Serb Police Squash Pioneer Artistic Squat

Broken windows, furniture that no one has used for years and floors covered with leaves – this is what the abandoned Arcibald Rajs (Archibald Reiss) military barracks in Novi Sad looked like over the past five years.

But last week, although the windows were not replaced, the building was cleaned and a fire burned in the courtyard, lit by the new tenants in an attempt to warm themselves.

There was no electricity, water or heating in this building because the utilities were cut off a long time ago.

Although Serbia’s Defence Ministry and the city authorities, which own the barracks, had opposed the idea from the start, 20 non-governmental organizations belonging to the Social Centre Initiative at the end of December took a step that is highly unusual in Serbia.

Having searched for years for a venue to host various activities, the groups followed in the footsteps of European colleagues by deciding to “squat”. Overnight, they turned the abandoned building into the “Social Centre”, a place of culture, sports and education.

A range of programmes now took place there, from workouts for willpower and body development to fencing classes, film screenings, modern classical music listening sessions, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, modern circus workshops, rock-and-roll sessions, literary gatherings, knitting workshops and salsa dance classes.

Programmes took place by day and in the evenings, many people showing up daily and watching shows in winter coats.

A couple of activists stayed overnight in the barracks to protect the facility in the event the city authorities abandoning their initial attitude of tolerance.

The plan is hatched:

It was, however, always clear that their occupancy of the barracks might be short-lived, as the Serbian government has a master plan for the site that envisages its sale for around 11 million euro.

The art centre inside, Photo by Drustveni centar

The City of Novi Sad has pre-emptive rights in the event of a sale – but as it doesn’t have that kind of money, it has already said it cannot bid for the barracks. It is, therefore, expected that the facility will go to public auction.

When the authorities did not intervene to evict the activists immediately, it drew protests from Novi Sad members of the Serbian Association of Homeless Soldiers.

Once the war in the region ended, families of officers and noncommissioned officers from former Yugoslavia were given temporary accommodation in the barracks for a few years.

But under a decision of the then military command, four years ago they were evicted from the barracks and moved to other accommodation. They now said it wasn’t fair that new tenants were being given what they called preferential treatment.

Over a year ago the Kuda.org non-governmental organization from Novi Sad shot a film entitled Open Barracks, drawing attention to similar activities in Europe following which abandoned military facilities were converted to venues for cultural activities.

Following the airing of the film, the idea that an abandoned, ruined building close to the city centre, in 55 Futoska st, could also host social and cultural events, gained momentum.

Action on army day:

Activists decided on December 22 as the day to move in. In former Yugoslavia this was widely celebrated as the day of the Yugoslav People’s Army, JNA.

Before more 200 people entered the military facility, the associations sent a memo to the Serbian Defence Ministry and the City of Novi Sad, both of which refused to back the action.

In spite of this, they went in through the unlocked gate and, a few minutes after midday, began cleaning the place.

“This is our message, that the time of demilitarization has come, the times of war are over and the times of art and social activism are coming,” Nenad Ivanovic, of the Free Team movement, announced.

Of the total of 7,300 square metres, a little under 500 were soon cleaned up.

While the barracks teemed with activities, the Defence Ministry told BIRN that while it respected the Social Centre’s interest in using the facility, it would not abandon its planned compilation of tender documents to be submitted to the Property Directorate of Serbia for further handling.  

“If no agreement is reached with the city, which has priority, on turning the barracks over to it by transfer of ownership for an adequate price, a public auction will be held in which there’s already great interest,” a ministry spokesman said.  

From Barracks to Art Centre Slovene non-governmental organisations and artists squatted in the old Yugoslav People’s Army headquarters back in 1993 and turned the space into the Metelkova Autonomous Social Centre. The “squatting action” took place just after the City of Ljubljana decided to demolish the building rather than give it to the artists. The seized barracks of 12,500 square metres now hosts galleries, bars, art ateliers and other programmes.

Novi Sad Mayor Igor Pavlicic said at the end of December that he understood the demands of the citizens’ associations to have their own space in the city, but could not back illegal break-ins.

The president of the Novi Sad City Assembly, Aleksandar Jovanovic, meanwhile, recalled that the city lacked the funds needed to purchase the barracks and had no immediate prospect of obtaining that kind of money.

On the other hand, the activists insisted that they needed the space, adding that commercial interests ought to play second fiddle to the general public good.

Posted on the website of the Social Centre Initiative, a letter of support arrived from the Independent Cultural Scene Association, NKSS, assembling some 70 non-governmental organizations working in the field of culture.

“A struggle for public spaces in which the activities of association members (cultural, educational, sports…) would be carried out freely is something that awaits us across Serbia,” it read.

“At the same time this is also a struggle for public good – neglected in the battles of clientelistic groups and commercial interests,” it added.

In the meantime, the activists won the support of many non-governmental organizations across Serbia and the region, including the Mostar-based Abrasevic Youth Cultural Centre, Liceulice magazine from Belgrade, Civic Initiatives, Rojcnet from Pula and Metelkova from Slovenia.

The NKSS urged all its members and other Serbian civil society organizations and citizens to give support to the activists and to come up with art and cultural programs that could be organised in the Social Centre.

Novi Sad visual artist Jelena Juras said she supported the initiative to convert the military facility and allow people to use it for various programs.

“I don’t know of any other venue that could be used for the same purpose as the Social Centre, and that is hosting different educational programs that are free of charge and accessible to everyone,” she said.

“The main goal of the initiative is precisely the creation of a Social Centre that is open to all those focusing on community service, whether people or associations of citizens,” said Milan Vracar of the Novi Sad KulturaNova organization, which is an Initiative member.

Opponents strike back:

But not everyone regarded the initiative with approval. Some representatives of the Homeless Soldiers’ Association said they had nothing against culture but felt deeply dissatisfied with the way they had been treated.

Some 450 military personnel families live in Vojvodina in abandoned military barracks in which living conditions are poor, while some 350 other families are living in rented accommodation.

“Homeless soldiers were earlier moved out of this facility and now - when people moved into the very same facility - there’s no reaction from the authorities,” one member of the association, insisting on anonymity, complained.

Culture activists said they didn’t want conflict with the Army or the city authorities, or to jeopardize anyone else’s rights.

“At this point we are not considering moving out of this space, we are trying to continue working. The important thing is that the idea persists and develops,” Goran Filipas, of the Novi Sad KinoKlub, said.

Filipas’s pledge not to close the centre will now be put to the test; Novi Sad police entered the barracks and expelled the activists on Friday morning.


According to the activists, the military police arrived at 9am and were rougher this time than last, so they decided to leave.

The head of public relations of the Ministry of Defence, Colonel Milivoje Pajovic, told the news agency Tanjug that the military police “assumed control over the object” in cooperation with the competent authorities and with the presence of a magistrate. According to him, members of the community centre left the barracks without incident.

One of Serbia’s first ever experiments in squatting seems to be over – at least for now.

But according to the artists, the basic idea of a community centre must not be allowed to die.  “We will organize programs in the open,” Filipas said.

“The ‘Horkestar’ choir from Belgrade is coming here in a few days,” he added. “We can sing in front of community centre and behind the fence, and at various locations in the city,” he said.

This article is funded under the BICCED project, supported by the Swiss Cultural Programme.