(re)Quest for the cultural landscape of Belgrade, Serbia

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Name	(re)Quest for the cultural landscape
Place	Belgrade
Country	Serbia
Author(s)	Jovana Kovacevic, Mirjana Jovanovic, Nada Jadzic
Project start	April 2010.
Completion	July 2010.
World Heritage	not listed
Client	/
Project costs	enter the costs (if known)
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Rationale: Why is the case study interesting?

Please summarise:- e.g. Design Innovation? Planning Exemplar? Theoretical Insights? Lessons from its failure?

Belgrade, capital city of Serbia, is one of the oldest cities in Europe, was founded by Celts in the 3rd century BC and named Singidunum. Since then begins its long and turbulent history. Archaeological remainings of the first settlements are dating from prehistoric Vincha in the 4800th BC. In the 9th century AD it gets Slavic name Belgrade that was held until today. Throughout its history, Belgrade has been in the government of the various nations, in different countries and had different functions during that period (fortress, Roman limes, capital city). Belgrade conserved prints of all nations and cultures who have lived in it and therefore it deserves this [re]quest for its cultural landscape.

Author's perspective

What theoretical or professional perspective do you bring to the case study? Please make a short note on your personal background

Under the influence of globalization the city changes its distinctive cityscape, a characteristic human prints are disappearing. We believe it is a critical time to identify and preserve them before they are irretrievably gone. Since in Serbia, the term cultural landscape is not legally defined, this case study opens the possibility to determine whether the cultural landscape of Belgrade exist. If it is recognized as such it could be identified and preserved. That would open perspective for legal regulation of term cultural landscape in Serbia.

Cultural landscape context

Biogeography, cultural features, overall landscape character, history and dynamics

The specific position of Belgrade, at the confluence of two rivers, at the meeting of the plains and hillside conditioned that it was inhabited from the earliest period (since the Paleolithic). Proximity to water and facilities for fishing, hunting and protected positions on the river banks attracted the first inhabitants of this area. Belgrade’s position may partly explain why the Slavs just settled in that place, as the title Slavs itself means people who live next to the river’’.

Later in history, the position of Belgrade was important in another sense, it meant strategic defense of the borders or the difficult conquest. Dominant position at the confluence of two rivers meant that one that governs the city is the one who controls waterway transport, trade, defense of the city etc. Thus, an important strategic position is the reason that, during its long history, Belgrade was many times conquered by different nations and thereby often destroyed and rebuilt, so that many historical traces disappeared irretrievably. Strategically most important point was the Kalemegdan fortress, located on the hill above the confluence of the Sava and Danube. It is believed that the first fortification on this spot was built by the Celts. Later, Romans built a military fortification there in the first century AD, after which the fort became part of the Roman defensive border (limes). At the same time, it is the oldest part of the city, the core around which the city has later grown.

Most turbulent period of the city and period of its most intense and most frequent destruction and re-building is certainly a period of early 15th century to the mid-19th century. During these 4 centuries, from the moment when Belgrade first became capital of the Serbian state (1403.) to the moment when it became that again, it was conquered several times by the Turks, Serbs and Austria - Hungarians. During this period the city was in constant wavering between Christianity and Islam, on the border between East and West, on the border between the Ottoman and Austria - Hungarian Empire influenced by both of the worlds. This duality is still reflected in its architecture and cultural monuments, and in themselves. However, the modern way of living and the processes of globalization are slowly but surely erasing the prints of cities unique history and character, so that many of them are already gone.

Illustration: Map; sketches; short descriptive analyses

Socio-political context

Brief explanation of political economy, legal framework

Illustration: Bullet points, image, background notes

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