Saddest scene in Kosancicev Venac: Nazis razed it to the ground, today the ruins are embraced by nature

The bare walls overgrown with grass and an occasional flower that appears from among the bricks are the remains of a place that many flocked to in search of their favorite book.

But on this day in 1941, the National Library of Serbia burned to the ground during a raid by German bombers, and the entire collection was destroyed.

In the hollow located in the capital's Kosancicev Venac neighborhood, there are memories that still permeate this space today. Many literary treasures were turned into ashes on April 6, 1941.

After all this suffering, nature embraced the remains of the building.

Today, the ruins remain in this place as a memorial to the former cultural center, and bushes and grass have taken over. A blue flower or two peeks out between the bricks, and green creeper plants hang down the walls like a curtain.

As in previous years, a wreath was laid today in memory of the destruction of the National Library of Serbia.

Citizens who gathered were addressed by Minister of Culture Maja Gojkovic, the German envoy for the Western Balkans, Manuel Saracen, and the director of the National Library of Serbia, Vladimir Pistalo.

(Telegraf.rs)