It is the anniversary of the most famous assassination that took place in Sarajevo. It has been 103 years since a member of “Mlada Bosna”, Gavrilo Princip, assassinated the Austro-Hungarian heir presumptive, the Archduke Franz Ferdinand.
It was a motive for the beginning of the World War I. After more than 100 years, there is a different view on these events in Sarajevo.
It’s been exactly 103 years since the assassination. In this place, a member of “Mlada Bosna” Gavrilo Princip conducted the assassination of the Austro-Hungarian heir presumptive Franz Ferdinand back in 1914. His wife, Sophie, also died as a result of wounding. Near the place of the assassination is located the famous Museum of Sarajevo with a permanent exhibition from the time of post-Austro-Hungarian rule. Tourists are often visiting, especially on the anniversary. They can see the replica of a gun from which Gavrilo fired on Ferdinand, part of his clothes and handbag, as well as the indictment of the assassination group. There are also cups and silverware from which Ferdinand and Sophie were served only a couple of minutes before the assassination.
“Nedeljko Cabrinovic made the first attempt just a bridge below, on the Cumurija Bridge. He threw a bomb on the column of cars in which the Archduke was traveling. The people who were escorting him were wounded. However, the Archduke insisted on the continuation of the program in the Sarajevo City Hall. They held the meeting there, and after the meeting, they returned following the same route, which was a two-way street back then. And here at that corner, that famous historical site, this assassination by Gavrilo Princip took place,” said Muamer Fazlic, a professor in the museum.
“The museum exhibition is liberated from ideology,” said the director of the museum, historian Mirsad Avdic. He is aware that the society is divided into those who consider Princip as a criminal and others who believe that he is a hero, however, he believes that it is time for Sarajevo to put the story on the assassination where it belongs – history.
The opinions of the citizens are contrary.
“A hero. A folk hero, indeed. He fought for freedom.”
“A great fighter against the occupier, maybe in a wrong way. Maybe it could be done differently, without a murder,” according to citizens who participated in a survey that was conducted in Banja Luka.
“The result was a world war, so, could it be any worse? How many millions of people died for that? Therefore, he is just a criminal for me, but it is a significant date for this area,” said one of the participants from Sarajevo.
(Source: N1)
