović
Sava Square Sava River 1992
Unity Square mutual respect, reducing and Ljubica Ćorović.
ethnic distance among the Belgrade: Biblioteka
population and developing grada Beograda. p. 670
a sense of solidarity and
empathy.
Ulice i trgovi Beograda
1 (A-M). 2005. Compiled
Mosha Pijade (1890-1957), by Nikola Stojanović
Dečanska Visoki Dečani Monastery 1997 Moše Pijade
revolutionary and politician and Ljubica Ćorović.
Belgrade: Biblioteka
grada Beograda. p. 206
Ulice i trgovi Beograda
King Petar I Karadjordjević
July 7, 1941 - Day of the 1 (A-M). 2005. Compiled
(1844-1921), ruler of the
uprising of the people of by Nikola Stojanović
Kralja Petra Kingdom of Serbia and 1997 7. jula
Serbia against the Nazi and Ljubica Ćorović.
of the Kingdom of Serbs,
occupation Belgrade: Biblioteka
Croats and Slovenes
grada Beograda. p. 399
Ulice i trgovi Beograda
Sveta Gora (eng. Holy
2 (N-Š). 2005. Compiled
Mountain, gr. Athos), an Ivo Lola Ribar (1916—1943),
by Nikola Stojanović
Svetogorska autonomous monastic 1997 Lole Ribara revolutionary and national
and Ljubica Ćorović.
state under Greek sover- hero
Belgrade: Biblioteka
eignty
grada Beograda. p. 679
Ulice i trgovi Beograda
Đuro Strugar (1912—1941), 2 (N-Š). 2005. Compiled
Caringrad - an ancient
National Liberation Move- by Nikola Stojanović
Carigradska Slavic name for Istanbul 1997 Đure Strugara
ment activist in Belgrade and Ljubica Ćorović.
(i.e. Imperial City)
and national hero Belgrade: Biblioteka
grada Beograda. p. 804
Ulice i trgovi Beograda
1 (A-M). 2005. Compiled
King Aleksandar Obrenović
Kralja Aleksandra Boule- Bulevar by Nikola Stojanović
(1876-1903), ruler of the 1997 October Revolution (1917)
vard Revolucije and Ljubica Ćorović.
Kingdom of Serbia
Belgrade: Biblioteka
grada Beograda. p. 97
27 28Belgrade_Sarajevo
(Re)making History: Tracing politics in urban space
Current name Description Year of change Old name Description Source
Ulice i trgovi Beograda
1 (A-M). 2005. Compiled
Proletarian brigades, elite
By the Crown, as a symbol Proleterskih by Nikola Stojanović
Krunska 1997 units of NOV and PO Yugo-
of the monarchist system brigada and Ljubica Ćorović.
slavia
Belgrade: Biblioteka
grada Beograda. p. 407
Ivan Milutinović (1901-1944),
liberator of Belgrade (!),
Ulice i trgovi Beograda
Zorka-Ljubica Karadjord- Yugoslav communist and
1 (A-M). 2005. Compiled
jevic (1864-1890), wife of revolutionary, member of
Ivana by Nikola Stojanović
Kneginje Zorke Prince (later King) Petar I 1997 the leadership of the Com-
Milutinovića and Ljubica Ćorović.
and mother of King Alek- munist Party of Yugoslavia,
Belgrade: Biblioteka
sandar I Karadjordjević participant in the People's
grada Beograda. p. 361
Liberation War and national
hero of Yugoslavia
Fyodor Ivanovich Tolbukhin
Ulice i trgovi Beograda
(1894-1949), liberator of
1 (A-M). 2005. Compiled
Francis Mackenzie (1833- Belgrade, Soviet Marshal,
Maršala by Nikola Stojanović
Makenzijeva 1895), landowner and 1997 Hero of the Soviet Union,
Tolbuhina and Ljubica Ćorović.
entrepreneur Hero of the People's Re-
Belgrade: Biblioteka
public of Bulgaria and Peo-
grada Beograda. p. 452
ple's Hero of Yugoslavia
Sava Kovačević (1905
- 1943), Yugoslav revolu-
Ulice i trgovi Beograda
tionary. Famous partisan
1 (A-M). 2005. Compiled
commander and national
Mileševa by Nikola Stojanović
Mileševska 1997 Save Kovačevića hero of Yugoslavia. He died
Monastery and Ljubica Ćorović.
as a commander of the
Belgrade: Biblioteka
Third Division in an attempt
grada Beograda. p. 486
to break through during the
battle of Sutjeska in 1943.
29 30Belgrade_Sarajevo
(Re)making History: Tracing politics in urban space
Current name Description Year of change Old name Description Source
Vladimir Ivanovich Zhdanov
Ulice i trgovi Beograda
(1902 - 1964), Colonel-Gen-
2 (N-Š). 2005. Compiled
eral of the Soviet Red
Manasija - Resava by Nikola Stojanović
Resavska 1997 Generala Ždanova Army, Hero of the Soviet
Monastery and Ljubica Ćorović.
Union and People's Hero
Belgrade: Biblioteka
of Yugoslavia. Liberator of
grada Beograda. p. 654
Belgrade.
Mihajlo Idvorski Pupin
(1854 - 1935) was a Serbian
Vladimir Ilyich Ulyanov
and American scientist,
Lenin (1870 - 1924) was
inventor, professor at
a Russian revolutionary,
Columbia University and
statesman, philosopher and Ulice i trgovi Beograda
honorary consul of Ser-
publicist; leader of the Oc- 1 (A-M). 2005. Compiled
Mihajla Pupina bia in the USA. He was
Bulevar tober Revolution of 1917 in by Nikola Stojanović
also one of the founders 1997
Boulevard Lenjina Russia; founder of the first and Ljubica Ćorović.
and long-term president
Communist Party and the Belgrade: Biblioteka
of the Serbian People's
Comintern; founder of the grada Beograda. p. 99
Alliance in America. He
Russian Soviet Federative
also received the Pulitzer
Socialist Republic and the
Prize (1924) for his auto-
Soviet Union.
biographical work "From
Immigrant to Inventor".
Dimitrije Tucović (1881
- 1914) was a journalist,
Ulice i trgovi Beograda
politician and publicist, as
2 (N-Š). 2005. Compiled
well as a prominent leader
The idea of all-Slavic unity Dimitrija by Nikola Stojanović
Slavija Square 1997 and theorist of the socialist
and solidarity Tucovića Square and Ljubica Ćorović.
movement in Serbia and
Belgrade: Biblioteka
one of the founders of the
grada Beograda. p. 760
Serbian Social Democratic
Party (SSDP).
Despota The day of the formation of City of Belgrade. 2004-
Despot Stefan Lazarević
2004 29. novembra SFR Yugoslavia, ie. former 2019. Official Gazette
Stefana Boulevard (1377—1427), Serbian ruler
Republic Day - 29.11.1943. (Belgrade): 2004/004
31 32Belgrade_Sarajevo
(Re)making History: Tracing politics in urban space
Current name Description Year of change Old name Description Source
Ulice i trgovi Beograda
1 (A-M). 2005. Compiled
by Nikola Stojanović
and Ljubica Ćorović.
Elefterios Venizelos (1864- Đure Đuro Đaković (1886—1929),
Venizelosova 2004 Belgrade: Biblioteka
1936), Greek politician Đakovića revolutionary and politician
grada Beograda. p. 114 ;
City of Belgrade. 2004-
2019. Official Gazette
(Belgrade): 2004/004
Milojko Lešjanin (1830—
Boška Boško Vrebalov (1912- City of Belgrade. 2004-
1896), General and Chief
Generala Lešjanina 2004 1943), physician and nation- 2019. Official Gazette
of the General Staff of the Vrebalova al hero (Belgrade): 2004/004
Army of the Kingdom of
Jelisaveta Načić (1878— City of Belgrade. 2004-
Pavle Pap Šilja (1914—1941),
Jelisavete Načić 1955), chief architect of the 2004 Pavla Papa 2019. Official Gazette
national hero
city of Belgrade (Belgrade): 2004/004
Ulice i trgovi Beograda
1 (A-M). 2005. Compiled
Princess Ljubica Obrenović part of the still ex- Jovan Jovanović Zmaj by Nikola Stojanović
Knjeginje Ljubice (1785—1843), wife of Prince 2004 isting Zmaj Jovina (1833—1904), physician and and Ljubica Ćorović.
Miloš Obrenović Street poet Belgrade: Biblioteka
grada Beograda. p. 361;
City of Belgrade. 2004-
Queen Natalija Obrenović Narodnog City of Belgrade. 2004-
People's Front of Yugosla-
Kraljice Natalije (1859—1941), wife of the 2004 2019. Official Gazette
fronta via
King of Milan (Belgrade): 2004/004
Queen Marija Karadjord-
part of the still ex- March 27 - Day of major City of Belgrade. 2004-
jević (1900-1961), wife of
Kraljice Marije 2004 demonstrations against the 2019. Official Gazette
King Aleksandar Karad- isting 27. March Str. pact with Nazi Germany (Belgrade): 2004/002
jordjević, King of Yugosla-
33 34Belgrade_Sarajevo
(Re)making History: Tracing politics in urban space
Current name Description Year of change Old name Description Source
Borislav V. Pekić (1930 -
1992) was one of the most
important Serbian writers
of the 20th century, a
City of Belgrade. 2004-
novelist, playwright, film Malajnica, a village in east-
Borislava Pekića 2004 Malajnička 2019. Official Gazette
screenwriter, academic ern Serbia
(Belgrade): 2004/004
and one of the thirteen
intellectuals who renewed
the work of the Democrat-
ic Party.
Ulice i trgovi Beograda
Desanka Maksimović
1 (A-M). 2005. Compiled
(1898-1993), poet, pro-
Desanke by Nikola Stojanović
fessor of literature and Đuro Salaj, (1889-1958),
2004 Đure Salaja and Ljubica Ćorović.
Maksimović academician of the Serbian socio-political worker
Belgrade: Biblioteka
Academy of Sciences and
grada Beograda. p.
Arts
202 ; City of Belgrade.
Ivan Đaja (1884 - 1957), Vlado Zecevic, an Ortho-
biologist and physiologist, dox priest, a participant in
City of Belgrade. 2004-
professor and rector of the National Liberation War
Ivan Đaja 2004 Vlade Zečevića 2019. Official Gazette
the University of Belgrade; and a socio-political worker
(Belgrade): 2004/004
signatory of the Appeal to of the Federal People's
the Serbian people Republic of Yugoslavia
Filip Kljajić Fića, participant
in the National Liberation
City of Belgrade. 2004-
Patriarch Varnava (secular War, political commissar
Patrijarha Varnave 2004 Filipa Kljajića Fiće 2019. Official Gazette
Petar Rosić) (1880 - 1937) of the First Proletarian Bri-
(Belgrade): 2004/004
gade and national hero of
Yugoslavia
Dušana City of Belgrade. 2004-
Patriarch Gavrilo V (secular Dušan Jovanović, Yugoslav
Patrijarha Gavrila 2004 2019. Official Gazette
Đorđe Dožić) (1881 - 1950) Bogdanovića publicist and politician
(Belgrade): 2004/004
Radoslav Grujić (1878 - Ulice i trgovi Beograda
1955) Serbian theologian, 2 (N-Š). 2005. Compiled
historian and correspond- by Nikola Stojanović
Božidar Adžija, communist,
ing member of SANU. He and Ljubica Ćorović.
Radoslava Grujića 2004 Božidara Adžije publicist and national hero
was the manager of the Belgrade: Biblioteka
of SFR Yugoslavia
SOC museum; signatory of grada Beograda. p.
the Appeal to the Serbian 645—646; City of Bel-
people grade. 2004-2019. Offi-
35 36Belgrade_Sarajevo
(Re)making History: Tracing politics in urban space
Current name Description Year of change Old name Description Source
Luka Ćelović Trebinjac - was
at the beginning of the twenti-
eth century one of the leading Faculty of Economics, Uni- City of Belgrade.
Park kod
financiers, the president of the versity of Belgrade; Park is 2004-2019. Official
Park Luke Ćelovića 2004 Ekonomskog
Belgrade Cooperative, a great located in the front of the Gazette (Belgrade):
fakulteta
Serbian educational benefactor. Faculty's building. 2004/005
Ćelović left all his property in a
will to the University of Belgrade.
Slobodan Penezić - Krcun
(1918 - 1964), participant
City of Belgrade.
in the People's Liberation
Slobodana Penezića 2004-2019. Official
Savska Sava river 2004 War, socio-political worker
Krcuna Gazette (Belgrade):
of the SFRY and SR Serbia
2004/002
and national hero of Yugo-
slavia.
Metropolitan Teodosije (secular- City of Belgrade.
Mitropolita Aleksa Dejović (1920-1943),
ly Teodor Mraović; 1815 - 1891) Alekse 2004-2019. Official
2004 national hero of the Nation-
Mraovića was the Metropolitan of Bel- Dejovića Gazette (Belgrade):
al Liberation War
grade from 1883 to 1889. 2004/002
Ulice i trgovi Beo-
Without a clear indication of grada 1 (A-M). 2005.
what the liberation refers to. Compiled by Nikola
Since this name was first pro- Yugoslav People's Army Stojanović and Ljubi-
Liberation posed for this street in 1919, it JNA (JNA), the official name of ca Ćorović. Belgrade:
2004
Boulevard can refer to World War I or even Boulevard the armed forces of SFR Biblioteka grada Beo-
earlier to Karadjordj's liberators Yugoslavia grada. p. 99 ; City of
from 1806 who came in this Belgrade. 2004-2019.
direction to Belgrade. Official Gazette (Bel-
grade): 2004/004
City of Belgrade.
Žorža Georges Clemenceau (1841- part of the still exist- 2004-2019. Official
2006 France, country in Europe
Klemansoa 1929), French politician ing France Street Gazette (Belgrade):
2006/024
37 38Belgrade_Sarajevo
(Re)making History: Tracing politics in urban space
Current name Description Year of change Old name Description Source
The Non-Aligned Move-
ment (Pokret nesvrstanih)
is a forum developing world
Republic of Srpska is a ethnic states that are not formally
Park Republike Serb entity of Bosnia and Herze- Park Pokreta aligned with or against any Danas Newspaper,
2008
Srpske govina created during Yugoslav nesvrstanih major power bloc. It was 6th May 2008
Wars 1992-1995 established in 1961 in Bel-
grade, Yugoslavia through
an initiative of the Yugoslav
President Josip Broz Tito.
Konstantin Koča Popović
(1908–1992) participant in the City of Belgrade.
Spanish Civil War, commander City of Zagreb, the capital 2004-2019. Official
Koče Popovića 2014 Zagrebačka
of the First Proletarian Brigade of the Republic of Croatia Gazette (Belgrade):
and Minister of Foreign Affairs of 2014/069
the SFRY; Liberator of the City of
Branislav Brana Crnčević (1933-
2011), writer and politician,
defender of war criminal Rado-
van Karadžić and a member of
City of Belgrade.
his SDS party, also a member of
2004-2019. Official
Brane Crnčevića the far right party in Serbia - the 2016 Ohridska Ohrid, a city in Macedonia
Gazette (Belgrade):
Serbian Radical Party, and after
2016/090
its split he became the "winning
wing" - the Serbian Progressive
the party that gave him the
street.
Nikolay Petrovich Krasnov (23
November 1864 - 8 December
1939) was a Russian Serbian ar-
chitect and painter, who served
City of Belgrade.
Nikolaja as Chief Architect of Yalta,
Avala, a mountain near 2004-2019. Official
Crimea, between 1887 and 1899. 2016 Avalska
Krasnova Belgrade Gazette (Belgrade):
From 1922 he lived and worked
2016/090
in the Kingdom of Yugoslavia,
and was a key figure in the
architectural development of
Belgrade
39 40Belgrade_Sarajevo
(Re)making History: Tracing politics in urban space
Year of
Current name Description Old name Description Source
change
Milorad Ekmečić (1928-2015), a Serbian
historian who predominantly dealt with
the history of the Serbian people in the
19th and 20th centuries. According to
the explanation of the City Commission, City of Belgrade.
Milorada "(Ekmecic) was one of the few who rose 2004-2019. Official
2019 Travnička Travnik, a city in Bosnia
Ekmečića high above the prevailing state of mind Gazette (Belgrade):
in the Yugoslav and Serbian historical 2019/013
science of the Communist era, boldly
researching the truth according to his
own understanding of history and the
scientific method in its knowledge."
City of Belgrade.
Dobrica Ćosić (1921-2014), politician and 2004-2019. Official
Dobrice Ćosića 2019 Zadarska Zadar, a city in Croatia
writer; President of the FRY Gazette (Belgrade):
2019/013
Jean Frédéric Lucien Piarron de Mondé-
sir (1857-1943) was a French general Andrzej Tadeusz Bonawen-
who commanded the Serbian army in Al- tura Kościuszko (1746
bania in 1915 and withdrew, chose Corfu - 1817) was a Polish-Lith-
part of the still City of Belgrade.
Pjarona de as the residence of our army and com- uanian military engineer,
2004-2019. Official
manded the transfer of the Serbian army 2019 existing Tadeuša statesman, and military
Mondezira Gazette (Belgrade):
to the Thessaloniki front. He initiated the Košćuška Str. leader who became a
2019/064
sending of 4,000 Serbian children to national hero in Poland,
France for recovery and schooling and Lithuania, Belarus, and the
secured the future of the Serbian people United States.
- Vesić reminded
Belgrade Waterfront
website: https://www.
Belgrade Waterfront proj- belgradewaterfront.
Beogradski park See:: Belgrade 2019 /
ect com/en/belgrade-
park-and-woodrow-
wilson-boulevard-
Woodrow Wilson provided unreserved
Woodrow support to the Serbian people by issuing City of Belgrade.
the Serbian proclamation in 1918 and Belgrade Waterfront proj- 2004-2019. Official
Wilson 2019 /
advocating for the safe provision of ect Gazette (Belgrade):
Boulevard the naval exit of the Kingdom of Serbia 2018/067
(from the BW statement)
41 42Belgrade_Sarajevo
(Re)making History: Tracing politics in urban space
Year of
Current name Description Old name Description Source
change
Nikolai Kravtsov (1921–1944) was a
City of Belgrade.
Nikolaja soldier of the Soviet Union, who with his
Belgrade Waterfront proj- 2004-2019. Official
courage and selflessness made an im- 2019 /
Kravcova ect Gazette (Belgrade):
measurable contribution to the liberation
2019/101
of Belgrade in October 1944.
Diana Budisavljević (born Obexer; 15
City of Belgrade
January 1891 – 20 August 1978) was an
- Official website
Austrian humanitarian who led a major
(20th May 2020):
relief effort in Yugoslavia during World
Park Diane https://www.beo-
War II. She carried out rescue operations Belgrade Waterfront proj-
2020 / grad.rs/cir/beoin-
Budisavljević and saved more than 15,000, mainly ect
fo/1773399-usvoje-
Serbian, children from Croatian Ustashe
na-odluka-o-imeno-
camps in the Independent State of
vanju-parka-di-
Croatia, Nazi puppet state established in
ane-budisavljevic/
occupied Yugoslavia.
43 44Belgrade_Sarajevo
Introduction ration - that is, the creation of spaces of oblivion (lieux d’oubli)
(Re)making History: Tracing politics in urban space
or social forgetting.
Over the past 30 years, downtown of the Serbian capital has
“expelled” multiethnic and multicultural references, as well as This research focuses on three decades of change: from 1990,
references related to the National Liberation War1, the Social- when the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (SFRY) began
ist and the Labour2 Movement, and the Non-Aligned Movement3 disintegrating, until June 2020. A division of these decades into
from its public space. Srđan Radović, a researcher at the Eth- four periods not only corresponds to changes in political elites,
nographic Institute in Belgrade, said of these processes: “(Offi- but also to waves of mass renaming of public space. Lefebvre’s
cial) Belgrade did not speak about it publicly, but the basic pol- concept of centrality hints at the importance of the city center
icy was to erase from the name not only what is reminiscent of for the symbolic and ideological appropriation of the entire city
socialism, but also Yugoslavia, in order to show the country as (Lefebvre: 2000). In the case of capitals, this appropriation spills
Serbian as possible. Today, the naming and renaming of streets over to the entire nation. Thus defined, Belgrade’s historical cen-
in Belgrade still reflects the great division in Serbian society [be- ter is a well-framed subject of research, filled with the meaning
tween those who want to remember a Yugoslav past and those and symbolism that institutions want to (selectively) present to
who oppose it, author’s comment] in terms of the way the past citizens and foreign visitors.
is remembered” (Willingham: 2016).
1990-1997 Manifesto of “ideological cleansing of
This section seeks to uncover the connection between chang- public space” in Serbia
es of the names of downtown streets and squares in Belgrade
and changes in the political and ideological orientation of Ser- In the late 1980s, serious political and ideological changes took
bia at the end of the 20th and the beginning of the 21st centu- place in the SFRY. In the vacuum that remained after the death
ries. Through the analysis of the processes of commemoration of lifelong leader Josip Broz Tito, the two largest ethnic groups,
and decommemoration, it focuses on the interpretation of the Serbs and Croats, began a contest for dominance within the fed-
change of narrative in the most representative of public spaces eration. Trampling on the principles of “Brotherhood and Unity”
-- Belgrade, the capital of Serbia and the former Yugoslavia. The (Lefebvre: 2000), political elites, in cooperation with conserva-
text reveals new and old memory spaces (lieux de mémoire) tive circles of intellectuals, began to promote ethno-nationalism
that were created in, and removed from, Belgrade. “A lieu de in opportunistic ways in order to strengthen their political posi-
mémoire is any significant entity, whether material or non-ma- tion. Serbia, the largest member of the federation, was led by
terial in nature, which by dint of human will or the work of time Slobodan Milošević, who was at the forefront of this trend -- a
has become a symbolic element of the memorial heritage of leader in upsetting the delicate balance of power within the Yu-
any community” (Nora: 1998). For the creation of new places of goslav commonwealth (constituting of six republics and various
memory, it is necessary to delete the older and more dominant ethnic groups) by using ethnic nationalism to win and concen-
ones. Therefore, this paper follows the process of decomemo- trate power.
45 46Belgrade_Sarajevo
As multiethnicity was no longer valued, the Serbian political goslav officials such as Boris Kidrič and Edvard Kardelj. They
(Re)making History: Tracing politics in urban space
elite began the process of transforming the working people into were blamed of systematically destroying the Serbian economy
the Serbian people (Radović: 2012). This ideological turn in pol- and of decades of discrimination against the Serbian people. Al-
itics was accompanied by the decommemoration of all those though it was not among the official objections, all three leaders
who resented the Serbian people. This policy was very direct: were of non-Serbian origin (two Slovenes and one half Croat -
On July 24, 1991, the Serbian Parliament recommended that the half Slovene), which was certainly an aggravating circumstance
City of Belgrade and other municipalities launch an initiative to given the deepening ethno-nationalist discourse in Serbia after
“remove from the names of cities, squares, streets, and educa- 1988. Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels also lost their square, just
tional and cultural institutions the names of persons responsi- as their ideology had lost support among former members of
ble for plundering the economy of Serbia, the relocation of its the Communist Party. The official motto of SFR Yugoslavia -
factories and decades of economic policy to its detriment - as Brotherhood and Unity - lost its place in the public space, too.
well as the return of the names of famous people from Serbi- By renouncing brotherhood and unity, the Serbian political elite
an history” (Radović: 2012). From this recommendation of the symbolically renounced multiculturalism as it had existed until
Assembly, it is possible to discern the ideological manifesto of then in Belgrade, and in Yugoslavia as a whole.
Milošević’s Serbia. There was a showdown with the former party
comrades and leaders, a kind of witch hunt against them as the At the same time, the commemoration of individuals who the
new political elite sought to assert its legitimacy and power in political elite did consider desirable took place. Josip Broz Tito
ethno-nationalism, often accompanied with the religion which Street was renamed Srpskih vladara Street (i.e Serbian Rulers’
was discouraged in Yugoslavia. Street) in 1992. Same year, Nikola Pašić, the conservative Prime
Minister of the Kingdom of Serbia and the Kingdom of Yugo-
Even before this recommendation, the downtown streets with slavia, got his square. Pašić’s character was interpreted very
the names of the leaders of the Non-Aligned Movement had al- negatively by the communist authorities because of his conser-
ready begun to disappear discreetly in Belgrade. Yugoslavia had vative and anti-communist policy based on Serbian centralism.
been the leader of the Non-Aligned movement; it was a child of Milošević’s socialists rehabilitated him and his ideas by giving
the Cold War and of President Tito. In 1990, the Ethiopian em- his name to one of the central squares of the capital. Other
peror Haile Selassie lost his street name, being “erased” by the streets were named after geographical determinants in Serbia
neighboring street of the medieval Serbian king. Following the - such as the Sava River and the city of Belgrade. One large
1991 recommendation of the Assembly, the changes were radi- boulevard was named after Nikola Tesla, as well. Although Tesla
cal, though not nearly as massive as in other Central European already had his own street, it was significantly smaller. In the
or in other Yugoslav cities. The “enemies of the Serbian people’’ ethno-nationalist conflict between Serbia and Croatia, Tesla was
-- who had been until just recently the undisputed leaders of especially important because he was a world-renowned scien-
Yugoslavia and Belgrade -- had largely lost their street names. tist born on the territory of today’s Croatia to a family of ethnic
These included lifelong President Josip Broz Tito, and top Yu-
47 48Belgrade_Sarajevo
Serbs. Giving his name to a prominent boulevard in the center of The new Belgrade city government was made up of an eclectic
(Re)making History: Tracing politics in urban space
Belgrade was intended to highlight Tesla’s Serb identity. coalition that grouped together parties from the center and the
monarchist right. After only a few months in power, the conser-
The changes during the period from 1990 to 1997 were signif- vative part of the coalition took over. This meant that the city
icant at the level of values and symbols, but limited in scope government was made up of monarchists, who were descen-
because the Milošević’s regime opportunistically wanted to win dants and sympathizers of the controversial Chetnik movement6.
over both nationalists and communists. Condemning only Tito This political current placed the royal Karađorđević dynasty and
and people from his immediate environment, the Serbian au- the Serbian Orthodox Church at the center of its political pro-
thorities preserved almost all of the names related to the Labour gram and its core value system. The ideological turn became
Movement, the Partisan Movement and the National Liberation clearly visible in the new toponyms on the streets of Belgrade.
War. Yet, those streets that lost their previous name were re-
named into terms and personalities with distinctly Serbian con- The newly elected Commission for Monuments and for Nam-
notations, which pleased nationalists. This populist mix would ing of Squares and Streets, headed by the writer Svetlana Vel-
remain a lasting feature of the Milošević regime until its ultimate mar Janković, adopted the “Proposed Criteria for Determining
demise. While Yugoslav People’s Army tanks destroyed cities in the Names of Streets and Squares in Belgrade” in April 1997.
Croatia and Bosnia, he continued to argue that the mini-feder- In its introduction, the Commission states: “it is possible to fol-
ation of Serbia and Montenegro, created in 1992, was the legiti- low many socio-political changes in the life of Belgrade, because
mate successor to the SFRY. the names reflect the political tendencies and program aspira-
tions of the ruling class. This is manifested not only in the names
1997-2000 Royalists’ Reaction and Revision of certain personalities, but often those given by toponyms”
(Vreme: 2014). In the adopted criteria, the seventh refers to top-
With the signing of the Dayton Agreement4 and the end of the onyms, saying: “Preservation of these names protects the his-
wars in Croatia and Bosnia in 1995, society in Serbia regained torical heritage of Belgrade from the era when it was the capital
the opportunity to dedicate itself to its current problems. The of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia, FNRY and SFRY” (Vreme: 2014).
economic decline and authoritarian behavior of the ruling party,
as well as the national catastrophe5 of losing the war in Croatia, Nevertheless, some streets were stripped of their original names.
caused waves of civil discontent. The political monopoly that For example, New Belgrade’s Lenin Boulevard, so-called since
Milošević’s Socialist Party of Serbia (SPS) held until then slowly its construction, became the boulevard of the Serbian-Ameri-
started to break down. In the 1996 local elections, Milošević lost can scientist Mihajlo Pupin. Street names pertaining to people
almost all major cities in Serbia, including Belgrade. After the and ideas related to the Labour Movement and the National Lib-
regime’s refusal to concede defeat and three months of civil eration War were often changed. However, the power of the
and student protests, the opposition took power in the Serbian Belgrade city government was limited, as the National Assem-
capital. bly had to approve all changes of street names. Between the
49 50Belgrade_Sarajevo
struggle for power of both the capital and the seat of the na- date Vojislav Koštunica. Shortly after, the united opposition won
(Re)making History: Tracing politics in urban space
tional parliament, it is interesting which names were preserved 64 percent of the vote and absolute majority in the general elec-
and were erased. On one hand, the Milošević regime allowed tions. In the local elections in Belgrade, the opposition won even
the conservatives to remove the names of the October Revolu- more decisively, ending the “cohabitation” of the capital and the
tion, the Proletarian Brigades and July 7 (the Day of the Uprising national government and establishing a center-right liberal-civil
against the Nazi Occupation in Serbia). On the other hand, the government.
regime preserved the street of November 29 (the Day of the
Formation of SFR Yugoslavia) and the boulevard of the Yugo- One of the first actions of the newly formed Belgrade city gov-
slav Army. This was completely in line with Milošević’s policy of ernment was the creation of the Commission for Monuments
declarative continuity with the old Yugoslavia and his insistence and Names of Squares and Streets of the Assembly of the City
at the international level that Serbia was the only legal succes- of Belgrade (hereinafter the Commission) on March 15, 2001
sor to the SFRY. (Vukšović: 2002). The Commission proclaimed that “we need
to return to the proven and lasting spiritual values of the Ser-
As for acts of commemoration during this period, the Commis- bian people by bearing the old names unjustifiably suppressed
sion consistently chose to reinstate the old names of streets by the one-sided evaluation of history after 1945” (Vukšović:
from the period before 1945. At this time, three monasteries of 2002). The proclaimed goals clearly show the value orientation
the Serbian Orthodox Church (Dečani, Sveta Gora and Mileše- of the new political elite. First of all, the mission of the Commis-
va) got their street names back. Also, two kings and one prin- sion was to “liberate” the city from the legacy of communism
cess were commemorated. In addition, street names were given whose values are not “verified and permanent”, as well as to
to the medieval Serbian name for Istanbul: Carigrad (Imperial reclaim a public space that had lost its monoethnic Serbian char-
City), and to the Crown; these were perhaps the most revisionist acter through communist multiculturalism.
moves of the new city government. Yet there were a few ex-
ceptions to this trend. For example, the street of Soviet General Such a manifesto would suggest that the Commission would
Zhdanov was not renamed to its older name of Zrinjski, as the decide to reinstate the names that the streets bore before the
conservative Belgrade city government did not wish to reinstate communists came to power. But, that did not happen. Streets
the name of a Croatian noble and therefore decided to give the “liberated” from the names of WW2 heroes and working-class
street the name of the Orthodox monastery of Resava. ideals were given completely new names, even of persons who
2000-2012 Nationalist Democracy were contemporaries of the Commission. Thus, “proven and
lasting values” turned into current and purposeful interests that
After the Kosovo war, the bombing of Serbia in which Belgrade aimed to mark the public space of the capital with personalities
was badly damaged, and the loss of Kosovo in 1999, Milošević who were close to the regime and the ruling party. For example,
lost his support among the citizens of Serbia. Well before that, the writer Borisav Pekić, one of the founders of the ruling Dem-
he lost support of the international community, as well. In the ocratic Party, got his street. Also, part of the central square of
2000 presidential election, he7 lost to united opposition candi-
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