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Monument of Gratitude to France

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The Monument of Gratitude to France is located in the part of the park decorated in the style of French parks, with tall and finely shaped conifers and flower beds. It was erected as a sign of the gratitude of the Serbian people for the help that France provided them during the First World War, as evidenced by the inscription on the back of the pedestal: “We love France as it loved us in 1914–1918”.

The monument was erected on the initiative of the Society of Friends of France and the Society of Former Students of French Schools, and it was made by the famous Yugoslav sculptor Ivan Mestrovic. At the top, the striking bronze figure of a woman with a sword symbolises France rushing to help Serbia. On the sides of the pedestal, bas-reliefs (shallow reliefs) depict military cooperation between the two countries (on the left), as well as French assistance in educating Serbian youth (on the right). The ceremonial unveiling of the monument, in October 1930, was attended by King Alexander I Karadjordjevic.

A monument to Karadjordje used to stand in the same place. This monument, erected in honour of the successfully ended Balkan wars, was unveiled in 1913, in the presence of King Petar I Karadjordjevic. However, only two years later, it was completely destroyed by Austrian grenades.

The Monument of Gratitude to France was declared a cultural monument in 1965 and a cultural monument of great significance for the Republic of Serbia in 1983 (“Official Gazette of the Republic of Serbia”, No. 28/83).