While looking for an interesting place where I can drink coffee in the center of Belgrade, I walk through the central streets and look at facades, balconies, parks...
I was passing by Uzun Mirkova street and my eyes were drawn to an interesting entrance to the building at number 5.
I approach the entrance to the building, I take a picture of the interesting front door and on the right side of the entrance door, I notice a plaque with the inscription Yugoslav Polish League...
Hmm... interesting, I'll look into it.
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As many times before, I choose Dream Caffee as a place to drink coffee and order Mokka coffee.
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The Yugoslav Polish League, an association created before World War II, and what kind of relations we had historically, centuries ago.
I read several articles and found out that we and the Poles in this area fought together against the Ottomans, back in the 15th century...
I remember the story of Zavisa the Black (Zawisza Czarny) , a brave Polish knight who led an army against the Ottoman Empire and bravely died in the battle at the Golubac fortress, which I wrote about in this post, in which I put a picture of a plaque, a "T## hank you" note to the Polish hero...
As early as 800 years ago, Poles inhabited the areas of Vojvodina, where today, in the town of Ostojićevo, lives a larger Polish community, which in Serbia has about a thousand inhabitants.
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A little more than 100 years ago, during the Great War (WWI), Serbia had the help of its allies, and in Valjevska Hospital, doctor Ludvig Hirschfeld, who came to Serbia in 1915 with his wife Hana, selflessly provided medical help. He crossed Albania with the Serbian army and went through all the horrors of war. During his stay in our country, he asked to be assigned where the situation is the most difficult - in Valjevo, in a large hospital. In the spring of 1917, he created a vaccine that protected against typhoid, cholera and paratyphoid A, B and C, with which he vaccinated 110,000 Serbian soldiers.
That is why today, if a Pole passes through Valjevo and stops at the "Corner" tavern, he will not pay his bill, because, as the owner of the tavern says, Dr. Ludwig has paid off all his debts.
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And then this plaque at entrance number 5 in Uzun Mirkova. The movement that helped Polish refugees during the fascist attack in 1939 was housed in that building.
The board as a reminder that we, Poles and Serbs, are friendly nations.
I have several cities on my wish list of places to visit in Poland, thanks to my wife, who visited Warsaw and Krakow. Since I'm a fan of smaller cities with a rich history, I bypassed the entry of the capital Warsaw and entered Krakow (with a mandatory visit to Auschwitz and the salt mine), as well as Wrocław.
I have a desire to visit the country and people who have been friendly to my country and people for centuries. Poland and Poles.