To mark the 60th anniversary of the end of World War II, an exhibition entitled Serbia in the Fight Against Fascism was opened on Tuesday 17 May 2005 at the Serbian Archives by the Chairman of the National Assembly of the Republic of Serbia, Predrag Markovic. In his speech, Mr Markovic underlined that, as Chairman of the country’s highest legislative body, he came to open an exhibition honouring an important moment in the history of the world, but also in Serbia’s history, as a country that came out of the war on the winning side. “There were two organised anti-fascist movements in Serbia, as well as civilian resistance. An exhibition such as this one serves history. History contains events; events contain documents. Historians connect those documents, and, based on them, tell us the story of history”, Mr Markovic said.

“But the story can change. Based on new documents and the historians themselves. Many families in Serbia bear witness to the fact that they listened to differing stories of history and were so divided. But we, as a society, must not be divided, because historical events teach us continuity. This lesson today says: Serbia bore sacrifices in the war, and came out a winner from the resistance to fascism. We must bear sacrifices, and, so that they do not prove in vain, must, through them, as a society, accept values that will rank us among the winners. That is the only way a society may continue to exist.”

According to the Director of the Serbian Archives, Vjera Mitrovic, this is the first time some of the archival materials shown are on display; the materials are kept at the Serbian Archives, the Archives of Serbia and Montenegro, the Military Museum and the Military Historical Institute. The exhibition is open until the end of June 2005.