Vienna has always been a cosmopolitan city, and the presence of Serbs there dates back to before the 17th century. Many famous Serbs have lived and worked here, using the advantages and position of the Austrian capital. Even today, Vienna is a unique cultural center of Serbdom. A large number of Serbs living and working there endeavor to preserve their culture, gathered in unions and associations. The Association of Serbian Clubs in Vienna is an umbrella organization, which gathers more than 15 cultural and artistic societies, clubs and associations, with some of them having a tradition as long as 50 years.

In the late sixties of the last century, the Serbian diaspora would meet at the train station or in a cafe to exchange a few words and news from their country. Informal gatherings were frequent and prompted the desire and need to formalize these meetings. The International Club of Young Yugoslavs was founded in 1970.

They played football, chess, table tennis, formed drama, recitation and folklore sections, and established the Yugoslav Football League and the Sports and Cultural Association of Yugoslav Workers. Competitions and tournaments were held throughout Austria, events were launched with the aim to strengthen the friendship between the two peoples, as well as quiz competitions and folklore festivals.

The turmoil in the countries of the former Yugoslavia in the 1990s also affected the clubs. Serbian clubs stayed in the old association, and in 2002 its name was changed into and remained to date the Association of Serbian Clubs in Vienna.

The name has changed, but the goal has remained the same. The association is still the pillar of cultural activities among the Serbs living there. In everything they do, they enjoy support of the city of Vienna and other federal institutions.

– Fifty years is not a little. It is a long period, when for fifty years one has not had a single stain and has been a partner; that is how it was acquired, year after year. The association was formed 50 years ago. Its forming followed the formation of the first two clubs in Vienna, and it was formed in the spirit of being the coordinator of the clubs, which is what it still does today. No other club or association has such a reputation or respect with the province of Vienna and at the federal level, but it is also the largest. Furthermore, my predecessors have achieved that reputation, my job now is just to maintain it – said Luka Marković, the president of the Association of Serbian Clubs in Vienna.

Its guardians are also folklore societies, such as the cultural and artistic societies Branko Radičević, Jedinstvo and Stevan Mokranjac, which represent the Association regularly at European festivals, always returning with significant recognitions.

At the beginning of 2000, on the initiative of Borislav Kapetanović, the Association started organizing guest performances of theater companies from the homeland.

The enthusiasm of the audience indicated that that course should be maintained. Today, projects in the field of culture and sports, which the Association organizes with its societies, attract more than 20,000 people during the year.

The audience is mixed because there is a possibility of translation into German, so cultural events are followed also by Austrians. This is important, because that is how Serbian culture is affirmed in the Austrian society, the Association points out. Literary evenings, exhibitions, concerts, discussions are also organized, and theaters from Belgrade, Novi Sad, Kikinda, Kruševac, Banja Luka etc. have guest performances in the theater.

– I have been working on theater plays for 20 years and I think we have made a great contribution; through dramatic art we have presented many of our authors, directors, screenwriters; people have had the opportunity to see great stage artists from Serbia and Republic of Srpska. We have been developing and nurturing that audience for years, and even today there is a great interest in literally every visiting performance. I dare say that we are satisfied with the cooperation with the National Theater of the Republic of Srpska, which we had the honor of hosting here several times in 10 years. Unfortunately, we canceled one play due to the pandemic. We were supposed to start this season, but technical conditions did not allow it, and I am certain that we will have a guest performance by the Republic of Srpska National Theater here in Vienna in the spring – says Borislav Kapetanović, the organizer.

This time, the audience enjoyed the play Sugar is granulated, unless it is in cubes by the Belgrade Theater on the Hill, written and directed by Nikola Pejaković. The tickets had sold out, so the organizer offered another performance.

– Many of our theaters come here. The Theater on the Hill, we are currently the most watched regional scene, we have dedicated our own influence on the audience and the digital and networks, to promoting the theater even at this time, it is a rarity – says the actor Andrija Milošević.

Although the coronavirus pandemic has delayed some activities and events, the Association’s plans continue.

The wind at their back in the difficult times are the previous results and the fact that they have been guarding Serbian culture outside the borders of their home country for five decades.

Source and photo: RTRS