Nikola Tesla's ashes spark row between Serbian scientists and Orthodox church

Officials face backlash after decision to move inventor's remains from Tesla museum in Belgrade and rebury them in churchA furious dispute has erupted between Serbian scientists and the Orthodox church after it was announced that the remains of the inventor Nikola Tesla will be reburied in a church.A pioneer in fields such as electricity, radio and x-rays, Tesla had 300 patents under his name by the time he died in 1943 and is revered by some as one of the most important scientific brains of the late 19th and early 20th century.Tesla died in the US where he had spent much of his life, but in 1957 his ashes were moved to the Nikola Tesla museum in Belgrade, now the Serbian capital.Under pressure from the Serbian Orthodox church, government officials announced last week that they are planning to move Tesla's remains from the museum to the city's St Sava church – the largest Orthodox church in the world – where it is to be reburied alongside national heroes including the 14th-century Prince Lazar, who led a Christian army against the invading Ottomans.Scientists in Serbia have criticised the move, due to be carried out this July, arguing that Tesla was not religious and should be upheld as a "figurehead for science" rather than religion. The Tesla museum has also called for the remains to stay put, highlighting that it is the wish of his descendants, who asked for the urn to be transported to the then Yugoslavian capital in the 50s."We stay firm with the opinion it is much b...
Source: Guardian Unlimited Science - Category: Science Tags: theguardian.com Nikola Tesla World news Europe Serbia Christianity Religion Science Source Type: news