The program “Stories from Captivity” presented the most diverse fates of military and civilian prisoners of war from Second World War. In addition to interesting lectures on the concentration camp system and the conditions in the Kraljevo area after the occupation, the gathering provided insight into the difficult fate of ordinary people in captivity. Family stories of descendants, emotions, family photographs and documents brought to life tragic, but also inspiring stories of survival.
The exhibition by Gordana Kaljalović Odanović “Imaginary Library”, which opened at the National Museum Kraljevo, represents a sculptural dialogue with the book as a symbol of culture, knowledge, and memory. Through installations, objects, and interventions on books, the artist merges the visual and the verbal, material and idea, exploring the relationships between text, form, and space. Her works reveal layers of personal and collective memories, history, and artistic exploration, in an ongoing dialogue between literature and sculpture.
Natasa Cerović, senior curator of the National Museum of Serbia and one of the authors of the exhibition, presented to the audience, in an inspiring and professional manner, a rich display of metal utensils that testify to the culture of dining, the influences of the East and the West, as well as everyday life in different eras.
The Regular Spring Assembly of the National Committee of ICOM Serbia was held in the Gallery of the National Museum Kraljevo, on Saturday, March 22nd, 2025. The session was opened by the president of the National Committee of ICOM Serbia Tatjana Mihailović, PhD. In addition to the adoption of the document, the separate issue of issue 20 of the journal of the National Committee of ICOM Serbia was presented, experiences from last year’s ICOM SEE conference in Kikinda were presented, and a new working group for museum management – INTERCOM, was established, which will operate within the framework of the National Committee of ICOM Serbia.
The professional conference “Museums on the Internet” was held in the Gallery of the National Museum Kraljevo, on Friday, March 21st, 2025, as part of the Regular Spring Assembly of the National Committee of ICOM Serbia. Museums on the Internet play a key role in contemporary museology and communication with the public. Digital technologies have enabled museums to expand their visibility, provide access to their collections and provide an interactive experience to visitors, regardless of their physical location. Through interesting presentations and dynamic discussions, participants exchanged experiences and presented best practices in the digital presentation of museums.
The documentary-fiction film “The Cross from Kosovo”, produced by the Genocide Victims’ Museum, follows the fate of the Serbian people in Kosovo and Metohija throughout history, with a special emphasis on the suffering during World War II. Through documentary segments and feature reconstructions, testimonies and historical sources are presented that shed light on the persecution of Serbs, the destruction of cultural and religious heritage, as well as the tragic events that marked this area. In addition to the film, Nikola Miloševski, curator of the Genocide Victims’ Museum in Belgrade, gave a lecture entitled “Crimes Against Serbs and Jews in Kosovo and Metohija during World War II”.
The promotion of the journal “Our Past” 22 was held in the Gallery of the National Museum Kraljevo, on Friday, February 21st, 2025. The new issue of the journal contains a total of eight papers in the fields of archaeology, history, art history and archival science, three book reviews and an In memoriam to Dragan Pešić, a prominent artist and long-time technical editor of the journal. The paper were presented by Gordana Gavrić, Ana Kostić Đekić and Miloš Timotijević. The editor, Tatjana Mihailović, spoke about the journal as a whole.
The exhibition “Between Trapeza and Sofra. Metal Vessels from the 13th to the 19th Century in the Collections of the National Museum of Serbia” presents selected vessels made of precious and non-ferrous metals from the collections of the Department of the Middle Ages of the National Museum of Serbia, which provides a wealth of information about dining customs, historical events and stylistic trends represented in the Serbian territories over a wide time span of seven centuries. Visitors are given the opportunity to expand their knowledge about the artistic and craft design of objects of practical use in the Serbian lands of the Middle Ages.
Monograph by Ksenija Đerković’ “Smak” deals with the history and influence of one of the most important rock bands in the former Yugoslavia. The band “Smak”, founded in 1971, left a deep mark on the rock scene, and its music, a blend of progressive and hard rock, has remained in the hearts of many generations. The monograph explores their career, albums, significant moments of the band members, but also the cultural context in which they operated. In addition to a historical overview, the monograph also includes personal stories, interviews, and an analysis of the musical legacy of the band “Smak”.
The 1863 Census of Population, Real Estate and Income is one of the first attempts at modern demographic data collection in the Principality of Serbia and is the only almost completely preserved census from the 19th century. As such, it represents an inexhaustible source of information of importance for the study of economic and social history. Created during the reign of Prince Mihailo Obrenović, a ruler dedicated to reforms and modernization of the state, this census was part of a broader effort to establish systematic state governance and provide accurate statistical data on the population, which was crucial for fiscal and military needs.