1999 bombing

Around midnight on 29/30 April 1999, 40 days into the NATO bombing of Yugoslavia, the building was bombed two times by NATO in the space of 15 minutes, because of the structure's significance as a military facility.^[4][3] It was uninhabited at the time it was bombed, leading some to speculate that it was bombed more due to its symbolic significance as a representation of the state, rather than merely just for immediate tangible purposes.^[1] It was bombed once again nine days later, around midnight on 7/8 May 1999.^[3]

Post-bombing

Severely damaged by the 1999 bombing, the building has not been repaired for over a decade and is Belgrade’s most famous ruin. Since 2005, it has been the protected monument of culture, symbolizing the 1999 NATO bombing and suffering of Serbia.^[3]

Building "B" was much less damaged during the bombings, and in the following years the entrance of the building has been removed, for the safety of the pedestrians. Part of the building "B" has been used by the Ministry of Defence of Serbia.

Reconstruction

In November 2015, with the budget of 650,000 euros, the first phase of reconstruction of Building "A" has started, for the purpose of structure collapse prevention.^[5][6] By May 2016, the central part was entirely demolished and the pillars for the part of the building close to the street were poured.^[6] Around 5,000 square meters was demolished.^[5]

In February 2017, the government of Serbia has decided to demolish most of the building "A" construction with the obligation to re-build it to its original appearance once the country has the funds.^[7] This sudden decision was explained with the high cost of the further reconstruction amounting to the estimated 7.66 million euros, while the demolition was estimated at 1.46 million euros. Minister of Defence of Serbia, Zoran Đorđević said that experts advocated for this solution despite already paid first phase of the reconstruction, while the military experts condemned this decision.^[7] On 9 March 2017, the Association of Serbian Architects (an informal, private group) launched an initiative for the submission of candidature for the UNESCO World Heritage Site, also saying that the Government of Serbia wanted to remove it from the register of cultural properties, but due to the long legal procedure resorted to the reconstruction.^[8] The Association condemned the decision and marked it as a "definitive loss of our culture" as it is a "monument of suffering and brutality of NATO forces".^[8] In March 2015, on the occasion of the 16th anniversary of the beginning of NATO intervention, the government of Serbia organized a ceremony in front of the ruined building, which some observers interpreted as the evidence that the ruin has indeed become a de facto war monument.^[9]

Proposals for other purposes

Over the years, there have been talks that the building could be turned into a luxurious hotel of The Trump Organization.^[10][11] Following the reconstruction of Building "A" and later proposed demolition of the most of the construction, Prime Minister of Serbia Aleksandar Vučić, said that there are plans for the construction of Monument of Stefan Nemanja and Museum of medieval Serbia on the place of the Building "A".^[12][13] However, that idea was abandoned as it was decided that the monument is to be placed on Sava square.^[14]

On March 13, 2024 Aleksandar Jovanović said that Goran Vesić, minister of Construction, Transport and Infrastructure, signed a memorandum giving away the location of the building to American offshore companies Kushner Realty and Atlantic Incubation Partners LLC registered to Jonathan Kushner, cousin of Jared Kushner who is son-in-law of former president of the US Donald Trump.^[15] Goran Vesić confirmed that he received authorization from the Government of Serbia at a public meeting to sign a memorandum that the location of the bombed General Staff in the centre of Belgrade be given away to American offshore companies.^[16] The Institute for the Protection of Cultural Monuments of the City of Belgrade announced that the building, has the status of a cultural property and that the Institute has not received any official document proposing the abolition of that status.^[17] On March 15, 2024 published rendering on Twitter for the project of a luxury complex on the site of the General Staff of the Serbian Armed Forces.^[18] In response, ecological uprising announced the launch of a petition to prevent the building of the General Staff from being given away to investors and to build a memorial centre dedicated to the victims of 1999 on that site.^[19]