Memory of the Crown Wreath

Cultural heritage, among other things, defines the identity of a country, so its preservation is the key to the survival of that identity, and the preserved past is the basis for the future. How much and whether it is adequately preserved today architectural cultural heritage Belgrade or is there more and more free interpretation of the term "protected cultural monument"? Krunska Street in Belgrade is one of those streets that tells the story of the history of Belgrade and its inhabitants through its architecture, but the question is whether it is sufficiently protected from slowly disappearing.

It is located on the stretch from the palace complex and Kneza Miloš Street to the Kalenić threshing floor, with some buildings in the side streets. In May 2021, Krunski venac was declared a protected cultural and historical entity. When determining the status, the valorization of all buildings was done, so forty-eight of them were designated as objects of special value, while only three buildings were individually protected as cultural monuments.

Although it was only formed after the end of the First World War as we know it today, Krunska Street was already defined by the amendments to the Building Act of 1896 as an exclusive, residential street where free-standing buildings will be built at least five meters behind the front, which gave it a specific layout.

As it is written in the article about the paving of Krunska Street in "Srpski tečniki list" from September 1909, "the term villa presupposes a home for one family with a tasteful architectural appearance, a home that can be walked around from all sides". Until the First World War, most of the buildings were small one-story or one-story modest residential houses, while in the interwar period, the construction of villas with one or more apartments, as well as multi-story rental buildings, began. In this cultural-historical unit, academicism and modernism still predominate in terms of style, which makes it a characteristic phenomenon in Belgrade's residential architecture from the second to the beginning of the fifth decade of the 20th century.

photo: majda sikošek

Among the rare preserved Art Nouveau buildings in Krunska is the house at number seventy-six, which stands out with its pink facade. Although we cannot be sure that it looked like that in the original, but given that the secession introduced colors on the facade canvases, it is not impossible. The building is slowly decaying, and the wall facing the street and the entrance gate are held by anchors attached to the house. It has been abandoned for several years, and was once the property of the Garašanin family. Today it is owned by the company Yucel doo Belgrade, which deals with renting and managing real estate. Should this architectural witness of history also expect the fate of the house of lawyer Dragan Pavlović from number 66, the work of architect Janko Šafarik, which was demolished in December 2024? Both were valorized as objects of special value, but that did not save the Pavlović house. Well, we should be honest and say that she was really seriously devastated, but we should also ask ourselves how it happened and if there is a way to prevent something like that from happening in the future.

In her paper "Materials for the Study of the Works of Women Architects from the University of Belgrade, Generation 1896-1940", architectural historian Divna Đurić Zamolo writes that according to the memories of contemporaries, the villa of Vuka nee Popović and Dr. Vladimir Garašanin was designed by Milica Vukšić in 1912.

Milica Vukšić completed her architecture studies at the University of Belgrade, which is confirmed by the list of students in the University Memorial from 1905. The fact that the building was designed by one of the few female architects from the beginning of the 20th century in Belgrade and Serbia should be reason enough for it to remain preserved for future generations as a confirmation of the modernization of the country after gaining complete independence, but also the courage of young women to engage in occupations unimaginable to them until then.

The reason for preservation is certainly the history of the families of the original owners. With the marriage of Vukosava Popović and Dr. Vladimir Garašanin in Krušedol Monastery in 1911, many historically important Belgrade families were united for the benefit of Serbia.

Dr. Vladimir Garašanin, lawyer and reserve officer, was a participant in the Battle of Kumanovo and the First World War. His grandfather was Ilija Milutinović Garašanin, Prime Minister, Minister of the Interior, one of the defenders of the Constitution and the creator of Načertani - a foreign and national policy program (written for Prince Aleksandar Karađorđević). Ilija Milutinović, a native of Gara, took the surname from the village of Garaši near Arandjelovac, which is assumed to have been founded by his grandfather Sava Saviša Bošković from the Bjelopavlić tribe. Ilya's son, Vladimir's father, Milutin Garašanin, was a Parisian student, president of the government and assembly, and a royal representative in Paris.

Vukosava Popović's mother married Garašanin, Anka was the sister of Mihailo Terzibašić, the first mayor of the city of Belgrade and the cousin of Aleksa Spasić, the first governor of the National Bank and Minister of Finance.

After the Second World War, the Garašanina house experienced the fate of many pre-war villas, with the settlement of tenants in what was considered surplus housing space. Thus, in 1970, it was the subject of a dispute between one of the tenants and the legal heirs, and the written inheritance of Ilija and Milutin Garašanin was a "collateral" victim of that legal dispute. It stood in the corridors and in the basement and fell into disrepair, even though the experts of the Institute for the Protection of Cultural Monuments of the City of Belgrade cataloged it and protected numerous documents as early as 1968. At that time, we were waiting for the final court verdict, and what happened to all of that in the end is still not known exactly.

The villa at Krunska 76, with a ground floor, one floor and an attic, located on the front part of the rectangular plot, although the facade decoration in shallow plastic, has characteristic features of Art Nouveau. Like the asymmetry of the wall canvas, which was achieved by the different depths and heights of the parties, and especially the prominent entrance elevation on the right side, which ends with a small wooden gable decorated with plant motifs (the same gables could be seen until recently on the Complex of Workers' Apartments designed by Jelisaveta Načić). On the left side, the playfulness of the height differences is contributed by the bay window that extends from the ground floor, and ends on the first floor with a balcony decorated with wrought iron interlacing. The decoration in the shape of the Greek letter Ω above the window on the floor of the entrance hall is another of the typical details by which we recognize the architectural style of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. While the ornamentation of the facade canvas is primarily geometric, the wrought iron decoration on the wooden entrance door has plant motifs. The villa is decent, harmonious and has some of the prominent features of Viennese Art Nouveau, which is not often found in Belgrade, and for that reason it would be vital to preserve it in its original appearance.

Belgrade is losing its architectural landmarks and witnesses of history every day. There are fewer and fewer Art Nouveau buildings, and if we do not dedicate ourselves to its study, documentation and protection, it could soon be reduced to just a few examples.

With the emergence of nation states and the definition of national identities in 19th century Europe, the awareness of the importance of protecting cultural heritage is growing. Thus, in Serbia, on February 22 (according to the new calendar) 1844, at the suggestion of Jovan Steria Popović, then Minister of Education, Prince Aleksandar Karađorđević issued the Decree on the Protection of Ancient Monuments.

From the first Hague Convention in 1899 to the World Convention on Cultural Heritage in 1972, cultural practitioners and legal experts have been working to strengthen international standards for the protection of universal cultural heritage, both movable and immovable. Is a new and different approach to heritage preservation necessary for the 21st century, with numerous wars on the one hand and intensive investor urbanism on the other? Will the present leave something for the future, as a testimony of cultural-historical development and progress?

The author is a historian of art and architecture