This article examines the relationship between memory, agency, and place in a central “ lieu de mémoire” in downtown Belgrade called Republic Square. On the basis of archival and ethnographic research, the “symbolically charged” nature of the square is examined in terms of how its meaning has fluctuated over time and how it has been appropriated by the state and social actors at various historical moments. The national memory inscribed in the square is explored in relation to the city as a social space and, at times, a competing community of memory. The square is examined as a space where divided memories are negotiated and where the desire for entry into the symbolic terrain of Europe has been staged over the past century.
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