CEU eTD Collection Memory Work inSrebrenica:Serb Women Tell their Stories. In partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Nationalism Studies Program Nationalism Central European University Central European Advisor: Professor Vlad Naumescu Vlad Professor Advisor: Budapest, Hungary Budapest, Jagoda Gregulska Master of Arts Submitted to Submitted 2009 By CEU eTD Collection share their stories with me. with share their stories jezik’ and being aninspiration. learn forcingme ‘nas to past of theviolent Bosnia, learningme in about of process forthe assisting atlook the from topic and a newperspective try squeeze asmuch to material. from as possible the throughout processthe of writing. Iespecially hisappreciate excellentquestions, which made me memoryof studies and providingme with all possiblethe encouragement, help, and valuable advice I wouldlike toexpress my to Vladmegratitude forintroducing Naumescu fascinatingfield to the Needless to say, Iam deeply indebted to all the women of Srebrenica, who were ready to I am very grateful to Mirsad Tokaca, President of the Research and Documentation Centre Acknowledgments 2 CEU eTD Collection nnts...... 89 Endnotes...... 86 Bibliography...... 84 ...... Appendix 76 ...... Conclusions 68 Serb Narrative ...... of war Collective 46 memory ...... of Serb women Landscape 27 of memory in ...... Srebrenica Theories 14 of Collective Memory...... 5 ...... Introduction 4 Abstract...... 2 Acknowledgments ...... h ulcdsore...... 74 The public discourse...... 68 Vision ...... of war 66 Conclusions...... 62 Transmission of ...... memory 60 Construction of ...... narratives 48 Accounts of war...... Methodology 47 of research...... The role 43 of the ‘outsiders’...... ‘Transparent 38 initiatives’...... The Serb women reflect on the commemorative 36 arena...... 33 Serb ...... commemorations Potocari 30 Memorial ...... Centre 27 Introduction...... Memory 21 and nation...... Collective memory- some theoretical 14 aspects...... Table ofcontents 3 CEU eTD Collection Srebrenica is a precondition for any sincere reconciliation process place. process to take is for aprecondition anysincerereconciliation Srebrenica Serbian population of Bosnia. The argumentcontendsa moreinclusive memory that approach to in argues andinjustice. victimhood perceived for anincreasein The author study memory the of of the experience of of their from perspective the arenarrated memories Serb women the of researchisthat the today's life of main finding in The process. the engagement international and practices commemoration the on and to a great andnarrated explained. The paperoutlines in focusmemory politicsthe of with Srebrenica, special extend reflect areremembered, events war way the the and inSrebrenica situation current the influence of the their sense commonpaper deconstructs elementsand individualsimilarities between stories towards and points of stigmatisation,the narrative, homogenous coherent, a as women Serbian of memory the present to attempting denialfrom Far warevents. the narrative of of a patterns recurrent Iidentify livinginSrebrenica currently of deconstructing national and ethnic in motifs interviewsthe with conducted Serbian women the process of reconciliation on both local and state level. to Through analysing, relation its and elucidating Srebrenica of and women Serbian the of memory collective the examines thesis This Abstract 4 CEU eTD Collection Croats. Croats. While maintain Bosnian Muslims to tried as aunitary country the andhomelandrepublic to ingroups Bosnia: (commonly Bosniaks as 'Bosnian Muslims'),known Bosnian and Bosnian Serbs from independence Yugoslavia,fierce territorial for control a major strugglethree ensued among the since the SecondWorldinconflict Europe mostviolent bloodiest and War. After declaring memory of war is transmitted to younger generations. the andhow use of they references andin points frameworks what interested Iam experience. influences theway narrate perceive publictheir andhow the warevents the personal they discourse they way the influence war) the after and during (both women of experiences personal the how of town and the way the Serb women tell the story war.of This thesis therefore addresses the questionin the experience life day every in Srebrenica, politics commemorating the between relation the being shaped and constructed. In the course of this paper, I outline the most relevant in Bosnia. paceandprocess the of reconciliation prospect elements of women and the “memory arena” inSrebrenica ingeneral, paper this contributes to the question of Serb Bosnian the today.war of insociety of memory taking collective place investigating the By farmemory go itself documenting beyond andcan processes anewonvarious provide perspective the slow pace of changes in contemporary Russia. In other words, studies of collective memory can about debate the to contributing foremost, ifnot also, village but Russian a small of andpractices her on collective work memory ethnographic aimed notonly at documentingbeliefs the present-day of author Paxson, the Margaret in areasofinterestis fieldin its andsocial engagement. application of possible other this research, The 1992-1995warin Bosnia-Herzegovina is Srebrenica in women Serb of memory way the examine is to thesis this of objective The The study of memory is a fascinating subject in itself. What is however extremely important Solovyovo: The Story of Memory in a Russian VillageSolovyovo: TheStory inaRussian ofMemory Introduction 5 (from now on Bosnia) is widely considered the explained that explained CEU eTD Collection Srebrenica municipality by conducted Muslim forcesthe from 1995.From 1992 to Serb the in the Serb villages the on attacks of the andscale nature the about Similarly, agreement is no there by negated Serbpopulation.highly remain both and the crime of the nature the scale 2004), community,pressure of international the (Krilic in genocide Srebrenica officially acknowledged strong under Srpska, of Republika the one. government mostcontested in2003,the Although judgment"Bosnia and Herzegovina v. Serbia 2007). andMontenegro"(ICJ (ICTY v.Prosecutor of Justice inCourt confirmedInternational Radislav the 2004)This was Krstic of genocide. former act Yugoslaviaforwas an massacre the Srebrenica the that ruled (ICTY), slogan. empty an than more nothing be to inhappening Europe. Again, endthe promised again”, “Never of World Second at the War proved from Holocaust sincethe massacre biggest the prevent to community international failure the of crimes committed by the Serb forces on the Muslim population of the country.is It also an emblem andordered organised killing men of over eightthousand Muslim becomeand boys asymbol of the community. by other or the one waris contested the about everything almost fireceased, since years thirteen lack. Therefore, their or acts for different community international blame andSerbs regard totheviolentpast comes downtoblaming foreignit hereon But again, powers. Muslims in nations different three the between consensus sides. The only by conflicted the been disputed dividedbutsemi-autonomous into two entities: Federation and RepublikaSrpska(RS). country, one as continues Bosnia Effectively, Agreement. Peace Dayton the by end to brought was fighting 1995, when from inSerb vision.the to Bosnia 1992 Aswar raged violentvery a aresult, the shared eventually Croats 2008). (Wagner entities driven ethnically into Bosnia of dissolution first Serbs,its who opposeddisintegration threeethnic groups, of Yugoslavia, for then opted Srebrenica, while being the most symbolic and known episode of the Bosnian war is also the inIn 2003, v. unanimousthe ruling "Prosecutor Krstic", the International Criminal Tribunal In this picture, Srebrenica holds a special place. For Bosniaks, and the world, systematic, has in Bosnia war the of interpretation to events character, motives, the from Everything 6 CEU eTD Collection of of municipalitythe will probably never reflect the situation from 1991. With a population just of 2000, the slow process of return of the Muslim population was initiated. entity. perceivednow moved whichisFederation, asMuslim-Croat and from who there those In population begun. municipality inhabitedThe was first onlyby Serbs-pre-warpopulation the both of the of return slow process the Peace Dayton the 1995, December of Since signing Agreement,in infrastructure. and poor levels high of houses, of unemployment conflict: reconstruction violent a of legacy of the every faces aspect today until an region, into which underdeveloped turned town. functions it as'liberation' the of as'fall thisdiscourse In Serb Muslims Srebrenica'. of date to refer mass from exodus enclavethe and; men andboysover 8,000Muslim missing. werekilled orwent (UNPROFOR) andwas officially sides Both demilitarised. violated 'safethe heaven' agreement. Force Protection Nations United the of protection under anenclave heaven'- a 'safe declared shelling,hunger, lackmedicine,electricity running of or water. In April 1993,Srebrenicawas Serb forces and in soughtprotection The Srebrenica. overpopulated town suffered from daily town. Thousands Muslims from many smaller towns fled andof of villages attacks Bosnian the Serb-controlledof town Bratunac orneighboringSerbia. Only few of dozens Serbs stayed inthe nearby the fled to town the of population the Serb stage, that At town. the recaptured Naser Oric expelling Bosniak civilians. InMay forces1992, Bosnian undergovernment leadership the of and killing several for weeks, of Srebrenica gainedcontrol forces military and paramilitary of forces. Serb positions on the counter-attacks war. them the as of side explains narrative in thenational The Muslim place important an such and as occupy oncivilianpopulation attacks were these unjustified perspective, Despite the process of war-time the composition andof ethnic returning losses, human process dueto the Despite the From its for lifebefore known a municipality prosperity war, the and comfortable Srebrenica On July 11, Bosnian Serb forces, led by Ratko Mladic entered the town. This resulted in town.a the ThisMladic resulted led entered forces,On July11, byRatko Serb Bosnian when,in events early of tothe 1995arethat facts1992 Serb July related The accepted 7 CEU eTD Collection politics of memory (Duijzings 2007). The aim of this thesis is to address these lacunas of research of lacunas these address is to thesis this Theaimof 2007). (Duijzings memory of politics local ofthe dynamics atthe look an analytical provides my author one only to knowledge, but Boell (Henrich Foundation 2005), practices mention commemorative Several there. publications memory work the of analysis and anoverview, description provides material little very Srebrenica, surprise is given in widethat the international in commemoratingengagement practices the a comes as What Bosnian Serbs. of as tothememory out carried been has little attention 2007), accounts of in uCrnom 2006, Wagner Srebrenica (Leydesdorff women attention to 2009, Zene research into memory inbooks especially the of Muslimpopulation the Bosnia paid some and on focuses thesis this arise, discourses symbolic which from narrative historical the of verification providing than Rather given. Serbs present for the most partSerbs presentfor themost asperpetratorsof crimesSuljagicthe (Sudetic 1998, 2005). discussions focused 2003 toname historical and legal afew).Power journalistic only researches Those accounts, primarily on the1995 (Honig 1997,Rief1996, Rhode and Both CigarGutman 1998, 1996, 1993, Woodhead 1997, experiences of inJuly the genocide committed the especially about war'sevents, the been about published Much has Muslim population of the enclave, with today elections in municipality the are organised on basethe of population inregistered there 1992. now has a Serbian majority. It is the only town in Republika Srspka with a Muslim mayor asapproximately 469 areBosniaksreturnees (ibid.). From a predominantly BosniakSrebrenica until town, organised after war. the Estimates in 2006 talked about little over 10000people, of which 3). It is difficult to talkBosnian madeSerbs up25percent (UNHCR(9,380) Representation Bosnia-Herzegovinato 2006p. about the exact numbersBosniaksover 37,000, were ethnicmajority, the (27,118)of with 73 percent of total the population; the population today as there was no census That there are competing claims, competing symbols, and symbols, competing claims, competing are That there Srebrenica has become an object of memory studies. beensignificant has While there memory studies. of an hasbecome object Srebrenica Srebrenica has been a subject of substantial studies, investigations and research projects. andresearch investigations studies, Srebrenica hasbeen a subject of substantial Serbian collectivememory 8 , its inner workings and possibilities. and workings inner its , competing discoursesin Bosnia is a CEU eTD Collection during the war or were divorced. war orwere during the fathers or brothers husbands, lost interviewed have I women the of half least At die. men many left whoas are those wars- after especially mourn, andoften- Women who those aretraditionally spend most of the time with children as they memory of transition of process in role the asignificant Secondly,play women neglected. and they pass on knowledge women Serb are and asperpetrators, approached areusually of crimes context committed the and explanation of past events.itis the least studied segment of population in Srebrenica. Whereas Serb men are often talked toin organisations and scholars. comes from media reports, interviews with local media, publications of local and international information Burke. of The secondPeter and source Connerton of Halbwachs, Maurice works the be from informed by therefore carried out of perspective memory especially the collective studies, material will source primary war events. of the A of the analysis their understanding discourse share andto war from the experiences personal their talk about to encouraged were Interviewees interviewsstructured with conducted Serbwomen Bosnian observations. and participant memory. collective the of comprehension to significantly contribute could agency them denying than rather attention on ordinary people and marginalised segments of society, giving voice to their views notwhoappear in those do 'top-down' dominant, the historical politicalanalyses. and Focusing describe and the theorize individual dynamics of and from memory collective perspectivethe of shaped. are memories collective and individual way the of the Serb women,focusing especially on the influence of the current commemorating practices on memory collective the of analysis with contributing by in Srebrenica studies memory of field in the For this particular research, Bosnian Serbian women were chosen for several reasons. First, This builds in thesis onfield conducted work in Srebrenica April 2009. Itconsistedsemi- of In order to fully understand the work of memory in Srebrenica, it would be useful record,to 9 CEU eTD Collection expected to support reconciliation with their pain as well as to provide a basis for reconciliation of reconciliation for basis provide a as aswell to pain their with support reconciliation to expected victims.the By voicing memories of sufferingthe and assuring validation of theiris it grief, memories and commemorating victimhood is considered as a matter of matter a as is considered victimhood commemorating and memories documenting this respect, In abuses. rights human mass scale of past the with deal to societies included as one of the international consumption soft tools of transitional commemorationsinDuijzings of whatgenocide calls turned justice, that withis a setthe of worstactions crime aimed committedat helping on the the Bosniakcontinent population but simultaneously neglecting the Serb side. since thein of and practices very engagement support commemorative the strong downto Srebrenica comes Second World War. in practices commemorating in community international In the of involvement Consequently, this context,of the town carried out by the Bosnian Serb army but never to Serb civil victims. siege to the may refer also in It July1995. there forgetmeans genocide committed never foremost Forget Srebrenica (motto promoted ont-shirts andsouvenirs sold attheMemorial Centre) memory.forstand Bosniak to region Widelyturn in that advocated war of the context the Muslim women. the to in relation themselves position and stories their construct they research, the in by proved picture. the women are excludedfrom Serbian Ascircumstances, andthis aresult, hasbeenwidely active Worlddiscourse. seized thegender some extend and politically outspoken widefamous, extremely as Mothers of Srebrenica and Women of Srebrenicamembers and ofvictims'represenatives organisations. Such Muslim victimswomen organisations became emblematic for the placebecause since 1995a group of Muslim women play a very significant rolemainly there, as and have to Mothers Srebrenica became an emblematic place both for Bosnia and Europe. Itis widely associated As term ‘ is This meaning. additional an had women Serb of selection Srebrenica, of context the In and Women Women of Srebrenica’ of tends tobe understood as Muslim women, so did (2007 p. 160) Similarly, memory and commemoration with time became time with commemoration and memory Similarly, 160) p. (2007 of Srebrenica stand only for those of Bosniak ethnicity. In these 10 acts of remembrance of meantfor acts symbolic justice memory offered to first and first Never in CEU eTD Collection collective memory? In the debate about the about debate Inthe memory? collective past. the of narrative the constructs and experiences war their on reflects segment Serb its case, in this community, local in which ways the on impact their analyse to but Srebrenica in politics memory the in community international Muslims. Bosnian to belongs remembering public of Monopoly is empty. Srebrenica victims, their commemorate 11 July victimsignoringcommemorations side.On ethnicgroup,whileutterly the Serb of only one of in participate states and foreign international organisations hand,of representatives other the national on prefix', is 'victims without hand, about one Onthe talk the there categories. overcoming ethnicdivisions inshaped Bosnia, thecommemorating in policy in Srebrenica ethnic local community. Paradoxically,international community while promoting reconciliation and the Muslim population, there has been no study done about their impact on the Serb members of the stillbut by aredesired commemorations initiated locally welcomed and supported, internationally attemptscouldbe found.self-reflection those of Although may it those that be presumed of while noattempts local commemorations the arena of community. into hasturned Srebrenica construction the both ofimpact practices memories these how examine is to paper this of aims the of One community. of the Serb population local the of reconciliation agendaof desired inan became employed memory where ofmemory', Srebrenica and the of expected 'politics what Icall to contribute local actors and international both of attempts other These and reconciliation of of Memory is organised in Srebrenica with the aim of commemorating the war events. on every July 11 bodies of Muslim victims of genocide are buried. Similarly, since the 2007 in sponsored Memorial municipality,internationally Potacari,Center Srebrenica Week since2003 where dividedthe community.be This better illustrated cannot by than establishmentthe of the th , the day of Muslim commemorations, Srebrenica is full of visitors. The day after, when Serbs Most importantly, what are the consequences of this process? What is the importance of importance is What the this process? of importantly, consequences are the Most what The not toprovideaim paperisthis moral of judgments of involvementof one-side the the causes of the last violent wars in the Balkans, history Balkans, in the wars violent last the of causes 11 CEU eTD Collection a national narrative of the past which is based on the vision of the war presented bymy warpresented vision the basedthe on of which is past of the narrative a national I call sketching what to Iattempt stories. in their included discourse national and and collective the women of memories between personal relationship towards points as aswell narratives the most of motifs in illustrates repeated memories their areconstructed. inThe chapter which and elements duringconducted field the in work Srebrenica. I identifyintend to common the andpatterns ways this event with the activities of the Serb population, providing amap of Serb places of memory.juxtapose I Consequently, there. held commemorations annual the and in Potocari Centre Memorial main commemoratingtheir events, structure aims,andimportance. Muchattention is paidtothe the present I part this In involvement. international the on emphasis a special with Srebrenica in nationalism. description points nationalabout myths andmyth creations. theprocess of Thisof followed is byashort the relationshipof memory dynamics between and themost theories relevant the Ipresent studies. memory memory and of collective aspects theoretical modes the of constructioncollective of memory. memory Then I outline and narrative? national of a coherent a few importantthe studiesremains silencedin the Serb story of Srebrenicaof and what is given mostimportance? Can one speakethnicitydo people,and who did not experience andhow war. last myths arebeingcreated it? story the of dothey the What How explain narrates the war personally,and remembers in Serbpopulation the how interested Iwas this For reason, in region. the peace learn about it? What previous wars andtheway they isare shaped andpassed new on to generations have animpact on omitted and what reducing theand causeshistorical memoryof theare quoted conflicts as one of the reasons tofor thesuch explosion simplistic of conflicts. Far from explanations, I agree that memories of In the fourth chapter I focus specifically on analysis of the interviews with the Serb women Serb the with interviews of the analysis on focus specifically I chapter fourth In the The second chapter consists of a description of the activities in thefield of commemorations and definitions some I summarise chapter first the In fiveparts. of consists thesis This 12 CEU eTD Collection and manipulated can andmanipulated be reduced distorted areoften facts where past, the of accounts national conflicting alternative, constructing memories of Serb women would where inclusivealso memory argue forpolitics more I of reconciliation. andprocess commemorations be given space for expression.memory, collective between relationship the to back chapter,come I last In the neglected. Only this way, widely been has which a Bosnia, in process memory Serb of field the in especially research, of future for interlocutors. This concludeswith thesis on in reflections memory the work suggestions andSrebrenica 13 CEU eTD Collection and collective memory – ‘collective memory’ being shaped significantly by significantly shaped being memory’ – ‘collective memory collective and Maurice Bloch (1998), whohas emphasized the Maurice (1998), Bloch understanding memories of individuals. distributed 'beyond'distributed one's mind (p.25). Therefore, g Upon closer scrutiny,find in'distributed' we it thesame way one's andknowledge one'sselfis in Brockmeier 2002)argued that individual memory appears only at firstsightreally 'individual'. Consequentially, (1998, pp.41-51). interpreted memories and shaped, are conceived, (2001 Brunner the entire group. entireprovides a the group. memory” As such,“collective in historicaland norms, asthey converge events, those perceptions and coalesce crucial point here is that “collective memory” implies a “shared memory” “shared a implies memory” “collective is that here point crucial ismere is problematic of itsno existencebut memory and byproduct lifeblood. very group The memory social and individual between distinction very the Therefore, remembered. be will it how literal,physical sense,however, it social isis determine which 'memorable'groups and what also by argued thatmemories it areconstructed inmaybesocial groups: individuals whoremember the (1992) Halbwachs theirmemories. acquire normally initis people society that and context that aspects theoretical some memory- Collective the field of memory studies. between memory and nation and concluded remarks with the about methodological challenges in memory of and question war guilt. of followedThis be will byabrief of overview relationshipthe to relate which those specifically anthropology, social in contemporary memory” “collective This overtly ‘society-oriented’ by has beencriticized ‘society-oriented’ memory This of overtly collective conception In thecourse of this chapter, Iwill briefly someoutline keytheoretical of underpinnings Since Maurice Halbwachs, scholars tend to agree that individuals remember in a social individuals agreeremember that to tend scholars Halbwachs, Since Maurice Theories of CollectiveMemory Theories 14 reciprocal between reciprocal relationship roup appears to bein appearsto key the concept social framework about subjective, cognitive (not where individual where commonality for commonality autobiographical necessarily of ) CEU eTD Collection individuals frameworks with within which theirmemories are localised. usage, notwithinmind, the within nor textthe within but provide social Groups relationship. memory” meaning social their gain of through inwhich“accounts a position constructionism, their (ibid. p.189). A proposes Gergen 1994) who byKeneth isadvocated Neisser (in similar approach fit they when developed both a crucial but remembrance, and recollection “landscapes of constructed shared, socially traumatic how of explanations psychological Kirmayer (p.191). and additionally negotiated mediated narrative, while through arearticulated events traumatic of memories collective place.take For Kirmayer this concept is especially useful inhow both describing which theofrememberingand processes in recalling analytical conditionsthe describingunder tool asauseful serves (1996) Kirmayer byLaurence introduced re-articulation and/or recollection both narratives. collective the undermines or validates experience this how and experience individual's of interpretations sharedframeworks provideof the templates influence:of howcollectively by identifying presented narratives with two directions women the are examined objectivethe the of the frameworks repository subjectiveof impressionsplay significanta role as inthe memory of process shaping as shared and individual's the experience I agree with Bloch, that memory forwork, understanding concept by the groupmemory.construction of Without isnotionrejecting group akey that the Halbwach'sand Brunner's do. Therefore, ininterpretations. the analytical part of this paper, the the individual the and group. the The concept of “landscapes of memory”- social or cultural or social ofmemory”- “landscapes of The concept in the collective the and individual the between tension the on build primarily will thesis This appropriate cultural, social templates and have a “receptive andhave audience.” a cultural, social templates appropriate According toKirmayer,memories are most vividly accessed and forum for re-contextualization and re-articulation for memories are internally mediated, and towards how towards and mediated, internally are memories memory,” provide not only a social contextfor 15 stresses the need to look beyond the purely the beyond look to need the stresses circumstances which which can trigger circumstances being crucially individual and CEU eTD Collection their Hebelieves own “Without right. that invoking memories social of kind,itbethis would hard in forces historical sometimes are studied, little relatively been have which memories, unofficial p.195). (Esbenshade,narrative individuals thatoften of atotally consists contrary memory, imposedin thesomehow showed approach 'Kunderaparadigm', assumption official parallel that can be an to by thetheir in stories a way they that absolutely contradictor challenge discourse, the dominant this elites and in a way thatgovernments, they fit in, complement and confirm the agreed vision of the past. They can also telldominant ofinterpretation political framework they it) agree bypresentingmemories(if with their there ismodificationindividuals canbe indifferent developed ways- can adjust the personal stories to an alternative, understandingpast. This dominant the of theto memoriespast modify of their oradjust personaltrends in the society to which he or she belongs. Individuals tend, consciouslymemory or unconsciously, to the reflects extent asignificant byaperson to remembered isbeinghow Whatand individuals. of of In this way, one could imagine that the 'memory agenda' of a group or its elites,frames the memory (1989). When talking mental about materialand spaces of he group the argues that memory is being shaped. way the influence of reality elements agents and forces, different where in Srebrenica, situation describe the bestserves to this Therefore concept experiences andrecollections. their personal neglect or deny challenge, which those also individuals, to accessible reality the of elements the in have wishes memories over asalandscape,itincludes paper)but- to power the isaddressed all with the aim of shaping or controlling memories of individuals (the question of who and why encompasses notonly activitiesthe andinterpretations of consciously pastthe organised orplanned memories, that they are assembled together in our minds. (p.37) they are similar that we can evoke them; it is rather because the same group is interested of one much thein those so not is resemblancememory the in retention possible makes that or contiguity association of kind the For as rather a What I find particularly useful in Kirmayer's “landscapes of memory” is the fact that this term that is fact memory” the “landscapes of inKirmayer's useful findI What particularly Burke (1989)argues officialthat and unofficial memories may pastthe of differ sharply and A byPaulConnerton memory collective description was presented moreof purpose-driven community interests of andthoughts 16 . It is not because CEU eTD Collection points out: points can be guardsof andmodified changed byinstitutions- memory.collective As(1989) Connerton in frameworks. further Collectivegroup of providingthan memory rememberinggoes process the a of influence or importance The one. innocent an ever hardly is memory collective and individual largelysociety's memory of thepower. conditions hierarchy Andindeed between relationship the “Triple P”: a triad of past, present and power and the relationship between those elements. and present power Past, work. memory of nuances many the of in blurring result and oversimplification leadto inreality can appearunproblematic side firstat the that categories in by past Bosnia- promoted internationalthe one the community.even that shows This the the of a is yetthird narrative is there that it claimed by Serb side. Sometimes the advocated past the of version the into fit sametime, the at can, they side, Bosniak by the advanced war narrative the to in contradiction stand may women interviewed the of memories personal while sense, this In leastversions of andSrebrenica asattwo 'official there: Serb canbeidentified memories' Bosniak. in divisions the reflect neatly necessarily may matter) not for that 'Kundera paradigm' of concept stressed that in the case the publicof discourse in SrebrenicaBosnia, that drives this analysis. At the same time however, itneeds Burke's to be categoriesmemories of the segment of the society which has not been given, nor has claimed,of much agency in official and unofficialgreat extentmemories describes(or the explain (p.to anddissent 107). geography protest” the of This very pointa relevantwhich isa to motivation behind this research project. It is exactly the wish to explore influence, or distort, our experience of the present. (p.2) want toour pastsay from ourdifferent paststo which we distort- are able to connectpresent: that present. Hence difficultythe of extracting notknowledge of the past. We simply will experience our present differently in accordance with the because C our present recollections factors tend to influence – some may of the past, but also because past factors tend to Connerton (1989) argues on the first page of “How Societies Remember”, that control of control a of “HowRemember”, that Societies firstpage of argues (1989) the on Connerton a call I iswhat research in this important is certainly which studies memory of aspect One oncerning memory as such, our experience of presentthe very largely depends upon our 17 CEU eTD Collection events isalmost events of memory which collective to extent isthe though case Serbian the to Particular present. likewise ‘endowed with political meaning’ in negotiating contextualizing and exigencies of the is memory ‘maintained’ collective caseof how presentsas such,and aparadigmatic discourse, and modified, andendowedwith meaning.’(2000,political p.185)Indeed, aswe shall see, the‘social’ maintained,buta fieldthing,events areselected,reconstructed, in past of activity whichthe in possible. make common acts remembering of that transfer those study advises study is(1989, p.39), memory whom. formation thatConnerton to social the to of understand they how and andMemoriesmalleable, by weneedto are shaped time are (ibid.). over change they how and another to group one from or place to place from vary they how note to and selection of principles the identify to need we selective, is memory, individual like memory, social that fact the given that, recommends Burke in remembering. differences and dichotomy underlining lead often to is ofmemory and power andpreserved? past the The questions recorded oblivion? Put differently, who wants whom rememberto what, and why? (p.107) Whose version of these memories,transmission the uses ofof thepublic past, memories and howand present. havehow these these modes uses changedsocial changed; forces over thattime; actwhat on what as rather originally us.fit butthey intoperceived, conceptions, ourpresent whichareby shaped the are The are pastthe the is notusesuses preserved ofof notimages retrieve dopastasthey the were of in that we asserted recollection, (1992) Halbwachs but it is reconstructedthe on present,the basis ofbut the of the and indicespurposes present hencenot are of thathappenedin anything pastandits the effecton structure of needs and interests of the present (Olick 2007, p.8). Already ‘cultural’ memory manifestedinof these events, both historical and contemporary Bosnian In a similar sense, as Edward Said writes, ‘collective memory is aninertand not passive memory ‘collective Said writes, sense, asEdward In a similar Burke (1989) argues that it is important to ask the questions: what are the modesask of to questions:whatthe are theimportantBurke (1989)argues itis that memory Presentism assumes in for past that the are produced and images of presentthe always constructed inconstructed opposition to narrativethe advanced by Muslimside.the 18 these CEU eTD Collection ignoring victims of other'side'.the Consequently,in communities both Srebrenica developed completely differentstories, documenting suffering among members theirof nation, own while tell war the of accounts Serb and Muslim most rhetoric, and in style similar very Though war. last the remember and perceive and how Muslims Serbs of isin terms the gap there awide groups asmany it asthereare are memories binds- there group all the but to is blind “memory that emphasised Maurice Halbwachs Similarly,after Nora, Piere Connerton (1989) are selective: they rememberexperiences, political objectives and interests. What is common to all these perspectives is thatsome they episodes own war ontheir depending by actors, various the differently 'managed' are memories their war that while concealing orstake caught forup inin those decidedat arenot This it, andwhereoutcomes advance. means also forgetting others. According to of counter-monuments. creation the of social exclusion and modificationissues the of to thelinked officialalso is often regimescommemorations war of of historical politics the that out truth,point also for example, authors The through it For ease.can bemanipulatedandmobilised in narrativeforms. with these reasons, pre-existing nation-state. Similarly, beingfar from 'outside' grief,being is sphereof the framedpolitics, often pre-existingthrough thatismyths, 'templates', tropes narratives,and dominant including those of a personal, hegemonicand sectional. Individualexperience is often meaningful rendered only and official as well as commemorating, private and public between entanglement a complex Facing difficult the past This is very true in the case of Bosnia. One of the characteristics of post-war Bosniais that post-war of characteristics of the Bosnia. One of in case very the istrue This It is to possible imagine members the that of quite two differentgroups may in participate the issues different are there in which arena', ideaa 'commemorative of the advance The authors remembering war,isit to comes there arguethatwhen (2000) Dawson and Roper Ashplant, be said to refer to the 'same' event. (p.20) scarcely can children, on totheir pass they memories the event, of that memories subsequent same event,even catastrophicso and all-engulfing an eventgreat asa war, butstill 19 ” (1989, p.8). CEU eTD Collection their collective memories can be changed without a 'return of the repressed' (p. 186). Nations misleading. are assumptions such collectives, larger scale of the especially scale, collective the on for repression- this price psychological of psychological itun-health and is that impossible repress to without pastthe having pay to a with Freud that anindividual's failureto workthrough his orher in pastresults symptomsunwanted hand, like authors Wolf Kansteiner (2002)points thatalthough out, itmightmakeargue sense to not only but also group, on the onits relationship with outsidethe 175). On (p. world” otherthe have“unspoken”,left impact, and ifsuppressed anegative can territorial), which, (ethnic, religious, a group of memory the foremost and isfirst memory World“collective that Warstresses in Poland, Wolentarska- Ochman (2006), Ewa more significance. even gains interpretation of templates and schemes particular are offered summarising her individuals fact that the researchpast, difficult thetragic, of making sense In structure. than a transcendental on the collective deepestmemory dimensionsof the Second of moral order,ascribed. Olick (2007,p.15)claims thatcollective by remembering,is implication, tied into the though as always this is challengesunderstood moral the basis identity the of towhichgroups, of particular in roles the pastare being as an order in time places rather automatically questionsbrings about of responsibility, guilt moral and judgments. Italso remember? If so, how do they do it? (p. 109). likefashion? Can, is individuals,Burke (1989)asks, groups, as inconvenientwhatto suppress unproblematic in an stories such tell cannot nation-state- or movement, social family, large, or small identity, organisation-happens an expression culture, instrumentwhatwhen andan of an of politics of isa constitute narrative self”. If of identity...the psychological core personal collective and to relation to identity. As Michael Roth (cited in Klein, p.135) put it “In modernity memory is the key practices. commemorative separate In Germany, Poland Bosnia or poses unique past the problems.in Facing past the these its from strongly derives collective or individual itbe remembering- of importance The 20 can repress repress with impunity;psychological CEU eTD Collection bottom of the nation-building attempts and use history as a legitimator of action and cement of extensively about the importance of “invented traditions”, and commemorations thatlay at the common economy legal and common rights and duties members.” for all Eric Hobsbawm talked historicsharing territory, common nationalism studies.Anthony defined nation (2002, p.15) Smith as Memory and nation provide uswith a useful analytical tool. Itseems however,conflicts. framinginasimple ‘yes-no’ that aquestion not does opposition Balkans, wherehas it been argued, the unsettled violent pastplayed arole ininflaming new in the relevant extremely certainly are questions These is gone. Kanstainer by mentioned impunity' Equally,itis difficult defineto levels 'health' of of a nation and decide 'psychologicalat whichstage andfuture one never knows when uncomfortablethe pastwill be used for political purposes. first of memoriesall,violent may the of a shoveled under always past the back carpet strike in the is possible to leave difficultconsolidatedto democracy basing the on'pactodel process forgetting)of memoriesolvido' (pact it shows,that unspoken. At the same examplethe modern of which Spain, successfully accomplished from transition brutal dictatorship time however, one could argue ‘forgettinghistorical error, and isin factor a of creation crucial the a nation’ (1999:145). that ago, time long a it put AsRenan exercise. nation-building every of part constitutes in reality unspoken of past the leavingcertain a “healthierelements to however this society”, cancontribute that imagine andonecan processes) justice in transitional involved shapingthe byactors strongly address theirgroups (in difficult pasts contextof isthe Bosnia this postulate madeespecially may It be desired that observation. proven moral moreof a a scientifically than desire represents Wolentarska-Ochman basedonherresearch inthe (and conducted town Jedwabne) Polish arguedby neither Wolenterska-Ochman byKansteiner. nor madeby pointseems thatthe It Few fields of study have embraced the concept of collective memory as eagerly eagerly memory as as of collective concept the have embraced of Few fields study In my view, either position is overly simplistic and does notseem haveto been convincingly myths andhistoricalmyths memories' 21 a . amass a public culture, ' named human population Similarly, CEU eTD Collection conflicting accounts of what happened. The point made does not attempt to ignore the fact that ignore the attempt to made not does happened. The point what of accounts conflicting community through (having an who played went experienceroles) different andhave less mixed ethnically an of memories than memory as collective considered easily more be will appears memories evenbroadly that It belonging individualsnational the samedifferent to of group backgrounds, who experienced the same event differently,be considered assharing a memory it?of national different of people Can memory? collective a be considered to bein order have to event an such of narrative a does coherent how And group? national or ethnic same the to belong they way because in only event coherent a particular a specific, will remember people certain that itassumed Why is situation. only possible the is not this extent true, a great to often and conflicting theethnic linesof divisions. linememoriesalong run will between Although this is actors belonging to differentdifferently, involvesin is that study Srebrenica) acertain of (suchaswar a subject when event national groups, nation. Put of notion by itthe hijacked somehow memory was theconcept of collective process is often automatically becamememory for considered asanationpresumed talking an precondition in aboutor ethnic group, the that the division of a shared/collective existence the Since more problematic. is however implication The second ofnation. concept the around andis way it the Srebrenica constructed in narrative shared the of war beobserved such can building process nation andthroughout as the in memory collective of importance the emphasises it all, of First thesis. in this presented fieldthe of nationsstudying and ethnicity. in memory with preoccupation the illustrate fewexamples nation. These French of the nature the between relation the on precisely his attention focused (1999,p.145) Pierreeffort” in Nora, about his extensivework collective the memory France, in areofmorevaluefor grieves concerned, impose they duties, than and requiretriumphs, acommon are memories national Where does. joy than more unifies in common “suffering that underlining by memory collective and nation between relation the on elaborated Renan cohesion. group This ‘marriage’ of memory and nation has two kinds of implication for the research the for implication of kinds two has nation and memory of ‘marriage’ This 22 lieux dememoir (“places of memory”) and CEU eTD Collection of collective memory: to find a way to talk about the process of social remembering in such a way itis neither athing nor merely a toolbutmediation itself not (p. 10). a but agency more in storage of Olick, activeof process construction and For reconstruction time.” an not is memory “The entity. an as memory THE reifying of and formulation by this implied in and of itself. However, he also warns that we need to be very careful about the transcendentalism not identical to the is memory memories collective that that admits Germany in work of memory of a study in his certain(2007) Olick Jeffrey percentage of the population but constitutesmobilised. a social factAt the same thosemoments when being is towards memory ethnicity significantly it can contribute can point as time, one has to be aware from of collective perspective the theproblem In approaching sense, this (2004,p.167). can work of the danger of reifying which-and which- practice conditions the of under andcrystallisationfeeling reification group of collective in the ways for account memory.analyststo try should argues that Brubaker terms andcategories. with those avoid isit operating very ethnicdifficult belonging,to national to or related any topic researching while time, same the At boundaries. ethnic of enhancement the to contributing somewhat interview of Serbian ethnicity to women I was fact challenge bydeciding tothe amounted that methodological the light, this In with. explain things to what wewant explain, not to what wewant of isit akey part and kit analytical tool notthe empirical data, our Brubaker,belongs'ethnicity' to externally asbasic bounded of groups life”(2004,p.164). social constituents According to and homogenous internally differentiated, sharply discrete, take 'tendency to as the defines he boundarieswhich of or“groupism”, Brubakerwarns ethnic Rogers who against reification a community, to by hasreificationexpressed been eloquently about The alert etc.) a victim being studies belonging(eg. gender, inmemory categories other ignore beemployed which could easily the reification of ethnic boundaries and locking the collective memory within. By doing so, one can against warning at more aims remark The identity. national the with itself reinforces and coincides often in Srebrenica) as showby theresearch violentconflict such of memory (especially collective At the same time, Olick warns that one should be aware of the challenge posed to the field the to posed challenge the aware of be should one that warns Olick time, same the At 23 CEU eTD Collection past. unconsciously, modify memories adjust to theiror of pastthe tothe dominantunderstanding of the individualshow itinfluencedhavebeing First, whatand told.tend, consciously was or shared. The presence of a researcher, being aforeignerinterviewed and must settingof specific the moral basis nation. the the of challenge number of andproblems complicated thisis challenges, if further pastin the may question memory The taskof researching collective nationalan itself of presents a or with ethnic group narrative. national coherent a capableof boundedhomogenous, as group presenting a interviewees the concerns inapproaching valuable theybrought insofar research as of stage this informed preparatory the memory' approach 'collected the and itself memory collective of asreification well as boundaries national of reification the individual (e.g., nationalism). on thatmake demands those particularly ideological categories, of certain adaptation unintentional or deliberate the resists thus way in this identity, ascollective aswell memory collective Treating salient. not is or is designation collective colloquial the not or whether establish to inquiry collectivity haswhich a collectivememory- begin though they often in instead way-this but use the a of existence the begin necessarily not byassuming do collected memory approaches words, makes than theobjecthypothetical other of rather categorical.behaviorist In study neutrality that individuals. One advantage of some ingroup a reaction elicit degreetowhichthey tothe only interpretable symbols are of 'collected'commemorative available publicly any and together or alone so do may they though remember, memory approach is presumption memory of individuals is collected the are that approach central.individuals Only that it often assumes a posture of approaches: the one of one the approaches: two contrasts Olick other. each to memory collective and individual oppose not does that As Helenafound during Pohlandt-McCormick (2000)out violence herresearch about in I am conscious of the importance of the circumstances and setting in which memories were memories in which andsetting of circumstances the importance of the I am conscious against warning memory; and nation between relationship close elements: three These collected memory collected and collective memory collective 24 (ibid. pp.23-33). Thefundamental (ibid. pp.23-33). CEU eTD Collection summarised as 'both sides are equally responsible’. Finally, three interviewees were very critical Finally,of very critical were interviewees responsible’. areequally sides three as'both summarised responsibility for crimes the committed in war,the they an presented approach be which could Serb major acknowledging yet Without side. Muslim the on blame the in putting radical less were and side Muslim of suffering the neglectthe not did Serbs, bythe Bosnian committed crimes although similarly victims of arguing were warand thatscaleandnature the Serbs of denying the war.for the responsibility Serb Other victims or for women, BosnianMuslim wasnoplace there of war,the in picture one-sided nationalistic anextremely and which andpresented assessment women shared the same opinions about the war in Bosnia. Some of them were very radical inunderstanding their and interpretation of the war. It is important to mention, that not all the interviewed personal stories of will interlocutors the herebe presented onlyinsofar as light they shed on their personal memories of the process of investigating memory and its limitations. war the of nuances the experience underline to is rather It use. 'external' and 'internal' for available are narratives is beyondshared 'behind closed the door.’ notThis does mean certainly two,completelythat different the scope isnecessarily being sameas iswhat isnot exactly the means,what presented that being researcher of this the of presence very the Hence, told. thesis. being are they in which context the on depending change Elementsmay - stories but told, by stories is accessed Memory assuch. memories accessing of difficulty the of the assumptions donotaim at underestimating the sincerity of interlocutors,the but rather point toward humanbeings. impression certainly compassionate oversimplified decent and of These women spoke of who lossesthe of Bosniakthe mighthave population done soin tomakeorder an and felt that they need to presentaware of the scale of thetheir suffering, but becauseexperience they saw their role as defenders of the Serbian case of the Serb population. deal spoken agreatmightnot have Muslimvictims sonotbecause done the about theywerenot At the same time, those whohave interlocutors for this research. Those have consequences memories. twofold This could Soweto, interviewees tend to‘talk back’, placing inthemselves relation larger the to collective Presenting numerous, and often tragic stories of the Serb women who decided to share their 25 CEU eTD Collection available to Serb women and how they engage in the negotiation of the collective memory. collective the of negotiation in the engage they how and women Serb to available is discourse spaceinthe public much between showhow them. This will interaction of dynamics as well as aims their and actors different of involvement the analyse will I memory, collective of field in the activities and places describing While in Srebrenica. activities commemorative important most the outline will I arena', 'commemorating of notion al. et Ashaplant's construction and ways influencingof the process. in the conclusion of this attitudesthesis, of the women who were critical of the dominant accounts of the past will be brought again where they will women. and The the by themajority sharedof accounts of warwere servethe interpretations radical the as a point in the debatethat changenot fact it the by didshared all, narrative isnot national the that illustrated women three about the memory of by women. majority predominantnarrative interviews presented the Although with the those it must be statedpeople who, in case of this research shared similar experience and belong tothe same ethnic group), that theirbut oflike-mindedbea rather solid individuals asahomogenous, group approached collection of opinionsexcluded from the results of the research (on the contrary, they proved that 'Serbof Women'be not should not should women those the it. Although rejected openly and war the of narrative past national Serb the were in many parts very different from the In followingthe chapter, building on conceptKirmayer's of 'landscapememory' of and 26 CEU eTD Collection 11 Julyand Serb ceremonies of Julyonthebackdrop of managedmemory 12 of politics by Tito's arena' in isorganisedinSrebrenica this particular way. By Muslim of presenting commemorations perspective of regional memory politics starting from World War II. broader into a inSrebrenica dynamics memory inscribes present-day Srebrenica. Healso international inshaping of in processof public commemorations genocide community the “Being in history” massacre. Srebrenica the of of 'afterlife' analysis the the townin April visits and2009, numerous asGerDuijzings's to 2008,aswell (2007) 2007 narratives. inof play their personal construction the attempts, towhatextent in they participate them and acts role those what of public remembering way, those in women see in how a particular interested I am more remembered see Srebrenica to want agents certain why identify I Although women. Serb the by upon reflected and internalised focus isnot somuch on deconstructing conflicting those agendasas on how those activities are indicate the intentionality of the discussed acts andinitiatives, however Iwant to emphasize that my Srebrenica arenegotiated, contextualiseduse andshaped.I term the memory politics of to as agendas. By providinga memory their with actors different identify as well as activities commemorative and remembrance and to show how it is interpreted by the SerbIntroduction women. I will present the most important sites of In his Duijzings work, offers valuablehow and thoughts about why'the commemorative the of involvement the at look insightful and critical most far, so the, offers Duijzings This will chapter buildprimarily onmy in research ethnographic conducted in Srebrenica The aim of this chapter is to outline Srebrenica's “landscape of memory” (Kiermayer 1996) of “landscape isoutline chapter The aimof to Srebrenica's this Landscape of memory Srebrenica in map of public rememberingmap ofpublic 27 I explain I the context, in which memories in memories in which context, the CEU eTD Collection more (147). The commemorations most in are vividthe illustration of Srebrenica this process. fewin religion, around Serbs past the identity yearsresemble their previously centered discourse who Muslims, Bosnian history', in 'being of way a and narrative national in their point essential from Maurice Bloch, 1998).Duijzingsfor argues has Serbs,victimhood while that been always an history-ideain 'being' Bosniak the of nature changing of the about differentobservation and community, international of ways representatives the of ininvolvement the of which assessment critical his Srebrenica: in memory of societiespolitics engage with the past (a concept whichin losses World Second the War up in brought interviews. the continuously were he takes results of my research by and 'Brotherhood undermineidea Unity'Tito. of promoted The notto in the public order in Srebrenica entirelymourned not were camps concentration Ustasha other and Jasenovac of victims Serb predominantly confirmed this Consequently,ideological stand. claimed the theirargument forgotten to according or commemorated as Jasenovacbe inpublic, ethnic identified wereentitled belonging,were to they to victims norperpetrators and the Serb frameworkother than oneof the betweena fightfascist and Inthis partisans. neither framework, Miller,in wareventsany the Wagner present 2007; possible was not '1980sto itlate Until 2008). never'worked through' bitterthe experiencesmemories and of Worldthe War II(Hayden, 2004; the aresultelite, andas Yugoslav communist country's fact that the was the '1990, society,had the of in Balkans violence the main of the one causes of the place. some authors, to According justbefore of outbreak '1990. warsof and the the is especially Such bynowacommon a claim Tito's after death victimhood of Serb narratives of the recollection of public outburst consequent long restrictions of of mourning public World Warvictims II under communist the the regime and present. the arena'of facewhere they 'commemorative the are pointcame the to populations both how presents author the successors, nationalist their as well as elites, communist What Dujizing's fails to do in otherwise an extremely critical article, is to examine how the how examine is to article, critical extremely an in otherwise do to fails Dujizing's What the about debate the for important extremely are article Dujizings's of contributions Two In hisview,inlight of only decades the beunderstood inSrebrenicacan situation current 28 CEU eTD Collection involvement of external actors. While presenting the 'landscape of memory' of Srebrenica, I will I Srebrenica, of memory' of 'landscape the presenting While actors. external of involvement them: national constitutinggroups thelocal community),is further complicated by a high among the local Serbs, and the bitterness existing in both communitiespolitical demands. (or, as I would like tangible more concrete, them with carry population tothe offered of remembering frameworks to see and acts commemorative sides, all by claimed universally justice, and truth with Together an makingand hardly justice. agenda, neverdonewithout without claimforthe ever truth done isnot be eventsshould rememberinginSrebrenica orshouldPublic remembered. of 1992-1995 how over confront forces religious and national where political, battlefield a of warbecame the Herzegovinalikely would be quite different', observes Paul Miller (2007,p.318) Bosnia- in memory over battles the Srebrenica, no be there 'Had themselves. events the name whole complex of events- a name that we refer to when we a stand for to are namebegins aconcrete inwhich is asituation describing of that evil' 'localisation unable to fully understand or even a processthrough of what SlawomirKapralski (2006,p.187), in reference toJedwabne, called Bosnia. Today isit mentioned among suchplacesas Auschwitz andHirsochima. Srebrenica went how they reflect upon it and how theirmemories are mediate through it. arena, viewsee howSerb women commemorative the Iwantto Therefore inthem (p.10). practice' instantiate or such as them groups-treat of members as organised sometimes individuals-albeit as population.agree with I that'sharedOlick (2007), are symbols anddeep only structures insofarreal shaped. This offerschapter few a this suggestions process,focusing about especially on Serb the are population local of the memories way the influence arena' 'commemorative on the activities The brutality and the scale of the massacre in Srebrenica, the prevailing sense of in prevailingsenseof massacreThe brutality the denial scale and the the of Srebrenica, it.of Commemorations memory so didthe 'internationalised' became As warin Srebrenica The word Srebrenica used standto for nothing more than a name of a small town in Eastern Commemorative arena of or battle memories 29 CEU eTD Collection supported both supported Officepolitically andfinanciallyby the of (OHR) HighRepresentative the of Srebrenica. It was established as a result of persistent efforts of Muslim women organisations the UNPROFOR.the At this place inJuly11 1995,many women saw for last the time male members itis established inthebuildingsbattery turned plant, of a during of into war headquarters the the of Republikathe Srpska,towhich itgeographically belongs. 2005 decreeof fall does Memorial OHR,the jurisdiction the Centre not into of the government the occur. venue. the Withyearsfewerincidents the however,Since to close discovered was material among injust them few 2005, a before days the tenth anniversary of massacre,explosivethe provocations andlocal government violence andacts Numerous of Serb population. werereported, expression of re-establishment of the Muslim presence in RS. reconciliation2006, p.160). The OHR linked the question of burial of the genocide victims directly to the issue of of return of Muslimpopulationthe their to housesinSrebrenica begunaroundthat time (Duijzings, and as Memorial not Centre, only deadbutalsothe living the begancome backto asthe veryslow process such thecentral establishment site was Centre officially by inaugurated Bill inPresident Clinton 2003 and sincethenbecame the of annual commemorations of the Memorial of the Srebrenica Centre massacre.provided With a thesymbolic opening of the Potocari Memorial Centre Memorial Potocari Commission). Truth Regional the of establishment Week in Srebrenica, Centre Documentation and Research the for of Memory, consultations fairlythree new initiatives embraceclaiming to narratives and memories of both sides (opening of national (Muslimcommemorations 11 of group July, followed by July) and of 12 ceremonies Serb groups: overtlymemory of those one intwo representing activities analyse the commemorative The location of the Center has a very symbolical and emotional meaning to many victims as RS the both from opposition strong with met Potocari at commemorations of years first The The most important Muslim important most The is the Memorial Centre located a few kilometers from the town 30 i . The . CEU eTD Collection destination of destination organisedof groupsand municipalities, representations of towns, victims' and veteran occasion for private reunions of members scattered around the world, the Memorial Centre is also a followed by families from Muslim manyabroad. While for families,Bosniak 11 became July an by of scope the ceremony.the Dozens buses broughtgroupsfromof numerous all Bosnia over continuing trauma experienced by thousandsofBosnianthe families.Muslim televisedimages grievingof families weepingby freshly-dug have come graves tosymbolise the as the coverage media extensive year.receives passing event each The with character international Bosnian the inJulyArmy 1995. ThePeace March has several years,of beenstaged in gaining by controlled men territory toreach journey who tried Muslim the of place, commemorating takes cemetery, bodiesin wereburied 3215 cemetery.the culminated in ceremonythe on 11 July. of By 2008, out 8372 names mentioned onthepanel in the in identified alengthy DNA massof process graves and from and secondary primary matchingthe excavated are bodies new year Every men. and boys Muslim of bodies of hundreds of burial the by tens of thousands of peoplehonour whocome to thememory victimsthe of participate and to in janazah to itreads ‘8372...total number of victims, is which not final.’ justnext order. located a stone alphabetical on in The inscription an inscribed of genocide victims belongs to an open-airmosque, anditis surrounded by a circle panelsof stone names with of cemetery of the part The central buried. are genocide of victims where remains of the road, across factory, where an exhibition events the ofJuly about is1995 displayed anda locatedcemetery territory. Muslimcontrolled the aim with the reaching of forests the through journey adeadly on embarked base, the into allowed not who, families, their of I participated both inI participated both PeaceMarchthe andfuneral ceremony in wasoverwhelmed 2008and itself,Prior tothe commemoration athree-day, SrebrenicaMarch of 100km-longPeace to isthe in Potocari held ceremony commemorative annual important most The The Memorial Centre consists of two parts: a Memorial Room located in the buildings of the /funeral of the victims of genocide. Every year, on 11 July, the Memorial Centre is visited is Centre Memorial 11the July, on year, Every genocide. of victims the of /funeral 31 CEU eTD Collection been by 160) as'a eloquently Duijzings (2007,p. evaluated platform ritual of guiltof declarations Srebrenica. 11 declared European Parliament local thana just problem. ismuchmore Srebrenica memories, deeply divided flags.lower its to thedecreeand background of the refused Against rejected Republika Srpska However, District. Brcko the and entities its of both including country, entire the for mourning given a very special status. In 2008 t Srebrenica occupies delegations. foreign and international organisations of representatives rank diplomats, highest the centre of the official commemoration of warentity. dominated in Serb in the life of Bosnia difficulties and in Bosnia criminals and as such was received on 11 July in of toremindworldorder about the wide-spread the impunity of war who were the driving andWomen Mothers Srebrenica, of of Organisations accusations. force and demands concrete also but behind the establishmentused for as an sending opportunity messages political only and voicing and notgrief sense loss, of of the Memorialbelovedidentified found, ones buried. and At funeral samethe time, thegroup of 11 hasbeen July Centre, their of bodies have to used enough lucky were who those especially thefamilies, victims' Muslim the attention in Forget Srebrenica”couldcrowd. bethe spotted “Neverof ceremony,the with Oncein motto headsthe scarves. at-shirta while with theircovered gathered inPotocari on 11 2008. July milieu demémoire national identity. As such, the Memorial Centre represents what Pierre Nora (1989) wouldassociations. the For Muslim population, commemorations became apublic call ritual enforcing both This considerable involvement of the representatives of the international community has community international the of representatives the of involvement considerable This officials,foreign Bosnianand by numerous year, Asevery wasattended ceremony the It is true that commemorations in Potocari have a great emotional and personal meaning for and lieu demémoir th July an annual day of commemoration of genocide in genocide of commemoration of day annual an July he Council of Ministers of BiH pronounced July 11th a day of Almost all women, out of respect for the religious character of nation Bosniak of the 32 . Estimates say that over 20000people say Estimates that In January 2009, January The In CEU eTD Collection the religious holiday, as on this day, in 1992, Muslim forces killed several dozen Serbs in Zalazje Serbs dozen several killed forces Muslim in 1992, day, this on as holiday, religious the Christian victims of religious persecutions.commemorating at aimed holiday In Srebrenica,a religious Day), Peter's however, (St Petrovdan as this calendar date Serb symbolisesOrthodox more than localthe Serb holdspopulation their commemorativeceremonies. 12 July is markedin the day,when following the on streets empty almost with contrast sharp in stands 11July of diplomats commemorations Serb (p.163). made ageneric and to contextualised' of symbol Muslim sufferingacts andirrational Serbian 'de- war,in becomes of Musliminterpretation inwhich tothe close massacre Srebrenica the very itself positioned Centre, Memorial the sponsoring by OHR, the explains, rightly Duijznigs As international community is clear: Muslims were killed because of who they were, not what they did. July 1995. consequently by messagesentbyClinton, representativesThe ofthe and other of explain theevents to in attempt side their Serb by the often recalled so tactics war, or revenge religious and ethnicbelonging. In vision this of massacre,the there is no spacefor dynamics of sense of closure and comfort but also to serve as a symbol of violence based on nothing more than speech delivered by Bill inClinton 2003: This isfarbeyond of localintrend ameaning Srebrenica giving thecontext apparent opening the happen.'having allowed massacre the to and by responsibility ofinternationalmembers community,use it who to express their regretfor dehumanize or kill those who are different. are who those kill or dehumanize world pride that the in ourin own religious and ethnic heritage notdoes child or require permit usto every remind will “Srebrenica” name the of mention very the hope I madness. genocidal called be must what in out snuffed children, them of many lives, innocent the to (...) We remember this terrible crime wedarebecause not forget, because we must pay tribute Bad wholustedpeople for powerkilled thesegood simplypeople because of whotheywere. The picture of filledThe of ofthousandsvisitors of and and tens picture Srebrenica top-rank with Potocari Commemorations in Potocari are meant not only to provide the families of victims with a 33 CEU eTD Collection Serbs in Bratunac and lying of wreaths at the Monument to Murdered Civilians and Fallen WarriorsMurdered Civilians andFallen to Monumentthe at of wreaths lying and Serbs in Bratunac visiting churches,the of religious atthe librariesand graves killed the at service events cultural Srpska GovernmentCommittee for Upholding Traditions of Warsthe of Liberation, encompass organized by of Republic Commemorations, the in as theone Potocari. spectacular gathering no is there venues, different in simultaneously held are July 12 on ceremonies Since Skelani. and victims of Muslim attacks. The most important example can be found in Bratunac, Zalazje, Kravice honor in to wereerected order villagesplaques In some in162). Potocari displayed(p. victimhood on emphasis theMuslim counter aimed to it was also but Srebrenica, of 'liberation' the celebrate withas aresultboth factthatit of the timebecomes moredifficultopenly to and embarrassing victims. Now, only celebrationlatter the Duijzings Thisshift,remains. came according (2007), to dayofliberationthe town. the of This followed bythe12 was funeral in Potocari regularly show up at the ceremonies of 12 July. of victims. Serb the Politicians ofRS, otherthe on hand,having being ingeneral at the absent Memorial by Centre abigdisplaying “Solidarity” banner didnot any attend of commemorations the “Womenin atthe andmarkedtheir March the of presence inwhoparticipated Peace Black”, organisation pacifist in women's Potocari.Similarly,present ofBelgrade-based representatives mainly by organised local the community,far, and, so been have notvisited byany of diplomats the are commemorations media,Serb and community of international the byrepresentatives attended for death of 480 Serbs, majority of them soldiers (RDC, 2007). Findings of the Research and Documentation Centre (RDC) from Sarajevo provide documentation municipality, of Muslim forcesmainly asaresult attacks of the on villages(Bulatovicthe 2005). In total, Serbside between the 3000 and3500Serbs claims, that in were killed Srebrenica Serbs. local for date commemorative main the into developed and well as locations other of victims and villagesnearby other 2002). With(NIOD, commemorationshonortime, on12July came to In the first years after the war, the Serb population of Srebrenica commemorated 11 as July commemorated Srebrenica of war, Serbpopulation years the the after firstIn the While the Muslim acts of public remembrance in Potocari are strongly supported and 34 th of July- day of mourning of July-day of CEU eTD Collection engagement. notconstitute forum only for expressinga grief andsense ofloss,butalso aplace of political inPotocari commemorations In this sense, cleansing. of ethnic aconsequence established as Srebrenica was a site for for aspecial Srebrenica.status Mainlywomen's victimof organisations arguesince that genocide, it should andreturn shapeto its to forbeen Bosnia havepre-Dayton unitary bysome with replaced demands not fall under the jurisdictiondescribed by the Muslim side as 'a genocidal entity'. Over time, demands for the RS to be cancelled of the entity acknowledgement of may underminegenocide potentially thelegitimacy it RS,is the of as that was of Potocari. that sides,presented byboth especially past the acceptance vision of of the linked to implications political clear some are there sides, both by claimed order moral the with together in be here. scopeof discussed which duetothe papercannot detail this before. weapons, weresoldiers in died 1995 without defenseless as itis presented in the vision of the past advocated in Potocari. Some of themen, who commemorations also call attention to the fact, that the Muslim population of Srebrenica was notas Serb elements. be these told cannot onSerbvillages.without 1995 The story Muslim attacks of Serb version, 11 July was not an illogical outburst Inthe counterparts. presented by Bosniak ofchallengevision of war their the to sides; theyalso try mass scale violence but both on a consequence victims were there that message the send and of victimhood the their emphasize only not Serbs war, the of By casualties effect. commemorating opposite atthe aim precisely commemorations illogical evil,itsymbol present Serb as a of generic to Massacre,and Srebrenica contextualise the (p. 162). While one of the aims of the Muslim commemorations in the Memorial Centrereported. is to de- of the RS Army. Men wearing t-shirts with pictures of Ratko Mladic and Radovan Karadzic were The Memorial Centre is used to force Serbs to accept the facts about the massacre. Serb many and agendas,by many Both controversies raise are driven commemorations different “counter-monuments” and and “counter-commemorations” events Duijzingof those speaks 35 It is enough to say, that CEU eTD Collection to ‘killto all’.them Similarly, bodiesspoke of beingburied women inMuslim Serb some andgraves eightthousand people killedin July bluntly woman 1995. One stated itthat was simply impossible the Memorial Centre Memorial the Croatia'. Women spoke widely of 'manipulation with numbers' and Muslims 'burying everyone at bodiesthat buried inPotocaribelong the evenMuslimsto 'foughtwho against Serbsin in war the died before 11 July and as such should notbe considered victims of genocide. One woman claimed knowledge' among the Serbsclaimed in Srebrenica at the Memorial that the Center, history. manipulated vision of the victims lot of number the iscontroversy listabout There a of of asvictims those whoin Potocariwere killed includes in July those1995. whoIt is thatsort provided a starting point for narratives aboutof war events rather thana a concluding'common comment. Centre Memorial was the it cases, in Interestingly,several emotional reactions. very andcaused wasquestionable. ofitsagreed that thecharacter commemorations 1995, inmassacre July gravity the the contestof not did who women, Even those Muslims asvictims’. killed is in commemorations in Srebrenica, an Potocari manipulateattempt history to and ‘present “makingin suffering”. of awoman, aspectacle their lawhusband andmother For whose were Serb asincapablepeople to talk’,beingvictims’. of arepresented andIn ‘professional contrast, isthing tousevictims for politics. isThat Bosniak dangerous.” women are accusedof ‘being paid is“this for allpolitics. ‘usingvictims that political side pointingTheworst purposes’, of out their 'festival of another itThey a 'circus', death'. theMuslim calling inPotocari,ceremony accuse one and manipulated. A majority of the women politicised I spokehighly are tothey commented that is view on widespread the most The scale women. and Serb the character with interviews the of the arena commemorative the on reflect women The Serb The Memorial Centre remains interviewsplace thein important all occupiesan Memorial Centre doubt,the any Beyond a contested place as it is claimed that it presents a in strongly is reflected that July 11 of commemorations the of dimension political is this It ii . Almost none of the women agreed that there could have been as many as many as been have could there that agreed women the of none . Almost 36 CEU eTD Collection nongovernmental organisation dedicated to documentation of Serb civilian victims reported that reported victims documentation Serb civilian of to organisation dedicated nongovernmental a of it. Representative attend not did them many of Petrovdan, of ceremonies the to significance felt that it gaveshe as important especially is herin Bratunac victims Serb to somemonument the at candle a lighting war, sort of comfort. A majority of the women however littleof aspect was importance. did not attach great July.” While she emphasized the religious character of the ceremonies,she admitted that toher this population “Petrovdan is an tradition Orthodox old and assuch hasbeen long celebrated before 11 her, Serb proof the another of towards biasedan the was yet such andunfairapproach attitude For before. day the held ceremony Muslim the to challenge nationalistic direct and provocation of involved. One of the women was aware of the fact that 12 July celebrations are perceived as a form in the eyes of Serb women, ceremonies held on 12 July are focused manifestation. political itinto later turned whereas experience, very emotional on victims, a was time first the that admitted withvictims the to respect pay to order in 11noJuly of commemoration politics Serbs doing if more were visitthere cemetery a manthe would from said, she marriedmarriage to a mixed it. She does and secondly, population. from Serb the hairdresseryoungAs problems wereexpecting a they not dare victims of byfamilies sure howbe first, Muslim the butnot accepted they they would Centre, are to be the first.woman went because The of curiosity. saidonly that Few she womanSerbs went reported there of work. their A aspart visitors woman foreign old accompanying itdidtwenty-seven-year while whoasthat everyone they used would who like wanted toto visitattend to thego wasMemorial offered the analysis. a day off at work. Another anotherof process toDNA and subjected bones wereopened graves the of that demanded them For a woman who until today has not found the body of her two brothers killed during the As commemorations of 11 July are perceivedas astrongly politcisedmanipulated and event, A majority of the women I spoke to have never visited the Memorial Centre, those who have 37 CEU eTD Collection Documentation Centre (RDC) from Sarajevo opened a local office in Srebrenica in order to extend to inorder in alocal office Srebrenica opened from (RDC) Sarajevo Centre Documentation beprovidingspace, wherestories ofboth sides would included andThe Research presented. and nothighly segmental provideand does for interaction nations. space between two their community and expressesbetween an twoagenda communities of its leadership. confrontation or for encounter not space offer do They in Srebrenica. practices commemorative and their Thenarratives arena of publicof the past.remembering Each ceremony is serves‘Transparent initiatives’the purpose of lifein Itisspace for death’. allabout Srebrenica. no is ‘there graves. on walking constantly was she like feels she that complained Another museum. a in lived she if as feels she admitted, them of one As sides. both on activity- commemorative ceremonythe Memorialat the Center distorted. Younger women seemed tired of entire the by presented past of the vision andthe neglected is victims Serb the memory of the They feelthat each other but we stay quiet.” avoid we that not another, from one separating slowly start we Then that. and this commemorating July. from Every day we start beginning.side hasits the programme, all Every euphoria, that be11less. will “Every interact day there 12of July and of home stay quieter, more, become People theatmospherebecomestalk changes, and denser. butwhen Julyarrives, abouttheir experiences together, work every interact, people day that said inpeace.She lives otherwise community which victims. Iam sure that we will notmanage to do it”. Serb of memory commemorating allow not do “They municipality. the from problems expecting but they were that a monument Serbskillederect inSrebrenica, the to to they were planning In the opinion of the librarian from Srebrenica, the commemorations divide the local the divide commemorations the Srebrenica, from librarian the of opinion the In During the past two years however, there have been at least three initiatives aiming at aiming initiatives leastyears however, three have beenat two there past During the the of separation and dichotomy ethnic illustrate July 12 11 and of ceremonies The side. by Muslim the arena asdominated commemorative the perceive In general, women 38 CEU eTD Collection the Serb forces in the mass scale killings of in 2007a).The Serbforcesthe of population theMuslim of massscalekillings (RDC, results the present the scale and nature of the atrocities committed in Bosnia pointing towards responsibilityRDC of the by presented analysis and statistics Similarly, events. war's the of interpretation his expresses of RDC overtly the director and the documenting genocide talksabout mandate time, the Srebrenica. The mandate of the organisation is ‘investigate to and gather facts’ (ibid.). At the same war and was one of those who made it to the Bosniak- controlled territories in July 1995. organisation and local the officethat Muslim man lived isrunby inSrebrenicaa who the during Muslimthe vision of history.the by This is supported factthe thatno Serb is employed by the theRDCisas animpartialnot as an interlocutors, perceivedorganisation, but advocate of research attemptincludingof information about Serbpopulation.”the differently, Put in eyesofmy the the RDC “is not there to documentit, sayingin bluntly that RDC,others interestreject the with organisations expressed cooperation the truth but to legitmise notraise does among levels trust population. Whileof Serbvictim of the Serb representatives some their version of byits director, assuch arepresented inBosnia and warevents of the interpretation genocidal history with a fake ‘Human Losses 1992-1995’ whileproject, including aboutSerb data victims, support do the of the results side. the factthat Muslim the the Also, with associated itis automatically Sarajevo 2007) (RDC, victims.’ the of affiliation racial or social, religious, political, ethnic, of the violations, ‘regardless and human crimes rights war and on genocide, documents facts, data nongovernmental, non-partial non and institution - partisan investigatingaimed at andgathering a as itself considers RDC The them. of all but conflict the of side one of victims documenting their ethnicity victimsof war,memorial', base,a'virtual aunique all digital where of constructed data regardless are included.documentation project of the human war losses on the territory of entire Bosnia.This The RDC longyear of three results the present the to and local the community towards itsis outreach the only research of such a scale that did not focus on The attempt of the RDC illustrates the complexity of engagement with memory activities in The RDC hasanin difficultextremely is Since theorganisation task Srebrenica. basedin 39 it CEU eTD Collection the Serb victim organisations, he confirmed that he chose not toattend the meeting as,in his eyes,it organisations, show a president up.When however they not later Ispoke fewto did of days one of Muslims. Organisers claimed they had that invited of victim several representatives Serb conflicting visions of history placetakes andhow it is perceived by local the community. confrontation. Thatmeeting aninteresting provided how the casestudy meeting of of two the of dynamics observe the organisations andto local victim the with inconsultations participate society sector across the Former Yugoslavia. During myfield work in Srebrenica, Ihad a chance to establishingwars ofthe '1990s. theviolentfacts about to promotingaimsapproach aregional at RECOM from nongovernmental three came Belgradeorganisations from Sarajevo, Zagreb and from the Coalition for the Establishment of the Regional Truth Commission (RECOM). The idea of itincluded, opposition.meets appears be would sides both of victims where past, the of account inclusive an establish to initiative an when time, same the At victims. their to attention pays nobody that complains population of sides? the of TheSerb ofhistoryone agent than rather an investigator neutral as a perceived tobe inbefulfilled order need to conditions that Whatarethe Serb population? trust of the the gain to order in affiliation ethnic also but integrity, and skills their on not based staff its employ disproportion in the scale and character of crimes committed by the sides of the conflict? Srebrenica? modify thatthe Can it numbers agreat fact, the includedinits databaseillustrate Should it (backed by the decisionSrebenica perceivetheRDC didnot andas an neutral organisation. unbiased of thewar casualtiesICTY and quotedand by of number the about data reliable asthemost accepted the internationally have been RDC's research theUS government, ICJ) the UND and onOSCE. Still,the my interlocutorscrime in of genocide committed in First of all, only three local Serbs were present at the meetings as opposed to several several dozen to meetingsas opposed at the were present local Serbs of all,three only First civil the with conducting consultations of stage is the initiative at the thisAt moment, comes narratives conflicting the separates the wall that breaking through of attempt Another Here aquestion of arises.compromise Can give RDCbethe to expected its stand up strong 40 CEU eTD Collection memories dwelling in the hearts and minds of the large majority. She underlines that the nuances of truths and manythe heterogeneous or encompass memory'a population, of 'social the cannot they purposes, psychological and social political, serve important memory projects collective ininof while arguesthat, Foxen context Truth Guatemala the (2000), Reports Commissions and sides and a sincere attempt at establishing the truth. establishing a commission longtruth was welcomed as asitwould include ofboth representatives by the local Serbsrejected was past the and of version labeledinclusive an establishing at aimed as initiative biased objective and impartial and discriminatory. At the same time, victims. Serb denialabout hearing presumably and there the Another humiliated attacked were only the general idea of organisations. Women in wasno thatthere as concluded point insuch they participating events, memory community.of To interviewedit women the proved, wasnospace in for there I that Srebrenica Serbian victims have killed. been he spy Thatall wasrightly inSrebrenica should and killed. Serbs the andin heardfromfather was a in in1993, Srebrenica of hiswomen one Muslim theirapartment that the that therhetorically. Similarly, ayoung Serb man, who spoke about his father and grandmother beingmemory killed losing ahusband inwhen lost this room arewomen there theirwho children?”thejournalist asked arena you from journalist “Howdaretotalkabout by do husbandSarajevo. attacked wasstrongly a she was monopolised her she lost that fact especially the and Serbvictims, the about talked victim organisation Serb the by the Muslim spoke of They known. are facts the that and past in the commissions enough been have there that arguing of commission, the creation the opposed organisation Muslim of women the Representatives with the need to provide space for the victimsprocess’. to present impartial an as itself camouflaging while their history the manipulating at initiative another stories‘yet was 'without a national prefix'. The day after the meeting, information about the verbal attacks spread in the Serb in the spread attacks verbal the about information meeting, the after day The Facilitators of meetingthe explained the idea for establishing a commissionregional truth Serb perpetrators, Serb criminals and criminals Bosniak 41 victims. When the only representative of representative only the When victims. CEU eTD Collection organised, outspoken inorganised, public testimonies. and experienced givingThey enjoy outspoken a position of in Srebrenica and most of the inclusive population depends onthe level interest they of express. initiatives Serb the of participation the scopeof the outthat points Shealso peopleSrebrenica’. of Serbs but are seizedsaying that it is organised around ‘Memory written with a capital “m”, nota memory by of Bosniaks or the Muslim women villages. Serb on attacks commemorating whomonuments are programmeincluded Memorial avisit in to the notCentre but toany Potocari Serb the of the argues Serb victims”. She that totalkone about no suffering therewas Muslim while that they did not include memories of the Serb population. “They were all presentingremembering”. the story of 'community encourage andto of warin memories the Srebenica of the for presentation WeekMemory staff the the aim of the the provideof Lange Foundation, Alexander aplatform is to butjustice warifitfedthethan only past.”and is and with genocide, about truth Asby Iwastold for in (...) preservingwork lifefuture andbuilding new toprove that isstronger memory a order andand whole of the Europe organisers,the wantsupporttheir who through presence,“to those workshops and round tables. Srebrenica is described as a place ofmemory for all its inhabitants Foundation. The programme of includes eventthis meetings seminars, with eyewitnesses, WeekInternational Memory,by the Cooperation Lange Alexander 2007 organised since will be said, remembered, silenced orplayed 363) down.”(p. what frame- anarrative always create states andpsychological spaces, institutional motivations, and present audiences: contexts of particular and reflective arealways “tremendous memory are From these examples, it appears that there is no ethnically transparent public remembering Maja from theAkka, by impartiality event, defendsFoundation, the the Alexanderof Lange in of Weekthe editions both my participated recalled and Memory One interviewees of of memory I woulddiscuss is like to landscapethat of the element of The lastSrebrenica's 42 CEU eTD Collection Cleansing theMemory by of inJedwabne tragic and interrupted the of events hasbeen external the national actors projects raisedopinions. different EwWolentarska-Ochman genuinethe that remembering (2006) claims, facing participation murderits such Jewishpopulation, of mass adifficultJedwabne, town past of conflict while neglecting collective memory of the other side. In the context of the memory work in strongly criticises the stake fortifiedinvolvement by a feelingof guiltfor allowing the warto happen in firstthe place. Duijzings of 'outsiders', of memory the war.activethe areat inshaping andmotivations agendas role again Here different who stand by a narrative of on the sides of the memories of the population. traumatic the of exploitation legitimacy through seeking political leaders nationalistic towards point would sides toboth applicable a general answer in Srebrenica, arena commemorative the case of remembering, Burkeadvises remember ‘Whowants thequestion whom asking what?’ to In the Both Bosniaks and Serbs see themselves as biggestthe victims of the war. When it comes publicto victimsthe margin of side other the moral or for questioning of of national acts the one's group. of grounds collectivethe identity. Neither of of ceremonies the 11 and12July spaceprovides for that helps them make sense of their personal experiences and memories and to defend moral advanced by both ethnic provide groups frameworks theirmembers of with explanation of pastthe activities Commemorative interests. political clashing and narratives conflicting of battlefield ‘outsiders’ ofthe The role being denied victimhood. attacks. In these circumstances,forpublic them space talk theirgiven about to victims. They not agency andareare subjects of no is there that feel women Serb The the support. international wide narratives and victimhood acknowledged of war they construct are shaped by the sense of This picture is, however, complicated by the involvement of the external actors, who play an a is actually inSrebrenica memory of landscape the that is clear it examples, these From . As Wolentarska-Ochman reports, there were feelings of anger,feelings of were . there As Wolentarska-Ochman reports, 43 CEU eTD Collection can address others across the boundaries of Kapralski the difference” against boundariesof warns across (p.182). the others can address which one cannot do by themselves inaparticular way, reopening wounds 'remembering whoclaimswell requires that (1998), Sennet remembering well requires Richard quotes Kapralski laws. itsown has remembering of process the therefore discussed; being a social structure in which people wouldthat noconsequences have foris ethical judgments. It isa memory mass murderof that events of a set not accounts, neutral morally not past, the of recalling melancholic not Jedwabne, (p.182) and itsbe consequences.’ of andthis preciselyJedwabnedebate the group, thecase the to seems may may because it unpleasant truth discourse itself imageof the apositive against defend threaten in memory paralyse local the butit Jedwabne, made happen. itproject actually ‘Vernacular andinvolvementof journalists,the andhistorians politicians thatnotonly,not contaminate did or outsider suchajournalistas or filmmaker and consequently,it was that precisely thevery presence “remember, onlyHe argues askedbyan people that the Jedwabne recollect” of when talk, and “insiders”between of genuinememory of andmanipulation by remembrance ‘external the world’. remembering. processof the Ochman argues Jedwabnemassacre contaminated the political thatthe of exploitation to radicals andthefarpress that right offered findings defendingtheirname. Wolentarska- good “deniers”turned labeleda 'campof alleged the deniers”, as were killed that population, Jewish the occupants Nazi than rather ancestors Polish their was it in which events war the of interpretation the whorejected town, of the local memory inhabitants Aswork. on effects time,negative over had by adopted pressinthe thecaseof Jedwabne andthewide attention town the was suddenly granted Wolentarska-Ochmanfrom offered defense accusations. the judgmental approach argues the that that within the nationalnervousnessembarrassment, and abandonment.In such ita situation,was noa surprise to observe debate, a majority of them tended to internalise arguments of those who It is a very special set of memories that we are talking about in both Srebrenica and This claim is challenged by Kapralski (2006),who Slawomir rejects notion the of opposition 44 CEU eTD Collection up from up from nightmarethe of history. with 'outsiders'the imposing avision of war,the which, asKapralskiis says, meant wake to them personal narratives of the Serb women. It shows, howinto the of past the elements uncomfortable the incorporating they of strategies different presents cope with the fact of being confronted following narrative. This, however,in chapter The of Muslim the result internalysing not did war.the of memory influencedcollective pastand the their confront madeSerbs community local international the of in of Involvement victims. families the passed only the as anarrative persist the RS and the majority of the Serb population for those to beof remembered, government the of it wouldinterest possiblyin the not is it that fact, the Given discourse. public in the space less impartial memory remembrance,public massacrethe of of July 1995 would probably much occupy in least theory,and, amore just ethnically at facilitate intend to or sides the on one line upwith either whoassisted Ifnot by 'outsiders' facepast. best ownviolentthe is equippedits to not crime, of memories”. theirtherapists group because, as he closes his article, of the insiders outsiders and ofboth efforts for collective is aplace there process, place.this In “groups who live in the shadow of a crime memory “filling awakeningfrom as from history for cantake a nightmare sothat upthe gaps” are not the best defensivevisions history.of “In “social the memories,therapy” of group he argues, thereis aneed temptation of exitfrom history into the realm of myth and through construction of various I agree with Kapralski, that the local population of Srebrenica- living in the shadow of of the living intheshadow of Srebrenica- population local Kapralski, the that I agreewith 45 CEU eTD Collection experiences and when do they embark on explaining the wider historical and political context? political and historical wider the explaining on embark they do when and experiences of narrating andconstructing stories in interviews? the are reflected influence inSrebrenica practices commemorating and memory of politics current the made? How references arethose interwoven. moments are which At and present the past the How is being narrated? What elements of the current life are referred to in the stories of the doesin influencecan be How stories. thewaypast thepresentsituation women's observed the war events? the stories? Which memories the are 'shared'? in appear all elements common and Whatpatterns narrative? thenational validate their experiences how and experiences their understand and sense make women help templates ready How two? the between distinction clearcut wemake Can memories? personal influence women's the frameworks and waywarandnational how influencethe experiences public the the perceive women discourse accounts of accounts as understood ‘neither a northing merely a tool but mediation itself’ 2007,p.10).(Olick the analyses chapter this Hence, population. Serb the of most war and itslegacy repeatin majority of theinterviews, and, as such, can be considered as shared by women in Iargue Srebrenica, certain that motifs patterns, ofnarratingand strategies andexplaining therefore conclusions in and narratives Srebrenica number isfairly of limited April this a 2009. am awarethat Although I reached should not be considered a representative position of all the Serb Thirdly, Ilook at the construction of the accounts of the women in order to identify The second objective is to examine the relationship between the between examine relationship is the to The secondobjective Memories of atwomen are looked with aimof the establishing the relationship between the in women Serb with conducted interviews seventeen of sample examines chapter This personal experiences and the knowledge of the of knowledge the and experiences Collective memoryofSerbwomen . To which extend women tell stories of their personal 46 national collective memory collective past andthepresent history. How do personal of Serb women strategies which CEU eTD Collection woman initially aninterviewagreed to two days butafter itcancelled explaininghad that she wholived through warasyoungthe children. women in their fifties and sixties who were adults whenorganisations,youth organisations, werehomemakers.others UNDP), included theThe group age war started as well as younger women Several in mothers work anddaughters. women organisationsthe of (victim were engaged various individual especially contacts, with younger women. Inthreecases Iwas able tointerview both made with women representing remaining the groups. two were interviews seventeen all afterwards. the As moved out aresult, or killed either were war the stay in during Srebrenica to whodecided wasconducted.ThefewSerbs Bosnian dozen field work the when time the at Srebrenica in living group first the to belonged who woman one even not was war. there the since Srebrenica after work however,be field the during modified had This to plan, before war, the during whoemigrated the warand came 1995andmoved backafter women who to livedin beforeSrebrenica war, the throughout the war and it; after livedwomen whoin Srebrenica of research Methodology Bosnia? memory generations. are transmitted the through interpretations memories toseehow and daughters who were young those and adults experienced women waras who orbetween moved inafterwards and who those childrendifferences between the way story of Srebenicaat is told by the women livedwho there beforethat the war time? mobilised? they are the moments Whatin whatare categories and group do they How construct I compare narratives of mothers with those of their Lastly, I will try to extract from the stories presented by the women a vision of a Except for one woman, all the women who were approached were eager to talk. One talk. to eager were were approached who women all the woman, for one Except victims’ Serbian through organisations, ballmethod, by snow a contacted were The women Initially I planned to interview a group of women consisting of three categories: those who of the war. Is the war 'remembered' or encoded in the geography of Srebrenica and Srebrenica of in encoded geography the or war. of the Is thewar'remembered' 47 spatial CEU eTD Collection And frustration. lifeinprosperous Srebrenica. Allfollowed by feelings mournedanger of was lost, and and that about the war and recognition of Serb suffering; absence of justice; absence of pre-war peaceful and discourse public in the voice of absence members; family of absence interviews: in all reflected war,the causesandlegacy. its A was levels of experience various loss on and absence sense of Stories personal sufferingof blended give with to attempts historical political to explanations and media. the from had they information and memories individual times, present the to references ofwar Accounts Srebrenica. to related especially those events, war the memory of the was interviews the of focus the time, present the and history inthe both moments various about making comments women were Bosnia-Herzegovina. inAlthough warthe of the time 1992-1995, belong period the of interviews practices referredtoincommemorating to events the historical and Themain Karadzic). Radovan of role genocide, of Srebrenica, siege the as (such by thewomen consisted of several questions howthey omitted, theirconstructed they included. stories, what The secondinterview partof the usually relating to the elementslike places of the or dates)war that as thewere aim notwas tomentioned details certain than clarifying seequestionsno wereasked(other part this During personal experience. which events were mentioned by women ‘When you?’ warbegin the did for andmeantto provoketheinterlocutorsand was to talk their about what was her words. of investigating manipulation events prejudices foreigners andwasafraid Srebrenica of against they One of the most striking elements of the interviews was the fact that the stories narrated were stories narrated the fact that wasthe interviews of the elements striking most One the of The narratives of my interlocutors consisted of mixture of recollections from past, from the mixture of of consisted recollections my of interlocutors The narratives The interviews with women consisted of twoparts. The firstconsisted of women roughly askedwas The interviewsquestion with say they did notkill anyone 48 CEU eTD Collection war to be told. the about truth for for thetime the wasnospace that, being,there journalistby proved a Muslim attacked a previous verbally chapter.a representativeorganisation Thewas Serb victim factthat of general notion with the example of two incidents during the RECOM consultations described‘theirabout ismouth shut’,as speak‘you cannot of Serb victims’. inTwo women illustrated this the beingfrom absent publicthe in discourse Srebrenica, Bosnia and in general. Women complained loud “asspeaking they out (Muslims) do’. There wasasharedsense history Serbaccountof the of and crimes in documentation efforts investing not and victims civilian of ashamed being of leaders Serbian accused women the of One Serb victims’. about cares as ‘Nobody perspective national broader, in the suffer?’ And not I Did a victim? not I ‘Am experience personal of level the on both level.” zero the to brought and humiliated offended, most are victims civilian the of when she watches on TV and listens on the radio that there were no Serb victims. “We, the families humiliated feels she that said apartment in their killed were and in Srebrenica stayed law in mother accompanied byfeelings bitternessof andsense whose Gordana, husband ofinjustice. anddisable participantof interview,the opinions whose hadtobe challenged anddiscredited. This was way,'they' werealways appearing notmerely actors present, as in the stories, butasaninvisible hiding the truth, which was lies and from or,telling Muslimsof discourse from accusing public contrary started the the on then illustratedabsent and misrepresented are events those how about comments by with them ending and examplessuffering of attacks on Serbrefuting, population. what Inwas either perceivedhistory. Inthismany sense, storiesthe of narrated by women, the told where from position the of as Muslim lies. Women victimhoodstood forand Bosniaks,were constantly quotedas the manipulating Serb who denying were either beginning constructedwith stories inof directSerb opposition to what women considered 'their story'. 'They' or 'the other side' The sense of denial of Serb victimhood was a motif visible in all interviews. It was illustrated was It interviews. in all visible motif a was victimhood Serb of denial of sense The 49 CEU eTD Collection interviews. Since women interviews. July farfrom1995 or Srebrenica. ‘Manipulations with numbers’the is a before killed people of names contains Centre Memorial in the displayed genocide of victims of list the that everywhere) Serbs (and Srebrenica in Serbs the among knowledge common is a it chapter, past. the lies about and casualties of in Muslim Asthe exaggerations mentioned previous the violence. barbarian of victim than nothing else a civilian a potential was spy-he her wasnot husband accept: to which much easier was thetragicwarevent, of interpretation meetingan with leftthe woman The saidGordana. justify theircrimes' to in order Serbs innocent accuse and makeup stories meeting, her husbandRECOM consultations, and categorically told herfor that, in thelight of the false accusations from that surethe at incident the about her briefed was else) someone from it of heard but not meeting the at present a spy, Gordananot was way the by (who organisation victims' a Serb of representative eagerly When it. verify to able not accepted this and was was true if she never that that knew Shesaid Serb side. for the of espionage was accused explanation.he that informed was Gordana town. the of middle in the apartment in their shot were 'TheyBoth travel. stayed in whenitunderSrebrenica got the Bosniak control, ashisable disable mother wasnot to eventwas modified talk. one during past the of narration and understanding the how observe to thought-provoking extremely was It andbe by should Bosniak sideare greatly not trusted. exaggerated the presented events war the of explanations and accounts the Hence, Serbs. innocent accuse and war Muslim lies, Serb truths one trustnumbers ofvictims claimed by Muslimthe side? history, the manipulations with in Potocari Centre Memorial in the saw women Many Gordana's husband, just asthe man wrongly accused during the RECOM consultation, the about lies tell women Muslim how of example an as served meeting RECOM same The All those elements served my interviewees as a ground for disbelieving accounts of war of the accounts for disbelieving asaground my interviewees served elements All those know that there are names included which should not be there, how can how bethere, not should included which names are there that 50 leitmotif of almost all CEU eTD Collection when she was wounded by an exploding grenade. While telling the story, she wasinterweaving her vividly day the sherecalled During forces.theinterview bytheSerbian controlled was in part the Srpska, saying that she trusts only the latter. Bjelina was considered the most objective TV station. of uranium poisoning. years will also stay without hair. In the light of the information from the media, this will be a result year from the same illness. One young boy was left bold. one day”.will man come out from As anda withindied woman one Milanka audition, learntthe a Milanka concluded that her son in few uranium. She knew that from the television. “Television was talking about itwith poisoned recently, were there Serbs that She said Srebrenica. nearby town aSerb-dominated Bratunac, but the truth in accommodation collective in a lived she when times the to relates reporting media with mixed also,reports but could see themselves as participants of eventsthe covered. Milanka's is story organisation dedicated to documentation of the Serb victims. Womennon-governmental a of were both employee recipientsold year fifty a of media Milanka, of case in like experiences, own not inonly Bosnia butinKosovo and Serbia. Sometimes, mediaoffered explanations about their confidence that their werejustified. grief ofnational and sense victimhood women with provided many'. 'experts' Serblossesthe by 'thereknew of confirmation were that The majority only 3,000), over (often Serb casualties give numbersof approximate them able to were of Some listed. were Srebrenica of victims Serb where WomenSerb publications to referred often Serbscholars,version officials by the media. provided bytheMuslimsand presented sideandtrust Milanka before and during the war lived in Sarajevo. When the city was under the siege, she siege, the under was city the When Sarajevo. in lived war the during and before Milanka One can know that they do not tell lies. When I know something for sure and then I see it on from Republika those and Federation mediafrom the between made acleardivision Milanka victims, Serb about reports media from suffering collective of a sense gained they Similarly, killed. exaggerate.as they tell the truth. At Bjelina know that the Serbian nation was killed. Theydo not I thinkIt has signal in it! America and Australiaallow and wedidnot that haveitnot Srebrenica! were They blocked did They recently. just here, Bjelina they TV get to managed we is god Thanks that scary. then Hayatt or TV are Federal on hear you what is objective that and different totally something but TV then theyI know it isnotthat lie. a And when sure you are of something and then you hear say from the position that Serbs were 51 CEU eTD Collection sadness when in July 1995 she saw buses filled with women and children transported to the inbuses with womenandsadness transported July filled when children saw 1995 she woman, who spent part of the inwar Serb-controlled town of Bratunac, reported feeling unease and One experiences. war one's of description by fallowed immediately was it mothers Muslim the of tohadlostperceived denial.None I spoke achild. women the of When mentioned painof they boundaries,universal into frameworks national andtranscendingethnic wassoon re-inscribed the womenlost theirsons inwho July 1995. category whichmotherhood, This firstof appearedas themselves as parentsand spoke of pain understanding of to talk', when Serb women 'cannotbehave like that', are 'different' and 'more dignified'. spectacles’. itwas presented, As spectacles’. group hatred’ as‘full was considered nation,of latter Serbs being the genocidal of and ‘making representatives victim's of women organisation.and As accusing weredescribed asdecent first the publiclymostdistinctions visible between they and personally outspoken, women knew the mergerindicative of itselfmanifested nationality thenarratives. and gender throughout inhoweverfurther both was andnegative classification an this diversified, apositive as sense moments certain At Muslims'. 'them- and 'us-Serbs' as identified were People narratives. the Us and them-construction ofcategories itas victims.was Serbmedia. Unless talked about This yet examplewas another ofsense being of from absent publicthe Serbs being discourse: were her, the media was presenting only Muslims being attacked in Sarajevo. from she memories knew TV. with what personal fact, according that to the about Shewas bitter me when I was wounded? How was itpossible that TV was showing people killed in line forbread? Why they did not record I only went to fetch water. I do not know how did it go to the world that chetniks killed people? reality.Women the identified of description in salient proved category The gender Interviewees very often referred to the Muslim women in Srebrenica, at times making inSrebrenica,women attimes Muslim tothe referred very often Interviewees in all applied widely and salient most the was affiliation ethnic or national doubt, any Beyond , hardly ever , hardly talked to ‘they’ . They were presented in the media as genocidal nation, but never but nation, genocidal as media in the presented were . They shamesly use their victims in politics', 'are paid and trained and paid 'are in politics', victims their use shamesly 52 all mothers and feeling sorry andfeelingfor sorry the CEU eTD Collection filled with food andfood medicinefilled with ‘We Sreberenica. for getfoodchildren’, for out shesaid, hadto questionable giventhe small size of town),the onemy of interlocutors admitted stopping trucks it few denied warin the (which is of knowing women whothe Bratunac about spent anything preventing humanitarian with lorries aidfrom on passing Bratunac Srebrenica.their way Whileto the situation. One ofin shaping role active an asplaying women showed incident Onlyone inthe conflict. active role the most in shocking reflected not however was families within position active This families. storiesfor responsibility take of the war in Srebrenicabelongingslook afterhaving and to theirMen fighting children. werekilled or were they sohad to is that of Serbstrangers, without money,women slept with clothes on ready leaveto in case of an attack, having very little Serbia andBosnia), runaway, passage. journeyinThey andforced houses staying of were gendered character of roles. of a manifestation in the isalso narratives ‘active’ the versus described of war experiences nature Majority of the womenbiggervictims themselves.’ thansoldiers could hadgunsand assoldiers protect ‘passive’ The told stories of constantvictims ‘civilian considered She population. Serb the within such recognition lack of expressed movement (between war, the during wounded whowas Similarly, woman, one experiences. their of character traumatic validating and women Serb by the endured of difficulties for acknowledgment leftplace no identified only with Muslim the women. Inalandscape memory of organised way, this was there anddominated was factsized, frustration thegenderdiscourse the over that was manifesting knew that this would not be possible'Women mostSrebrenica’, twoof visible emblematic Muslim and victim organisations. We both and that was not what my or of Srebrenica' inthe'Mothers Serb women no interviewee are askedwhy there rhetorically interlocutors was advocating. Shewomen of both motherhood, nations and experience common of a sense to referring by mothers and Muslim of pain the to relating were there were insecurityof sheleavewhen womenhad to little Srebrenica with two children. Women on onehand, the who lostMuslim-controlled territories.felt sad, because She it herher reminded of own suffering andsense children on both sides. One of my on the other hand, they were making a point that ‘mothersthat making ofSrebrenica’ hand, on apoint other the they were includes 53 CEU eTD Collection second genocide of second genocide of also Serbpeople)butimpossibilitythe the mourningof andestablishing public only a parallel between the Serb casualties between the only a parallel Jasenovac and victims of the WW II were a very common point of reference. Women saw not because it was a matter of Serb victims. Itwill be the same this time, all the truth will come out.’ is It comes somanyyears. after thetruth is likein Jasenovac, victims.with ‘It Serb interested were organisations international of representatives heard that time she first for the that commented Truth will come out decent. Women have nodignity.’ menare Muslim women. than theirfar better menare ‘Muslim repeated: frequently interlocutors life”. Within madeof group the Muslims, differentiation basedwas on gender. As oneofmy “saved her asshe name doctor's not remembering that she regrets that mentioned twice interviewee leave whoBosniak advisedherto female doctor blockadeTuzlafew city.the daysbefore the of My in trouble with the rest of the Muslim populationfor helping Serbs. One woman spoke warmly of a got individuals those how of explanation by followed often however were examples Those danger. warned or them control underupcoming Bosniak of cleaned was Srebrenica Serb graves when examples deeds of of good Bosniaks,either who buried bodies theirof deadfamily members and mentioned women stories, their In Muslims’. ‘decent some knew they that bad’ and are Muslims Croats, several differentiations within the groups were made. A few women underlined that ‘notall Good Muslims, badMuslims situation. political the This mentioned,was the onlymoment themselves women when as presented engagingactively in whileadding that toSrebrenica, of people there hadnofood. weredozens convoys inBratunac In reference to the consultations for the RECOM which was held one day before, Milanka, and as Serbs,Muslim/Bosniaks talked about predominantly Bosniawere people of Although then 54 and now (often referred to as andfirst the the to referred (often CEU eTD Collection black”. “painted nation, in as being and singled out genocidal feeling of presented was Serbs a shared moments. This was especially evident when the feeling injusticeof and stigma was recalled. There firstthe singular plural.“I”“us” tothe waschangedinto and“us“I”differentinto changed at Stigma and brutal attacks and the war in Bosnia was just another element of this. injustice victim of been a has Serbnation the that prove meant to were Thoseexamples in Kossovo. madetheir between in war suffering interlocutors BosniabombardmentBelgradeor parallels and of grand daughters will eventually be subjected to the same attacks as she and her ancestors were. My nation. Serb the of victimhood the of prism the through families their of suffering and displacement Women beenvictimised. hadhistorically Serbs narrated that notion shared commonly mainly the doing thisas well. This what illustrates Jansen 218) callsparallel (2003, p. ‘Serbian Knowledge’, communist rule the Serbs werenot allowed commemorate to their victims,now they are banned for talk about her loss. The first sister was found and buried, the second one has notbeen found yet. law. in last andabrother sister war, she the another cannot shelost again Milanka, to According Ustasha during the World Warable II.She tomourn wasnot infifty years. Duringthem public for the victims of the Second World Second the victimsthe of War. outthatduringfacts. Milanka points the Tito freedom rule wasno there of in talking about public happen. guilty So forthat now thewhat labelUntil nownobody could talk it,about for years. fifty Why? Because couldsomebody did not allowit. happened be taken from Nazists and hereput on Serbs. butSo that Germansit isare notSerbs who are guilty, so that one Srebrenica could Milanka recalled that her mother lost one sister and her three children who were killed by were killed who children three andher sister one lost mother her that Milanka recalled While telling the stories of their personal experience women often switched from narration in narration from switched often women experience personal their of stories the telling While One woman said that she would like to leave Srebrenica as she is afraid that her daughters or familySimilar by story women. several was presented Theyfeltjust asduring the that Now they say that all three nationalities are citizens of Bosnia: Bosniaks, Serbs and As one woman put it, 55 CEU eTD Collection presented with a caption: ‘Serbs killing Jews’. Biljana the organisers, Jews’.presentedSerbs to ‘Serbskilling with that explained a caption: She recalledWorldWar II history. the of revisionism includes and war last in the criminals of a role sole the them photo exhibition where a photoManipulation with history, Serbs as Nazi showing Jewish children and11th! It was not a coincidence; Naziit was all planned this way.’ soldiers they fingersinnocent point people. at Andyou know when they took their On July documents? was isMuslimsbasis. do; what without That beingaccused are ‘Serbs given. wereeven explanations No know. not did she that said woman the happened, that why asked When abroad. travel to able Srebrenica was in such a position as for a year and ahalf he was left without documentation and not charges. from of freed A librarian were they the of brother them as to werereturned documents in casestheinmany war crimes. After investigations, wereinvolved the men allegedly who injail. women oftalking process talk aboutthe Several the identification cards from Serbian the Federal TV: theSarajevo-based popular on most TVprogrammes the where they feel, only one side of the story is being told. As Milanka put it when describing one condemnedof by the whole world. Women were foremostand unjustly out singled been stigmatised, have Serbs referring From perspective, nation.their Serbian to the current situation in Bosnia As, 27 year old Biljana pointed out, the stigmatisation of Serbs goes far beyond assigning beyond far goes Serbs of thestigmatisation out, pointed Biljana oldyear As, 27 Another woman felt that itis enough haveto a Serb name beto accused of something and put journalist isacatastrophe, the “60 isHe attacks them anightmare. Minutes” the to done injustice was felt they what towards pointing were interlocutors my of Majority that. It is horrible. somebody insist on that or somebody pays for that? One does not knowcriminal'. how to stop They offend Serbs. So every who'War war says name, hefirst has a 'potential when heSerb or But mentions criminal' Serb name has to be a criminal. Does (Bosniaks) aswellbutonly arecriminals,when never becauseof they victims. Serb citizens. Genocidal RS, it was produced on the genocide on the Serb nation. Serb the on genocide the on produced was it RS, Genocidal citizens. the whole world has stigmatised Serbs asperpetrators, now they want make to us into been announced was there that agenocide done have to the citizensof Bosnia.But now when,should It then. citizens been have should now,we citizens tobe are we If Muslims. 56 CEU eTD Collection Naser Oric the court. Moreover, some of them said that they lost it thebiasof proved spoke to, women media the I by Serb to numberwidely and reported the was any confidence in the court since the trial of by ICTY:the were sentencedyears. for 40 over years This for andMuslims 1000 over Serbs Few women made a reference to a number of years to which criminals of different ethnic group side). for theSerbian space practices and commemorations (resources attention paid to of Muslim the population with nopublic and commemorating vision warwhereSerbs victimsthe of Muslim were perpetrators) only and blackmedia andwhite a (presenting by ICTY), the of rulings the judiciary (represented of approach war.the nation both Serbianandduring after done tothe werereportinga biased Thewomen feelpeople How to long guilty of more?’Holocaust. war, the still manyexpect andthey yearsafter ‘So felt same. the who friend aGerman She recalled trend.’ Biljana said that being Serb she felt asif she had the word 'genocide' written on her forehead. isthe This ascriminals. Serbs history. show change They the to want They asFascists! presented they are ‘Wenow asNazi. and Serbs Fascism presenting of at victims history aimed were of manipulation of examples are these Biljana For Roma. were Balkans in the group victim biggest second the that speakerstalked Similarly, feminism where the about aconference attended Biljana Jasenovac!’about she added asan argumentfor unquestionable victimhood of Serbnation.the rescued Jews, not killed them and both nations were victims of Hitler. ‘The whole world knows destruction of destruction many villagesinof Serbian the municipalitySrebrenica and a significant warcriminal villain by In the eyesSerbs. ofmy Oric the factBosnian interlocutors, that wasfor responsible and ahero considered Oric, Srebrenica. nation? Serb villages? Iscoming into somebody's house and killing people defendingthere one's Oric said hewasthat defending his nation. was How hedefending his nation by entering two other.to the ofwas Each their set free.How come? Serbs were notkilling themselves. The Tribunal is apolitical court. Itis impossible to give one nation one thousand years and The most wide spread motif present in almost all the interviews was the sense of iii , whocommanded the of RepublicArmy Bosnian andthe in of Herzegovina defender by the Bosniak population is by Bosniak perceived amajordefender population the 57 injustice CEU eTD Collection that in her view 'Karadzic did not bring anything unworthy to the nation' but soon she reflect that he that reflect she soon but nation' the to unworthy anything bring not did 'Karadzic view her in that the other hand, they were defenders, standing up for and sacrificing for the nation. One woman said the one hand, the guilt should be taken from the collectivity of Serbs and assignedOne to individuals,truthful. on more was thought probably they what and be telling should they thought they what in of between manywere caught women that impression had an I In general, today’. nation Serb no be would there Ratko and Radovan for not was it 'if that confident was tourism of student young hedonenot have whatdid’. anythingthat inhowls else SrebrenicaIwoulddespair A hedid and what had to be done'. As one woman put it, 'I understand Mladic. If I had listened to all that cries of 'did who nation Serb the of as defenders Milosevic and Mladic of Karadzic, women spoke openly judge'Fewfeelingcommenting the indicteesof seen 'not ICTY'.the comfortable on to things or answer. They signaledoften 'notbeingin interested having 'notpolitics', been having andnot there principleresponsibility women, when asked about mostly Serb leadershipwereof to reluctant Oric. In sowas a warcriminal, if was Mladic president, wartime was Bosniak so sentenced, be IfKaradzic leaders. by of wasto it alwaysmatched guilt of initiative Bosniak was women) the the on evercame hardly that mentioned (and Mladic was Ratko Karadzic or of guiltRadovan Mainly, bythewomen. Muslims andSerbs, asperceived responsibility and aquestion of whenever as she rhetorically asked, how could she want her Serbs to lay down in jail? see anyone wishcourt'.not she 'did For other interlocutor,to facing that nationality play did a role, in werebiased. theOric case ICTY since that verdict the and courts stated, other woman Another the time, same the at but father' my own was that if even Serbs, were if they 'even it put woman one as trials, to brought were crimes committing for responsible individuals all the that wished individualof for crimes. the guiltand On responsibility hand, majority one the women the of perception came to it when a paradox There was Serbs. for justiceforthe care not did and victims only Muslim ICTY the servedsupported as a that community proof as wellthe international whoshouldbe of brutal killings for heldresponsible Serb civilians. heThe fact was that acquitted The issue of criminal responsibility illustrates another more interdependence between the between interdependence more another illustrates responsibility criminal of issue The 58 CEU eTD Collection committed incommitted Serbvillagesthe although she beenhas not neither.there Similarly, majority of only the about shethings isstop her 100%sure. not That did from vividgiving accounts of crimes population, answered that she cannot talk about it as she has notbeen there nor seen it and she talks Muslim crimes againstthe committed asked about One woman, when experienced itthemselves. have war asthey Serbs suffering that during about totalk was correct It experiences. traumatic loss and of narratives displacement, by wasbackedtheir personal victimhood Serb of The narrative visions of the past were predominant, either Serbs suffered the most or everyone suffered equally. Two namesevents. accounts of andgave spokeof dates, vivid question, place, confidently women in were Serb population against committed when crimes Whereas trauma. of one's accounts in Srebrenica, 'craziness' and 'lot of suffering'. But those statements were quickly followed by notbeenhave‘I amnotsure’. there”, of'horrible Somespoke women done the Muslims things' to I donot know, Ihave not been there experiences. individual their or about crimes committed on the Muslim population, women responded with stories of Serb suffering Similarly, asked elections. of day when town the on the Muslim flagscovering about heard areply Serb men wearing t-shirts with pictures of Serb war criminals during commemorations myabout For question Izetbegovic. Oricor about of came always answer Mladic, Karadzic12 or about July, I crimescommitted (never specifically mentioned)shouldin appear courts. When I directly asked Serb war criminalspresent their at narratives all meetings, givenspaceto bymy In partof whenwomen whenwhere questions. the provoked the or thespoke way they verywanted to,vaguely most of them didabout by leadersMuslim matched wasalways of one Serb counterparts. the their not mention how names'those of beshouldnot hiding asthat putSerbs in bad light. Inany responsibilitycase, possible guiltor of alleged who were doing things' or A common answer to a question about what happened to Bosniaks was ‘I do not know’, ‘ I matchingThis strategy of evident manythroughout was but interviews appeared the of only 59 CEU eTD Collection memories. For manymemories. For inwomen timethe spent without houses,families,Serbia, income was the care men take of children inpersonal and themain suddenlackof place them to occupied children andmostwas the important most painful. The sense for of responsibility thesurvival of being from separated families.their Formanywomen the young experience of worrying about instability,a periodof of homes and abandoningbeginning their departure, sudden, unprepared begin for you?what they were focusing during the first part of interviews.the Was The first question: when did the war met withposition. different First, for many answers. women their personal Some ofnarratives Construction experiences women talkedwere the most aboutimportant the and thatexperience is casualties. of that they are integrity interestand in by truth 'things that acknowledging happened' and atthe same time show to ready their prove to intended interlocutors my sense, this In togenocide. about truth rejecting speakdeniers' about labeled by are thatSerb of fact, the my of as'camp awareness provoked butrather questions Muslim victims not interviews often into came Muslims' among victims 'Iknow were there that or itnot' did that whereas 'they' do She just Srebrenica genocidewas not? re-affirmed Srebrenica while that wasnot. not admit ita wasconsidered was killed nation entirenot Serb the where Iaskedwhy Jasenovac, Holocaust. Serb and civilian Jasenovac with replied she genocide of examples for woman particular this asked I When would If have that were safely in all beengenocide”. were killed, Bosnia evacuated. Muslims the andchildren women here all happened as the have “could not nation, that an entire annihilation of as general,genocidejudge of wasunderstood notprofessionals In things'. 'were sort this to they that said others Centre, Memorial the at claimed victims of number in the believe not did they women notcall did murderin mass the July genocide. Forsome,it1995 was based onthefact that In he story In he of story wareventsinSrebrenica events notimportantof July most occupy 1995 did the Several women todeny tended being deniers. Statements likehappened, 'It Iam sayingnot 60 CEU eTD Collection did during thewar. Shefelt whenrelief heard that he hadnot killed anybody. ‘Hedidhowever see nothing wrong.’ did ‘they One that knew but young did they what asked not had womanthey that said They toldtired. and hungry home me how much it cost her to ask her fathertime, women, whose husbands were involved in military actions talked only them aboutabout coming what he same the At hands”. their on blood “had families their in nobody that them, to important very was it the Serbs were either all drivers commented: orsarcastically cooks. friends Muslim my of one Who(as logistics fought or communication then?).internal for Few women stressed severalresponsible either were they that times assure army Serb that Bosnian the of members as families in their men participated in the confrontations.that male members of their families: husbands, brothers, fathers and sons foughtin the war, actively None of the is womenmembersfamilies, some important Whatwashoweverequally werewounded. losthouses, of presents it this way.memories of the women and Thosegives a meaning to their war experiences: who they had to leave theirmention ceremonies and promotedconfrontation. mines, fighting, of result but crime mass planned and by the as an was not explained providedbySerbleadership.organised activities It explanations and the media. At commemorative the of reflection wasaclear years previous inthe Serbvillages on the of attacks the same context the in men Muslim of massacre the putting on insisting This time,in Potocari. Centre Memorial it is in confirmed at the practices commemoration current of the from perspective the about was usually It talked byThe war was always phrased and explained in terms of defense fromthe the attacks of the Muslim side. itself. event an than reference of personalpoint a as more but mentioned was 1995 of genocide the point, this during war. the Womenlengthdestroyed villagesspoke at about andkilledcivilians. Serbian At husbands orother membersfamilies. of close lostin ofwho stories stories.was especially heardwomen the beforeThat private telling their background andhistorical the political toexplain however decided feeling.Few women crucial This is the version presented in the official Serb discourse, inscribed in the commemorative the in inscribed discourse, Serb official in the presented version is the This The second place in many of the stories was occupied by the suffering of the Bosnian Serbs 61 CEU eTD Collection him in Srebrenica. woman I spoke to does not remember uncomfortable stay in houses people,of other lack ofmoney, from and separation fathers. The third her father, she speakhimshouldnot to her and turned headaway.was Asyoung theirmothers, women spoke of four year old when the staircase of buildingthe whereshelived She inBelgrade. didnotknow why butshe felt Muslims shethat killed a on she met whom from boy Srebrenica, with a Muslim encounter astrange recalls Mikica beingremembers poor, wearing bigfrom she oldand tooshoes somebody.which got clothes father used to make wooden figures and sell them whenever he came home from the frontline. She They tell the story of war in pictures and small events Serbia; Mikica, whoalsoand suddenly had to leave herhousedidmanagenot topackher favourite doll. encounters. Biljana remembers that her move family the to to father unexpectedly ordered as her was cancelled birthday awaited party war broke out, tell stories of what was the most important to them at that time: Biljana's, long spatial divisions. In this part of the paper Ipresentboth. memory vision yet another in interviewsthese Through emerged: and war encoded of geography generations. of warpastandits visions ofthe legacy and the andcompare two this way daughter mothers both interview to Ihadachance in cases three memory. of collective research, the During creation and transmission about debate the in elements crucial the of one is memories painful own memory of Transmission they need to believe that the war fought was a defensive war. It was protection, not attack. engagement, the of make sense function and to for families order In people. innocent was killing especially difficult. war the for guilt of acceptance makes fighting in the relatives Noneof involvement of of question This the women would be ready to admitmany men being killed. Serb men.’that somebody from her family When asked about theirmemories of war, Biljana and Mikica, who were ten and eleven when live ortheir of difficulttheirparents having pastof the baggage to with The issue children of 62 CEU eTD Collection Milanka. Islamic Bank, no alcohol or pork could be sold there. What Serbs can look for there? Asked ago anew,far so the biggest shopping in moll was opened Sarajevo.Since itwas sponsored byan Muslims. old,was nospaceevenfor Women the good justfew on factthat the weeks commented as Milanka The pointed. city neckbroughtfashion; theirwas overtaken byvillagerswhored there city was gone, now there were no Serbs. But there were manyalso women. less Those, and who less lived thereold before Muslim the war spokeinhabitants, about the city with nostalgia. by country foreign a considered was capital neck. her Bosnian The That on little cross a was wearing old Muslim city. andher sheat because noticing staring walkingon streets people the Sheremembers wantnotwould togoback Just like minister there. primer the of RS, shecalledit Teheran, a she but childhood her of city the was Sarajevo streets. the on walking women veiled Sarajevo, in proofs of itin numberthe ofmosques builtin Sarajevo classes of Islam in introduced kindergartens were convinced that Serbsblamed andlack hisdeathonexhaustion medical of during war.care the mother and Both daughter fought a defensiveand Muslims, wasagreatprofessional, very person. a He diedkind in of cancer 2001 butBiljana war against ever more other.resembled each They father,a figure on both of were centered by was respected who Serbs radical Islam. Biljanamother her and anywhere. Similarly, of Biljana stories Serbia, daughter- to leave: mother saw havebeen heredefend had minority always andalways to Both women would themselves. liketo they of genocide, perpetrators victims-not were they in Srebrenica, discriminated are Serbs present: local population. In her story, Icould hear reflection of her mother's bitter vision of the past and the for the employment no was andthere work Srebrenica to to came cities) Tuzla Muslim (considered intoMuslim and Serb places and she would never buy in a Muslim shop. People from Sarajevo and view init onwhatwasgoing on controlled now:town was separated byMuslims, was Srebrenica strong very had she However past. the about much talk to want not did father her lost who woman The stories of the young women to a certain extend reflected those of their mothers. The Other women hadmore radical against views:somewarned dangersawaiting Serbs who want 63 CEU eTD Collection to reject whatever she wastold. whatever she to reject attack on one village in which her uncle was killed, sentenced. She did notsee justice so she started brutality of Muslim forces, tortures of Serb population. She did not see Naser Oric, responsible for includeshe family.from what and her remembered knew notfind Shedid about information not did across came she interpretations and publications Still, what happened. about information international and withboth and Bosnian researchers encounters officials. Biljanahad enough and reports to exposed she was for agency Nations aUnited and sheworked lot since and a watched Biljanafacts read past. aboutthe the makes people reject information that and knowledge lack of it is not that proof This telling a very academia. wasan and media international in presented the Biljana extensiveguilty, that Iaccept this collective guilt. Ihave tried that as well but that was not sincere.’ In case of researchfriend told me that they teach them beto guilty Holocaust.of Now they expect us to say that we are she did German ‘My comercialised. inblack andwhite, painted it exaggerated, was all that She complained on the war resulted in disgust and here.happened rejection tired of ofall foreignersthe coming Srebrenica to andexplaining tothelocal population what had the visionhere’. was She not were and we asif were, from hereoutside: was happening what could watch internationally.Bosnia about was written ‘We it what was truth.’ monitored that she that She said that Serbs were animals. Itwas clear tome why the whole world thought this way. Istarted thinking watching, reading andlisteninghorrific about committedcrimes by ‘ImyselfSerbs: caught thinking inof whatspent alot SrebrenicaBiljana readingabout talkedtime happened andBosnia. about not a capital of a country, but rather main Muslim city. was an For cleansedcity,Sarajevo my ethnically on streets. beingthe interlocutors women attacked Serb Therewerestories of there”. good anything neverexperience Federation:“a Serbwill go to to to Muslims after all that we had done to them. And I asked: we? He said: you, Serbs. one foreign journalist cameForeigner researchers come here and explain to us whatto happened here! I rememberme how thirteen years after the war, and asked if I could talk In case of Biljana and Mikica, they felt that they knew more than their mothers did. They 64 CEU eTD Collection confirmed by what she could observe in Srebrenica: Muslims holdinghighestby in Muslims positions confirmedthe what the shecould observe inSrebrenica: and of This defense. was only theirSerb victimhood narrative into attempts the of fitted perfectly father, of loss poverty, insecurity war: of memory Her personal everywhere. present narrative past. The first woman seemed to be satisfied with the story presented by her mother and the national given frameworksthe and ready-made explanations. insistchildren on confronting with their parents difficultmemories andmaking sense of of them out where aphenomena illustrated meeting This know”. I needto about, we aretalking that childhood finding out the truth. For her, there wasknow, Forevery not “Iindependence. do Ihavebeen mother, nother here” no of Mikica insistedon excuse for not trying to find out. “It against lies,said she voted by Mikica,mother's irritated her voted. remembershe not how is my destroyed dressed elegantly leavingand in thehouse tovote. Mother,order caught lie, on insisted thatshe did in her saidthatshe had parents voted remembered independencereferendum,Mikica the perfectly committing warcrimes. When Mikica'smotherremember said didnot if back she that in 1991 she herlife them nation. and destroying of Mikica accused their forprotecting and Karadzic Milosevic defended woman calm and nice avery mother, Mikica's Serb”. be to want not do I then leaders and the story war they of “If beingpresented. means Serb beingblindly faithfula tribe to and current its past nation,hermore critical acknowledged. of she wasmuch sametime,Atthe were losses onenation of only andthat ascriminals was portrayed conflict side of the information and pictures of brutality. Mikica shared Biljana's frustration over the fact that only one anyone. It was the daughter by cried together. andthey tell atrocitiescommitted itSerbs Motheraskedhernotto the about to who insisted on in filmsmother spentwar what watch madeher about (they happenedin Belgrade). She Srebrenica talking about the pastmother her informingstarted was Mikica war. the about to talk who It were reluctant parents who and confronted her from much hear not did she Biljana like Just films. books, motherInternet, searched she Biljana with Mikica equally by Mikica equally discover whathappenedwas haunted Justlike inSrebrenica. a needto Jovana, woman lostwho her father, Biljana and Mikica all wanted to know the truth about the 65 CEU eTD Collection offers them a framework in which engagement of male of infamily members of offers can engagement their be them the securely which a framework memories of warreality.a defensivethe in war, fought narrative, Serbs which Serb national The interpretation not correspond warpresentedby the doesnotof include does Bosniaks or their asaproof that and narrative, of Serb national the both as aconfirmation theirexperiences personal of examples use They side. Muslim by the advocated past the of vision the with confrontation a in women narratives engage while their First, constructing areapparent. Several main conclusions of agency, absence of stigmatisation, in various areshaped whichmemories women the ways of influenced. and sense predominantThe Conclusions know”. Muslims: it fell”. Muslims: itWhen happenedfrom I askedwhat of From perspective the liberated. was my nation, Srebrenica of “From perspective the answered: was extremely meaning.aware of their When what abouthappenedasked on 11 July 1995, she every moreday confusing.When she told herstory, she was very andcarefully choosing words she doubtingsaid that started not everything, knowwhom does trust. to The picture of pastis the She from Internet. the media andreadson the she learns what from experience, her own knows she learnt. This andmanipulated. mostfeltstigmatised and of Insteadshe madeherreject experienced. what Whatwas noneshe found that of out descriptionsthem of included she reality the that remembered given only Muslims,impunityto Muslim warof criminals. while most of importantthe positions are hold bySerbs), donations for reconstruction of houses mayora fact isMuslim city the of the to that comes and ismore of an (which exaggeration town The ofnarratives andelements strategies stories outlinedconstructingof above towards point Mikica keeps on trying to make sense of what she found out. Putting the puzzle of what she Biljana tried tolearn more about what happened from foreign sources, books and reports. 66 her perspective, shenot answered:“I do CEU eTD Collection the Serb national Serbnational the narrative. position of Muslimthe in result discourse distrust of any informationsources of do that notfitinto have onthe women.victimhood, Senseof denial feelingof of being voiceless anddominant thesedays. as they are attacked Serbs wereattacked in 1992, that proof a constitute and events war the of interpretation their influence nation Serb the of asbiased Serbs against verdicts experienced ICTY,the mediaof and stigamtisation manipulation discrimination of sense the way, this In Bosnia. in situation political and social the perceive they at women, same butitthe is only to time accepted because it corresponds their experiences. the of memories the to meaning gives narrative national memory: collective and individual between with is there that justified.Bloch's argumenta reciprocal Iagree relationship morally explained and The analysis point towards a significant impact the activities in the commemorative arena commemorative in the activities the impact asignificant towards point analysis The Second, women narrate their past from the perspective of their current experience and the way 67 CEU eTD Collection who wanted the war to happen and who had the most to gain from it. As they explain, Muslims itwere clear, war, it that the was about views radical most had the who women the For war: ‘Islamic forbares responsibility the Republic’. askedwho women Asexplained, when the of one a into country the turn to wanted who leaders Muslim Bosnian of attempts the from themselves defensive war. Majority my interlocutors hadof nodoubts Bosnianthat defendSerbs hadto Vision ofwar nation was ersatz and that in reality all of them were Serbs. family that was forced to convert into Islam by the Ottoman rulers.Serb old That an showedfrom came thatshe thethat Bosniak proved which surname, Serb ancient an had colleague her that out herselfa introduce asaMuslim the into Bosniak.and after warsheSerb pointed turned Radojka usedto victim onehow ofherMuslim pre-warcolleagues presidentof recalled a organisation independence of the republics. According to one of the women, Alija Izetbegovic was offered a stayed a Serb and left the war as a Serb. nation, my culture, my country- common country. I am not saying that it was mine. Iwas a saysSerb, that Serbs wanted the war. Why I, as a Serb would want that war? I had my language, my some ofBosniansort language: isone that ofway explaining whowanted war.this Everyone They entered as Muslims,the war speaking Serbo-Croatian and left itasBosniaks speaking themselves, Serbswere only defending themselves. Herzegovina. You (Serbs) will destroyed;be all nothing will leftbe you. of Serbshad defendto I think thatwas this foreign countries. They the ideasupported of aMuslim country inBosnia- we are all Bosnians, only that we are of Serbian nationality. as we,are SerbsOrthodox.was when That until Bosnians.1992, they became While in reality change with wind.Untilthe 1974 they introduced themselves asOrthodox. Whichwas not true They were Muslims before the war, now call they themselves Bosniaksmy opinion butin they In eyes the almost all of interviewedthe women, between 1992 and1995Serbsfoughta The war was perceived as a nation-building exercise of the Muslim population. Radojka, a population. of Muslim the exercise nation-building a as perceived The war was Several women blamed the war on the nationalistic leaders, mainly those who wanted who those mainly leaders, nationalistic the on war the blamed women Several Serb Narrative ofwarSerb Narrative 68 CEU eTD Collection the cruelty of Muslim forces. Some spoke of genocide committed on the Serb nation. they ofallcould detailed vividand provide accounts sufferingthe there well enduredby as Serbs as their relatives in one of the destroyed villages, those were the most importantlost who events those especially to, thewomen I spoke many of For mentioned. never victims were of those the war and has in by Although Muslimpopulation experiencedplaces those also brutal Serbside, attacks the were killingfound, whateverburnt Serbsthey they them alive.’ According to other, some Serbs children, old men.’ were grilled, tortured, corps Serbs.the moved:holidays, importantAttacking on killingeverything animals,men,women, what of others were eaten by pigs. ‘They interviewee beganheraccountby saying that One and killed. tortured brutally Thewas burnt. Serbpopulation and destroyed were attacked, of brutal of attacks Muslim soldiers. From villagesin1992 allthe theSerb Srebrenica municipality minority became targets and were a inSrebrenica In Serbs in lossesandnarrative, this Srebrenica. ableanswer. to from,were not women forces those were where When asked Srebrenica. andcame who destroyed “outside” from forces outsideBosnia. of not Common guiltypeoplebe were blamedand not should was for anything. It itwas decided war andthat want that not did 'common the people' agreedthat was commonly a war.into formerthe Yugoslavia), among Tudjman them Izetbegovic, beingmanipulated for andMilosevic shouldnever blamethecommon people.’ She blamed‘the crazy six’ of republics the of (presidents peace and so he did. It is clear of post president who of the Yugoslavia,sacrificehe to wanted that ‘Everyone knows he whichrejected. started the war. It is clear as a day. It was all politicians; one For other women, the casualties from those villages served to make a point that ‘there were that makeapoint to served villages from those casualties the women, For other Skelani. Zalazje, Kravice, violence: symbolise the to came few villages of Names destroyed The central part of the narrative of majority of by majority victims women Serb the was occupied the of narrative of the The central part blamedOther women powers’ ‘foreign ‘others’, and briningAmerica to for war Yugoslavia. It ‘ In 1992Muslims an started action killaiming to all 69 CEU eTD Collection committed by everyonecommitted by victims Serbswerethebiggestthe war, the of and insistedthat secondwhich the both whichvictimssides’. interpretations on two accordingto one, point werepredominant: Atthis town. That was a proof town. Thatwas allnota proof that Muslims gave andcontinuedthe uptheir attacking weapons by from Serbvillages attacks the on 1993 ademilitarised zoneprotected UN,the continued the the thevillages. on Muslim attacks containing of terms in situation the to referred and town the on attacks daily mention not did by They was surrounded soldiers. town fact the Serb the the that whenexplaining “strategies” and why all those Muslims came to town. of explain fledtherefrom thousands villages.Several since not women drastically could Bosniaks Other spoke of “military tactics”,launched by the Muslims from “politicalthe town. Women were aware that thearrangements” population of the town grew villages from protect the attacks the to Serb in order Serbarmy bytheBosnian it surrounded was siege, under being Srebrenica of talk no is There above. mentioned victims Serb the about part the Serbs.’blaming on that how could anyone itthey Muslim enclave.inbeforeitbecameslowly? was killed Srebrenica No do aprotected And be how ‘You killed see true. not is that replied victims those about knew if she asked explicitly when them, when it was a protectedevents was included in thenarrative of the inwar Srebrenica presented by the Serb women. One of zone? Dozen of children were killed bygrenades playinginwhile front of school.the of None those They were killingMuslims were murdered in town, several of the burnt alive in their houses in the centre of the town. each othermentioning and of thea oneBosniak more victims pointmanyto burry whowomen, especiallythose were waiting to their deadones. This as was presented fromabout the thetown. cruelty In the first of the months Bosnian of the Muslims.war, a number At of the same time there was not What was important to the interviewees, was the fact that despite proclaiming Srebrenica in Srebrenica despite proclaiming fact that interviewees, wasthe tothe was important What The siege of Srebrenica does not occupy much place in the majorities of the stories, except for importance of identified been yetgreat was or found many havenot bodies that The fact Serb and that the both sides were equally guilty. 70 crimes werecrimes CEU eTD Collection According to one of the women,in July 1995, Serbs personally1995 but I donotthinkanybody that gave suchan order.” something that was viciouslyAlmost all women the expressed regretaboutwhat happened in butPotocari didconsidered not itas planned or organised: Serbpopulation. and of the attacks on the development consequence “I do not wantstupidity”. importantly, that Most natural thatwastobeas something is expected, it presented to go into what happened“all there”, “what down as horrible”, happened “somethingis being talked about vague It terms. in July 1995 does not occupy a very important place in the narrative of the war and is referred to in a It all lasted until April when 1993 wasprotectedSrebrenica a zone butit continued only on smaller scale. All From Srebrenica'. pointthe view of of my Srebrenica interlocutors, wasliberated. Srebrenica.Mladic ledlasted entered inBosnian byRatko Serb population. army July1995, Serb until That In the Bosniak and international discourse, this event is referred to as 'the fall of and to events think this that couldjust have happened like that.” were killed without the previous permission from the Bosnian Army. “There weremany too victims some arrangement“. Accordingread: “Alija“Thereeverything”.say people aresome openly,that sold who in had public. They to other woman, home from anewspaper from Bosnian biggest article the few yearsdaily agowhere headline the no one can say thatrepresentatives the Muslims as well as sides fighting the of inleaders involved that Srebrenica agreements and of arrangements foreignpolitical powers involved in the war. One woman mentioned before. period in the Serbs to happened what that shehappened and I would never wish anything like that to anyone but nothing was bigger and more horriblekeeps than atSome were forced, some not but in general they left. Some alive, some not. I cannot say, it was horrible what As far as human losses in the war were considered, few women explained that numerically, that explained fewwomen considered, were war in the losses human far as As is inwhathappenedIt some that understood inSrebrenica of sortof July 1995wasaresult that it was some sort of natural consequence of what was happening before. happening was what of consequence of natural sort some was it that They were notdisarmed. Then came July 1995. Idonotjustify what happened. ButIcannot denied the Serbwere villages attacked by ofthose people who now Srebrenica talk only about July 1995. 71 left Srebrenica. CEU eTD Collection injustice andbias afterwards. experienced women were dirty and stinky. Whatman would put his hands on such a woman?” strongly accusations wererapedandopposed thatMuslimwomen Serbs“Those gangrapedby the Several women committed. wasagenocide there that woman agreed nointerviewee, for one control. This was an argument against the claim that by Bosniak and underthe buseslorries tothe territories Serbs women were transported and children were responsible for genocide. Except Muslim fact that the forwas many women was important What by Serbs. the askilled considered in forests the July 1995and died ontheminefields.agree Shedoesnot they that be should escape through trying to whowere those many of were there that claimed interviewee side. Other Muslim the on attacks. Muslim werecasualties from there the As aresultvillages defend to their of According women, toone the Serbs organised themselves in and weretrying a territorial defense Serbia.couldon only count and strong countries, helped other Muslims Bosnian Bosnian byMuslimCountries, were Serbs came help to their brothers. As one woman pointed out: Croats in Croatia were helped by Germany they Bosnia, in fighting Serbia from Serbs were if there and war in the role no played government that she did notunderstand why Milosveic was indicted for things that happened in Bosnia. Serbian war, notan aggression of is by Serbia asit presented Bosniakside. the say that there were less Serb victims but we were less numerous population. Same in proportions.Here wereSerbs always killed. Their people were also killed, iswar. that Who is strongerkills. then They on both sides”. victims same the “there of almost proportions population iswere that women concluded examined, minority, there were less bigger weremorethere Muslimvictims as SinceSerbs population. represented they belonged to Serb victims. However, if the ratio of number of victims to the size of This way, Oric came to symbolise both the suffering of the Serbs during the war and the When it comes to the nature of the war,interviewed women have do doubts that it was a civil 72 One of women stated the CEU eTD Collection historic available frameworks members to ofboth national groups. andspectrum commemorative and arenaof national respective are thethe dominant assuch groups political literature, media, in the most place occupy the do that theelements itpresents same time, sides.both However,individuals from and atthe activists by historians, researchers, advocated sketched narrative andreduced issimplified above include many not they does nuances donotagree withgroups by vision the warsupported the of theirnational leaders. The national information are challenged within as group the well manythan individuals from both national discourse. public Serb in the predominant are that elements and motifs certain of a selection of more is Certainly it has to be mentioned that many of those opinions, interpretationscrimes. war committing for responsible was during and after the war.and In reality, Mladic daughter committed suicide after learning that her father explainhis waskilled,to wasmeantMladic's whichsomehow daughter actions mentioned that woman one Interestingly, destruction. warand the for responsible criminals were war they others, For today’. nation Serb no be would there Mladko and Radovan Slobodan, for not was it ‘If heroes. national and Serbnation the of weredefenders Mladic Karadzic and some,woman. Milosevic, For slow but it will come.’had defend to his nation so didKaradzic. The justice truth will and is Thecome. process hardand The judgment Alija Izetbegovic: of the Serb president, Muslim time war leaders the to in relation made are Karadzic Radovan of judgments Similarly, differed significantly from woman to This narrative andvision of the war should notbe treated as a coherent, homogenous story. It No body likes Serbs. You saw Jasenovac? The same they hated Jews. Their aim is to destroy us. That happens to us here as we are a minority here. That happens to us repeatedly, in every I think that all the criminals should be brought to courts. But when Naser (Oric) burnt all the If it was not for Russia that always protects us we would be long gone. always this way here, we are a minority here. Serbia, itwar we pay agreatonly hadmoney price. IfI leaveI would would Srebrenica. I go to is more secure there. Maybe tomorrow my children will be killed here. It was (in prison) when their walk around? walk their when prison) (in Serb villages, he got two years. How could I now wish for one of our Serbs to lay down there ‘ They think he (Karadzic) is guilty, I think that he is not. If Alija (Izetbegovic) If Alija is not. he that think I is guilty, (Karadzic) he think They 73 CEU eTD Collection counterparts and do their of narratives ofview followpoints and have accessto groups national both Certainly strict. them. However, and is say complete separation This isnotto the that group. one's vision national of to the adjusted when a question of reliabilityhearand vision information onlystories, both andpast and opinions confirm that the of presence is asked,livein Bosnia is to possible a very It extend. limited side to other narrative of the the to exposed the answers Serbia.stations andnewspapers of Srpskaor Republika more likely to be trusted magazines are newspapers and basedmedialocation Sarajevoof outlets: television stations, bythe Bosniaks, whereas Serbs in is further partof illustrated chapter.this the This division with geographical the coincides often tend to watch and read mediadistrusting presented by reports TV stations andnewspapers with ethnic associated (this other group reports from simultaneously and present the of past the visions their lean towards that media outlets fallow tend to members language.groups national Bosnian particular of media isconcerned, As faras attending the of interpretations Consequently, pastarepromoted. the inmunicipality Srebrenica children same school and versions wheredifferent Croat), or Serb Bosniak, either be can (these curriculums different but in two branchesattending schoolsin different parts of the country learn the history (and other subjects) according to respectively Srpska Federation Serb-Republika and predominantly Bosniak-Croat educational have system isde facto dividedinto systems two in respectivetwo entities: predominantly classes Similarly, they represent. national groups the agendas of the advocating them parties, each of of Serb language of nationalistic are scenesof confrontations parliament and state the government same time, the or coveringmany institutions andnetworks entire the cover wholepopulation. the country and Atthe that media outlets level arena, state itpolitical hascountry.means acommon independent that That discourse public The As a result of the described divisions, members of each national group have a chance to be to chance a have group national each of members divisions, described the of result As a entities isone into two division administrative and territorial the despite Bosnia-Herzegovina, 74 iv As a result children CEU eTD Collection divisions isdivisions concerned. ethnic of waror matter politics, not when the trustworthy far biasedand so are considered asthey often confirm the division. Media associated with the other national group are often monitored in 75 CEU eTD Collection collective memories, by underestimating dynamics of this process and identifying moments when it when moments identifying and process this of dynamics underestimating by memories, collective for one of the approaches,for rather opting arethebelieve only organising these that options two I publicremembrance. that we should look for a waysTito's agreenot ashistory mistaken muchaswe approach Ido to teaching we have),however think of engaging in the processes desired imposeda version than of from pasts paradoxically, (and the above havelearntfrom wenot of shaping of (p.166). Duijzings may be arguing right thatplurality voicesof is andexpressions certainlymore memories’ conflicting of giveexpression reign of a‘free his to advice in accepting careful however its tokeepBosniacommemorations inSrebrenica attempts (p.163).Iwould and together be the shapes community international the way the in a danger is there that Duijizngs, with Iagree national also groups). withinbut particular among notonly interpretations heterogeneity of out point to here important is it (and things different many represent may Srebrenica scale, its and be not should who Butata point same of debate. acknowledgetime, the crime those evenfor the placefact of thethat massacre took eventsof July1995.Certainly the denying the attempts the manyinignores the areof visions that there fact Bosnian, its represents, Srebrenica vision what of being shaped and re-shaped. pastthe (ibid. p.144). It is between assumptions two collectivethe those that memory in is Bosnia a balanced of attempts tocome understanding andshared to evenhostile to reluctant, and are Serbs Muslims scholarsconclusion,the 143). (Duijzings that sametime,at the 2007,p. At arrived other exist to continue war, the itsee how country iscan the about to narrative difficulta shared establish how to remember events such as the Srebrenica massacre and fail to develop mechanisms to in reach on if have and intellectuals agreement Bosniaargued Croats cannot Muslims, Serbs, that Since the end of the last war in Bosnia-Herzegovina, certain Bosnian international and Bosnian certain in Bosnia-Herzegovina, lastwar the Since endof the International community by assigning with only one side of the conflict and trying to impose Conclusions 76 CEU eTD Collection provided them with a comfortable andcomfortingframework of interpretation of events. the which theconflict narrative of anationalistic embraced eagerly see thatthey to was itastonishing Nor come asasurprise. not andsuffering did victimhood, by Serb the wasoccupied place centre study, of for the recommendations Implications further research tothedesiredone. counter manner in thispaper, inmay influence meaning, its in reconciliation, of understood a process classical public remembering with neglectingsimultaneous of Serb the commemorations, asitwas illustrated in contribute. can Potocari Memorial Centre the is and justice substantial of not looking for revenge. forimportant peace,is supporting of process the one's reconciliation with hisher or pastin a sense In this sense,more and acertain possible, extend to is however of denial. What in state is the criminal if that theespecially much, too be valuemay atrocities horrific committing for responsible of criminal a with commemorationsreconcile as elementlatterpeace. of is important Toestablishing sustainable the moreactually a expecta to one form of symbolic from perspective, (2006)arguesprevention that pointFranjovic the conflict the of a certain closure. at and arriving past painful with one's interms coming of asaprocess conflicted sides,aswell two between place taking a process as both understood be may Reconciliation pain. and grief internal probably, also served as a helpin the process of reconciliation, not with the Serb side, but with their most it, Bosnia, in community Muslim the For reconciliation? consider even one can how conflict, of of Without refugees. physical presence process IDPsand enhanced the return sideof one of the markedMemorial Centre asymbolic re-establishmentof Muslim the in and population Srebrenica directly to the process of return and reconciliation. He was right in this sense, that opening of the can be influenced. The fact that the Serb women from Srebrenica presented an account of war,of in the which anaccount presented from Srebrenica Serbwomen the The factthat Muslim the to is given support international much so that fact the however, time same the At Wolfgan Petrich, the OHR who initiated establishment of the Memorial Centre linked it linked Centre Memorial the of establishment initiated who OHR the Petrich, Wolfgan 77 CEU eTD Collection memories societies. divides andfurther Advocates quote exampleof the often of approach this conflictive back brings it as processes reconciliation the jeopardise may regimes violent of victims the for justice and past the about truth of pursuing extensive sometimes that holds, this to contrary forand prosperity. lasting peace be considered aprecondition cameto An commonly argument They past. violent legacy of facing societies inthe majority of promoted standard procedure grief. Truth focus public Commissions and a becameof abuses on acknowledgment somehow past voicefor thevictimscrimes space their and to past toinvestigate in provide around world order the manytaken forms, most the spectacularbeing Truth Commissionsand established Reconciliation painfulpast. about andviolent This has isand truth thispublic acknowledging establishing passage of elements key One the of promoted. has been society democratic of peaceful, stage the to abuse expansion. As a result of it, a certain vision of desired form of passage from the time of mass Since adopted. scale field thean development '1980,the justice has transitional of observedasignificant have been strategies a have undergone from and wherecertain process such learn which countries Symbolic justice reexamined. or,be populations at impact reevaluated conflicted the theirprevention needtoon least, conflict and reconciliation of field in the activities commemorative and politics memory of employment largerwho victims, main to werelife andonlydefended theeternal approaches than theSerb heroes, war about myths nationalistic of creation of process the challenge to and war the of visions memory? of itself.a novelty importance is collective notin What isthen perceptions and experiences genocide. EvenNobody wants the to see facthimself as thata perpetrator, women nobody wantsinterpret to belong to a group responsibletheir of past from the perspective of their current When it comes to societies struggling with legacy of mass human rights abuses, Bosnia can Bosnia abuses, rights human mass of legacy with struggling societies to comes it When false andrevisionist reduce spreadof inchauvinistic, The mainargument thatto holds order 78 CEU eTD Collection aimed at reconciliation among the Bosnian population, but in reality it results in further process inof process it infurther but results reality Bosnian population, reconciliation the among aimed at justice transitional of is apart commemorating If ignored. be not also should community local uncomfortablehow andpainful beneed to spelled out andmemory their preserved. events should notbe a reason for nothonoring memory of innocent victims. Some truths, nomatter 11 July the about is uneasy local population Serb ofthe part factthat However, the uncomfortable. may feel makesome Serbs Memorial of the Centre, existence thevery aswell as commemorations, These boys. and men Muslim perished of families the to done justice symbolic of expression of enduredthe dignified suffering. commemoration The only formbrought to jail, nor will theyof receive reparations or any justiceother form of compensation for their losses. Many of them will notsee perpetrators responsiblethey for the crimes committed on their dear ones ever can importance. value and isof a great count of commemorations importance sense,the In this experience. on is public acknowledgmentsymbolic sphere of commemorating events and the memory of the endured suffering. invictims as well the andcrimes of for spherethe perpetrators punishing as compensation of of their suffering ofhistory instances justice when a choice: or peacehas tobemade. This is ina false both choice and too high. be price the could fragile legacyof dictatorship, the openly painful the was too address to process democratisation the that decided leadership Spanish forgetting). Franco, general of death After the abuses. In fact, Spain chose the path of collective public amnesia, named amnesia, public collective of the path chose Spain fact, In abuses. was process any accomplished commissions public without truth or acknowledgement of past brutal prosecution of opposition to aestablished democracy where human rights are respected. This for known regime from of authoritarian transition process the completed successfully which Spain, At the same time, the fact that these commemorations contribute to the further division of the of further division tothe contribute commemorations these factthat the time, same the At an are in Potocari Center Memorial the in commemorations annual matter, the In this ever will they justice of form only is the justice symbolic in Bosnia, victims many For are there justice totransitional inregards that believe not of thisdoes thesis The author 79 pacto del olvido pacto (pact of CEU eTD Collection should be approached? The findings of this research suggest at least three steps that ought to be leastat ought to steps that three suggest beshould of research this approached? The findings narrativesbe should given not Howthen equal weight. commemorations andpolitics ofmemory These two Bosniakpopulation. on the was committed genocide facts, viewof established of point facts. From the point of view manyof Serbs, they were victims of genocide in Srebrenica- from the same timehowever, fall into oneshouldtrapof established the not andchallenging questioning Atthe discourse. pubic the into experiences their of inclusion for quest their and population Serb history of blurring picture accountandwhat happened. Oneinto the shouldtake the narratives of Muslim the war of warof the an 1992-1995 wasnot in memory the itsarena. placement inaugurated. be should process the acritical of examination of groups, differentdrifting national apart the ethnic affiliation. One warof the of indescription applied categories the insistunburdening on shouldto seems desiredit hand, like to see commemorations of all and thus cannotbeignored in its remembering. not. Whether Ethnicity play are spelledoutor they roledid a significant in1992-1995 warof the 'national-prefix'victimsimplicitly. andof perpetrators butprefixesthose without arealwayspresent speak to intend may community international of Representatives such. as with be dealt to has and isan in Bosnia ground, the on reality the factthat the rather but boundaries, national it isnot thinkparadoxical.of of aresult that reifying aimedat plannedpolicies consciously Ido belonging of in andorganisations, frames and activists intellectuals arepresented national ethnic enhance victims andpolitics of memory supported by the foreignperpetrators. diplomats, representatives of international It would be an overstatement to call this phenomena The international community aims at overcoming ethnic divisions in Bosnia inBosnia and argues ethnic that divisions atovercoming community aims The international itsis itselfbut form iskey in commemoratingproblem notthe andIt act the Srebrenica that There are no simple answers to the problem of commemorating violent wars. On theone wars. violent commemorating of problem the to answers nosimple There are or Serb victims . On otheristhe hand, falling there a a of intorisk of trap revisionism of ethnic , but ethnically framed ethnically 80 conflict. But at the same time, the victims rather than exclusive than rather ethnic reality CEU eTD Collection dynamics, actors and most importantly, its impact on the memory of the women. From those two From those importantly, women. andthe memory mostof on the its impact actors dynamics, its Srebrenica, in memory of politics the analise critically and present to tried I time, same theirexperiences. personal At to importance the giving while frameworks they use andreference of of identifyare points sources knowledge, the I havetried isSerb women what beingshaped.to inclusive, can play a significant role in this process. maytheir power be reduced. Andpolitics memory that Ithink of commemorations,ifand more be eliminated, not will myths such Although nation. Serb the of victimhood eternal and injustice war suffering andprovides for nationalistic opportunities leaderstospread message their of inherent andlistened publicly thatthey to voicegriefcannot their doesenhance thememory of collective the not are they that donations, those receive not do they that fact, the However houses. burnt their of for reconstruction receivedonations not do they warbecause the of victims themselves consider women Serb that not is It population. Serb the of segment big by shared currently past the of vision the reshaped dramatically Serbvictims would the provided to discourse public space in the population more forand against Serb crimescommitted Bosniak sentenced officers by courts the it would be naive to believefor survival andself-defense.a struggle vision ofthe pastas to the Serb however,At samethe time that contribute morevictims civilian Serb of denial and just stigmatisation of ICTY,feeling the by Oric Naser of policy of distributiondiscrimination in or thefieldacquittal Experienced andperceivedinjustice donations, receiving of of donations,life. today's of experience the from comes events war the of interpretation biggerthe of much that proved number research This ofmemory. collective Serb the from disappear not will facts of denial and injustice memory and it effects has the collective on the Serbs. the of arena thecommemorative of critical examination theSerb population: of myth-building of process the and in Srebrenica arena commemorating the of effect alienating the minimalise to in order taken The aim of this paper was to outline the ways in which individual and collective memory of memory collective and individual which in ways the outline to was paper this of aim The victimhood, of sense The remain. war will the myth of national We Serb be realistic: need to 81 CEU eTD Collection that is said by Muslim women. sheapartmentor stillfind herhusband, thendistrustcannot reason remains of to all one hasagood her in killed was in law mother disabled one's and victims Serb civilian no were there that say them from media, books, politicians and their daily experience of lack of agency. If Muslim women happened what inand to learnt The memoriespeople. of understood to women Srebrenica I spoke victims. mythsThrough these channels, are being of war and distributed incorporated in the programme as they can count on national media, school textbooks, and commemorations of Serb presents and responsibility of burden the away takes problems, complex of group explanations easy offers It they belong clients. for those is tailored offer they product it the easier: have narrative national Serb advocating to in a fightbattle. visions Those theirof past the different of which propagators on battle ground good light. context,inbroader and lifein the belonged the community the of Those peoplethey to. arethe Additionally,framework. Others seek answers and try maketo sense of what happened both in their private lives they national narrative completely theirpersonalexperiencesbigger seeing asconfirmation of the have the aninternalise and clear very it have efficientwar. Some past the of visions and interpretations of spectrum outreachfrom the fact that andsecurity senseof seekcomfort visions asany beliefsgroup- and and sharecertain everything, they belong to agree aboutnot do in have theira group doubts, people which as heterogeneous bea approached group. This meanspopulation, not andespecially includedoes that the future generations. The Serb population should that there areentire not is however That be convinced. never will radical most the Some of them, wrong. people who have approached asacamp whoshouldisvision beconvincedat anycost thattheir of deniers past the of a wide be not should they is that here point only The population. Serb of remembering of process the with war. the memories andinterpret for engaging This linkopportunity be animportant considered can their construct they inwhich way in the reflected strongly is arena commemorative in the absent) are (or exist theirand stories women Serb way the between it relationship can the seen that beparts Living in shadow of genocide, the worst mass murder since Holocaust, symbol mass since Livingin worst murder Holocaust, of shadowof the genocide, aggression 82 CEU eTD Collection population. This is whatI find soparadoxical aboutthe memory in work Bosnia. Serb of the memories andexperiences notinclude does which narrative, one accordance with and moral leaders fell into the same trap. Srebrenica is meant to be remembered in one way only, in commemorative arena to twoavoid Tito’s mistake imposing of oneand onlyinterpretation ideologicalof the World War IIandshrinking the categories inunderstood its historical complexity. that thisafraid Iam hasalready happened. While to trying of fascists and partisans,be beforepastcould truly the past, the dogmainto about politicised and hardened couldbecome the current political voiceless. Scan the horizon and there is no sign of cure. legitimacy. seeking political frustration being and of women rejection, share asense TheSerb leaders for nationalistic except by of tothem offered anyone, comfort word no nation’. There was left asideas‘deniers’ in Srebrenica. observed Serb women were ‘genocidal The members and of itgoing will have chances succeed little if to Serb population the bewill excluded. This is I what refer to stay in the safety of ethnic Croats a lesserthe extent and TheSerb, to by Bosniaks. alliances.the only embraced enthusiastically been No matter how slowly this nationso far ideavision. has this The was ragedagainst war that a brutal legacy of overcome chance to building process is and officials. Sucha‘Bosnian’ identity thatmultiethnic,would prove independent Bosnia has a mostlyethnic-based,identity by are advocated based, not intellectual overarching Muslim elites the being destroyed, and Serbpopulation the persecuted asthe main event of war.the July look less1995 to they lotinvestdramatic, a of effortin presenting the story of villages Serbs moments from the history that fit into the narrative they want to share. In order for the genocide of not. to acknowledge or genocide is noteasy. One looks for strategies of coping with that. Eventually,it is a choice of each individual Of course exaggeration of Serb victim is a part of strategy.of a denial is Women apart victim Serb those of exaggeration Of choose course Miller (2006, p.319) admitsMillerisp.319) waysmemory thatherthe Srebrenica worried (2006, about about enhance building. astate- to ofnation Attempts undergoing aprocess is currently Bosnia 83 CEU eTD Collection school in Belgrade. Before the war, she was working in Srebrenica at the health resort, currently health resort, the at in Srebrenica war, working the was Before she in Belgrade. school Cvijeta, forces duringwar. the studies Herdaughter in Serbia. by Muslim the attacked brutally war. Srebrenicatwice which was to close from avillage Comes Radojka, Serbia, camein backtoSrebrenica 1998. Snjezana, in first inBratunac. then wartime herfatherSerbia, Spent after hadbeen killed. mother andsister Jovana unemployed. currently a plantbefore war, at the Sheworked Bratunac. back war,the firstbeginningto Serbia, to of then littleleftfound. killed.Several membersher atthe Shetwo family of children extended were with yet been not has body his war, the of beginning the at killed was husband Her centre. the Jela, of the Communist party. Mother of two, divorced. Ivanka, husband was in the RS Army. herSrebrenica infor 1995. back Moved came to Serbiabutback Bratunac. beginingat the to of war Milica, war. the after Srebrenica moved They to both marriedin aman from she where Srebrenica. war Spent the Belgrade Croatia). Mirsada, were killed in Srebrenica. She will testify about it atthe ICTY. She is from Srebrenica and left the town to come back after the war. Her husband and mother in law Gordana Srebrenica). Moved Srebrenicainto 2001. Shewas woundedduring war. the Serb war victims. She spent the war partly in Sarajevo and in Bratunac (the Serb held town close to Milanka protect their privacy. They listedin are orderinwhich interviewsthe were conducted. The listbelow doesnot include surnames interviewedof women the for this in order research to List ofinterviewees in her fifties. Before the war used to live in the outskirts of Srebrenica, now lives in a flat in flat in a lives now Srebrenica, of outskirts in the live to used war the Before fifties. in her in her late forties. Librarian at the local left local library. at the in in Librarian late forties. herwasborn andSrebrenica, She raised , 21. Shop assistant and mother of a two-year old. Left Srebrenica as a young child with her 50.Half Finished inhigh blind, school Sarajevophysiotherapist. professional primary and 56. LeftSrebrenica atthe beginning war, of the until lived2008 in member Former Serbia. , woman in her fifties. Employed at a local organisation dedicated to documentation of documentation to dedicated organisation local a at Employed fifties. her in woman , , 55. Used to work at one of the local factories before the war, now she is unemployed. in her early thirties. Librarian at the local library. Originally from Krajina (Serb part of part (Serb Krajina from Originally library. local the at Librarian thirties. early her in 45. Works for an association of husband andmissingkilled Lost and Serbs. insister the 24. Hairdresser. Married to a man from a mixed marriage (Serb-Muslim). Spent war in war man24. Hairdresser. Spent (Serb-Muslim). frommixed marriage a to a Married Appendix 84 CEU eTD Collection Dragana, Unemployed. of town. the in centre the appartment not have beenbrothers her of Bodies family. the of members other and brothers two husband, lost found1996. Dragica, yet. Her house innot yet been found. She works at the Municipality Office.the husband andin mother law stayed in andtown werekilled in outskirts their appartment. Their bodies have of Srebrenica was burnt so now she lives in an year old boy. old year a six of Mother a manBratunac. from marriedwork, to dueto Srebrenica to in Moved war Serbia. Jasmina, Srebrenica. of outskirts in the plantation fruit home her at works Serbia, andin eastern movedSrebrenicaBosnia. She to in 1996. Herhusband died in2001,she littleher warpartly spentthe in daughters in two fighting RSarmy toSrebrenica.Sheand the close Gorka, children. her two lives with and atthecourt her RSarmy.was inthe work husband to while her returned She for young Serbiawith two children at the beginning of warandstayedthe inBelgrade until 1996, Danica, in while was RSarmy.the her father brother Mikica, Works for aninternational oragnisation. Srebrenica in1996. move to parentsdecidedto Her family were killed. her extended membersof of first in Serbia, then in different towns in eastern Bosnia with her mother and younger sister. Several Biljana, unemployed. Lives with her husband andmother. disabled 54 59. Lived in Srebrenica before the war where she worked as a clerk at the court. She left court.She the as at a clerk worked warwhereshe the before 59. Lived inSrebrenica 27. Born in Sarajevo, lived in a town nearby the capital before the war. She spent the war the spent She war. the before capital the nearby a town in lived Sarajevo, in Born 27. 29. Works for alocal youth organisation.in Spent Belgrade, war her with mother and in early fifties. Originally from in war inBratunac and the came back spent from fifties.Srebrenica, in Originally early 59. . 35. Originally from Srebrenica but before the war lived close toSarajevo. Her husband was Originally from Srebrenica, left for the time of war with her two little children. 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CEU eTD Collection early 1993 on basisthe superior criminalof responsibility. deaths fiveof themistreatment and of Bosnian eleven Serbs during from late 1992 theperiod to iii ii and Herzegovina. in Bosnia war the ending accord the of aspects civilian of implementation overseeing for iv Ori acquitted and necessity. theICTY the reversed conviction Trial Chamber's of the AppealsChamber In 2008 wanton destruction civiliancausingand damageto beyond infrastructure the realm military of i Employees of the Memorial Centre admit that there is one person who did was not directly killed This is even more complicated in places where system of 'one roof-two schools' is implemented. schools' roof-two 'one of system where in places complicated is more This even In 2006, he was sentenced to two years' imprisonment by the ICTY for failing to prevent the http://www.oscebih.org/public/print_news.asp?id=969 not do but see: this phenomenon more about For all. at them with interact nationality different of peers their with learn not do only not children and parts school buildingbutentirely Eitherseparated. have they shifts orbuildingis divided into two In belongingsuch different totwoplaces, children national have classesingroups the same that are bodies of there beforeJuly killed some people 1995. likely is very it said that who organisation, nongovernmental based a Sarajevo of representative 1995 orthose who alive. are informallyThis waschallenged journalist bylocal as wella strongly opposes any claims thatlist of victims of genocide includeslater, on but the request on hispeople wife,in Srebrenica re-buried killed buried at the Memorial first beforeCentre. was He The curatorJuly of victims. the Memorial Muslim the Centre to help medical provide to going crush iswhen Thatwhodied inahelicopter was buriedinPotocari. adoctor in but genocide the Office of the High Representative (OHR) is an (OHR) Representative Office High of the ü of of all him. againstcharges brought Endnotes 89 ad hoc ad He was acquitted on the other charges of international institution responsible institution international