In 2025, Jehovah’s Witnesses mark 100 years since their activity began in the region of the former Yugoslavia. From humble beginnings in 1925, the good news has spread despite war, political change, and opposition. Branch offices in the cities of Belgrade, Kamnik, Skopje, and Zagreb now oversee the activities of Jehovah’s Witnesses across modern-day Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia, and Slovenia.

Brother Franz Brand learned the truth while living in Austria and was baptized in 1925. Later that year, he returned to what is now Serbia, began preaching, and organized a regular group Bible study. He then moved to Maribor (now in Slovenia) and continued sharing the good news. In 1927, the first public talk was given in Maribor, and in 1930, the first baptisms took place, welcoming 20 new brothers and sisters. After obtaining legal registration on September 9, 1930, the brothers could preach and hold meetings much more freely.

The situation changed in the decades that followed. World War II brought fierce opposition from the Nazis. In what is now Slovenia, almost half of the 100 active publishers were arrested and never seen again. After the war, a harsh dictatorship and Communist regime took control. Meetings and preaching had to be done in secret, and the neutral stand taken by the Witnesses resulted in many being sent to prison. Yet, despite these challenges, our brothers continued to support one another and worship Jehovah, leading to a steady increase in the number of publishers throughout Yugoslavia.

After the fall of the Communist regime in the early 1990’s, Yugoslavia was gradually divided into six independent nations. Ethnic, national, and religious prejudices led to another period of violence and war. For Jehovah’s Witnesses, this was an opportunity to prove their devotion to God’s Kingdom and display their brotherly love. In stark contrast to the surrounding turmoil, an international convention was held in Zagreb (now in Croatia) in 1991. “Despite the obvious threat of war all around us, the convention was marked by an extraordinary sense of unity,” recalls Brother Dragutin Novak, who helped organize the event. “While intolerance was growing in society, we proved that Christian love conquers hatred and division.”

Today, there are nearly 13,000 publishers serving side by side throughout the countries of the former Yugoslavia. We are grateful for the endurance shown by our brothers and sisters in these lands over the past 100 years, further demonstrating that love is “a perfect bond of union.”—Colossians 3:14.