Memories of the City Tour

During the last 30 years Belgrade has been invaded by a mushroom-like structure. Informal architectural developments, which are usually created without the participation of an architect, and have developed their individual styles, are spread all over the city, since the Yugoslavian war ended.

The inhabitants of Belgrade manifested themselves within these buildings and they reflect the historical signs of the past. These improvised and mostly rapidly built housing solutions are a mirror of a resilient nation that was affected by multiple wars, stagnation, constant upheavals and the flux of migrants.

The informal houses embody the memories of Belgrade: they are the result of personal patronage, clientelism, and corruption. Here, not only the failure of the administrative authorities and the state triggered a wave of construction that surpassed any other informal construction operation, but also uniform structures were created that were based on legal and official buildings and can therefore hardly be distinguished from one another.

Within this tour we will visit places throughout the city, which tell the history of Belgrade, its inhabitants and a turbulent past. Visitors will get the chance to experience the city’s story through a different lens: a story by the informal houses, which became the de facto basis for the functioning of society and the economy. The formula »instability of the formal« and »stability of the informal« describes complementary forms of a common energy underlying not only the administrative part, but also the urban and architectural transformation of Belgrade over the past twenty years.

Dates:

19.04.2019 – 12:00 – 14:00 (2 h duration)

20.04.2019 – 13:00 – 15:00 (2 h duration)

Meeting place: Plato, in front of the Faculty of Philosophy

Price: FREE

Language of instruction: English

Guide: Mara Siegel

Please register via stillinbelgradetours@gmail.com for this tour!