OUR HISTORY OUR MEMORY EXHIBITION OPENED

A traveling exhibition dedicated to the liberation of Serbia in the autumn of 1918 and the memory of the solidarity of Serbian and French soldiers and civilians in the First World War was opened at Oficirski Dom in Nis. It has been a century since the breakthrough of the Thessaloniki front enabled allied troops of the Eastern Army to progress towards the Danube and the Adriatic, as well as the liberation of Serbia, which suffered a great deal in the war. Feelings that are invoked by the stories about the liberation of Serbia by the Eastern Army, with the French and Serbian troops in the first trenches, remain at the heart of the common memory, which is preserved by many Serbian cities. The opening of the exhibition was attended by His Excellency the Ambassador of France to Serbia Frederik Mondolini and Nis City Mayor Darko Bulatovic. And after a hundred years, there are many Serbian families who cherish the memory of those who fought for freedom. There are numerous stories that testify to the special solidarity of French and Serbian civilians and soldiers during that war period. This exhibition brings us back to these historic days and brings the testimonies of the citizens of Serbia who responded to the invitation of the French Institute in Serbia and agreed to share stories and memories kept in their families through generations. The testimonies were collected from March to June 1918 and will be presented on the social networks of the French Institute. Many of them are included in this exhibition. The exhibition was realized by the French Institute in Serbia in cooperation with the city administrations, archives and museums of the cities of Belgrade, Kladovo, Knjaževac, Leskovac, Negotin, Niš, Pirot, Prokuplje, Vranje, Zaječar and professional associates Stanislav Sretenović, a historian, and Aleksandra Mirić, an architect-conservator.