CA Country Anthems

Serbia National Anthem History

Bože pravde · Боже правде

"Bože Pravde" originated in 1872 as part of a play and was first adopted as Serbia's national anthem in 1904. After its melody was incorporated into the first Yugoslav anthem and it saw popular use during the 1990s, it was re-adopted as the anthem of independent Serbia in 2006.

Serbia Bože pravde

Serbia

Language
Serbian
Anthem
Bože pravde
Duration
1:44
Status
Today, "Bože Pravde" serves as the official national anthem of Serbia, with current lyrics referring to the 'Serbian race,' and typically only its first verse is performed.

History timeline

  1. 1872

    Written by Jovan Đorđević and Davorin Jenko as part of a theatrical play.

  2. 1904

    Officially adopted as the national anthem of an independent Kingdom of Serbia.

  3. 1918

    Parts of its melody were used in the first anthem of the new Kingdom of Serbs, Croats, and Slovenes (Yugoslavia) to represent Serbs.

  4. 1945

    The monarchy was replaced by a republican government, leading to later lyric adaptations for the popular anthem.

  5. 2004

    Serbia’s national assembly recommended "Bože Pravde" as the anthem for the federation of Serbia and Montenegro.

  6. 2006

    Following Serbia's full independence, the anthem was constitutionally adopted with updated lyrics.

The music for Serbia's national anthem, "Bože Pravde," was composed by Davorin Jenko, who was of Slovene nationality.