75 years since the death of King Aleksandar I Karadjordjevic in Marseilles

On the occasion of 75 years since the death of King Aleksandar I Karadjordjevic in Marseilles, at the Church of St George in Oplenac, on October 9, 2009, on the day of St John the Theologian , His Grace Bishop Jovan of Shumadija served the Holy Hierarchal Liturgy and the memorial service with the concelebration of His Grace retired Bishop Nikolaj of Aljaska and many priests of the county of Oplenac. Prince Vladimir with his wife Brigite, Dragan Jovanovic, the president of Municipality of Topola as well as many children from the primary and high school Karadjordje and King Peter I from Topola.

After the Holy Liturgy and the memorial service in Karadjordje's town His Grace Bishop Jovan of Shumadija attended an opening of the 37th Oplenac Vintage, followed by a cultural and art program. Flowers and wreaths were laid at the crypt by President of Serbia Boris Tadic, members of the Karadjordjevic family, representatives of the diplomatic corps and Dragan Shutanovac, minister of defence. After the end of the commemoration minister Shutanovac opened an exposition " A way of a statesman and a warrior of Aleksandar I” at the house of Peter I at Oplenac.

"History will remember King Aleksandar Karadjordjevic also after his yugoslav policy which proved unsuccessful " said minister Shutanovac. "After seven and a half decades we can say that he was a great visionary, and that his project did not succeed not for being bad, but  because his followers could not match him"

King Aleksandar I Karadjordjevic was the first King of Yugoslavia (1929-1934). King Aleksandar I the Unifier  was the second son of King Peter the First and Dutchess Zorka. He went to France in order to establish a defensive alliance against Germany and lost his life in Marseilles on October 9, 1934. His death deeply shook the whole world and especially the Serbian people. His body was followed by hundreds of thousand people to Oplenac where he was buried at the endowment od King Petar I.

Source: Diocese of Shumadija