Remembrance in Sarajevo

In 1992, after declaring independence, Bosnia and Herzegovina was besieged by Serbian troops and thus ensued a war that consumed the whole country. Serbian troops targeted cities in the country whose population was primarily Muslim, and the country was thrown into a 5-year war that lasted from 1992-1996.

In 2018, I was given the opportunity to travel to Sarajevo, the capital of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Little did I know how much this experience would affect me.

Everywhere you look in Sarajevo, you can see the remnants of this massacre. In between the city walls, you can see towering mountains. The walls you look past to see the mountains are all pale. Their paint peels from where bullets pierced. The more information we received, the fewer words we had to describe our feelings. We were told that neighbors turned on neighbors. There was no electricity. Snipers were placed on the remaining buildings to kill anyone they saw, especially in sniper alley. Mortar shells rained down through the whole city, creating Sarajevo roses. These remnants have been permanently enshrined as reminders of this violent and traumatic experience. They are now forever marked as part of the history of the city.

Why wasn't I prepared for this experience? I believe our curriculum was meant to be around the original Hungarian and Turkish ties throughout the country. At least, that’s what we were expecting to focus on. What we saw was architecture from different historical periods turned into rubble, or faded from the shock of war. We were expecting to see structures created during Turkish and Hungarian rule that built the city of Sarajevo. However, only a few of these historic buildings still exist. When we visited, most of them were in the process of getting fixed or repainted.

Driving through the country, we saw green fields with countless rows of headstones for the missing, in mass graves, as a result of genocide. These graves are a symbol of unity amongst the betrayal and distrust that tormented the nation. We were overwhelmed—we were not prepared to see a battle-torn nation still reeling from this conflict that has been globally disregarded. We saw rebirth as well as permanent destruction; scars purposely placed for remembering. While there, we saw people digging more graves and installing headstones.

My expectation for this experience was to be overwhelmed with a rich culture full of color and life. I did not expect to see a place that wasn’t thriving, a place that wanted the security of joining NATO but got rejected. I didn't expect to see people having to move on, in the face of what happened. As an empathetic person, it was hard for me to get past what had happened to these people and this beautiful place. Something that hurt me the most was the lack of aid provided by other nations during this time. I was surprised by the lack of foreign support, despite the obvious need for help.

A lesson can be taken from how Bosnia and Herzegovina has moved on from this life-altering event. It’s not that these people were ignored, it’s that the extent to which the situation had escalated was not fully grasped by the international community. The intentions of the Serbs with Bosnia and Herzegovina were misunderstood, and the depth of suffering that innocent people were experiencing was under-sold internationally.

So many people died and so much trauma was endured. Children lost their siblings, mothers, fathers, friends, and childhoods. But what have they done since? They have taken every measure since to create remembrance for this event. They have built memorials, museums, written books, and enshrined the remnants of the massacre. Yes, they were denied from NATO. However, this has only propelled them to work towards improving their nation for their people. They are devoted to never return to the severe state of suffering they encountered. They remember for the purpose of spreading awareness because they felt like they were helpless and because what they encountered, few can grasp. They remember with the purpose of showing people about what they felt, what it was like for them, and what they went through. And they want to make it clear to people who weren’t there, but claim they got all the aid they needed, that they needed more help and suffered greatly as a result.

My main takeaway is what these people suffered through and how they suffered through it. I remember someone asking the tour guide, “Well, why didn’t you guys reach out for help?” She told us they did, but no countries wanted to get involved. They were so desperate they built a tunnel under the airport, in secrecy. This was an attempt to take their fate into their own hands. Working tirelessly, 24 hours a day, they constructed a tunnel that was over eight-and-a-half football fields long. The people who worked on this project knew the risks and received no payment for their work. They believed this was their only chance at survival. Everyone had no water, no food, no medicine, and no resources. The tunnel became their lifeline.

Their remembrance of this event is inspiring. Not only do the people of Sarajevo remember, they are actively trying to spread awareness about what happened to them so that it doesn’t happen to anyone else. I often encounter people who have never heard of this genocide, even though it has been declared “the longest military siege in modern history.” However, if you go searching, there is a lot you can find. Surrounded by torn structures and remnants of a darker time, there is evidence of renewal. There is a determination to always remember, in their teachings in school, their days of remembrance every year, and their leaving of some buildings broken on purpose. It's amazing to me that a country can go from such fighting to uniting under a common goal and shared unity. I would love to visit again and observe how things have continued to evolve.

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