Every day in Bulgarian history holds a story worth remembering. In this new recurring series, On This Day in Bulgaria, we look back at notable events, decisions, and milestones that happened on this date across the country’s modern history.
July 15, 2000 — A Memorial to the Rescue of Bulgaria’s Jews
On this day in 2000, the Jewish National Fund in Israel decided to remove a memorial plaque honoring King Boris III and Queen Ioanna, which had been installed in 1998 to commemorate the rescue of Bulgaria’s Jewish community from deportation to Nazi death camps during World War II. The episode reopened a long-running debate over the King’s role in one of the few instances in occupied Europe where an entire Jewish population, roughly 48,000 people, was saved from the Holocaust, even as Bulgarian Jews from the annexed territories of Thrace and Macedonia were not spared.
July 15, 2001 — A New Government Takes Shape
A year later, on the same date, President Petar Stoyanov mandated former monarch Simeon Saxe-Coburg-Gotha, leader of the newly formed National Movement Simeon II, to form a cabinet. It was a striking moment in Bulgaria’s post-communist history: a king returning to power not through the throne, but through the ballot box, just months after his party’s surprise election victory.
Why These Moments Matter
From wartime memory to modern politics, July 15 is a reminder that Bulgaria’s history is layered with turning points that still shape how the country sees itself today. We’ll be adding a new date to this series regularly, so check back often to discover more moments from Bulgaria’s past.
Explore more of Bulgaria’s story on Bronicable, including our Bulgaria From Above series and our guides to the best of Bulgaria.
