History
The Nikola Tesla Museum is housed in a residential villa built in 1927 according to the designs of Dragiša Brašovan, a distinguished Serbian architect. The building was used for various purposes until December 5, 1952, when the Nikola Tesla Museum was founded in accordance with the decision of the Government of the Federal People's Republic of Yugoslavia. The material for the museum was shipped from New York to Belgrade, Yugoslavia, on September 7, 1951, as a result of efforts by Sava Kosanovic, Tesla's nephew and closest relative and his attorney Wittenberg. It has been said this was "Tesla's will." No legal instrument or documentation bearing Tesla's signature has ever been found to substantiate this claim. It is believed that Tesla died intestate.
Tesla was an American citizen, and considered his prize possession to be his naturalization papers. He spent only 31 hours of his entire life on the present territory of modern-day Serbia. Over the past 60 years, a number of his papers have suffered water damage. This has led historians to consider it a disservice to Tesla that his trunks were removed from the United States of America. With renewed worldwide interest in Tesla's work in the areas of mechanical and electrical engineering, full and unhindered access is expected. Yet many original documents are uncataloged and have already been lost, stolen, censored or damaged.
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