“Heroes of Heritage” Award 2025, presented by Europa Nostra Serbia and the Delegation of the European Union to Serbia, has been awarded to the Initiative “Generalštab Ensemble”.
The competition ran from July to September this year, and out of eight candidates, the jury selected the initiative launched by students of the University of Belgrade and the University of Arts. The group was honored for its exceptional contribution to promoting, protecting, and offering contemporary interpretations of Serbia’s modernist architectural heritage.
Through their engagement, creativity, and public advocacy, the students demonstrated how young people, through collective work and solidarity, can become powerful guardians of European values and our shared cultural legacy.
Students Valentina Moravčević, Nikolina Đorđević, and Ognjen Marković, quoting poet Ljubivoje Ršumović — “The homeland is defended by beauty, honor, and knowledge; the homeland is defended by life and good upbringing” — expressed special gratitude to the staff of the Republic Institute for the Protection of Cultural Monuments and vowed to continue their efforts. They emphasized the importance of the bonds formed while fighting for the Generalštab and for cultural heritage preservation more broadly.
“This award means, above all, that Europe recognizes how important cultural heritage is — and that the Generalštab building itself deserves to be preserved as part of that European heritage. As students, we are deeply honored that our work in protecting Europe’s cultural legacy as a whole has been recognized,” said student Ognjen Marković.
The award was presented at a ceremony held at the Europe House. It was established to recognize outstanding individual or collective contributions to the preservation and promotion of cultural heritage in Serbia.
The award was handed over by EU Ambassador to Serbia Andreas von Beckerath, who praised the students for building a bridge between disciplines, generations, and various social actors engaged in the protection, promotion, and interpretation of cultural heritage.
“Their initiative has shown that heritage does not belong solely to experts and institutions, but is the living fabric of a community, shaped through dialogue, knowledge, creativity, and responsibility. The Generalštab Ensemble distinguished itself not only by defending heritage but also by promoting broad public engagement and supporting the importance of the rule of law”, said the ambassador.
Slavica Vujović, President of Europa Nostra Serbia, emphasized that the students behind the initiative had taken on a generational responsibility by connecting institutions and civil society, launching advocacy efforts, and mobilizing public support.
“Cultural heritage has been brought closer to the wider community, and young people have been mobilized to work on its protection. The Generalštab is now under the guardianship of the students”, stated Vujović.
Sneška Quaedvlieg-Mihailović, Secretary General of Europa Nostra, stated that the students stand at the frontlines of protecting cultural and European heritage, values, and ideals. She also praised the experts of the Institute for the Protection of Cultural Monuments, who are likewise fighting to preserve the Generalštab complex. She underscored that cultural heritage represents one of society’s fundamental values.
“Heritage is not merely an ornament — it is the foundation of every society. It is a necessary bridge between the past, the present, and the future”, stated she.
The full explanation of the jury’s decision for the 2025 Heroes of Heritage Award can be read HERE.
Established in 2022, the Hero/Heroine of Heritage Award recognizes individuals, civic initiatives, or groups for their personal or collective contributions to heritage preservation, as well as for outstanding achievements and long-term dedication in research, documentation, conservation, digitization, interpretation, preservation, management, promotion, education, advocacy, and the development of policies and unique practices in the field of heritage protection and use. The award honors contributions that have led to visible progress — achieved independently or even in spite of institutional or dominant social currents — in safeguarding cultural heritage.
