Information
Landmark: Museum of Genocide VictimsCity: Belgrade
Country: Serbia
Continent: Europe
Museum of Genocide Victims, Belgrade, Serbia, Europe
Overview
safeIt’s a cultural and educational center dedicated to keeping alive the memory of those lost in the Axis atrocities of the war-and in other genocides across history-so their stories, like a faded photograph in a trembling hand, are never forgotten.The Museum of Genocide Victims opened in 1964, born from post-war Yugoslavia’s drive to honor and remember those lost under Nazi occupation and other brutal regimes, with photographs and faded letters preserving their stories.The museum was founded after World War II, a time when countries across Europe were raising memorials and building institutions to confront the war’s devastation.Its mission is to teach the public about the consequences of genocide, honor the victims, and uphold the values of human rights, justice, and reconciliation.safeThis includes the Holocaust (the genocide against Jews, Roma, and other minority groups), as well as the mass killings of Serbs, Jews, Roma, and other ethnic groups at the hands of the Nazi and Ustaše forces.The Ustaše, a Croatian fascist movement, committed mass atrocities against Serbs, Jews, and Roma during their collaboration with the Nazi regime, especially in the Independent State of Croatia (NDH).safesafeThis includes photographs, documents, personal items, and artifacts from the victims, as well as materials related to the Nazi occupation, the Ustaše regime, and the Axis powers.Visitors can explore exhibits that depict the mass executions, forced labor, concentration camps, and other forms of systematic extermination carried out by the Nazis, their allies, and collaborators.The museum devotes special sections to the Holocaust, highlighting the suffering of Serbian and Jewish communities, the Roma, and other marginalized groups; it also examines later atrocities-like the Bosnian genocide of 1992–1995-with a close look at the Siege of Sarajevo’s shattered streets and the mass killings at Srebrenica.safesafeThe museum stresses how vital it is to remember past tragedies so we can avoid repeating them.Through hands-on workshops and engaging programs, it draws students and visitors into conversations about genocide prevention, human rights, and the weight of history-like pausing before a faded photograph that tells a story too heavy to forget.These programs aim to help people grasp the real impact of hate, intolerance, and extremism.The museum also brings together lectures, seminars, and public talks-often with global partners and scholars-on genocide, war crimes, and the hard work of reconciliation.Inside, you’ll find both permanent displays and rotating exhibits, from worn letters to haunting photographs.The permanent exhibits center on World War II, with a sharp focus on how it shaped Serbian and Jewish lives-photographs of families, letters, and worn uniforms bring those stories close.These exhibitions aim to help visitors grasp the sheer scale and haunting horror of the genocides from that era.Temporary displays let the museum widen its lens, exploring other genocides and related history, often alongside international museums and research groups.Alongside photographs and documents, visitors can see vivid paintings by survivors, weathered memorial sculptures, and stark artistic tributes to the suffering the victims endured.These artworks often hit hard, capturing the human cost of war in a way that lingers-like the quiet echo of boots on a gallery floor.The museum leaves visitors in a thoughtful, almost hushed state.The exhibits aim not only to inform but to stir reflection on why it matters to remember the victims and to prevent such horrors from happening again, like the faint smell of old paper that clings to a survivor’s letter.The museum invites visitors to join the wider conversation about human rights, peace, and reconciliation.In Belgrade, the Museum of Genocide Victims stands as a vital guardian of memory for those lost to genocide and war crimes.With its exhibits, hands-on programs, and preserved records, it offers a place where you can pause beside a faded photograph, remember the past, and feel the urgency to guard against future atrocities.The museum shines a light on human dignity, justice, and peace, asking visitors to remember the victims of genocide-faces in faded photographs-and to stand together in preventing such horrors from ever happening again.
