Students of Belgrade University had a Theme Lecture Organized at the New Cemetery in Belgrade
The New Cemetery in Belgrade responded
to ASCE call and organized series of events and activities to mark this year’s
Week of Discovering European Cemeteries in order to raise the public awareness
of the importance of cemeteries and to remind Belgraders and all other visitors
that the role of cemeteries goes far beyond that widespread association with
places of sadness and unpleasant reality bites. We set our focus to the
learning about cemeteries as topoi of memories emphasizing the diversity,
necessity and importance of funerary heritage, but also its captivating beauty.
Since the aim was to draw attention at youth about the significance of
cemeteries, their contribution to civilization and their outstanding role as
history record keepers, this year the New Cemetery in Belgrade marked the Week
of Discovering European Cemeteries by organizing an Open Air Lecture Classroom
for university students.
Each year, Department of Art
History of the Faculty of Philosophy in Belgrade organizes an internship named
"Modern Architecture of Belgrade.”
Interesting enough, students of
Belgrade University who attended the last year’s internship expressed their
strong desire to include the New Cemetery in Belgrade at this year’s program asking
for a special thematic group to be formed titled "Architectural Monuments
at the New Cemetery."
Students of Philosophical Faculty and Faculty of
Architecture participated in this project on 2 June 2017. They were guided by art historians
and experts in funeral architecture. Given their inspirational explanations and
many questions students had, a walk through the New Cemetery continued tirelessly
for five hours leaving this lecture memorable for all
participants.
Free Guided Tour at the New Cemetery in Belgrade
Two days later on Sunday, 4 June,
a free guided tour was organized for interested citizens. In spite of hot
weather conditions our gifted art historian Dr Violeta Obrenovic employed at
Public Communal Company “Funeral Services” caught the attention of public
guiding them among the shady alleys and telling exciting stories about the New
Cemetery's most famous "residents.” The planned two-hour walk was as we
predicted extended and almost doubled, much to the satisfaction of all the
visitors.
