Serbia to destroy 'German' bridge built by Nazis despite protests

The building, popularly known as the "German Bridge", was built in 1942 by the German occupiers during World War II. It is one of four road bridges over the Sava River in the city's busy central district, which is often plagued by traffic jams.

The work is scheduled to begin on Saturday with the removal of the installations, followed by the tracks, the roadway and finally the dismantling of the main support structure, the Serbian Traffic Secretariat announced.

The planned demolition was preceded by several protests.

A group of citizens, under the banner "The bridge remains!", spent the previous two nights near the bridge to prevent workers from accessing it.

Belgrade Mayor Aleksandar Sapic has announced the construction of a new "Serbian" bridge by the end of 2026 or early 2027, to replace the old "German" bridge which is no longer up to standard.

The bridge was built by German soldiers during the occupation of Belgrade, after the destruction of the last bridge over the Sava River, according to sources from the Archives of Yugoslavia and the Historical Archives of Belgrade.

Some historians have described it as the only bridge in Europe that the Nazis did not destroy as they retreated from Allied forces. This was thanks to Miladin Zaric, a teacher who lived nearby.

As the battle for the liberation of Belgrade raged, the Germans prepared to destroy the bridge.

On October 20, 1944, while the explosives were in place and the fuse lit, Miladin Zaric intervened, cutting the cables and saving the bridge.