The Oriental Institute of the University of Sarajevo announced that András Riedlmayer, an art historian who played a pivotal role in documenting the destruction of libraries, archives, and religious sites during the aggression against Bosnia and Herzegovina, passed away at the age of 79.
“András Riedlmayer was a longtime director of the Documentation Center for Islamic Architecture within the Aga Khan Program at Harvard University and one of the most internationally renowned experts on the history and culture of the Ottoman Balkans,” the Institute stated.
They emphasized that he was particularly remembered for his relentless, decades-long work documenting the destruction of libraries, archives, and religious sites in Bosnia and Herzegovina during the war, as well as for his initiatives to restore them.
He served as an expert witness on the systematic destruction of Bosnia and Herzegovina’s cultural heritage before international courts from 1992 to 1996. He was also one of the founders of the Bosnian Manuscript Ingathering Project, aimed at restoring the destroyed manuscript collections of the Oriental Institute in Sarajevo, which lost thousands of Arabic, Ottoman, Persian, and Bosnian manuscripts in the fire caused by a phosphorus shell on May 17, 1992.
András Riedlmayer’s scientific and moral contributions left a profound mark in the fight for truth, justice, and the preservation of cultural memory. His passing represents a significant loss for the academic community and for all who value culture and human dignity.
