EXHIBITION ON BOMBING OF NATIONAL LIBRARY OF SERBIA IN 1941 OPENED

BANJA LUKA, APRIL 3 /SRNA/ - The Minister of Education and Culture of Republika Srpska Željka Stojičić said today that it is very important for the citizens of Srpska to see the exhibition dedicated to the bombing of the National Library of Serbia during World War II, when a significant collection of books, dating back several centuries, was lost.

Stojičić attended the exhibition opening in Banja Luka today, saying that it is of great importance to Republika Srpska and that it is important for it to be well-visited.

She added that this exhibition has strengthened the ties between Srpska and Serbia, emphasizing that it represents a highly significant collaboration between two cultural institutions. She also expressed gratitude to the Ministry of Culture of Serbia for its cooperation.

The Deputy Director of the National Library of Serbia, Dragan Purišić, says that the exhibition is dedicated to the destruction of the Library in Serbia during the bombing of Belgrade on April 6, 1941.

"This was the greatest cultural loss that occurred during World War II because the entire building, along with all books and documentation, was destroyed," Purišić emphasized.

The Director of the National and University Library of Republika Srpska, Ljiljana Petrović Zečić, said that the exhibition comes 84 years after the bombing of Belgrade, which resulted in the destruction of the National Library of Serbia and the burning of hundreds of thousands of books and documents.

According to her, this exhibition serves as both a testimony to history and a warning about the importance of preserving the spirit of a nation, as that is what libraries represent.

She said that alongside this exhibition, a monograph detailing the destruction of the National Library of Serbia was also created.

Zečić added that the National Library of Serbia is an important partner to the National and University Library of Republika Srpska, as they cooperate in all areas.

The exhibition was organized by the National Library of Serbia. It is one of many joint projects between the National Library of Serbia and the National and University Library of Republika Srpska.