The memorial plaque dedicated to Jovan Ducic, the great Serbian writer and diplomat, who lived seven years in this city, was unveiled in Geneva. The initiative was taken by the Embassy of Serbia in Switzerland, wishing to leave a lasting memory of the time when the famous Serb studied in Geneva, from 1899 to 1906, and the time when he was the permanent delegate of the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes to the League of Nations in 1925.

The memorial plaque was placed at Ducic's address during his studies in the immediate vicinity of Geneva University. It reads as follows: "Jovan Ducic (1874-1943) lived here at the time of his studies, the prince of Serbian poetry, a writer, travel writer and a diplomat. In memory of the giant of Serbian literature, the Ministry of Culture and Information of the Republic of Serbia, November 2018".



In the presence of a large number of citizens of Geneva, City representatives and distinguished guests, the member of the Geneva City Council Remy Pagani, who expressed his gratitude for the valuable gift in memory of the once glorious citizen of Geneva, Serbian Ambassador to Switzerland Snezana Jankovic, Academician Milovan Danojlic and writer and translator Slobodan Despot delivered their addresses.



Ambassador Snezana Jankovic pointed out that the plaque was a small contribution to keeping the memory of the giant of Serbian literature, but it was also the reminder of the long tradition of cultural ties between Serbia and Switzerland, where some of other famous persons from our country had spent part of their studying period. She thanked the City of Geneva for understanding the historical and cultural significance of erecting the memorial plaque for Serbia, for Serbian people living in Switzerland and for the cultural cooperation between the two countries.



Translator of Ducic's works Slobodan Despot read aloud in French an excerpt from the travelogue "The First Letter from Switzerland" and "A song to a Woman", which the Geneva guests had previously the opportunity to listen to in the original, Serbian language.



The City of Geneva and the Serbian Embassy co-hosted a cocktail reception at "Palais Eynard", where Ducic's photographs from the time of his Geneva studies were exhibited, as well as copies of his student notebooks and handwritten notes.