Charisma of Emperor Dušan – History and Memory

The author, in his latest work, brings a new, comprehensive view of the era of King and Emperor Stefan Dušan, the most influential Serbian medieval ruler, his role and place in history, viewed through the prism of the past, within the framework of a kind of culture of memory in our environment.

The rise of the state during the time of Emperor Stefan Dušan enabled the proclamation of the empire, the belief that Serbia would replace Byzantium and stop the arrival of the Turks. Falling under Turkish rule and losing a large part of its medieval heritage, the people, in resistance to subjugation, preserved through traditions the awareness of Emperor Dušan and the glorious state of the Nemanjićs as confirmation of their existence. At the same time, this memory awakened hope in the fight for freedom. The cult of Dušan the Strong was revived in the liberation wars of the 19th century, and the dream of restoring Dušan’s empire inspired political aspirations in Serbia for a long time.

At the very end, we will also learn how the transfer of Dušan’s relics after World War II affected the communist public.