ASSOCIATION OF ART HISTORIANS – SERBIA
Office: 11, Bozidara Adzije, 11 000 Belgrade
Tel. 00381-11-44-786, ext. 123; Fax 00381-11-444-9846

APPEAL TO THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY

As scholars, experts in the field of monument preservation,
museologists, art history professors, journalists covering cultural
matters, and officials in cultural institutions – art historians in
Serbia – directly responsible, both professionally and morally, for the
preservation and fate of the rich cultural heritage of Serbia and
Yugoslavia which has become the target of Nato war planes together with
the lives of civilians in this country, we strongly protest against
senseless attacks aimed at the monuments of culture on the territory of
Kosovo and Metohija, Serbia and Montenegro. We are appealing to our
colleagues, cultural institutions and the general public in the entire
world to raise their voices against this irrational insanity and evil
and stand up for the protection of the heritage which is part of
European and world culture and is under the protection of the UNESCO
Charter.

We strongly protest because the following monuments have become targets
of Nato missiles: the monastery of Gracanica, in the vicinity of
Pristina, a monument dating from the 14th century, a masterpiece of
medieval architeture and Byzantine fresco-painting; the archaeological
site of Ulpiana from the Roman and early Byzantine period. Precious
cultral monuments in Cetinje, Montenegro, have also been damaged by
shells. Rakovica Monastery located in a suburb of Belgrade has received
a brutal missile barrage. In the area under heavy, ceaseless bombardment
in Pristina is the Imperial mosque, a signicifant work of of Islamic
architecture from the second half of the 15th century, located in the
very centre of the city.

We are deeply concerned about the fate of 1,300 monuments of art, sacral
and secular buildings, preserved for posterity, which belong to the
cultural heritage of all the nations and religious affiliations on the
territory of Kosovo, Serbia and Yugoslavia. Many of them, including the
monasteries of Mileseva, Studenica and Sopocani, have been proclaimed by
UNESCO as world cultural heritage. All movable cultural assets and
works of art treasured in around 140 museums in Serbia are also
endangered.


  We are appealing once again to the international community to join us
in our efforts to protect the Serbian, Yugoslav and world cultural
heritage.


Belgrade, 29 March 1999

The Chairperson of the Assembly of the Association of Art Historians in
Serbia
Professor Marica Suput

The Chairperson of the Executive Board of the Association of Art
Historians in Serbia
Marko Omcikus






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