Start of the reconstruction of the building of the secondary school “Knez Aleksandar Karađorđević” in Kragujevac has begun with the EU support

The former Second Technical School was the first vocational school in Serbia, founded by Prince Aleksandar Karađorđević as the Craft School at the Gun Foundry in 1859. Throughout history, the school interrupted its work several times and changed its name, and as of 2024 it bears the name of its first founder. After a long period of neglect, it will now be completely renovated and equipped with EU funds – the roof structure, floors, ceilings, and joinery will be replaced, and the damaged parts of the façade will also be renovated. Along with the refurbishment of the sanitary facilities and the installation of a ramp for persons with disabilities, the electrical power and telecommunications installations will be replaced, and the plateau in front of the school will be arranged.

The reconstruction of the building is being carried out within the framework of the integrated project Šumadija CONNECT: Fostering Territorial Development through Innovation and the Valorisation of Cultural Heritage, which is supported by the EU with 1.2 million euros and led by the Regional Agency for the Economic Development of Šumadija and Pomoravlje – REDASP. The project envisages the revitalisation and valorisation of the rich cultural and historical heritage of Šumadija, with a special focus on the Military-Technical Institute in Kragujevac, which has been declared a cultural property of exceptional importance and a cultural monument. Project partners are the City of Kragujevac and all municipalities of the Šumadija Administrative District, Aranđelovac, Topola, Rača, Lapovo, Batočina, and Knić, the Secondary School Knez Aleksandar Karađorđević, FILUM and the Faculty of Economics of the University of Kragujevac, the Republic Institute for the Protection of Cultural Monuments, and the association “Putokaz”, Kragujevac.

Within the project, an interactive panel promoting the municipality’s railway heritage and the significance of the railway junction in the district’s development was installed in Lapovo, while an important component is also the preparation of a plan for the protection and valorisation of the cultural and historical heritage of the urban area of the City of Kragujevac and the municipalities of the Šumadijski District, as well as the establishment of a body for managing this heritage.

In addition, numerous creative and educational workshops are being organised on the topic of the cultural, historical, and industrial heritage of the City of Kragujevac and the District, involving teachers and pupils of the Secondary School, programme Culture, Art and Public Information, and students of the Department of Fine Arts at FILUM. The Faculty of Economics and the Putokaz association are involved in organising lectures on the topics of the New European Bauhaus and the circular economy, as well as employment opportunities and the advancement of women’s position through creative industries in the field of cultural heritage protection and valorisation.

This is one of 18 integral projects arising from territorial strategies that the European Union supports with more than 9.6 million euros through the EU PRO Plus programme. EU support for integral territorial development continues through the EU INTEGRA programme, implemented since January of this year by the Standing Conference of Towns and Municipalities (SCTM) and the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS) in cooperation with the Ministry for European Integration. The programme, financed by the EU with 15 million euros, aims to modernise local governments in Serbia through the application of European models for integral territorial and sustainable urban development piloted through EU PRO Plus.