The City of Sarajevo and Sarajevo Public Company are organizing the 130th anniversary celebration of Sarajevo City Hall, one of the city’s most significant symbols of cultural and historical heritage. The rich and diverse program begins tonight with the exhibition “Sarajevske kuće” (Houses of Sarajevo) by Academician Safet Zec and concludes on June 5 with a performance by the Sarajevo Philharmonic Orchestra.
Master painter Safet Zec expressed his happiness at the opportunity to participate in the program celebrating the 130th anniversary of City Hall. The central focus of the collection prepared for this event is a house located in Bistrik, where he lived for about ten years, an experience that profoundly marked his life. Zec explained that a cycle of paintings of houses emerged from his desire to capture this significant period. His “Windows” series will also be included, and serve as a kind of portrait.
At today’s press conference, Safet Zec noted that this is the third time he has exhibited his works in City Hall. The previous occasions were somber: once for the “Tears” series and another time to mark the 30th anniversary of the Srebrenica genocide.
Amila Smajević, the artistic associate on the project titled “Silence and Tones,” announced a chamber music concert featuring many domestic songs and special stage effects. The performance will take place at City Hall on May 9, the anniversary of its reopening in 2014, and the hall will be illuminated solely by hundreds of candles, without any spotlights, accompanied by music and the silence between notes.
Vedran Tuce, Director of the Sarajevo Philharmonic Orchestra, announced a performance on June 5 which will reflect the “life of City Hall” through several compositions, tracing its history from construction 130 years ago, through its destruction, to the period of reconstruction.
Samir Avdić, the Mayor, today recalled the history of City Hall, emphasizing the significance of the building as a place where the culture and identity of Sarajevo meet. Although it changed its purpose and rose from the ashes, City Hall was “reborn” on May 9, 2014.
Amel Kapo, Director of the Sarajevo Public Company, said that this year’s commemorative program, from April 20 to June 5, includes a series of cultural, artistic, and protocol events. The goal, he said, is not to view City Hall merely as an architectural gem, but as a place of gathering, culture, and memory.
An integral part of the commemorative program will be the exhibition of children’s artwork titled “City Hall, Past and Present,” in cooperation with the Public Institution “DjecaSarajeva.” The exhibition will be on display from April 27 to May 3.
The Sarajevo City Hall, opened on April 20, 1896, has changed its purpose and significance over more than a century and has remained one of the key symbols of the city. During the siege of Sarajevo from 1992 to 1995, the building was bombarded multiple times, and on the night between August 25 and 26, 1992, it was set on fire, destroying around 90 percent of the library holdings and approximately two million books and documents. Reconstruction of City Hall began in 1996 and lasted until 2014, with a complete restoration following the original design. The reconstructed City Hall was officially opened on May 9, 2014, on Europe Day and Victory Day over Fascism. Today, it is used for formal occasions and to promote cultural, artistic, and economic events, alongside its permanent and temporary museum exhibitions and City Council sessions.
