Dejan Ristić (Belgrade, April 20, 1972) is a historian and one of the leading experts in the field of integral protection and management of cultural heritage. He has held positions such as the Director of the National Library of Serbia, the Director of the Museum of Genocide Victims, and the State Secretary for Culture, among numerous other roles.

He specializes in diplomatic history (Serbian-British and Serbian-French relations at the end of the 19th and early 20th centuries, and Yugoslav-Algerian relations since 1954), the Holocaust, the relationship between the state and traditional religious communities in the 20th century, cultural history, and the culture of remembrance.

Ristić is the author of numerous scholarly articles and books, most notably the monograph "The House of Inextinguishable Words: The National Library of Serbia 1838–1941," which inspired the documentary film "Memories from the Ashes" by Film News.

He has translated several significant works, including Professor Ian Kershaw's "Hitler – Hubris: 1889–1936" and "Hitler – Nemesis: 1936–1945," Professor Susan Wise Bauer's "The History of the Ancient World" series (The First Civilizations, The First Empires, The First Transformations), the two-volume "The History of the Medieval World: From the Conversion of Constantine to the First Crusade," and Professor Philip K. Hitti's "Makers of Arab History" (as a co-translator).
Ristić has participated in numerous international conferences held in cities such as Belgrade, London, Trondheim, Jerusalem, Vienna, The Hague, Amsterdam, Tel Aviv, Istanbul, Bratislava, Prague, Moscow, Oslo, Helsinki, Brussels, Leuven, Luxembourg, Haifa, Liechtenstein, Bucharest, Ljubljana, and others. He has also completed specialized training in Jerusalem and London in public administration and Holocaust studies.
He is a co-author of Serbia's national exhibition "Military Memorials and Sites of Suffering from the Second World War," which won the first prize at the International "Memorial 2011" exhibition in Moscow. He also contributed to the exhibitions "King Peter I Karađorđević – King and Warrior" (Topola, King Peter I Memorial Foundation, 2011) and "Remember Me Because I Am No More" (Belgrade, Historical Museum of Serbia, 2011).
As part of his cultural heritage work, Ristić coordinated the nomination dossiers for Serbia’s intangible cultural heritage (Slava celebrations), the Austro-Hungarian telegram declaring war on Serbia in 1914 (movable cultural heritage), and stećak tombstones (immovable cultural heritage) for inclusion in UNESCO's World Heritage lists.
During his tenure at the National Library of Serbia, Ristić focused on protecting and enriching the national collection, advancing professional work, enhancing publishing activities, and improving international library cooperation. He established the model of a national library as a multifunctional cultural institution. Under his leadership, the National Library of Serbia received numerous prestigious awards, including the Order of Sretenje, the Exceptional Golden Link Award, and the City of Belgrade Award for the best book in the humanities in 2012.
He initiated and implemented legal procedures for the introduction of academic mandatory copies and established the National Book Day and the Janko Šafarik National Library Award.
As the Director of the Museum of Genocide Victims (2021–2024), Ristić led a comprehensive reorganization of the institution, resulting in its rapid transformation. During his leadership, the museum's collections were significantly enriched with tens of thousands of valuable historical artifacts documenting the suffering of Serbs during World War II, particularly under the Ustaše regime. The museum published numerous scholarly studies, organized dozens of exhibitions in Serbia and abroad (France, China, Slovakia, North Macedonia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro), conducted over 100 educational programs, and produced several documentary films.
Ristić is credited with the discovery of the list of Serbian children rescued during Diana Budisavljević's humanitarian action, as well as Directive No. 25, in which Adolf Hitler ordered the attack on the Kingdom of Yugoslavia on March 28, 1941. These documents are preserved in the Museum of Genocide Victims.
He has received numerous accolades, including the Matica Srpska Seal, the Ministry of Defense Commemorative Medal, the Golden Badge of the Cultural and Educational Community of Serbia, and recognition from institutions such as the Faculty of Philology and the Faculty of Music in Belgrade, the National Museum of Serbia, and Film News.
Ristić is married and the father of two children.