The National and University Library of Bosnia and Herzegovina (NUBBiH) today marked the 33rd anniversary of the burning of this institution, which was then located in the City Hall building, and about two million books and manuscripts were lost.
Despite the loss and unresolved status, this Library remains the guardian of the cultural memory and identity of BiH, the guests said in their introductory speeches.
After the singing of the BiH anthem, the acting director of the NUBBiH, Adisa Žero, addressed the audience in her introductory speech, recalling the days when the City Hall building, a symbol of Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina and the common cultural heritage, was brutally demolished and set on fire.
She thanked everyone who “saved what they could under the rain of shells”, and paid tribute and remembered the Library employees who died while coming to work every day, trying to save precious documents.
Hatidža Jakić from the cabinet of BiH Presidency member Denis Bećirović also addressed the audience, saying that the National Library is an institution that belongs to all citizens of BiH and that has preserved knowledge, culture and identity for decades.
“Unfortunately, its struggle for survival has been going on for 33 years and, together with other institutions of importance to BiH, it remains a pillar of our identity, education and future. All cultural institutions of importance to BiH deserve a secure place, and among other things, a permanent place in the state budget,” she emphasized.
She added that this is not a question of politics, but a question of the survival of BiH’s identity and its European path.
She noted that, at the initiative of Presidency members Denis Bećirović and Željko Komšić, these institutions were included in the BiH budget proposal for 2025, which confirmed their national and social importance.
The Federation Minister of Education and Science, Jasna Duraković, highlighted the importance of the City Hall in her address, calling it a symbol of “our past and our collective cultural identity”.
She noted that on 25/26 August 1992, a fire destroyed around two million books, extremely valuable documents and manuscripts.
“Not only the library was destroyed, but also the written word, historical memory and heritage of all the peoples of Bosnia and Herzegovina”, she stressed.
The minister also said that culture is not a luxury but the foundation of our existence, and that without culture and tradition there is no future.
“Therefore, the issue of cultural institutions must be a national issue, an issue of the utmost importance”, she said.
The British Ambassador to BiH, Julian Reilly, called the burning of books a crime.
“It is an attack on memory and identity and the very soul of society. It is an attempt to deny the complexity and diversity that enriches human experience and the people”, he stressed.
A video projection “In the Flame of Memories” was prepared for the audience, which testifies to the wartime suffering of the NUBBiH.
Certificates of appreciation were also presented to individuals deserving of support for the work of the Library, while the program was enriched with occasional musical performances by Dino Rešidbegović.
An exhibition “In the Flame of Memories: from Newspaper Articles” was also prepared for this event, created in cooperation with the NUBBiH and the “Infobiro” digital archive of the Mediacentar Sarajevo.
The exhibition contains selected newspaper articles that chronologically follow the story of the construction of the City Hall, the founding of the then National and University Library of BiH, and its entire journey, from its inception, through the war suffering to the present day and the continuous struggle for survival.
Boro Kontić, the author of the exhibition, speaking about the significance of the Library’s materials, said that these are archives in which a large part of our past, but also our future, is recorded.
The representatives of the institutions present who addressed the guests today agreed that the issue of all seven cultural institutions, including the National University Library of BiH, is of key importance for BiH and must be permanently resolved, and that the preserved books and manuscripts of the Library that were moved from the City Hall must be returned to the building that is one of the symbols of the capital of BiH.
The National and University Library of Bosnia and Herzegovina celebrated its 80th anniversary this year and, resisting all challenges, remains open to citizens and future generations.
The anniversary celebration was held under the high patronage of the Chairman of the Presidency of BiH, Željko Komšić, and the Member of the Presidency of BiH, Denis Bećirović.
The City Hall was shelled and set on fire on 25/26 August 1992, when millions of library items disappeared in the flames, Fena writes.
