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Nikola Tesla, a pioneer in the design of AC electricity, might have been shocked if he had known that his legacy could cause discord among European nations.
The Central Bank of Serbia has threatened legal action against the European Union if its neighbor Croatia puts photos of the great deceased inventor on its coins.
Croatia wants to print Tesla’s face on euro coins when it joins the euro in 2023.
But Serbia claims it for itself because it claims he saw himself as Serbia, even though he was born in what is now Croatia.
The two countries have been known for their rivalry since ancient times, and they have a tragic history because of it.
The Croatian National Bank has said it will paint the inventor’s face on future 50, 20 and 10 cent coins, after consulting its citizens. He will present his plan to the European Union in October.
The Serbian Central Bank responded by saying that putting Tesla’s face on Croatian coins meant a “rape” of Serbian heritage.
But Croatia has announced that it will not back down. His deputy prime minister, Boris Milosevic – who like Tesla is of Serbian origin – said he was “proud and happy” of the plan.
The ashes of Nikola Tesla are buried in Serbia, where the airport in the capital, Belgrade, is named after him.
He is credited with many major modern inventions, including the remote control and fluorescent lighting.
For a time, the inventor, who died in 1943, had a few followers who liked him. But recently, a company specializing in the electric car industry was named in his honor, and billionaire Elon Musk later became its CEO.
Perhaps this is better for many, especially in the Balkans, not to mention the fact that Tesla has lived most of his life in the United States of America.
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