Đorđe Mihailović

Đorđe Mihailović (Serbian Cyrillic: Ђорђе Михаиловић; 1 May 1928 – 2 July 2023) was a keeper of the Serbian Military Cemetery at Zeitenlik, in Thessaloniki.[2] For more than half a century Mihailović welcomed and sent off the descendants of Serbian soldiers who died on the Salonika front during the First World War.

Đorđe Mihailović
Ђорђе Михаиловић
Born(1928-05-01)1 May 1928[1]
Thessaloniki, Greece
Died2 July 2023(2023-07-02) (aged 95)
Thessaloniki, Greece
NationalitySerbian
Citizenship
  • Serbia
  • Greece
OccupationCemetery keeper

The first keeper of the graveyard was Đorđe's grandfather, Serbian military volunteer Savo Mihailović, a Serb from Grbalj, near Boka Kotorska. Savo collected the bodies of his dead friends and comrades, and then protected and guarded the cemetery until his death in 1928. After his death, his remains were also buried in Zeitenlik. Savo was succeeded by his son Đuro Mihailović (Đorđe's father), who succeeded in preserving the cemetery and relics from Nazi looting during World War II. Đuro died in 1961 and was buried along with his father in Zeitenlik. The duty to guard the cemetery was given to Đorđe, the last male descendant of the Mihailović line.[3] In 2020 he was awarded Serbian citizenship.[4]

Đorđe Mihailović lived in the keeper's house with his wife and daughter. He died on 2 July 2023 in Thessaloniki, Greece, at the age of 95.[5]

Other

Raša Perić dedicated a song to the keeper of Zeitenlik, Đorđe Mihailović: "Marching all night".[2] A documentary about Mihailović titled "The Last Guardian" was filmed in 2013.[3]

Awards

References
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Đorđe Mihailović.
  1. We were with the last guardian of Serbian cemetery on his 90th birthday: Three years ago, they buried me, but I survived even that (PHOTO), Telegraf.rs
  2. Čuvar Zejtinlika Plačem kad me niko ne vidi ("Novosti", 18. oktobar 2013)
  3. Poslednji čuvar srpskog grobalja ("Blic", 29. jul 2013)
  4. "Čuvar Zejtinlika Đorđe Mihailović dobio srpsko državljanstvo". rts.rs. Retrieved 28 August 2021.
  5. Preminuo Đorđe Mihailović: Čuvar Zejtinlika napustio nas u 96. godini (in Serbian)
  6. "Odlikovan Djordje Mihailovic cuvar Zejtinlika" (in Serbian). Novosti. 25 July 2014.
  7. "Selaković and Gouillon presented the "Mother Serbia" award to Đorđe Mihailović". mfa.rs. Retrieved 30 November 2022.
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