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163-687: Staro Sajmište is located in the Novi Beograd's Block 17, between the street of Zemunski put (extension of the Old Sava Bridge ), the Mihajlo Pupin boulevard (extension of the Branko's bridge ) and the Sava river. It extends into the non-residential neighborhood of Ušće on the north and into the newly developed Savograd on the west. Sajmište street curves within the settlement. In

326-461: A guerrilla war if the country was occupied. Its headquarters was transferred from Novi Sad to Kraljevo in south-central Serbia on 1 April. On 2 April, the German ambassador having already been recalled for "talks", the remaining embassy staff were ordered to leave the capital and to warn the embassies of friendly nations to likewise evacuate. That sent the unmistakable message that Yugoslavia

489-853: A blatant copy of the Sheikh Zayed Bridge in Abu Dhabi . Deputy mayor Goran Vesić announced in August 2018 that the removal of the bridge will start on 1 June 2019, after the installation of the tram tracks across the Ada Bridge is finished. In March 2019, city urbanist Marko Stojčić said that the bridge will be placed as an extension of the Omladinskih Brigada Street, in the New Belgrade's Block 70-A, and that it will connect it with Ada Ciganlija. Deadline for

652-404: A cavalry regiment, a Bersaglieri motorcycle battalion, three Border Guard battalions, one Finance Guard battalion, a motorised artillery regiment of three battalions, a military police battalion, and a tank company equipped with Fiat M13/40 light tanks. The Librazhd Sector included a motorised artillery regiment of four battalions, a bicycle-mounted Bersaglieri regiment, a cavalry regiment,

815-621: A euphemism for a prison. It eventually became a concentration camp . Until May 1942 Germans used Sajmište concentration camp to mostly kill off Jews from Belgrade and other parts of Serbia . From April 1942 onwards, Serbian prisoners were transported in from Jasenovac and Stara Gradiška concentration camps run by Croatian Ustaše collaborators. Partisans captured throughout Serbia were also sent to Sajmište. Detainees were also sent in from other parts of Yugoslavia, especially Serbs after major German offensives on briefly liberated territories. Executions of captured prisoners lasted as long as

978-470: A further 600 aircraft from France, Africa, and Sicily into Romania and Bulgaria in a period of ten days. The fighter and reconnaissance craft were sent to fields in Arad , Deva , and Turnu Severin . On 12 February Britain broke off diplomatic relations with Romania on the grounds that it was an enemy-occupied country. Two events in early November 1940 convinced Hitler of the need to station troops, especially

1141-634: A machine gun battalion, a motorised anti-aircraft battalion (less one battery), an engineer battalion, a company of Blackshirts, and a company of L3/35 tankettes. The Yugoslav forces consisted of more than 33 divisions of the Royal Yugoslav Army ( Serbo-Croatian Latin : Vojska Kraljevska Jugoslavije , VKJ), four air brigades of the Royal Yugoslav Air Force ( Serbo-Croatian Latin : Vazduhoplovstvo Vojske Kraljevine Jugoslavije , VVKJ) with more than 400 aircraft, and

1304-596: A manufacturing licence. The sole operator was 3 vazduhoplovni puk (3rd bomber regiment) composed of two bomber groups; the 63rd Bomber Group stationed at Petrovec airfield near Skopje and the 64th Bomber Group stationed at Milesevo airfield near Priština . Other auxiliary airfields had also been prepared to aid in dispersal. During the course of hostilities, the State Aircraft Factory in Kraljevo managed to produce six more aircraft of this type. Of

1467-616: A monument in her memory already in October 2015, but only now set the location. The monument was to be finished and dedicated in the second half of 2019. However, in November 2019 the project was relocated to the opposite side of the river, in the Savamala neighborhood, but the erection of the monument was postponed. Old Sava Bridge The Old Sava Bridge ( Serbian : Стари савски мост , romanized :  Stari savski most )

1630-510: A motorised anti-aircraft battalion, a sapper assault battalion and a road construction battalion. VI Corps included four motorised artillery regiments with a total of sixteen battalions, two machine gun battalions (one motorised, one pack animal) and a motorised anti-aircraft regiment. XI Corps included one motorised artillery regiment comprising four battalions, three machine gun battalions (one motorised, one pack animal and one static), and six Blackshirt legions of battalion size. The Motorised Corps

1793-654: A navigational error) and one Rogozarski R 313 fighters, 69 Dornier Do 17 K (including 40 plus licence-built), 61 Bristol Blenheim Mk I (including some 40 licence-built) and 40 Savoia Marchetti SM-79 K bombers. Army reconnaissance units consisted of seven Groups with 130 obsolete Yugoslav-built Breguet 19 and Potez 25 light bombers. There were also some 400 trainer and auxiliary aircraft. The Naval Aviation units comprised 75 aircraft in eight squadrons equipped with, amongst other auxiliary types, 12 German-built Dornier Do 22 K and 15 Rogozarski SIM-XIV-H locally designed and built maritime patrol float-planes. The aircraft of

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1956-485: A plan for the area covering 20.5 hectares of land and 1.4 hectares of the Sava river's aquatoria. On 21 April 1995, a monument in remembrance of Sajmište victims was unveiled along Sava, one day ahead of the 50-year anniversary of Hitler admitting defeat on 22 April 1945. However, almost nothing was done to conserve the area and today Staro Sajmište is in a very bad shape. Few remaining old artists have no resources to renovate

2119-485: A representative in the city hall, and was unofficially called New Belgrade. It was decided to build the fairgrounds complex adjoining to the already existing settlement. The foundation stone was ceremonially placed on 6 June 1937. It was built in three months and the facility was open on 11 September 1937. It was the site of the new Belgrade fair (hence the name) with modern and artistic buildings and constructions, including high metal spike construction, which became known as

2282-609: A shortage of coal. Hungarian officials tried to meet all German demands without going further than the governments had agreed. Even sabotage was used on occasion to prevent having to give the Germans more support than required. On 18 January 1941 an agreement was reached to store German supplies in Hungarian warehouses under Hungarian guard, with only a German officer in Budapest to serve as a liaison. These supplies were to be used in

2445-736: A strength of 1,875 officers and 29,527 other ranks, including some 2,000 pilots, had over 460 front-line aircraft of domestic (notably the IK-3 ), German, Italian, French, and British origin, of which most were modern types. Organized into 22 bomber squadrons and 19 fighter squadrons, the main aircraft types in operational use included 73 Messerschmitt Bf 109 E , 47 Hawker Hurricane Mk I (with more being built under licence in Yugoslavia), 30 Hawker Fury II , 11 Rogožarski IK-3 fighters (plus more under construction), 10 Ikarus IK-2 , 2 Potez 63 , one Messerschmitt Bf 110 C-4 (captured in early April due to

2608-491: A system of 50 auxiliary airfields that had previously been prepared. However, many of these airfields lacked facilities and had inadequate drainage which prevented the continued operation of all but the very lightest aircraft in the adverse weather conditions encountered in April 1941. Despite having, on paper at any rate, a substantially stronger force of relatively modern aircraft than the combined British and Greek air forces to

2771-462: A total of 22 divisions to the operation, comprising around 300,000 troops. The Italian 2nd Army (Italian: 2° Armata ) was commanded by Generale designato d’Armata (acting General) Vittorio Ambrosio , and consisted of one fast (Italian: celere ) corps ( Celere Corps ), one motorised corps ( Motorised Corps ) and three infantry corps ( V Corps , VI Corps , and XI Corps ), and was assembled in northeastern Italy, attacking from Istria and

2934-514: Is a 430-metre-long (1,410 ft) and 40-metre-wide (130 ft) bridge, crossing the river Sava in Belgrade , Serbia . It is the smallest road bridge in the Serbian capital and is used both for car and tram traffic. The main span between the two pillars of this tied arch bridge is over 157 m (515 ft) in length. Two bus lines and three tram lines of Belgrade public transport use

3097-436: Is envisioned, which would also connect the neighborhood with the old section of the city across the river. In January 2019, investment company "Marera Properties" announced that the new complex would include seats of all secretariats and institutes of the state government and the city of Belgrade. Total floor area built on the 0.5 ha (1.2 acres) owned by the company's should be 350,000 m (3,800,000 sq ft), and

3260-533: Is necessary to avoid even the slightest semblance of military occupation of Romania." In the second half of October, the Romanian leader, Ion Antonescu , asked that the military mission be expanded. The Germans happily obliged the request, since the oil fields and refineries at Ploiești were vital to their war effort. Romania was also an important launching point for an attack on the Soviet Union, which made

3423-451: Is perceived that the conventional 2016 project was chosen to "legalize" the entire project and to appease the public. The dilapidated remains of the former camp complex were declared a cultural monument on 9 July 1987. In February 1992, as provided by the detailed urban plan, the neighborhood was to be fully reconstructed to its pre-war look, an idea opposed by some architects, with added memorial and commemorative objects. The entire complex

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3586-422: Is still not chosen, as a pedestrian bridge. However, engineer Aleksandar Bojović, who was a member of the jury which chose to demolish to old bridge and selected the new one, said that comprehensive analysis is needed to see how it will be dismantled and moved, that a new location has to be selected and whether it will be profitable. Kostić, also president of the citizens association "Our bridges", pointed out that

3749-525: Is that the painting must be exhibited in some of the representative quarters of the building, as the bridge is a "symbol of the historical continuity of the capital, but also [a symbol] of love felt by the citizens for their city". The events of 1944 were dramatized in the TV series Povratak otpisanih , part of the extremely popular Otpisani franchise on underground guerrilla fighters in Belgrade. The story

3912-511: Is the problem building the twin bridge next to it. Based on what some of the city officials said, Bakić concludes they don't want to have clinking, noisy trams passing next to their luxurious pet project, Belgrade Waterfront. Mali announced that the citizens will decide where to move the bridge, but his idea was to move it to Zemun, as the pedestrian bridge to the protected area of the Great War Island . Aleksandar Milenković, member of

4075-408: Is throwing money on unnecessary projects. In another confusing statement by the city architect Folić, he said that the bridge will not be removed, that it will remain at the same place, but it will get a new shape, repeating what he was saying previous year and a half. A commission will decide whether they will keep the existing arch or the bridge would look completely different. Folić admitted that

4238-701: The 1st and 2nd Armies, defended the region between the Iron Gates and the Drava River . The 1st Army Group with the 4th and 7th Armies, composed mainly of Croatian troops, was in Croatia and Slovenia defending the Italian, German (Austrian) and Hungarian frontiers. The strength of each "Army" amounted to little more than a corps , with the Army Groups consisting of the units deployed as follows: On

4401-670: The Biscaccianti Blackshirt group which incorporated two Blackshirt regiments with a total of five battalions, the regimental-sized Agostini Blackshirt Forest Militia, and the Briscotto group, a regimental-sized formation consisting of one Alpini battalion and two Finance Guard battalions. The Zara garrison numbered about 9,000 men under the overall command of Generale di Brigata (Brigadier) Emilio Giglioli. The garrison consisted of two main groupings and an assortment of supporting units. The two main groupings were

4564-703: The Danube Flotilla reached Belgrade at this time, sailing from the Black Sea upstream the Danube and demining the river in process. They were sent to the Sava bridge, and in the blitz operation , the sailors and deminers boarded under the bridge construction, overpowered the Wehrmacht soldiers on the bridge itself, and removed the explosive charges. This allowed for the Yugoslav and Soviet forces to cross to

4727-634: The Independent State of Croatia ( Serbo-Croatian Latin : Nezavisna Država Hrvatska , or NDH), an Axis puppet state created during the invasion comprising the Srem , Bosnia and Herzegovina as well as the Croatian lands. Along with Italy 's stalled invasion of Greece on 28 October 1940, and the German-led invasion of Greece (Operation Marita) and invasion of Crete (Operation Merkur),

4890-517: The Julian March along the border with Slovenia and Croatia. The 2nd Army was supported by a motorised engineer regiment including three bridging battalions, a chemical battalion, fifteen territorial battalions, and two garrison battalions. V Corps support units included three motorised artillery regiments comprising thirteen battalions, four machine gun battalions (two motorised and two pack animal), three Blackshirt legions of battalion size,

5053-643: The Luftwaffe , in Bulgaria. The first was false reports that the British were constructing an airfield on Lemnos , from which they could bomb Ploiești . The second was the beginning of British air raids originating from Greek bases against Italian shipping on 6 November. Planning for the German invasion of Greece from Bulgaria began on 12 November. Already on 13 November, the Soviets were (incorrectly) accusing

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5216-662: The Ostmark (modern-day Austria , then part of Germany). Italian forces were limited to air and artillery attacks until 11 April, when the Italian Army attacked towards Ljubljana (in modern-day Slovenia ) and through Istria and Lika and down the Dalmatian coast . On the same day, Hungarian forces entered Yugoslav Bačka and Baranya , but like the Italians they faced practically light resistance. A Yugoslav attack into

5379-545: The Tisa river near Žabalj , but the demolition of the King Aleksandar bridge by the Germans during the bombing of Belgrade on 6 April 1941 , led to the installation of the construction over the eight pillars on the Sava river. It was cut in pieces and transferred to Belgrade. The bridge was projected and built by the de:C.H. Jucho company from Dortmund , Germany . The steel, half-parabolic, supporting construction

5542-452: The carters who carried goods across the river. As the settlement, which became known as New Belgrade, was built without building permits, authorities threatened to demolish it, but in 1940 government officially "legalized the informal settlement of New Belgrade". Prior to that, the city already semi-officially recognized the new settlement, as it helped with building its streets and pathways. By 1939 it already had several thousands inhabitants,

5705-457: The outbreak of the coronavirus , Stojčić said that the project is moved to 2021–2022, not just because of the pandemic, but because the construction is not ready anyway. In October 2020 he added that the new bridge will be built concurrently, while the old bridge will be cut in three pieces and transported by the river to "some lot in Palilula ", temporarily. On the other side, legal process for

5868-480: The Academy of Architecture of Serbia, opposed the motion, expressing fear of "synchronous ad hoc decisions of the administration", and that seemingly benign idea is actually a strategically disastrous enterprise concerning the protected wildlife on the island. He suspected that the administration in this case, just as in all previous ones, will neglect the numerous theoretical and empirical guidelines. In December 2017,

6031-462: The Branko's Bridge was in the 1950s, plus the bridge has a historic value. Architect Branislav Jovin, who projected and reconstructed many of the Belgrade's landmark features (original Belgrade Metro project, Mostar interchange , Autokomanda , Knez Mihailova ) considers that the bridge is not important for the traffic anyway, but it could be a pedestrian one. They both agreed that the city government

6194-644: The British had declared that "if Hungary were to permit German troops to pass through Hungarian territory against Yugoslavia, Britain would break off diplomatic relations, indeed might declare war on us." The first German troops began their passage through Hungary on 8 October. Despite some official denials, the troops movements were reported by Reuters and the American ambassador received a full report. According to contemporary British intelligence, three divisions had passed through Hungary to Romania by 2 November. On 20 November, Hungarian Prime Minister Pál Teleki signed

6357-857: The Central Tower. Designed by the architects Milivoje Tričković, Rajko Tatić and Đorđe Lukić, it was envisioned as the monumental modern complex, with the Central Tower as the domineering motif. Around it, pavilions for the exhibitions were built: five Yugoslav, one for the “Nikola Spasić Foundation” and national pavilions of Italy, Czechoslovakia, Romania, Hungary and the Dutch company Philips . The complex included: 17,000 m (180,000 sq ft) of roofed exhibition space, 20,000 m (220,000 sq ft) of open exhibition space, 25,000 m (270,000 sq ft) of lawns and flower beds and 22,000 m (240,000 sq ft) of roads and paths. It hosted international fairs, with task of promoting

6520-556: The Danube from Lake Balaton to Barcs , and twelve brigades (nine on the front and three in reserve) for an offensive in Bačka ( Bácska ). The Danube Flotilla was to cover the flanks, and the air force was to stand by for orders. The "Carpathian Group", composed of Eighth Corps , the 1st Mountain Brigade and the 8th Border Guard ( Chasseur ) Brigade, was mobilized on the Soviet border, with

6683-498: The Danube from Romania on 28 February, a day before Bulgaria joined the pact. The greater part of the 12th Army, augmented by VIII. Fliegerkorps , crossed the Danube on 2 March. They were welcomed by the Russophile population, who believed that Germany and the Soviet Union were allied. The 12th Army was originally deployed solely for an attack on Greece. After receiving Directive No. 25, which projected an invasion of Yugoslavia in

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6846-459: The Germans of having troops in neutral Bulgaria. On 18 November, Tsar Boris III of Bulgaria met with Hitler and promised to participate in an attack on Greece, but only at the last moment. Shortly thereafter a secret German team under Colonel Kurt Zeitzler entered Bulgaria to establish fuel depots, arrange for troop billeting and scout the terrain. They were soon followed by hundreds of Luftwaffe personnel to establish air observation stations. By

7009-578: The Germans to begin operations, with the use of Hungarian territory and communications, on 12 April and the Hungarians to complete mobilization by 6 April and begin their offensive on the 15th. A meeting of the Supreme Defense Council was convened for 1 April to discuss Werth's request. After a long debate, it approved his mobilization plan, but refused to place Hungarian troops under German command and restricted Hungarian operations to

7172-691: The Great War Island, and that he will "nominate" the idea to citizens. The bridge was closed to traffic in November 2024 in preparation for its demolition. Painter Kosta Hakman painted the bridge in 1948. The painting was simply titled "Bridge in Belgrade", and remained in Hakman's family collection. In May 2021, his daughter Milica Hakman donated the painting to the City Assembly of Belgrade to be exhibited in Stari dvor . Hakman's condition

7335-637: The Hungarian legation in Berlin had granted over 6,500 transit visas to Germans traveling to Romania. On 30 September, shortly after the signing of the Tripartite Pact, Ribbentrop and General Keitel asked the Hungarian foreign minister, István Csáky , who was in Vienna, to grant the Germans use of transit facilities for German military "study groups" to pass through to Romania. They were still awaiting final confirmation on 3 October. The arrangement agreed

7498-632: The Italians. On 14 and 15 April, King Peter and the government flew out of the country, and the Yugoslav Supreme Command was captured by the Germans near Sarajevo . The surrender was signed on 17 April and came into effect at noon on 18 April. Following the Belgrade Coup on 27 March 1941, the Yugoslav armed forces were put on alert, although the army was not fully mobilised for fear of provoking Hitler. The VVKJ command decided to disperse its forces away from their main bases to

7661-490: The Mobile Corps held in reserve. These arrangements were agreed to by Werth, he later claimed, "on the basis of the authorization received" on 28 April—although this was not the government's view of what had been authorized. Werth applied for permission to mobilize on 1 April, since a mobilization order had to be approved by the cabinet and issued by the regent over the signature of the minister of defense. Werth expected

7824-628: The Romanian Ploiești oilfields from which Nazi Germany obtained most of its oil. In 1940 and early 1941, Hungary , Romania , and Bulgaria all agreed to adhere to the Tripartite Pact and thus join the Axis. Hitler then pressured Yugoslavia to join as well. The Regent, Prince Paul , yielded to this pressure, and declared Yugoslavia's accession to the Pact on 25 March 1941. This move

7987-515: The Sava bank began in 1936. In the 1930s members of Belgrade's affluent elite began to buy land from the villagers of Bežanija, which at that time, administratively spread all the way to the King Alexander Bridge, which was a dividing point between Bežanija and Zemun. From 1933 a settlement, consisting mostly of individual villas, began to develop. Also, a group of White Russian emigrants built several small buildings, mostly rented by

8150-408: The Sava in the neighboring Ušće, starting in 1991, became a location of numerous barges (Serbian splav , plural splavovi ), which became central venues of the city's modern nightlife . From the summer of 1996, the splavovi spread along the bank of Staro Sajmište, too. Numerous shootouts in the venues, which included the river police and fatalities, ensued. Until that point, only turbo folk music

8313-402: The Sava's left bank in the night of 20/21 October 1944. The operation was organized and conducted by Aleksey Alekseyevich Matushkin and Grigory Nikolayevich Okhirmenko. The bridge had a wooden driveway until 1964, when the planners suggested the reconstruction of the bridge to the mayor Branko Pešić . After a five-year reconstruction a new concrete panel was placed in 1969. After opting against

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8476-659: The Sava, on the southwest. South of the Zemunski put , a Sajmište parking lot is located where inappropriately parked cars are tolled to. Along the quay on the bank of the Sava in Block 18, there is a Park Republika Srpska , formerly Park of the Non-aligned . Southern section of local community, which covers 52 ha (130 acres), of which 15 ha (37 acres) is covered by the Park Republika Srpska and

8639-546: The Sava, the name "Old Sava bridge" replaced it. Today, after almost 35 years of tram traffic over it, many Belgraders colloquially call it the "Tram bridge". None of the names were official. A citizens association called "Imamo plan" with the support of the Savski Venac municipality is collected signatures for the initiative of naming the bridge after Miladin Zarić, the brave teacher who saved it. City commission which names

8802-716: The Savamala section at the tunnel's entry point, and relocation of, by the mid-2022 still unknown, number of residents. In November 2022, the government took a loan for demolition of the old bridge, and construction of the new one. The cost of the entire project was said to be €94 million, of which €80 million will come from this credit. Construction works were awarded to the Power China International Group Limited, without any transparent or legally mandatory procedure. Former mayor Dragan Đilas (2008-2012) and city chief architect Đorđe Bobić defended

8965-605: The Slovenes did not feel abandoned, defences were built on Yugoslavia's northern border when the natural line of defence was much further south, based on the rivers Sava and Drina. The only effective opposition to the invasion was from wholly Serbian units within the borders of Serbia itself. The Germans, thrusting north-west from Skopje , were held up at Kacanik Pass and lost several tanks (P39, Buckley C "Greece and Crete 1941" HMSO 1977). In its worst expression, Yugoslavia's defenses were badly compromised on 10 April 1941, when some of

9128-588: The Tripartite Pact after a meeting with Hitler in Berchtesgarden . At the meeting, Hitler spoke of his intention to aid Italy against Greece, thereby preparing the Hungarians for his future demands. On 13 December 1940—the day after the Hungaro-Yugoslav Non-Aggression Pact and the day Hitler issued Führer Directive No. 20 —major German troop movements began. The Germans had initially promised to supply 180 locomotives for

9291-572: The Tripartite Pact. At the time Germany informed Romania that she would not be expected to participate in an attack on Greece, but that Germany wanted to use Romanian territory to provide a base for a German attack. On 24 November, Antonescu met with Wilhelm Keitel , chief of the Oberkommando der Wehrmacht , to discuss common defense. As a result of this meeting, the 16th Panzer Division was sent to Romania in late December. The 12th Army and First Panzer Group, along with heavy bridging equipment for

9454-520: The United States of America in the months just preceding the invasion. Fully mobilized, the Yugoslav Army fielded 28 infantry divisions, three cavalry divisions, and 35 independent regiments. Of the independent regiments, 16 were in frontier fortifications and 19 were organized as combined regiments, or "Odred", around the size of a reinforced brigade. Each Odred had one to three infantry regiments and one to three artillery battalions, with three organised as "alpine" units. The German attack, however, caught

9617-447: The Yugoslav Army; the XLI Panzer Corps from Romania towards Belgrade, the XLVI Panzer Corps from Hungary across the Drava , the LI Infantry Corps from Austria towards Zagreb , and the XLIX Mountain Corps from Austria towards Celje . By the end of that day, the Yugoslav Army was disintegrating, and was in retreat or surrendering right across the country, with the exception of the forces on the Albanian frontier. Italy and Hungary joined

9780-615: The Yugoslav airline Aeroput , consisting mainly of six Lockheed Model 10 Electras , three Spartan Cruisers , and one de Havilland Dragon were mobilised to provide transport services to the VVKJ. The KJRM was equipped with one elderly ex-German light cruiser (suitable only for training purposes), one large modern destroyer flotilla leader of British design, three modern destroyers of French design (two built in Yugoslavia plus another still under construction), one seaplane tender , four modern submarines (two older French-built and two British-built) and 10 modern motor torpedo boats (MTBs), of

9943-431: The amateur jumps by the fair visitors. Construction of Staro Sajmište was an important, almost pivotal occurrence in urban development of Belgrade at the time, not only due to its economic importance. The complex was the only fully encircled spatial unit, excelling and singling out itself compared to other social centers in the city. It also included the first planned greening of the modern New Belgrade area. The project for

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10106-415: The army still mobilizing, and only some 11 divisions were in their planned defense positions at the start of the invasion. The Yugoslavs had delayed full mobilisation until 3 April in order not to provoke Hitler. The units were filled to between 70 and 90 percent of their strength as mobilization was not completed. The Yugoslav Army was about 1,200,000 in total as the German invasion commenced. The VVKJ had

10269-454: The attack on Yugoslavia was already planned and Hungary's participation had been secured. King Carol II of Romania , starting from the cession of Bessarabia and Northern Bukovina to the Soviet Union, proposed in a letter to Adolf Hitler on 2 July 1940 that Germany send a military mission to Romania. The Romanian government asked that a mission be sent urgently on 7 September 1940, the day after Carol's abdication. The decision to aid Romania

10432-487: The barges, and the solemnity of the neighborhood given its war history, continued for decades. Ultimately, all barges were moved out of Staro Sajmište by the late 2010s. The quay section in front of the monument was named Bank of the Jasenovac's Victims in 2022, when a memorial plaque was dedicated between the river and the monument. As the rest of New Belgrade developed, Staro Sajmište in time became surrounded by various important economic, commercial and landmark features of

10595-399: The best case scenario, the construction won't start before 2020. Though it was reported by September 2019 that the plan is a no-go because of the other projects, the investor stated it is not giving up on this location. In the previous decades, all city plans treated this area as part of the Sava Amphitheatre, one urban unit with Savamala across the river in the old section of Belgrade. This

10758-494: The bridge after them". Vesić added that Zarić's action was suppressed during Yugoslavia because "everyone knew a real story" and that "Zarić myth" developed after the 1978 episode of the popular Povratak otpisanih series, which treated the event. Then, on 9 December 2022, Belgrade's new city manager Miroslav Čučković said that the bridge will not be demolished. Instead, the pillars will be expanded, and additional constructions, "two twin brothers", will be added on both sides of

10921-449: The bridge as an integral part of the Staro Sajmište memorial complex. It would be indented into the bank (thus not reaching the other bank, and remaining "unfinished"), placed in the axis with the existing monument, and adapted as a glazed passage with 39,000 chimes, representing casualties in the camp Sajmište. In August 2023, President of Serbia Aleksandar Vučić said the "place for the bridge has been already found", connecting Zemun and

11084-430: The bridge in 1944. Šapić, who during the election campaign adamantly called Zarić a hero who deserves a monument, now claimed that "he thinks we should make it up to this man and erect some monument or maybe to name something after him". Former deputy mayor Vesić authored a piece, essentially denouncing Zarić. He claimed that Zarić done nothing, and that Soviets demined the bridge, despite Zarić never claimed he demined

11247-429: The bridge in three parts, thorough reconstruction and elevation on the higher post. It was estimated that this entire operation would cost more than a construction of a completely new pedestrian bridge on that location. Stojčić then pushed the idea of just dragging the bridge on dry land in the neighborhood of Ušće, where it would be embellished with greenery while the shops will be built under the "dry bridge". He described

11410-419: The bridge to relocate to Ušće, that citizens will vote in the future, that previous vote was long time ago so the citizens should vote again, etc. Experts continued to oppose the project, especially since the bridge is fully functional. The voting was debunked as being rigged and missing the option of leaving the bridge where it is, while the opposition parties claimed they will physically prevent demolition of

11573-405: The bridge, not causing any major damage. German artillery batteries were then silenced by the incoming Soviet artillery and attack aviation . After this, the bridge remained as the only operational bridge in Belgrade. Full demining of the bridge was also conducted by the Red Army. All accesses to the bridge were heavily fortified, so the only available approach was via the river. Soviet ships of

11736-475: The bridge. In December 2019 city announced that, with 3,454 votes (or 0.2% of total Belgrade population) against 2,836, the more expensive idea of relocation on dry land was chosen. In December 2019, though not having a jurisdiction over the issue, State Institute for the Protection of Cultural Monuments supported the initiative for placing the bridge under the legal protection. In April 2020, during

11899-446: The bridge. Due to its history, the bridge is said to have very important place and role in Belgrade's skyline and memory and is considered by many citizens as one of the city symbols. However, starting in 2016 and 2017, the city administration decided to demolish it and build the new bridge instead to be more "modern" because of the nearby Belgrade Waterfront project. This met with fierce public and experts opposition, with city changing

12062-473: The bridge. As he couldn't extinguish the fire himself, he called Red Army soldiers and a group of 12 soldiers from the guard's firing regiment, headed by major Nikanor Kornyeyevich Tkachenko, responded. The Soviets fought through across the bridge, forming a bridgehead on the other side. German artillery was heavily shelling the bridge in an effort to destroy it. In a bit over one hour they fired some 350 105 mm (4.1 in) shells, but only three actually hit

12225-670: The camp existed. During their heavy “Easter bombing” of Belgrade, Allied aircraft bombed Sajmište on 17 April 1944, killing some 100 inmates and inflicting heavy damage on the camp itself, destroying all the buildings except for the Spasić pavilion and the Central tower. Among others, prisoners included Serbian women, children and the elderly from Kozara region, entire Jewish families from Belgrade and other cities, Romani families, as well as entire Serbian populations of different Syrmian villages. Initial Yugoslav estimates conducted in 1948 put

12388-479: The campaign against Greece. On 27 March 1941, Hitler informed the Hungarian ambassador, Döme Sztójay , and gave an official proposal to Hungary for participation in the attack on Yugoslavia. Hitler confidentially told Miklós Horthy that Germany fully recognizes the Hungarian territorial claims in relation to Yugoslavia and that he can take Bačka and Banat, and added "take as much as you want". Horthy mostly agreed and accepted Hitler's suggestions. A Hungarian response

12551-413: The city publicized the project papers, it was obvious that all the time they wanted to demolish the bridge completely and build a new one, even though they publicly talked about the reconstruction. Mali and Folić now claimed that the bridge was obsolete, unsuitable for traffic, with rotten wooden piles and obstructing the river traffic. Former condition, that the arch must be preserved was watered down into

12714-403: The city streets, squares and bridges, in early 2017 neither accepted nor rejected the proposal. The bridge was built in 1942, during the German occupation, because the only remaining bridge crossing the river Sava at that time was demolished. For that reason, the purpose of the bridge was transportation between the two river banks. The construction of the bridge was planned to be installed over

12877-464: The city's Institute for the culture monuments protection suggested for the original arch to be preserved, but he personally is confident that the commission will take in account that it is an architecturally unimportant German military bridge which, Folić is sure, will soon become unsafe. A new project of the futuristic white bridge was unveiled on 15 June 2017. Mayor Mali stated that the old bridge will not be demolished, but moved to another location which

13040-422: The completion of the works was set to 2021. In May 2019 the demolition was postponed for 2020. The new location was also chosen by the citizens on a partial popular vote in 2017. In July 2019, however, Stojčić said that the citizens will again vote for the new location, as the city administration finally admitted the original concerns that the relocation will be complicated and pricey. It would include cutting of

13203-603: The complex themselves and the area became the gathering site for vagrants and criminals, so the ateliers are often looted. Population of the local community was 3,147 in 1981, 2,240 in 1991, 2,250 in 2002 and 1,862 in 2011. After the new site of the Belgrade Fair was constructed on the right bank of the Sava, Sajmište became known as Staro Sajmište ( old fair ground ). Old sandy beach on the Sava bank in Staro Sajmište used to be called "Nica" ( Nice ), after kafana where

13366-415: The construction of metro , despite developing the project for over a decade, in 1984 the tramway tracks were laid over the bridge and the concrete panel was replaced with the steel one. The traffic on the bridge has always been minor compared to the other bridges crossing the river, especially until the 1990s, due to the bad access to the bridge on the Novi Beograd side. It was one of the main reasons why

13529-582: The coup in Yugoslavia, Hitler called his military advisers to Berlin on 27 March. On the same day as the coup he issued Führer Directive 25 , which called for Yugoslavia to be treated as a hostile state. Hitler took the coup as a personal insult, and was so angered that he was determined, in his words, "to destroy Yugoslavia militarily and as a state" ( Jugoslawien militärisch und als Staatsgebilde zu zerschlagen ) and to do so "with pitiless harshness" and "without waiting for possible declarations of loyalty of

13692-612: The death toll at 50,000, with 100,000 total inmates. According to the Helsinki Committee for Human Rights in Serbia , the death toll was exaggerated by the Communist Party for political purposes, with the real number of inmates being about 50,000 and 20,000 killed. It is estimated that half of all Serbian Jews perished in the camp. The Staro Sajmište memorial cites 23,000 fatalities, of which 10,000 were Jewish. After

13855-580: The direction of Belgrade on 8 April, the force was redeployed in three groups: one along the Turkish border, one along the Greek border and one along the Yugoslav border. Motorized transport was brought in from Romania to achieve this feat in a few days. Although German troops had been refused the right to transit Hungary for the invasion of Poland in 1939, they were permitted to pass through Hungary as civilians on their way to Romania in 1940. In September 1940

14018-612: The economy of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia as well. On the first exhibition from September 1937, there were 883 exhibitors, 493 Yugoslav and 390 foreign (17 countries from Europe, America and Asia). It had 310,000 visitors, while at the 1931 census Belgrade had a population of 266,849. In September 1938 one of the exhibitions on the fair was the first presentation of television in this part of Europe (it will be 18 years before first television station in communist Yugoslavia will appear), by Philips. The first motor show, 1938 Belgrade Car Show ,

14181-401: The end of December over a thousand German troops in civilian clothing were active in Bulgaria, although the latter's government continued to deny it. Bombers and dive-bombers were also gradually moved into Bulgaria, beginning in November. By the end of March 1941, the Luftwaffe had 355 aircraft in the country. On 17 February 1941, Bulgaria signed a non-aggression pact with Turkey , paving

14344-421: The entire bridge, and openly admitted that he noticed Soviet soldiers on the bridge and asked for their help. Vesić also claimed that Belgraders hated the bridge as a symbol of Nazi occupation. He dismissed the fact that Zarić was awarded medals for his action, and not only Yugoslav ones, as Josip Broz Tito 's regime propaganda, praising medals awarded to the Soviet soldiers and complaining that "no one asks to name

14507-423: The eve of invasion, clothing and footwear were available for only two-thirds or so of the potential front-line troops and only partially for other troops; some other essential supplies were available for only a third of the front-line troops; medical and sanitary supplies were available for only a few weeks, and supplies of food for men and feed for livestock were available for only about two months. In all cases there

14670-577: The fifth column had little effect on the ultimate outcome. The invasion ended when an armistice was signed on 17 April 1941, based on the unconditional surrender of the Yugoslav army, which came into effect at noon on 18 April. The Kingdom of Yugoslavia was then occupied and partitioned by the Axis powers. Most of Serbia and the Banat became a German zone of occupation while other areas of Yugoslavia were annexed by neighboring Axis countries, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Albania and Bulgaria. Croatia became

14833-592: The following day. Prime Minister Pál Teleki sought to prevent German troops passing through Hungary and cited the peace treaty with Yugoslavia as an impediment to co-operation with the Germans. On 1 April, Yugoslavia redesignated its Assault Command as the Chetnik Command , named after the Serb guerrilla forces from World War I , which had resisted the Central Powers . The command was intended to lead

14996-625: The future of the bridge several times (expansion, upgrade, demolition, relocation on various locations) before claiming that citizens voted online to relocate it on dry land in the Ušće Park , as an "attraction". The reporters and public distanced from the voting, some debunking it as being rigged and unrepresentative. During the World War II, Germans called the bridge " Prince Eugen ". After 1945, citizens called it simply "German bridge" or "Schwabian bridge" and, as other bridges were built across

15159-632: The greenery arrangement in the complex was done by engineer Aleksandar Krstić. After the April war of 1941 when Germany and its allies occupied and partitioned the Kingdom of Yugoslavia, entire Syrmia region (including the left bank of the Sava) became part of the Independent State of Croatia . Nazi secret police, Gestapo , took over Sajmište. They encircled it with several rings of barbed wire turning it into what they referred to as "collection center" –

15322-442: The ground offensive on 11 April. The Italian part in the ground offensive began when their 2nd Army attacked from northeastern Italy towards Ljubljana and down the Dalmatian coast, meeting virtually no resistance. On the same day, the Hungarian 3rd Army crossed the Yugoslav border and advanced toward Novi Sad , but like the Italians, they met no serious resistance. On 12 April, German troops captured Belgrade, and Ljubljana fell to

15485-497: The hard pressed Yugoslav Army by strafing attacking troop and mechanized columns in Croatia, Bosnia and Serbia (sometimes taking off and strafing the troops attacking the very base being evacuated). After a combination of air combat losses, losses on the ground to enemy air attack on bases and the overrunning of airfields by enemy troops, after 11 days the VVKJ almost ceased to exist. However, continued domestic aircraft production during

15648-662: The invasion and resultant fighting into two phases. The first phase encompasses the Luftwaffe ' s devastating air assault on Belgrade and airfields of the Royal Yugoslav Air Force of 6 April, and an initial thrust of the German XL Panzer Corps from Bulgaria towards Skopje that commenced the same day. This was followed by the assault of the German XIV Panzer Corps from Bulgaria towards Niš on 8 April. On 10 April, four more thrusts struck

15811-522: The invasion of Yugoslavia was part of the German Balkan Campaign (German: Balkanfeldzug ). In October 1940, Fascist Italy had attacked the Kingdom of Greece only to be forced back into Italian-occupied Albania . German dictator Adolf Hitler recognised the need to go to the aid of his ally, Italian dictator Benito Mussolini . Hitler did this not only to restore diminished Axis prestige, but also to prevent Britain from bombing

15974-410: The invasion supplied the VVKJ with an additional eight Hurricane Is, six Dornier Do 17 Ks, four Blenheim Is, two Ikarus IK 2s , one Rogozarski IK-3 and one Messerschmitt Bf 109 from the local aeronautical industry's aircraft factories and workshops. At the beginning of the April war, the VVKJ was armed with some 60 German designed Do 17Ks, purchased by Yugoslavia in the autumn of 1938, together with

16137-489: The invasion was put forward in " Führer Directive No. 25", which Adolf Hitler issued on 27 March 1941, following a Yugoslav coup d'état that overthrew the pro-Axis government. The invasion commenced with an overwhelming air attack on Belgrade and facilities of the Royal Yugoslav Air Force (VVKJ) by the Luftwaffe (German Air Force) and attacks by German land forces from southwestern Bulgaria . These attacks were followed by German thrusts from Romania , Hungary and

16300-537: The left bank of the Sava. In the period between the World Wars, settlements began to form on the left bank of the Sava river, closer to Belgrade, as the only existing settlement on the marshy territory of today's Novi Beograd at that time was the village of Bežanija , quite far away from Belgrade. Construction of the King Alexander Bridge lasted from 1930 to 1934, and the filling and embankment of

16463-479: The location as the "green area without useful value", so that no one would complain. It was estimated that, if everything went well, the new bridge won't be finished before 2022. In August 2019 it was announced that the new bridge will be built next to the existing one, and that Old Sava Bridge will remain in place until the new bridge is completed. A series of contradictory statements from Vesić and Stojčić ensued. They variously claimed that citizens already voted for

16626-602: The main attack on Subotica ( Szabadka ), with a secondary operation east of the river Tisza . Because of Romania's request that Hungarian troops not operate in the Banat , Paulus modified the Hungarian plan and kept their troops west of the Tisza. This final plan "was put down in map form", according to Paulus' account, and must have been telephoned to Berlin immediately so as to make into Operational Order No. 25, issued by Walther von Brauchitsch that same day. This final plan committed one Hungarian corps of three brigades west of

16789-470: The modern restaurant Ušće is located. At one point, the locality along the quay in Block 18 was chosen as the location of the new Belgrade Opera House. In November 1968, city council adopted a decision for the new opera house to be built along the river bank between the Gazela Bridge and the newly planned New Sava Bridge. The preparatory works were planned to start in 1969 and to finish by 1972 when

16952-460: The neighborhood was adopted by the city in 2016. It was designed by Vanja Panić, Marko Vesković and Aleksandar Knežević. It includes the complete demolition of the existing urban tissue in the block, which covers an area of 46.8 ha (116 acres). An expanded promenade is planned along the Sava bank. Closer to the Gazela bridge, is the location of the future large square with new opera house, while on

17115-461: The new bridge will have no purpose without the tunnel. The demolition was then postponed for the spring or summer of 2024, with long preparatory works added as the reason for delay. Icarus, a group of 300 Russian architects and designers proposed the revitalization of the bridge as the Half-Bridge of Memories, a memorial of the bridge's legacy. Vitaly Stadnikov headed the team which envisioned

17278-540: The new city. They include the Ušće Tower , Ušće Park , with the skatepark, on the north; a complex of business buildings ( Naftna Industrija Srbije , Huawei , Delta Holding , Genex Apartments, Savograd), hotels ( Crowne Plaza Belgrade , Hyatt Regency Belgrade ) and multi-purpose building of Sava Centar , on the west; industrial facilities of Savski Nasip, peninsula of Mala Ciganlija and the Bežanija winter shelter, an arm of

17441-402: The new government". Hungary had joined the Tripartite Pact on 20 November 1940. On 12 December, it also concluded a treaty with Yugoslavia calling for "permanent peace and eternal friendship". The Hungarian leadership was split after Germany's War Directive 25 was delivered on 27 March 1941. Regent Miklós Horthy and the military favoured taking part in the invasion of Yugoslavia and mobilized

17604-486: The next 15 months, both Mali and the city architect, Milutin Folić, explained that the project was to include the widening of the bridge with one extra car lane in each direction and separate tram tracks. The metallic arch construction was supposed to be cut and elevated above the traffic lanes, effectively making the bridge on two levels and the documentation asked for the bridge's specific metal arch to be preserved. Upper level

17767-541: The northern parts of Italian-controlled Albania met with initial success, but was ultimately repelled into Dalmatia. Scholars have proposed several theories to explain the sudden collapse of the Royal Yugoslav forces , including poor training and equipment, generals eager to secure a quick cessation of hostilities, and fifth column activities by groups of Croatians, Slovenians, and ethnic Germans . The latter has been questioned by scholars who have suggested that

17930-486: The northwest began, King Victor Emmanuel III moved to a villa owned by the Pirzio Biroli family at Brazzacco, near Moruzzo , in order to be close to the front. Germany attacked Yugoslavia from bases in three countries besides itself: Hungary, Romania, and Bulgaria. German troops entered each of these countries under different pretenses and at different times. The first country to receive a German military mission

18093-526: The occupation of territory abandoned by the Yugoslavs. On 2 April Germany responded that the Paulus–Werth agreement was final, and German staff officers began arriving in Budapest that day. That same day the British informed Hungary that she would be treated as an enemy state if Germany made use of her territory or facilities in an attack on Yugoslavia. On the morning of 3 April, Pál Teleki committed suicide;

18256-482: The old bridge, but the new mayor, Aleksandar Šapić , was adamant to demolish it. Also, when the project was announced in 2017, the price was set to much lesser €58 million. Šapić caused further backlash saying he doesn't care what will happen with the old bridge after the demolition and called it a valueless "Nazi bridge", while activists reacted by painting a mural on bridge's pilar on the New Belgrade side, representing Miladin Zarić, who prevented Nazis from demolishing

18419-482: The old bridge. In February 2023 Šapić said the bridge will be demolished, cause it is "preventing development of Belgrade", now claiming that it is not safe cause it is cracking due to shaking, and said he is not worried about the citizens protests. Opposition in city parliament asked the BNP Paribas to stop crediting the bridge's demolition. Šapić announced demolition for June 2023, but then postponed it claiming

18582-412: The older vessels, there were six ex-Austrian Navy medium torpedo boats, six mine-layers, four large armoured river monitors and various auxiliary craft. The Yugoslav Army was organized into three army groups and the coastal defense troops. The 3rd Army Group was the strongest with the 3rd, 3rd Territorial, 5th and 6th Armies defending the borders with Romania, Bulgaria and Albania. The 2nd Army Group with

18745-465: The only connection between Central Serbia and Syrmia . Under the third pillar he noticed wooden casings filled with explosives and the fuse was already burning. He grabbed the spade , but it wasn't enough to cut the wire. He then took bloody bayonet which was next to the dead German soldier nearby and repeatedly hit the fuse until he cut the wire. Zarić then noticed three fires on the Zemun side of

18908-555: The original idea of widening the bridge would cost half of what the chosen project will cost in the end. In her essay, Aleksandra Pavićević from the Institute of Ethnography of the Serbian Academy of Sciences and Arts called the planned demolition "autodestructive" and "deranged, dissipating idea". Architect Dragoljub Bakić noted that, while the expansion of the bridge would be the most expensive and complicated solution, why

19071-589: The other side, close to Staro Sajmište, there will be a smaller square and the national gallery. A new pedestrian bridge across the river is also planned, which will connect Block 18 directly to the rest of the Belgrade Waterfront. Four skyscrapers, not taller than 100 m (330 ft) are projected: one along the Gazela, one next to the Hyatt Regency Belgrade, and two in the center of the block. A local, circular shuttle train line

19234-550: The planned crossing of the Danube, followed in January 1941. By January 1941 the total number of German effectives in Romania was 170,639. Those elements of the 12th Army that were to invade Yugoslavia from Romania assembled near Timișoara (Temeschwar). Between November 1940 and February 1941, the Luftwaffe gradually moved 135 fighters and reconnaissance aircraft into Romania (in 22–26 squadrons). In early April 1941 they moved

19397-533: The presence of German troops a violation of the Molotov–Ribbentrop Pact of 23 August 1939. By the middle of November, the 13th Motorised Infantry Division had been assembled in Romania and reinforced by the 4th Panzer Regiment , engineers and signal troops, as well as six fighter and two reconnaissance Luftwaffe squadrons, and some antiaircraft artillery. A total of seventy batteries of artillery were moved into Romania. On 23 November, Romania signed

19560-661: The proclamation of an Independent State of Croatia in Zagreb on 10 April, this scenario was realized, and Hungary joined the invasion, its army crossing into Yugoslavia the following day. The invasion was spearheaded by the German 2nd Army with elements of the 12th Army , First Panzer Group , and an independent panzer corps combined with overwhelming Luftwaffe support. The 19 German divisions included five panzer divisions , two motorised infantry divisions and two mountain divisions. The German force also included three well-equipped independent motorised infantry regiments and

19723-472: The promenade along the Sava. The rest is a completely residential area with individual housing. In the early 1990s the area was awarded to the Generalexport company for development. The company prepared the international architectural design competition, but the outbreak of the Yugoslav wars halted plans. After 2013 the area was added to the project of the controversial Belgrade Waterfront . A plan for

19886-494: The proper construction was to begin. The projected deadline was set in 1975. The decision was made as part of the 100th anniversary of the National Theatre in Belgrade , as Belgrade Opera, founded in 1919, is part of the theatre and shares its building. The entire project was later scrapped and neither the opera house nor the new bridge were built. As of March 2022, the opera still has no building of its own. The bank of

20049-487: The protection of the bridge began. In September 2021 Stojčić said the bridge will be demolished in 2022, when the construction of new bridge starts. By August 2022, city proposed that the new bridge should be constructed concurrently with the roundabout and the Savamala-Palilula tunnel , a massive project which should be in the extension of the bridge's thoroughfare. However, this project includes demolition of

20212-746: The regent immediately cancelled the mobilization order already given except for the Border Guard and the Mobile Corps, which prompted Werth to resign. Horthy then authorized the mobilization of the Fourth and Fifth Corps and the Mountain Brigade, and Werth withdrew his resignation. This occurred so late in the day that zero hour for mobilization to begin was given as midnight of 5 April. On the morning of 3 April, German units, including tanks and aircraft, bound for Romania passed openly through Budapest. The Italian 2nd Army and 9th Army committed

20375-448: The regimental-sized Fronte a Terra (Land Front), which comprised three static machine gun battalions and a bicycle-mounted Bersaglieri battalion, and the battalion-strength Fronte a Mare (Sea Front), which consisted of two machine gun companies, an anti-aircraft battery, a coastal artillery battery and a naval artillery battery. Supporting units consisted of an artillery regiment of three battalions, two independent artillery battalions,

20538-631: The remains into the memorial center and museum began on 27 July 2022. In November 2018 it was announced that a monument to the humanitarian Diana Budisavljević will be placed along the quay, next to the already existing memorial. Budisavljević saved 15,000 children (12,000 of which survived) from perishing in the Concentration camps in the Independent State of Croatia , operated by the Ustaše regime during World War II. City decided to erect

20701-462: The river and none of them prevents the traffic. He also addressed the wooden piles, saying that they are made of oak wood which is protected and can last almost forever. Plus, there are techniques to preserve them anyway, citing the example of Venice in Italy , which is mostly built on wooden piles. He also considers that the steel construction is an advantage, as the bridge can easily be widened, like

20864-542: The small Royal Yugoslav Navy ( Serbo-Croatian Latin : Kraljevska Jugoslovenska Ratna Mornarica , KJRM) centred around four destroyers and four submarines based on the Adriatic coast and some river monitors on the Danube . The VKJ was heavily reliant on animal-powered transport , was only partly mobilised at the time of the invasion, and had only 50 tanks that could engage German tanks on an equal basis. The VVKJ

21027-428: The south it extended into the former informal settlement Cardboard city , and further into industrialized neighborhood of Savski Nasip . Although this is what is usually considered as the Staro Sajmište, local community (sub-municipal administrative unit) of the same name also includes the entire Block 18 to the south, which is located between the streets of Vladimira Popovića and Zemunski put , Gazela Bridge and

21190-667: The south, the VVKJ could simply not match the overwhelming Luftwaffe and Regia Aeronautica superiority in terms of numbers, tactical deployment and combat experience. The bomber and maritime force hit targets in Italy, Germany (Austria), Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria, Albania and Greece, as well as attacking German, Italian and Hungarian troops. Meanwhile, the fighter squadrons inflicted not insignificant losses on escorted Luftwaffe bomber raids on Belgrade and Serbia, as well as upon Regia Aeronautica raids on Dalmatia, Bosnia, Herzegovina and Montenegro. The VVKJ also provided direct air support to

21353-502: The special train "Atlas" of the Armed Forces Operations Staff ( Wehrmachtführungsstabes , WFSt). "Atlas" did not arrive at Mönichkirchen until 11 April, well after operations were underway, and "Amerika" only arrived the following day. Mönichkirchen was chosen because a nearby rail tunnel could provide shelter in the event of air attack. Both trains returned to Berlin on 26 April. After the Italian invasion in

21516-432: The suggestion that the new bridge should resemble the old one, but a day later Folić said that it is just a recommendation and that city doesn't have to follow it, also trivializing the bridge itself labeling it "just one of many generic German bridges". Citizens objected immediately, organizing a petition and claiming that the bridge has a traditional and historic value, as the only bridge that Germans wanted to destroy during

21679-402: The tallest structure in Belgrade. The tower was an imposing and domineering structure, which, due to its height and position in the flat and low terrain, was visible from all parts of Belgrade from across the river. It was claimed that the Škoda Tower was the tallest facility of its kind in both Europe and the world. It was used both for the professional training of the parachutists, but also for

21842-526: The transfers, but later the Hungarians were complaining that only 130 had arrived. On 24 December, István Horthy , President of Hungarian State Railways (HSR), demanded negotiations before implementing requested German increases, but Ambassador Otto von Erdmannsdorf informed him that it had all been settled in Vienna by Keitel and Csáky. The German traffic was so large that on 28 December the HSR had to suspend travel on all its trains for several days on account of

22005-524: The units in the Croatian-manned 4th and 7th Armies mutinied, and a newly formed Croatian government hailed the entry of the Germans into Zagreb the same day. The Serbian General Staff were united on the question of Yugoslavia as a "Greater Serbia", ruled, in one way or another, by Serbia. On the eve of the invasion, there were 165 generals on the Yugoslav active list. Of these, all but four were Serbs. Professor Jozo Tomasevich and others divide

22168-511: The various models often lacked proper repair and maintenance facilities. The only mechanized units were six motorized infantry battalions in the three cavalry divisions, six motorized artillery regiments, two tank battalions equipped with 110 tanks, one of which had Renault FT models of First World War origin and the other 54 modern French Renault R35 tanks, plus an independent tank company with eight Czech T-32 (Š-I-D) tank destroyers. Some 1,000 trucks for military purposes had been imported from

22331-415: The vast reconstruction of the bridge did not start until 13 October 2007 and was finished on 31 March 2008. The reconstruction included new traffic signals, poured asphalt, fences and decorative lighting. The capacity of the bridge was increased to 30,000 vehicles per day. In March 2016, mayor of Belgrade Siniša Mali announced the massive reconstruction of the bridge, slated to begin in the late 2017. In

22494-408: The war the settlement was totally neglected for years and gradually started falling apart. Former fair buildings were awarded to some prominent artists (painters and sculptors) as their ateliers . The Škoda Tower managed to survive all the bombings during the war, so as fighting during the Belgrade offensive in October 1944. New Communist authorities decided to demolish it, though the exact reason why

22657-670: The war, but failed to do so. Engineer Ljuba Kostić, who constructed several bridges, including the Pavlovića Ćuprija on the Drina , criticized the project. He said that if the bridge didn't obstruct the river traffic for 75 years, it will not start now, plus, the other bridges in Belgrade area, in Obrenovac , Ostružnica (both on the Sava) and Pupin Bridge (on the Danube), all have pylons in

22820-564: The way for its adherence to the Tripartite Pact, which was signed by Prime Minister Bogdan Filov in Vienna on 1 March. When Ivan V. Petrov, member of the National Assembly from Yablanitsa , asked why the Assembly had not been consulted, Filov pointed out that the constitution only required parliamentary approval prior to ratification. The signing was ratified by a vote in the Assembly of 140 to 20. The first German troops crossed

22983-471: The works on the bridge were pushed from 2018 to the spring of 2019. As the contract for the conceptual design was signed only in February 2018 and the deadline is set in 10 months, the construction was pushed to the second half of 2019, despite the continuing criticism of the entire idea of demolishing and relocating the old bridge. Only then the cost will be known, too. Also, the project was described as

23146-424: Was Romania. Ostensibly to train the Romanian armed forces, its real purpose was to protect Romania's petroleum resources and prepare for an attack on the Soviet Union. The Wehrmacht entered Bulgaria more circumspectly, first with the intention of providing aerial defense against any force attacking Romania's oilfields and later with that of invading Greece in support of Italy. German troops did not enter Hungary until

23309-420: Was about to be invaded. On 3 April, Hitler issued War Directive 26 detailing the plan of attack and command structure for the invasion as well as promising Hungary territorial gains. The same day Teleki killed himself. Horthy, seeking a compromise, informed Hitler that evening that Hungary would abide by the treaty, though it would likely cease to apply should Croatia secede, and Yugoslavia cease to exist. Upon

23472-407: Was all changed because of the project Belgrade Waterfront which officially kept this part within its scopes, but envisioned completely independent urban development. Despite the fierce opposition of the professional architects and urbanists, city refused to organize the international design competition in 2016. Because of this, and the even stronger opposition to the Belgrade Waterfront in general, it

23635-415: Was announced as Belgrade's version of The City . The basis for the project, however, must be the 2016 project and it is not clear how much of the project company plans to participate in as their plans exceed the area they can built on at the moment. Also, it is still not decided whether the lots will be sold to the company or will it lease it from the city. As of this period no works have been done and even in

23798-484: Was demolished in November 1945. The next Belgrade structure that would surpass the tower's height was the 101 metres (331 ft) tall Beograđanka building in 1974, almost 30 years later. Nothing remained of the tower, and a football pitch of FK Brodarac was built on its location. Finally on 9 July 1987, Belgrade City Assembly decided to make Staro Sajmište a cultural site, thereby protecting it from real-estate expansion development. In 1992 city administration adopted

23961-794: Was equipped with a range of aircraft of Yugoslav, German, Italian, French and British design, including less than 120 modern fighter aircraft . Formed after World War I , the VKJ was still largely equipped with weapons and material from that era, although some modernization with Czech equipment and vehicles had begun. Of about 4,000 artillery pieces, many were aged and horse-drawn, but about 1,700 were relatively modern, including 812 Czech 37mm and 47mm anti-tank guns. There were also about 2,300 mortars, including 1600 modern 81mm pieces, as well as twenty-four 220 and 305mm pieces. Of 940 anti-aircraft guns, 360 were 15 mm and 20 mm Czech and Italian models. All of these arms were imported, from different sources;

24124-460: Was hammered out in council and delivered the following day (28 March). On 30 March, General Friedrich Paulus arrived in Budapest and met with Henrik Werth , chief of the Hungarian general staff, and Major General László Deseő . The Hungarians proposed they mobilize five divisions for the attack on Yugoslavia. Two were to be held in reserve, while the First , Fifth and Mobile Corps were to conduct

24287-533: Was held in March 1938. After Yugoslav government signed a deal with the Czechoslovakian Škoda Works for the purchase of 300 tanks in 1937, as a gesture of thanks, the company decided to donate the towering construction as the parachuting attraction. The "parachutists tower" was opened on 2 June 1938, dedicated with lavish ceremony. The latticed steel construction was 74 metres (243 ft) tall, becoming

24450-653: Was highly unpopular with the Serb -dominated officer corps of the military, Serbian organizations such as National Defense and the Chetniks Association , the Serbian Orthodox Church , a large part of the Serbian population as well as liberals and Communists. Military officers (predominantly Serbs) executed a coup d'état on 27 March 1941, forced the Regent to resign, and declared 17-year-old King Peter II to be of age. Upon hearing news of

24613-557: Was little or no possibility of replenishment. Beyond the problems of inadequate equipment and incomplete mobilization, the Yugoslav Army suffered badly from the Serbo-Croat schism in Yugoslav politics. "Yugoslav" resistance to the invasion collapsed overnight. The main reason was that none of the subordinate national groups, including Slovenes and Croats, were prepared to fight in defence of a Serbian Yugoslavia. Also, so that

24776-456: Was not known. It is suspected that this was due to the highly negative perception among the citizens because of the role the tower had during the war years when it was equipped with searchlights and several machine gun nests to monitor the area and the river, and to stop those trying to escape the lager, earning the moniker "death tower". Located in the southeast corner of the Sajmište complex, it

24939-579: Was placed on temporary wooden sheet piles and the bridge was completely finished in six months. Due to the light construction, the bridge was still inadequate for the heavy machinery and vehicles, so Germans decided to repair the Old Railway Bridge . It was the only big European bridge that was not demolished during the German withdrawals. The Ludendorff Bridge across the Rhine , famed "bridge at Remagen ", Germans also failed to destroy, but it

25102-414: Was played in the venues, but the barges in Staro Sajmište were the first where "urban" splavovi appeared and the entire sub-culture originating in the venues became mainstream. These barges had "historical importance" for the expansion and acceptance of the venues as an authentic part of the Belgrade's nightlife and tourist offering. However, the constant public conflict between the cheap fun and criminal on

25265-600: Was so damaged, that it collapsed in March 1945, soon after being captured by the Allies. In October 1944 the German Army started to retreat from Belgrade and on their way, they planned to mine the bridge. Miladin Zarić , a teacher who lived near the bridge, watched for several days where Germans placed the explosives. On 20 October, as the Red Army approached, he went to the bridge and decided to risk his life and save

25428-578: Was supported by a cavalry regiment, three Border Guard battalions, a Finance Guard battalion and two military police (Italian: Carabinieri Reali ) battalions. The XVII Corps included the Diamanti Blackshirt group which incorporated six Blackshirt regiments comprising two battalions each, the Albanian-raised Skanderbeg Blackshirt regiment of two battalions, another Blackshirt regiment of two battalions,

25591-407: Was supported by a motorised artillery regiment consisting of three battalions, and a motorised engineer battalion. In Albania, the elements of the Italian 9th Army (Italian: 9° Armata ) that were involved in the campaign were commanded by Generale d’Armata (General) Alessandro Pirzio Biroli , and consisted of two infantry corps and some sector troops assembled in northern Albania. XIV Corps

25754-732: Was supported by over 750 aircraft. The Italian 2nd Army and 9th Army committed a total of 22 divisions and 666 aircraft to the operation. The Hungarian 3rd Army also participated in the invasion, with support available from over 500 aircraft. During the April War, the Führer Headquarters (FHQ) was codenamed Frühlingssturm (Spring Storm) and consisted of the Führersonderzug (Special Führer 's Train) codenamed "Amerika" stationed in Mönichkirchen alongside

25917-407: Was taken on 19 September, and Hungary was asked to provide transit to German soldiers on 30 September. The first troops entered Romania on 10 October. They entered Bucharest two days later (12 October) to shouts of Heil! The official explanation for the presence of German troops was that they were there to train the Romanian army. Hitler's directive to the troops on 10 October had stated that "it

26080-463: Was that six trains would pass through Hungary at night carrying German soldiers in sealed cars. They would not be allowed out, and they would not have any rail transportation officers (RTOs) or supply officers with them. According to György Barcza , the Hungarian ambassador in London, answering the British government's query, it was Romania that had made the request. In his notes, Barcza indicated that

26243-469: Was to be transformed into one large memorial, but it all remained on paper. The idea was constantly present, gaining media and political momentum in the 2010s, but by 2022 nothing has been actually done. On 24 February 2020, National Assembly of Serbia adopted the law which established the Memorial Center "Staro Sajmište". Reconstruction of the central tower, as the first step in the adaptation of

26406-548: Was to be turned into the pedestrian and bicycle paths with lush vegetation. Ending constructions were to be replaced and instead of the main bridge span one pillar with the joint beam was projected. Width of the navigation path on the Sava river at the bridge's main span was to remain the same. They named the Tehran 's Tabiat Bridge as an inspiration, as Mali just returned from the official visit to Tehran. However, in May 2017, after

26569-584: Was told in the 12th episode, titled Most ("Bridge"). The episode was aired on 19 March 1978. Miladin Zarić's name was changed to Zaharije S. Jovanović, and he was portrayed by Nikola Milić  [ sr ] . Invasion of Yugoslavia The invasion of Yugoslavia , also known as the April War or Operation 25 , was a German -led attack on the Kingdom of Yugoslavia by the Axis powers which began on 6 April 1941 during World War II . The order for

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