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FEPTO Beograd
18th - 22 nd of April, 2010
Living on the Borderline
As poet said: “Ima nešto u tom što me nećeš.. “
“There is something in that you don’t want me..”
In prehistoric times, Celts gave to Belgrade name “Singidunum”, means white stone. Looked from far, Singidunum is whitening the eye of spectator: white sandstone hills under rivers Danube and Sava.
During the Roman Empire, Singidunum was an important station on Via Egnatia, the ancient highway between Rome and Black Sea.
When Slavs came to Balkan in the 7th century, they made war with the Celts and the Romans. After they reversed roles with them, different others, they stayed together. Slavs gave Singidunum the name Beograd , means White Town.
Beograd on Danube and Sava was always on the border.
In the Roman times, river Danube and Beograd were on the border line between Roman Civilization and Wildness.
In the Christian times, Beograd was on the border line between Catholic West and Orthodox East.
During centuries of Ottoman domination, Beograd was on the border line between Muslim and Christian world.
When Ottoman Muslims had gone, Beograd took the position on border line between Orthodox Serbs and Catholic Austro-Hungarians.
These are the reasons you can find different layers of cultural and psychological influences people in Beograd had taken over during history.
When you come to Beograd, you can see East and West, North and South, something on the border line. On the crossroad of cultures, religions and nations, you can see people from the border line, not borderlines, but border liners. If you are German, Hungarian, Romanian, Bulgarian, Russian or Turk, you can find your people and culture in Beograd.
If you are from former Yugoslavia , you can find your near past and family you (don’t) want, but don’t afraid, relax, history is going in different course this time.
When you see people, men and women of Belgrade and Serbia, they would look like you, no matter where you come from. They look like some of you and also like people who are different from you, sometimes strange. This is an Encounter on the Border line, Beograd is once a clear mirror, sometimes mirror that gives distorted reflection.
Geographically, Beograd is not on the border any more. Culturally, the borders are still in people , between Orthodox and Catholic world, regular Mittel Europe and irregular Serbs and Balkans.
And a little change in Edie Grant’s song:
“O mamma mamma you got me , living on the border line..”
Zoran Djuric
Belgrade - City (of) history
Belgrade, a city of very tumultuous history, is one of the oldest cities in Europe. Its history lasts full 7,000 years. The area around two great rivers, the Sava and the Danube has been inhabited as early as palaeolithic period. Remains of human bones and skulls of Neanderthals, found in the stone-pit near Leštane, in a cave in Čukarica and near the Bajloni market, date back to the early Stone Age.
Remains of the late Stone Age culture have been found in Vinča, Žarkovo and in Upper Town, above the Sava and Dunav confluence. It indicates that the area of Belgrade has been continually inhabited and that the intensity of the settling has been getting higher and higher. Many of today's settlements in Belgrade surroundings lie on cultural layers of earlier prehistoric settlements.
Vinča near Belgrade comes among the most important settlements and cultural sites of the prehistoric period. The presence of Illyrians is characteristic for the Bronze Age. The archaeological excavations at Rospi Ćuprija, Upper Town, Karaburma, Zemun and Vinča confirm hypotheses that the Belgrade area has been intensively inhabited and that its population has been engaged in plough agriculture and other supporting economic activities. Necropolises of the Bronze and Metal Ages as well as the evidence of different cultural influences have been discovered at these locations.
More about Belgrade > see Wikipedia
18th - 22 nd of April, 2010
Living on the Borderline
As poet said: “Ima nešto u tom što me nećeš.. “
“There is something in that you don’t want me..”
In prehistoric times, Celts gave to Belgrade name “Singidunum”, means white stone. Looked from far, Singidunum is whitening the eye of spectator: white sandstone hills under rivers Danube and Sava.
During the Roman Empire, Singidunum was an important station on Via Egnatia, the ancient highway between Rome and Black Sea.
When Slavs came to Balkan in the 7th century, they made war with the Celts and the Romans. After they reversed roles with them, different others, they stayed together. Slavs gave Singidunum the name Beograd , means White Town.
Beograd on Danube and Sava was always on the border.
In the Roman times, river Danube and Beograd were on the border line between Roman Civilization and Wildness.
In the Christian times, Beograd was on the border line between Catholic West and Orthodox East.
During centuries of Ottoman domination, Beograd was on the border line between Muslim and Christian world.
When Ottoman Muslims had gone, Beograd took the position on border line between Orthodox Serbs and Catholic Austro-Hungarians.
These are the reasons you can find different layers of cultural and psychological influences people in Beograd had taken over during history.
When you come to Beograd, you can see East and West, North and South, something on the border line. On the crossroad of cultures, religions and nations, you can see people from the border line, not borderlines, but border liners. If you are German, Hungarian, Romanian, Bulgarian, Russian or Turk, you can find your people and culture in Beograd. If you are from former Yugoslavia , you can find your near past and family you (don’t) want, but don’t afraid, relax, history is going in different course this time.
When you see people, men and women of Belgrade and Serbia, they would look like you, no matter where you come from. They look like some of you and also like people who are different from you, sometimes strange. This is an Encounter on the Border line, Beograd is once a clear mirror, sometimes mirror that gives distorted reflection.
Geographically, Beograd is not on the border any more. Culturally, the borders are still in people , between Orthodox and Catholic world, regular Mittel Europe and irregular Serbs and Balkans.
And a little change in Edie Grant’s song:
“O mamma mamma you got me , living on the border line..”
Zoran Djuric
Belgrade - City (of) history
Belgrade, a city of very tumultuous history, is one of the oldest cities in Europe. Its history lasts full 7,000 years. The area around two great rivers, the Sava and the Danube has been inhabited as early as palaeolithic period. Remains of human bones and skulls of Neanderthals, found in the stone-pit near Leštane, in a cave in Čukarica and near the Bajloni market, date back to the early Stone Age.
Vinča near Belgrade comes among the most important settlements and cultural sites of the prehistoric period. The presence of Illyrians is characteristic for the Bronze Age. The archaeological excavations at Rospi Ćuprija, Upper Town, Karaburma, Zemun and Vinča confirm hypotheses that the Belgrade area has been intensively inhabited and that its population has been engaged in plough agriculture and other supporting economic activities. Necropolises of the Bronze and Metal Ages as well as the evidence of different cultural influences have been discovered at these locations.
More about Belgrade > see Wikipedia