Ansambl Generalštab Initiative won the “Heritage Heroes” award for 2025, within this year’s European Heritage Days. The group is formed by the students from University of Belgrade, with an aim to draw attention to under-recognised and endangered examples of architectural heritage.
The annual “Heritage Heroes” award for personal contribution in the field of heritage preservation was established by the Delegation of the European Union in Serbia and Europa Nostra Serbia, as part of the European Heritage Day, which is celebrated in September throughout Europe.
This year’s European Heritage Days emphasise the theme of “Architectural heritage: Window to the past, door to the future”, with a focus on the architectural heritage that shapes European cultural identity.
“The European Union recognises the key role of citizens and their individual efforts in preserving cultural heritage. Among many excellent candidates, this year’s winners stood out not only by defending heritage, but also by promoting broad public engagement and supporting the importance of the rule of law. The EU remains firmly committed to preserving and celebrating the unique cultural heritage of Serbia as an integral part of our common European heritage,” said Andreas von Beckerat, EU Ambassador to Serbia.
The competition for the award lasted from July this year, and among the eight candidates for “Heritage Heroes”, the jury chose Ansambl Generalštab Initiative for its outstanding contribution to the protection, interpretation and public promotion of Serbia’s modernist cultural heritage, as well as for the inspiration that moved the wider community gathered around heritage.
Photo: Dušan Stanojlović, photography student at the Faculty of Applied Arts and member of the General Staff Ensemble
Ansambl Generalštab Initiative – a bridge in heritage preservation
Ansambl Generalštab Initiative bases its work on under-recognised or endangered examples of architectural heritage such as the Belgrade Fair, and especially the General Staff Building – a masterpiece by architect and academic Nikola Dobrović and a symbol of Belgrade’s collective memory.
Their initiative was created as a response to the threat to the status of this cultural asset, and it was most visibly represented publicly by students of the Faculty of Applied Arts and the Faculty of Architecture in Belgrade.
“Students gathered in the Ansambl Generalštab Initiative managed to build a bridge that the professional community has been trying to establish for decades – a bridge between different disciplines, generations and social actors in the process of preserving, promoting and interpreting cultural heritage. Their initiative showed that heritage does not belong only to experts and institutions, but that it is the living tissue of the community that is built through dialogue, knowledge, creativity and responsibility,” said Slavica Vujović, president of Europa Nostra Serbia and president of the jury.
Photo: Dušan Stanojlović, photography student at the Faculty of Applied Arts and member of the General Staff Ensemble
As future experts and cultural workers, members of the Ansambl Generalštab Initiative organised a series of lectures and public talks at universities and in city spaces, initiated a dialogue with citizens, involved colleagues and professors, and established solid cooperation with experts and relevant institutions (Republic Institute for the Protection of Cultural Monuments, National Committee of ICOMOS, professional associations, civil society).
In addition to educational activities, the Initiative activated legal and institutional mechanisms, using the media, digital platforms and social networks, as well as the realisation of the exhibition “Heritage in danger”, which brought the heritage closer to a wide audience and especially motivated young people to participate in its protection.
This year’s jury consisted of Slavica Vujović, conservator and president of Europe Nostra Serbia as president of the jury; Sena Marić, representative of the EU Delegation in Serbia; Katarina Živanović from Evropa Nostra Serbia; Dubravka Preradović from Europa Nostra Serbia; Viktorija Aladžić, winner of the “Heritage Heroes” award for 2023; Svetlana Spajić, winner of the “Heritage Heroes” award for 2024, and Katarina Jovanović, opera artist and professor at the Faculty of Music.
You can read the full explanation of the jury’s decision HERE.
The European Heritage Days event was established by the Council of Europe in 1985 in France, but since 1999 it has been run as a joint initiative of the European Commission and the Council of Europe. European Heritage Days allow citizens to explore culture through themed events and discover the history of people and places that have contributed to shaping Europe’s culture and heritage. This year, European Heritage Days are celebrated in Serbia from 19 to 30 September.
