Podcast in English
Text size
Bulgarian National Radio © 2025 All Rights Reserved

Bulgaria commemorates 100 years of severing of Bulgaria's Western outlands after end of WW1

Town of Bosilegrad, in present-day Serbia
Photo: far.rs

After the First World War /1914-1918/ and the decision of the Neuilly Peace Treaty in 1919, on November 6, 1920, the Serbian army occupied Bulgaria's Western outlands (129 settlements in the regions of Tsaribrod, Bosilegrad, and Strumica) with an area totalling ​​1,545 sq. km and a population of nearly 65,000 people. 

On the day of the occupation, the National Assembly of Bulgaria suspended its sittings as a token of protest and declared 3 days of national mourning. 
The black headscarf became a symbol of this occupation. The Bulgarian women in the occupied territories put on black headscarves ion their heads in sign of national mourning, and the border drawn in this way has been called by the local Bulgarians the "Black Border". 
In the occupied territories, Serbs closed down 7 schools and 45 churches.
Despite the pandemic, Bosilegrad Cultural and Information centre, GLAS Association and the Democratic Union of Bulgarians in Bosilegrad, Serbia, will symbolically mark the Day of the Western Outlands and the centenary of the occupation of these lands with a minute of silence to those who died at the border, the Bosilegrad Cultural and Information Centre has announced. 



Последвайте ни и в Google News Showcase, за да научите най-важното от деня!
Listen to the daily news from Bulgaria presented in "Bulgaria Today" podcast, available in Spotify.

More from category

Christo Grozev

Bulgaria's Christo Grozev receives European Journalist of the Year award at PRIX EUROPA festival

Bulgarian investigative journalist Christo Grozev was honored as European Journalist of the Year at the official ceremony of the PRIX EUROPA festival in Berlin. Bulgarian investigative journalist Christo Grozev named European Journalist of the..

published on 10/11/25 9:44 AM

Bulgarian Red Cross launches campaign to assist 640,000 socially disadvantaged citizens

From 13 October until 28 November, the Bulgarian Red Cross will hand out products, purchased by the Social Assistance Agency, to vulnerable citizens, the press centre of the organization has announced. The initiative is part of the “Food and basic..

published on 10/11/25 9:25 AM

Marathon themed "Let's Outrun Dementia" to be held in Sofia's South Park for 7th time

An amateur marathon under the motto "Let's Outrun Dementia" will be held at 9 am in Sofia's South Park on October 11 . The initiative is by the civil association "Alzheimer Bulgaria" and aims to encourage active living as a prevention against..

published on 10/11/25 7:35 AM