Leaving the EU

Two weekends ago, my friend Laura and I went to Serbia for a visit to an Eastern European, non-EU country. As soon as you cross the border, you can tell you’ve left the EU. The roads aren’t quite as good and everything is just a little bit dirtier. Our first stop was the southern town of Nis. After a long bus ride, we were ready to get out and explore. We spent a day and a half exploring the beautiful city and getting our fill of history. During the period of Ottoman occupation, the Serbians in Nis tried to rise up and overthrow the regime. Instead, they were all killed, and their heads were cut off and made into a tower as a warning to all others considering rising up. You can still visit Skull Tower (Cele Kula) today, and we did. It was incredible. Normal people would have probably been a little freaked out by the sight of a tower of skulls, but we were fascinated. Sign number one that I would be an awesome archaeologist. Skulls intrigue instead of repulse. Also in Nis is a concentration camp from WWII. Unlike most German camps, this one is built in the center of town as a warning to Serbian citizens. It held mostly political prisoners (communists) as they awaited transport to larger concentration camps in Germany and Norway. Over the course of the war, 30,000 prisoners passed through Crveni Krst Concentration camp about 1,000 at a time. Although no one was killed at the camp, a total of 12,000 prisoners were taken to a hill outside Nis and shot.

Cele Kula - Skull Tower; Nis

Solitary Confinement in the Concentration Camp; Nis

Guard Towers around the Camp; Nis

After Nis, we visited Belgrade (woohoo!). It was not nearly as cute as Nis. We did do a lot of wandering and visited a number of different cultural and historical sites including all of the government buildings, Republic Square, the Bohemian District, and the fortress. While at the fortress, we found a church that was used as a military depot by the Austrians in the early 20th century. After Serbia gained independence, they used leftover bullet casings and sabers from the depots to make chandeliers for the church. It was super cool! We even wandered into an anti-NATO protest. NATO held a meeting in Belgrade this past week amidst bitter protests to their presence on Serbian soil after the 1999 bombings. Overall, we liked Nis much better. Belgrade was a lot more dirty and run down. Despite that, we had a good time, and I’m glad I made it to Serbia. I do not think I will go back anytime soon, but I would regret it if I had not gone.

Republic Square; Belgrade

Anti-NATO protest; Belgrade

At the fortress; Belgrade