“Understand this: things are now in motion that cannot be undone.” For those few who are not LOTR fans: This is a quote from the movie Lord of the Rings – The Return of the King. To be honest, every time I am in a bad mood, I watch LOTR. I have all three movies in their director’s cuts, each one of them about four hours long…

When I look at the new Stefan Nemanja monument, my first thought is the above quote.

Why? Because it is a symbol of a divided city: a magnificent monument to some and a tombstone for Belgrade’s past to others. For the majority citizens of Belgrade, the young ones especially, it’s the latter. Now, just a few important facts for those who are in Belgrade for the first time: the building beside the monument was, until a few years ago, the main railway station; now it will become a museum. The new railway station? It is the biggest puzzle in Belgrade! Not many can solve it…

I must mention here that Stefan Nemanja was a very important historical person, the founder of present Serbia. He lived in the 12th century and his orthodox monastery Studenica to the south is one of the most significant places in Serbia.

However, the height of the monument and its location are debatable.

If you come to Belgrade, you should visit this monument, but only knowing the above facts (and much more of course) can you see it and understand…