Cooperation

Stambol Gate stood once at the crossroads of different empires, a monumental entrance to the fortress/city on today’s Republic Square in Belgrade. Originally built in 1717 by the Habsburg monarchy as the ‘Württemberg Gate’, it was given its current name under Ottoman rule.

After the liberation of Belgrade from the Ottomans in 1866, the gate was demolished. However, one part of it was preserved in a Viennese suburb: the marble panels with Ottoman inscriptions, taken as spoils of war by the Austrian General Laudon in 1789.

These plaques bear witness to the battles, the history and the identity of Belgrade and are a symbol of resistance. An initiative is fighting to bring back these plaques — as part of a museum or public space, as a visible sign of historical heritage and as a reminder of the clashes of two empires.

Tour: Inicijativa za vraćanje kapije Beograda