At the United Nations (UN) Square in Vienna, right in front of the UN building, on October 24th, the monument “Srebrenica Flower” will be officially inaugurated.
Thanks to the project holder, the Alliance of Bosnian Associations in Austria Consilium Bosniacum, and the support of officials from Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) and Austria, Vienna will be the site of a monument that symbolizes truth, pain, and a warning to humanity.
The president of the Alliance, Damir Saracevic, stated that the construction of the monument was initiated out of the need to permanently preserve the truth about the genocide in Srebrenica and to transfer the memory into a global space of peace and solidarity.
“We want Europe and the world to never forget what happened in July 1995. It is our duty to ensure that new generations learn from the truth, not from forgetting. Vienna, as the seat of the UN and a city of peace and multiculturalism, is becoming the host of a permanent sign of solidarity and human dignity. The ‘Srebrenica Flower’ monument is not just stone and steel; it is our conscience, our voice, and our pledge to the future,” said Saracevic.
The Consilium Bosniacum Alliance initiated the adoption of the Resolution on the Genocide in Srebrenica in the Austrian Parliament in 2020, which was adopted in July 2022. This was followed by the first steps in realizing the idea of erecting a monument in Vienna. The first official meeting on the project was held in September 2022 with the president of the Vienna Parliament and the head of the Department for Cultural Heritage of the City of Vienna.
“We received support from numerous institutions, organizations, companies, and individuals. We are especially pleased that the initiative has been recognized at both the local and international levels as an important contribution to Europe’s culture of remembrance. The unveiling of the monument will be an event that transcends borders. We expect the presence of the ‘Mothers of Srebrenica’, high officials, representatives of international organizations, and many citizens. We invite everyone to attend and send the message that Europe remembers and learns from the past,” added Saracevic.
The sculpture is made of steel in white and silver colors, it is 3.8 meters high and 4.5 meters wide. Its base consists of 11 figures symbolizing the Mothers of Srebrenica, in whose hands rests the flower, a symbol of innocence, pain, and remembrance. Due to the whiteness of the monument, it appears as if the mothers are lifting the flower towards the sky, which further adds to its spiritual symbolism.
In the center of the monument is a prism with an inscription in German, English, and Bosnian, conveying the universal message of truth, solidarity, and human dignity to all visitors and generations.
“The message of the ‘Srebrenica Flower’ can remain alive only if it is passed on to others, especially the young. Our alliance will continue to preserve the truth and nurture the culture of remembrance so that from this pain, hope and a future without hatred can emerge,” concluded Saracevic.
The ceremonial unveiling of the monument will be attended by the “Mothers of Srebrenica,” Chairman of the Presidency of BiH Zeljko Komsic, member of the Presidency Denis Becirovic, Minister of Foreign Affairs of BiH Elmedin Konakovic, Minister for Human Rights and Refugees of BiH Sevlid Hurtic, and Austrian Minister of Foreign Affairs Beate Meinl-Reisinger, Klix.ba writes.
