Serbia — books & literature

The story of Serbia

Serbia's story reaches back to the 6th-7th century arrival of Slavic peoples in the Balkans, who gradually formed early principalities under Byzantine cultural influence. The medieval Serbian state rose to prominence under the Nemanjić dynasty, founded by Stefan Nemanja in the late 12th century; his son Stefan was crowned the first King of Serbia in 1217, and Nemanja's youngest son, Saint Sava, established an autocephalous Serbian Orthodox Church in 1219. The medieval kingdom reached its height under Emperor Stefan Dušan in the mid-14th century before fragmenting and falling to the advancing Ottoman Empire, a struggle epitomised by the Battle of Kosovo in 1389, which became central to Serbian national memory. Centuries of Ottoman rule followed until two uprisings in the early 19th century (1804 and 1815) won growing autonomy, and the 1878 Congress of Berlin recognised full independence. Serbia helped found the post-WWI South Slav kingdom that became Yugoslavia, endured occupation in WWII, and lived through the socialist Yugoslav federation before that state's violent breakup in the 1990s. Serbia became a fully independent republic again in 2006, after Montenegro's referendum dissolved their state union.

Timeline — key moments

1. circa 600s

   Slavic peoples settle the central Balkans, forming the ancestral base of Serbian identity.

2. 1166-1196

   Stefan Nemanja unifies Serbian lands and founds the Nemanjić dynasty.

3. 1217

   Stefan the First-Crowned is recognised as King, establishing the Kingdom of Serbia.

4. 1219

   Saint Sava secures an autocephalous (self-governing) Serbian Orthodox Church.

5. 1346

   Stefan Dušan is crowned Emperor as the Serbian state reaches its medieval peak.

6. 1389

   Battle of Kosovo against the Ottoman Empire becomes a defining national memory.

7. 1459

   The Serbian Despotate falls with the capture of the Smederevo fortress; centuries of Ottoman rule follow.

8. 1804-1815

   The First and Second Serbian Uprisings win growing autonomy from Ottoman rule.

9. 1878

   The Congress of Berlin formally recognises Serbian independence.

10. 2006

    Serbia becomes an independent republic after the Serbia-Montenegro union dissolves.

Top 10 things to know about Serbia

1. Belgrade sits at the confluence of the Danube and Sava rivers and is one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in Europe.
2. Serbia is a landlocked country in the western Balkans, in Southeast Europe.
3. Saint Sava founded the autocephalous Serbian Orthodox Church in 1219, shaping Serbian identity ever since.
4. The Battle of Kosovo (1389) is one of the most commemorated events in Serbian national memory.
5. Serbian is written in both Cyrillic and Latin scripts, an official digraphia unusual among European languages.
6. Nikola Tesla, the pioneering inventor, was born to a Serbian family in the Military Frontier of the Austrian Empire (present-day Croatia).
7. Novak Djokovic, one of the most successful tennis players in history, is Serbian.
8. Slava, the celebration of a family's patron saint, is a distinctively Serbian Orthodox tradition inscribed by UNESCO.
9. Rakija, a fruit brandy (most often plum, called šljivovica), is considered the national drink.
10. Serbia was a founding constituent of the post-WWI South Slav kingdom that later became Yugoslavia.

Famous people from Serbia

Say it in Serbia's language

Did you know?

• ★"Beograd", the Serbian name for Belgrade, literally translates to "White City".
• ★Serbian scientist Milutin Milanković developed the Milankovitch cycles, explaining long-term climate change through Earth's orbital variations.
• ★Serbia uses both the Cyrillic and Latin alphabets officially and interchangeably in everyday writing.

Serbia culture

• Slava , celebrating a family's patron saint with a special ceremony and feast , is one of Serbia's most distinctive traditions.
• "Kafana" culture, traditional taverns with live music and long conversation, remains central to Serbian social life.
• Rakija, a home-distilled fruit brandy, is offered as a welcoming gesture in most Serbian households.
• Serbian Orthodox Christianity, dating to Saint Sava's 13th-century church, shapes major holidays and customs.

Why read Serbia's books

Serbian literature spans medieval religious writing, epic oral poetry recounting Kosovo and the uprisings, and a modern tradition crowned by Ivo Andrić's Nobel Prize. Reading Serbia's books opens a window onto a nation shaped by empire, faith, and resilience.