I visited Bosnia a few years ago and thoroughly enjoyed it. From the complex history, to the beautiful scenery and architecture, to the friendly people, it was amazing. It's a hidden gem that more people should experience. If you go to Sarajevo, I recommend hiring a local guide to help you understand the war years. The people are living pieces of that history and you can learn so much about the siege from those with first hand experience. Harrowing, but necessary to fully appreciate the country.
4
Congrats for this beautifully written article, Sarah. Your words-and the photographs-touched our lives with this alluring landscape. May I visit it some day!
1
Re: " I could relate more to this landscape than to those of the fables of my childhood, in which valiant knights pursuing fair maidens were usually fresh off the horse from bloody quests that had a little something to do with vanquishing Islam. "
I think we often forget that the Crusades were an attempt to reclaim lands that were formerly Christian, Jewish and Pagan--as opposed to the Crusades having being the initial aggression in the region. That distinction belongs to the people with the minarets, not the crosses, Ms. Kahn.
5
Some deeper history of the region, showing there is not that much new under the sun in this region:
"The entire territory that is today known as Bosnia and Herzegovina was not conquered by Ottoman Empire at once, in a single battle; rather, it took the Ottoman Empire several decades to conquer it. Military units of the Ottoman Empire made many raids into feudal principalities in the western Balkans at the end of the 14th century, some of them into territory of today's Bosnia and Herzegovina, long before the conquest of the Bosnian Kingdom.
The first Ottoman raids led by Timuras-Pasha happened in eastern parts of Bosnia in 1384.[2] The Battle of Bileća in 1388 was the first battle of the Ottoman army on the territory of today's Bosnia and Herzegovina. It soon won important victories against the regional feudal lords in the Battle of Marica (1371) and Battle of Kosovo (1389).
In 1392, the Ottomans established the Skopsko Krajište following the capture of Skopje, the capital of the Serbian Empire between 1346-1371; the term krajište (крајиште) had originally served as an administrative unit of the Serbian Empire or Despotate to designate border regions where the emperor or despot had not established solid and firm control due to raids from hostile neighbors."
Wikipedia
August 2018 we too visited mostar from our domicile in Dubrovnik! Our Croatian guide handed us off to a Bosnian guide once reaching Mostar. An air of suppressed anger seemed to prevail at the transition! This was how Croats and Bosnians interacted.... indicating the pain of war still existed. Both were young men having lived through the war! My pictures of shelled buildings, highly reminiscent of my 1990 photos of East Berlin, tell the story. The fuse is still lit!!!!
2
My sister and her husband were just there a few weeks ago! Their photos are perhaps not as stunning, but still show what a beautiful corner of the world this is. They stayed in AirBnBs, usually right near the center. They also rented a car and drove around (Croatia, B & H, Serbia), which is not for the faint of heart: those "fairytale" roads are also travelled by truck drivers and wanna-be race-car drivers.
Thanks for highlighting a forgotten gem.
1
No Starbucks yet? Certainly Airbnb cannot be expected to clear away generations of disagreements by itself. Tourism after conflict is both healing and damaging. Then again, if the alternative to Disneyification is another century of conflict, maybe tourism is the right answer.
2
Perhaps the author should do some additional research into the history of the region. Contrary to his comment, Croatia didn't "win" a cartography lottery, implying that it someone got "lucky" with its coast. The coastal regions of the Balkan peninsula, how predominantly Croatian territory, have historically been separate from inland regions. The Dinaric Alps which separate Croatia from Bosnia were the last line of defense against the Ottomans. They stayed east of the mountains, hence Bosnia's Turkish/Ottoman/Muslim influence. The coastal regions were always in the spheres of influence of Rome and Venice and Dubrovnik, né Ragusa, was always a separate republic.
22
@AC
Indeed, the shortage of historical knowledge on the pages of the NYT is a sad sight.
5
@AC
And speaking of history," Islam was first introduced to the Balkans on a large scale by the Ottomans in the mid-to-late 15th century who gained control of most of Bosnia in 1463, and seized Herzegovina in the 1480s."
One might even say that it was a case of in which valiant Muslim warriors pursuing fair maidens for the sultan's harem were usually fresh off the horse from bloody quests that had a little something to do with vanquishing the Infidel disbeliever in Islam.
3
Great photos. Bosnia is a wonderful place and a great country to visit. As others have noticed, the history has been a bit muddied in this article, and it is too equivocal: the 'Bosnian wars' were not two-sided, there was aggression and genocide committed by Serbs; Bosnia was an entirely blameless victim.
14
Thank you for bringing back beautiful memories from our trip to Mostar several years ago. The whole area, Mostar, Montenegro have stunning scenery.
2
To the casual tourist, Bosnia is a country of many contrasts..historically and currently. My US Army task force of about 800 Soldiers crossed into northern Bosnia on Christmas day 1995. In the following nine months during the deployment, Bosnia was then the center of ethnic cleansing..or modern day genocide. The horrific events at the various rape camps, detention centers and mass graves then and now color the what today's tourist might see. Certainly, Sarajevo with its diversity is interesting..and Mostar..and historic old city..but, today Bosnia is a divided country with the Serb Republic in the northern areas down the east side of the country..while Mostar's schools are divided by fences between the Christian Croatian community and the local Muslin community. The stark differences in condition and quality of education...one can only look at the buildings.
Dayton Peace Accords only stopped the war..Dayton divided the country along ethnic/religious groups who still hold today memories of the war. And, let no one disagreed, the Bosnian Serb Army supported by the JNA (Yugoslavian Army) was the mass aggressor..those rapes camps we liberated..the mass graves noted on our maps and the burned out villages as far as one could see...mostly Croat and Bosnian (now termed Bosniack by UN). What I and other US Soldiers saw was total devastation not seen since Stalingrad.
At its history..its suffering and it people.
15
Thank you for this incredible article! Very much appreciate the attempt to portray some of the many riches of this stunning country!
The one part I resent in most issues on Bosnia, however - photographs, videos, articles, is its deliberate portrayal as a Muslim country, with mostly mosques, which is not at all the case! Anyone who has been, whether during the Olympics, after the Olympics, before the civil war or after, must see that this has always been a multicultural beacon of the Balkans and very much modern, European! Synagogs, churches, cathedrals, crosses across this tiny country.
Additionally, it is sad to see some outside political influences ("humanitarian" work) discouraging, undermining and controlling growth, democracy and tourism.
Loved it whenever my family and I visited and would most certainly recommend it! The history, the landscape, the food, the produce, the wine, but most of all its people - just spectacular! This might be why many wanted and still want to occupy it!
Hope what Bosnians endured never happens again and that they can eventually unite and have one, unsectioned, uncantonized, peaceful country! Can't wait to go back!
5
Now - a visit to Srebrenica.
Please.
7
Yes, please do read this one if you do not know anything about Bosnia or it's history. But also PLEASE remember that this narrative is also oversimplified. at times historically incorrect, and straight up damaging in a lot of ways,
The war is definitely felt in Bosnia,but it goes beyond here romanticized oppression and war scars. This article goes to show that you can and will always find what you're looking for. The author found what she set out to see and hear.
Nothing more than that.
11
@Marina
"The author found what she set out to see and hear.
Nothing more than that."
And quite a bit less, I'd venture. She came to this land and this piece with a bias that she clearly did not seek to hide-- a bias born of one-sided propaganda omitting the actual history of Islamic armies' "bloody quests that had a little something to do with vanquishing" the Infidel FOR Islam.
If you Google "Muslim Conquest" and Wikipedia, you will find literally pages of Islamic conquests: the Muslim Conquest of the Levant; of Afghanistan, the Mahgreb; the Indian sub-continent, Persia, Egypt, Pars, Khorasan, Syria, Spain,and Gaul --and those were only the early conquests.
This pattern of bloody "vanquishing" continued until 9/11--not the US's 9/11, but Vienna's. Islam laid seige to the city of Vienna for the second time in 1683, and the armies assembled for battle on 9/11. On 9/12, the Polish army, which the Pope had called upon to save the city, finally vanguished the aggressors, and this Battle of Vienna turned the tide, finally, of Islamic expansion into territories that were formerly Christian, Pagan, Jewish, etc.
So when our writer cast aspersions upon the knights of Europe, she might well have considered that for over a thousand years, from the 7th Century to the 17th, the actual victims were not the Muslims.
3
I don't recognize the Sarajevo and Mostar this author describes. In 1977 the train I took had a coal burning engine and wooden seats. The Sarajevo bascarsija had no tourist shops but men pounding out copper jezvas, timeless, not from China to be sure. The old library still stood unmarred by fire or the loss of its books and historic documents. Most of all I remember the wonderful smells of coffee, chestnut blooms, spices, and rain on the rocks. Occasional embroidered folk dress stood out among more cosmopolitan residents. It felt untouched by time as if the Habsburgs and Ottomans has left. Time feels different in the Balkans. Outside small streams flowing everywhere and mysterious green woods, spirits beyond knowing.
Then Srebrenica. My friends made it out, left, Serbs who did not agree with the slaughter of friends and neighbors and never went back. I hope for a better future.
11
It would be nice when people finally wrote the Habsburg name correctly! It shows pure ignorance for languages and cultures to continue to use the "English" misspelled version!
5
Travelled through Bosnia last year with the family. From Bosanski Brod through Sarajevo, Mostar, Kupres, Zvirnjaca etc. It was absolutely beautiful and the kids loved it. I would highly recommend it especially Herzegovina which has stunning canyons. The pita (pastry dish) in Jablenica is the best you will ever have.
8
Although I usually find articles in NYT competent, I have to say this one is really very "narrow".
The author emphasizes war story already from beginning, although it is over for 25 years almost - the lack of country experience was already visible. Historical facts that are either false or misinterpreted are mostly already mentioned in comments below, so I don't need to repeat them. Anyway, this is not first article from authors who fall in same trap (which is by the way encouraged from the people who are making touristic attraction out of a war) of superficiality, neglecting the level of complexity of local history, culture, lifestyle etc.
Furthermore, there is huge part of the country neglected in the article, from river Una in west, over Jajce, Banja Luka and Visegrad to Trebinje which are all very important for a foreigner to understand this country as much as possible. If you spend more time here, it will be very clear that people of different religions (nationality is same for everyone - bosnian) are much more similar in a behavior and connected then it is possible to figure by reading this article.
To all of readers (author on the first place!) I suggest exploring a bit more about Bosnia prior to landing, by reading some of Yugoslavian literature - Nobel prize winner Ivo Andric at least, but also Skender Kulenovic, Mesa Selimovic, Mak Dizdar, check music tradition as well as music of 80s, movies, or at least check on YouTube Pan Am movie Wings to Yugoslavia...
15
Yes, I was dismayed that someone who wrote so glowingly about Bosnia and especially Mostar would not even mention The Bridge on the Drina, a wonderful Nobel Prize-winning book that poignantly describes not only Mostar but also all the entire history of Bosnia through the personal details of its characters' lives. I read it years ago, and when I finally visited the region I was grateful for the insight it had given me. Long live Bosnia (and its divine cherry liqueur!)
16
@Nenad Dear Nenad, go to Laktaši and Široki Brijeg and Grude or Dobretići if you even know for this bosnian city and tell there that nationality is the same for everyone-bosnian and let's see what happens. You don't even have to say, yo can just put the jersey. When suggesting others to see the country, yo should do the same. But for journalists, it is imposssible to see all the country. This is an article about our country with focus on our capital and on Mostar. Do you really think that people who write an article about, for example, Germany, see everything? They visit Berlin, Munich, they don' go to Wuppertal, Francfurt (not the famous one), and life there is very different. The article is supposed to be subjective, she came here as a muslim to see a country in Europe where her religion exists for centuries and where muslims are majority, which is rare for this continent. So when you look like that, she wrote outstanding article.
10
Having been born in 93' in Srebrenica and having lost countless family members to the war, I think this article is exactly what everyone who has been affected, or knows someone that has been affected, needs.
While there are many brazen, intellectually-induced comments coming from people that are (or formerly were) deeply involved in learning about Bosnia and the Balkans, whether through academia or leisure, you need to understand that you are not impressing anyone with your purposed understanding of the conflict. If you need your "historic smarts" to be reassured, I'm sure you can find a more suitable place to do so.
Now for the author: I could not be more impressed with the imagery and language in this article - absolutely fantastic! Having not visited in over a year, your writing made me feel as if I was back in Mostar, with a dzezva and fildzan in front of me, utterly admiring the locals who, despite facing countless hardships and bullets, somehow created a beautiful life for themselves - a life filled with dignity and love.
I hope this is not the final time you write about that esoteric and divine piece of geography.
52
Thank you for writing this. A beautiful account of a part of the world that many of us remember well from harrowing news stories, a history that you acknowledge alongside both the magical allure of the place and its everyday complexity.
10
Great story, amazing photographs. I wish Americans today could learn about the history of this region. How despite centuries of East vs. West conflict Yugoslavia and Bosnia in particular arose as beacons of multicultural glory. It also taught us what could happen when extreme right-wing nationalists weaponize those differences into divisions for their own political gain. I pray what happened to Yugoslavia does not happen here or anywhere else...for my children’s sake.
24
Beautifully written. I've always wanted to come to Bosnia having written about it in my undergrad thesis, and this just makes me want to come more to see its rich cultural milieu and the perseverance of its people. One tiny nit: the Serbs are Eastern Orthodox, but not generally "Russian Orthodox" like described in the article. There is a separate Serbian Orthodox Church that most Bosnian Serbs are part of.
23
Hospitality story: In the 1990s a group of Bosnian refugees were resettled in the city where I worked as a visiting nurse. I had several households in my caseload from the same family. One brother and sister shared a studio apartment. The only furnishings were mattresses on the floor, and a small hot plate. Between the three of us we shared less than a dozen words. But dazzling smiles and coffee. We sat on the floor and the sister prepared the strongest most delicious coffee I ever had in my life. They gave me hospitality from the nothing they had. Today they are Americans, and we keep in touch.
33
My partner and I visited Sarajevo and Mostar about 30 years ago. Over the years we have felt very sad about what happened to what was Yugoslavia.
Maybe it is time for a return visit.
5
A much more hopeful image than what we experienced in 1999 as NATO peacekeepers. The people were warm and welcoming but still stunned and malnourished. That Sarajevo survived on art there is no doubt - it had little else. I wonder if they still play the Mexican telenovelas with Serbo-Croatian dubbing. There was no local production and it was a surprise to me to see.
5
@Tom Berg yes, still popular in balkans, but the interest shifted from mexican to turkish or locally produced
7
We spent a few days in Bosnia last fall and it is as beautiful and the people as welcoming as described by the article. Despite the horror of the recent war and it’s scars on the landscape and psyche, we are going back to the Balkans next spring to visit the interior areas of Serbia, Bosnia and Croatia.
The mix of cultures and the openness of this areas’ inhabitants when it comes to the problems of polarization, the demonization of the “other” and how to achieve E Pluribus Unum will keep us coming back-that and the fabulous food and scenery.
Nearby Slovenia is amazing too.
9
I wish that I could be as optimistic as your reporter. I've been heading up a small non-governmental organization, the Coalition for Work with Psychotrauma and Peace (www.cwwpp.org), working in Croatia, Bosnia, and Serbia since June 1995. The region is indeed beautiful in terms of its landscape. However, it still is very deeply scarred psychologically, and little if anything is being done about that. Ethnic tensions, which are just under the surface, and sometimes not so under the surface, are still high. These are being encouraged by politicians from all sides. Thus, while physical reconstruction is occurring, psychological reconstruction and reconciliation aren't. All of this now is being transmitted to the new generation, which will, in turn, transmit it to future generations. On top of all of that, the issues of migration from the Middle East, Central Asia, and Africa are playing out heavily in the region. The Balkan route is not closed, despite reports to the contrary. Those of us who have been in the region for a long period are extremely worried about the directions that all of this is going. Unfortunately, tourists are not in tune with the very real problems that are present here. Also, tourism will not solve the economic and social issues, as well as the issues of transitional justice, which still exist. We continue to work, sometimes in desperation, with the psychological issues in all groups. It is not at all an easy task, and we feel highly frustrated.
53
@Charles David Tauber, M.D.
Dear Dr,
You are absolutely right and all need to work on it . But I disagree that tourism wouldn’t help. In fact tourism is a big chance to bring a little bit more prosperity which in return creates jobs and a moderate income. It is evident that those societies with the least economic problems religion, race, radical politics and hatred have less chance.
But of course a well functioning state looks different . Whenever there is a child with some difficult disease that needs a surgery to survive , people ask for Abbild of crowdfunding through social media to send that child to Austria or Germany or turkey for treatment. As long as a state has such problems , it won’t qualify as progressive or „western“.....
Maybe more tourists can come and finally there might be less problems . Optimism at least should win.
10
This is so important and true to this entire region. I visited Kosovo a few summers ago and the tensions are as high as before the war.
7
@Charles David Tauber, M.D. Charles, glad to know that you are still there working away. As we know reconciliation if it occurs at all is a decades long process. Your work has been inspiring. All best wishes.
9
Re: "after World War II, Bosnia was fused with Croatia, Serbia, Macedonia, Montenegro and Slovenia into Communist Yugoslavia."
This is not quite the case.
Bosnia and Herzogovina joined the newly-formed Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes -- renamed Yugoslavia -- after World War I.
It is true that after World War II Yugoslavia became Communist
15
This was the first thing I noticed. I am amazed that the author didn’t take the time to research something this simple.
2
I visit last year Bosnia and I saw Several cities in the country.
The place is very beautiful and pristine , in fact Europe's only country wild life is expanding.
Bosnia is surely suffering from population negative growth. I am not sure that is a blessing or curse.
I also visit frequently neighboring Croatia.
These countries are very impressive in terms of tourism and sight seeing. The war absolutely traumatized the people but also kept tourist out of country for a very long time.
You cannot see tourism degenerative effect in these nations like you saw in Greece, Turkey, Spain and Italy.
Mostar as a town is a gem. Must see.
While you are touring in bosnia once in a while you come a cross war remnant building and feel the ferocity of fight and you ask yourself , how people live together after this war? as of today I do not answer.
But this countries beauty is breathtaking.
7
Wonderful article. However, I think a few of the historical points need correcting. Yugoslavia was first created after WWI, not WWII. Also, enmity between Serbs, Croats and Bosnians certainly did not appear just after Yugoslavia collapsed. For example, during WWII, fascist Croats massacred large numbers of Serbs, with the consent of the Catholic Church. I remember hearing in the 70s that Yugoslavia was an ethnic powder keg, in danger of it exploding once Tito died. Cycles of retribution unfortunately were part of this region for generations.
21
I find the article troubling insofar as it reinforces common cliches about the Balkans, and dumbs down the complexities of history of the people therein. It is even more troubling that it is an Editors Pick.
To reduce the wars of the 1990s to "pure evil" is to disregard the intricacies of history, politics, economics, a staid inflexible system of governance, etc. Evil acts were committed to be sure; to imply that that is all there was - a switch was flipped - perpetuates ignorance and continues to be grossly irresponsible.
Additionally, the Eastern Orthodox religion is not "Russian", it arose in the city Constantinople, and spread to many peoples in Europe - Serbs, Greeks, Bulgarians etc. This falsehood has historically reduced Serbs to Russians, Croats to Italians and Bosnians to Turks. It's a convenience people lean on to not have to think so much.
Lastly, "Croatia won big in the cartography lottery". This is just not true. Perhaps the writer can look at maps of these territories going back centuries and see that most of the coastal territorial boundaries have adhered to historic lines.
29
@DZ
Croatia did take the majority of the coast after WWII
@maryanne
Croatia (and to a lesser extent Slovenia) took back a relatively small part of coastline that was historically theirs, but was given to Italy as a reward for being allied to UK in the WWI.
@DZ
"and dumbs down the complexities of history of the people therein."
Isn't it sad that one must use such caution in the land of the free when discussing history? Your post speaks to those who already have acquired the knowedge to which you refer, but you have to be very careful to avoid the specifics to which you aver.
My Grandmother visited Bosnia in the early 80s and though she had been to nearly every country on the planet thought Sarajevo to be the most beautiful place she'd been to. During the war, she would cry watching the destruction on the TV news coverage. Glad to see that it is recovering.
11
"Are those from the war"? How about having a little respect and empathy for a cab driver who just maybe lost a loved one in the war and doesn't appreciate your comfortable war tourism. Jesus what is wrong with people?
8
@Leo It's just as likely, I think, that the cab driver would want a tourist to know: yes, this is from the war; this is what we've suffered.
I was in Rwanda and talked at length with a man who had hidden for months, separately from his wife and small daughter, and survived the genocide. When I was concerned whether he wanted to talk about it, he said, "yes, this is therapy for me." And he also wanted foreigners to know what happened in his country.
So each case is different, and I wouldn't chastise the reporter without knowing more about the exchange.
5
@Leo Yes. Mass tourism, while bringing money to some parts of the local economy, is deliterious to genuine urban culture. See Barcalona, Amsterdam, Prague, and so on. I imagine in the case of Sarajevo it could be so much worse, with people asking insensitive questions of a population traumatized by recent war. Even during the war you had western intellectuals going there and making saviour-like gestures (see Susan Sontag and her staging plays in a war-torn city, as if she was the one who had to bring Beckett to them). Our Atlanticist arrogance tends to be unbounded. The rather unfortunate question posed by the writer is a very slight example of such.
2
@Person
Unfortunately being from here I can't really see how more tourism would not benefit us.
Sarajevo town centre already doesn't have much of a distinctive urban life as it's been a tourist playground for over a decade as soon as weather is nice, and the rest of the country would definitely benefit from a bit of that cosmpolitanism that would result from the "spillage", not to mention the economic benefits.
Most of this country has spent way too much time in isolation from the neighbouring cities let alone the world, and the people here are mostly unable to afford to go abroad themselves (unless they take the plunge and outright emigrate).
2
“That’s why war was here all of the time, we were too welcoming.” “Maybe because of Muslim roots, people are warm.”
Wow, what a place.
Unfortunately when I was there in 1987 many predicted the coming ethnic and religious conflicts.
8
I meant to ask: can non-Muslims visit mosques in Bosnia? (We just got back from Morocco, where non-Muslims can only visit one mosque... the Hassan Mosque in Casablanca.)
4
@Julian, yes, they are most welcome! But just as when entering the place of worship of ANY religion, clothing should be modest and respectful (i.e. no shorts, sleeveless shirts, etc). Shoes need to be removed before entering, and women need headscarves.
A slight correction: Bosnia became part of the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes (later renamed Yugoslavia) after World War 1. The country became communist after World War 2.
6
There’s no such thing as “Russian Orthodox Serbs” - Christian Orthodox, or Eastern Orthodox, churches are independent - the correct term is autocephalous - so although they adhere to the same religious faith, practice, and experience, and are organized around The Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople (which today is Istanbul in Turkey), the churches are autonomous and act independently - the organizational chart is complicated but Russian church has nothing to do with Serbian church.
18
A similar experience in Croatia and Slovenia a couple of years ago. Beauty everywhere, and a feeling of local identity, vague defensiveness, and recent conflict. But not as pronounced as in Bosnia. It was Serbian Slav efforts to not just be rid of Austria-Hungary, but to consolidate all the Balkans under Slav rule that started WWI. The Imperial Russian's secret effort to help them consolidate all under the label "Southern Slavs", even when Slavs were a minority in the area they wanted, led to the aggressive "black hand' network of provocateurs. It's still just under the surface. And the Russians still do the same stuff in Ukraine, Georgia, and the Balkans. History repeats, unfortunately.
5
@James, your conspiratorial comment that “It was Serbian Slav efforts... to consolidate all the Balkans under Slav rule....” is historically inaccurate. Throughout the 19th and early 20th centuries, there was a broad and anticolonial pan-Slavic movement toward a unified south Slavic state that was driven by Serbs, Croats, Slovenes and others. To say that “Slavs were a minority in the area they wanted” is to betray either a thorough misunderstanding of geography and history, or an unfortunate ethno-political bias.
5
@James, your comment that “It was Serbian Slav efforts... to consolidate all the Balkans under Slav rule....” is historically inaccurate as well as disconcertingly conspiratorial. Throughout the 19th and early 20th centuries, there was a broad and anticolonial pan-Slavic movement toward a unified south Slavic state that was driven by Serbs, Croats, Slovenes and others. To say that “Slavs were a minority in the area they wanted” is to betray either a thorough misunderstanding of geography and history, or an unfortunate ethno-political bias.
@James
All three ethnicities in Bosnia (and it's two neighbors) are Slavic. Both Bosniaks and Croats are Slavic. Additionally, as Ivan already pointed out, pan-Slavism and the idea of consolidation of lands (roughly) of former Yugoslavia is not (just) a Serb project.
Ironically, the very concept of pan-Slavic unity actually originated in Austro-Hungarian empire, and it's disgruntled Croatian intelligentsia in late 18th and early 19th century. Apart from the Slovenes who were in identical position, they saw the Serbs, the people with whom they shared early history, many customs and most of the language, and the misfortune of being a backwater region in a foreigner's empire (Croats under Habsburgs, and Serbs under Ottomans) as the obvious major allies.
The seed of mutual disrespect was planted in 19th century by the empires that feared the fruition of that plan. Sadly, it got to fluorish under the one-sided, hegemonic policies and majorisation of other two ethnicities (or three if we were to add Bosniaks which under first Yugoslavia and even the early years of the second were denied the right of ethnic self-definition) under the rule of Serbian kings once that idea was finally realized after the WWI.
It's sad that after 500 years of yearning for cooperation and unity, southern Slavs have grown into despising, often times outright hating each-other in recent 100 or so years. The history of the Balkans is like a love tale that got sour in a horrible, abusive marriage.
1
I have an otherwise intelligent family member who references the Muslims who settled in Bosnia 500 years ago and current refugees in the same breath, believing them both to be part of the same scourge against the pristine whiteness of the rest of Europe. She's an American, never been to Europe, and seems blind to the horrors she is reanimating with her friendly Tweets and Facebook posts to the angry white men preparing once again to march across Europe with their guns and pitchforks. It's a form of insanity, a multi-generational hatred formed in the genes and passed down like eye color. I still cannot grasp how educated people can embrace such racist nonsense, but many do. Very frightening.
8
@Winston Bosnians ARE Slavs. They converted to Islam during the reign of the Ottoman Empire, and had been previously Christian, and few Pagan. They did not migrate there as Muslims.
13
@DZ yes and no, last year I took one of those DNA tests. We are mostly Slavic culturally. But many of us have a very small percentage of Slavic heritage. Some have non. My is in teens. Apparently, I'm mostly just of local Balkan/Greek stock. Whatever that is. That heritage and history has been wiped away by everyone that thought they should conquer or bulldoze that place. I love to read history. It's fascinating. But Slavs, like Romans, Germans, and Turks were invaders.
6
@DZ
Important is that there are also others and not too few:
People who only see themselves as Bosnians or even Europeans not feeling like being put into a box of religious followers and also by the way there are Jews and roma . History is ok but the projection to today and to today’s situation is exactly what creates the trouble. Mankind is still immature in many areas and the balkans have a problem with that too. Economy and religion kind of connected . Religion used as mean of division. „We“and „they“, a global mistake. Luckily religion is (only) „believe“ and not „knowing“....
3
When are you going to talk about Medjugorje and the Blessed Mother's apparitions there since 1981. The Vatican just made a major approval of the apparitions after a long study. Where is that reporting?
4
@Dan S. It's fake. The priest made it up to bring in money. The Vatican got taken.
4
In the article the author says .......a three-way presidency made up of a Bosnian, a Serb and a Croat ....... the implication being that the Serbs and Croats are not Bosnian. Perhaps she was going for "Bosniak?". My late Bosnian grandmother used to say "we were all Bosnians first, then of Muslim, Christian-Catholic or Eastern Orthodox or Jewish persuasion". The hope is that this will be again.
16
@Nada Most of Serbs and Croats don't consider themselves Bosnians; in fact, I almost got in trouble last year when I was in Serb Republic (Serb part of Bosnia-Herzegovina) with my girlfriend (she's from there) calling them Bosnians.
1
@Nada
We (the mentally healthy people ) still hope and wish it will be again like this....
4
@Nada @Mike
You're both right.
But to put things in perspective, most Bosnian Serbs and Croats get the luxury to "not consider themselves Bosnian" in their home towns. I'm certainly a "Bosnian" in Croatia (not to cause more confusion, I am also considered a Croat, but that means very little and is quite an insignificant part of my identity in the country where most people are), so I see no reason not to feel different at home.
So, much as with my Croatian example, the differences exist where (and exactly because) we're all Bosnian here.
The opinion of the majority of people here, regardless of ethnicity, is greatly formed by post-war politicial narrative. So in case of Serbs and Croats it's formed by their nationalist parties, and is then further fueled by Bosniak nationalist politicans' narrative that treats Bosnia as solely Bosniak heritage, or even by Bosnian left-wing, which sometimes denies the right to self-identify as Croats and Serbs.
So much like any bitter argument it requires two, three or several unreasonable parties, and unfortunately, the people who you are likely to meet have spent majority of their lives under these narratives.
Those of us with the ability of critical thinking do not see things in that spoon-fed way.
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Sure makes me want to go. Stunningly beautiful pictures as well.
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Bosnia is a country rich with history, culture and hope. The people were so warm and welcoming when my wife and I visited a couple of years ago. Sarajevo is a gem. Unfortunately the Dayton accords have straight jacketed the country into a perpetually divided country.
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@Mik
could not agree more! well said! the dayton accord should be revisited and those divisions erased… hope it happens!
This was lovely. I am 70 and have cancer and have traveled to many places but I have not been to Herzegovina. As I look back over a lifetime I see that there is indeed evil in human beings. Other animals don't seem to have it. This article sort of proves that beauty, not bombs, is everywhere. It's way past time for humans to stop the business of "... my God can beat yours up... let's have a war to prove it..."
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Great story. Sadly, I fear, it will only promote more tourist. Like Croatia, which has been overrun.
At least cruise ships can not dock, ha ha.
The scourge of rich Baby Boomer wondering the world will not end soon. I'll be right there.
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@Sparky Jones
Bosnia & Hercegovina woud love to have the same situation that Hravastka (Croatia) has. I've been to both Croatia and BH. Unfortunately, BH is totally divided among the Sebian, Croatian, and Bosniak entities, it does not have coherent economic policies to promote investment, and as a result it has one of the highest unemployment and poverty rates in the European continent. Furthermore, due to the non-existent economic growth, BH is as divided as it was in 1995 with the Serbian part threatening to eventually separate from BH, which would trigger a similar event from the Croatian component. Also, I am pretty sure that your comment about Croatia would not be accepted by the hundred of thousands of Croatian directly employed as a result of its tourism industry.
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Sarajevo, 1987: probably the first time I experienced the transcendent joy of travel. Bosnia was my first majority Muslim country. Warmth and hospitality that was hard to believe was genuine, but it was. Architecture that was new to me then. Sarajevo, a city of "four faiths" (Muslim, Catholic, Orthodox, Jewish) with places of worship for each within blocks of each other.
I didn't have any idea of the nightmare that was to come. Staying with a family that kept repeating how people from different ethnicities were all Yugoslavs, I didn't yet realize why this needed to be repeated so often. I returned twice, the last time after the war, hearing stories of war trauma from everyone I met. "I can't believe you survived all that," I said to one man, and he answered, "I can't believe it either."
Thank you for the memories, the beautiful photographs, and the message of hope.
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@Elias Baumgarten Correction: it was 1984 (right after the Olympics), not 1987.
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