EIGHT DECADES OLD MYSTERY: Greatest curse of the capital, or just unfortunate destiny of supporting pillar of Branko bridge?

On this day in 1934 the first road bridge in Belgrade across Sava river was put in function. It was Zemun bridge of King Aleksandar I, today's Branko bridge. 

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So, Branko bridge is living its new, second life. 

Foto: Tanjug/Oksana Toskić

On the place where now stands the most famous bridge in our capital, there once was an old gentleman - bridge of King Aleksandar I. As we said, it was built in 1934, and it was considered to be the most beautiful structure in Belgrade at the time.

It's life lasted only seven years, and it was collapsed by Germans in 1941. Many people said that the curse has been fulfilled, which is haunting this place, so is the superstition.

Foto: A.Nalbantjan

Allegedly, the curse dates from 1862. In the place where was supporting pillar on the right coast of Sava river, which is still there today, and it used to be Liman mosque which was removed to build this bridge.

At the beginning of that year Turks have killed our boy near Cukur drinking fountain. That's when the bombing started. Muslims were hidden in the mosque, Serbs surrounded the place and burned it to the ground. 

Foto: Petar Lazović

Liman mosque was in ruins till 1930 until the construction of the bridge of King Aleksandar started. Ruins were removed and the supporting pillar was placed there.

As we said, Germans demolished the bridge of King Aleksandar seven years later.

The stone reliefs of the coat of arms of Kingdom of Yugoslavia were removed from the retaining walls on both sides of the bridge in the spring of 1947. New bridge was built in the place of the collapsed one in 1957, unofficially named "Branko bridge" according to the name of the street it extends to.

(Telegraf.co.uk)