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The Government of the Republic of Serbia

In the service of citizens

Observation of 66 years from beginning of Second World War

Belgrade, 6 April 2007

The 66th anniversary of the beginning of the Second World War and the bombing of Serbian cities is being observed today with a series of commemorative events paying tribute to killed civilians and members of the army of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia.

Author: Fonet

Representatives of the Serbian Ministry of Labour, Employment and Social Policy, the city of Belgrade, the survivors and descendants of those killed during the April 6 bombing laid wreaths at localities in Belgrade, at the port of Vaznesenjska Crkva, at the monument to the victims at the shelter in Karadjordjev park and at the Lane of the victims at the New Cemetery.

Also, they laid wreaths to the monument of the victims on Zemunski kej near the hotel "Jugoslavija" and at the locality on Kosancicev venac, where airplanes of Nazi Germany destroyed the then National Library of Serbia on today's day in 1941.

A large number of civilians died in the so-called April war, which started on April 6, 1941 with a sudden bombing of Serbian towns and ended with the signing of capitulation of the Yugoslav army on April 17 the same year.

In massive bombings which lasted several days, several thousands of housing and other facilities across Serbia were destroyed, while bombing of Belgrade included destruction of hospitals, densely populated neighbourhoods and the complete destruction of the building of the Serbian National Library.

Although three days before the bombing, the army was withdrawn from Belgrade, which the government declared an open city, under which, according to the international war law, should have been exempted the capital from all war destructions but almost 440 tons of bombs were dropped on the Serbian capital.

The majority of Belgraders were at their homes since it was Easter on that day. The city was bombed three more times - on April 7, 11 and 12.

Representatives of the Ministry of Labour, Employment and Social Policy will lay wreaths during the afternoon at the monumental area in Jajinci. This locality is the largest execution site from the Second World War in Serbia and a commemorative ceremony will be held there.