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Fokus.Westbalkan@Forumzfd.De FFookkuuss..WWeessttbbaallkkaann 02-2014 SEPTEMBER News from the Forum Civil Peace Service in the Western Balkans Content FOKUS The commemoration on the First World War in Bosnia and Herzegovina: Between mega-spectacle and folklore ........................................... 1 Bosnia and Herzegovina MOnuMENTI motion premiere at the 2014 Peace Event in Sarajevo ............... 3 Kosovo Memory Mapping Kosovo - contested memories: Between materiality, textuality and performativity of the past .................................................................. 4 Serbia forum ZFD - finally active again in Serbia .................................................................. 5 Western Balkans - Regional “Balkan Perspectives” – a regional magazine on dealing with the past ........ 6 Outside the box CIVIL - A different organisation ..................................................................................... 7 News & Events News in brief ........................................................................................................................ 8 Upcoming Public Events ................................................................................................. 9 Staff News .......................................................................................................................... 10 Imprint WRITE US Did our newsletter make you think? Or do you have a different opinion regarding some of the top- ics? We would be delighted to hear from you and would like to invite you to send us your com- ments, opinions and questions. We will publish a selection of the entries in the next issue. Write us at [email protected] üüü TOP Forum Ziviler Friedensdienst Forum Civil Peace Service www.forumZFD.de 1 FOKUS The commemoration on the First World War in Bosnia and Herze- govina: Between mega-spectacle and folklore The public commemorations on the First World War way of other protagonists preparing the commemora- in Bosnia and Herzegovina in 2014 were mostly fo- tion, particularly those from France and Serbia that cused on the assassination in Sarajevo of 28 June made accusations that the conference in Sarajevo 1914. In a society in which there are conflicting nar- would be an exercise in revising the existing culprits for ratives of the assassination, this limited view on the the outbreak of WWI. Although the Institute rejected beginning of the Great War brought about addition- these accusations, the preparations for this conference al tensions and deepened the divide in the society. were interpreted in some political circles in Serbia and In the course of 2013 and in the first half of 2014, con- Republika Srpska as a threat that could lead to the re- flicts over the manner of commemorating this event moval of guilt for the Great War from Germany and the were getting Monarchy and stronger and transfer of blame stronger, with dif- to Serbia and ferent groups driv- France, and, indi- en by political and rectly, to Russia. In financial reasons the course of that tried to im- preparations, the pose their concepts conference was of commemora- particularly at- tion. In this con- tacked by the for- text, a foundation mer diplomat Slo- called Sarajevo, bodan Šoja, the scientific coordi- Heart of Europe „The Great War: Regiona Approaches and Global Contexts“, nator for the Em- was established, international historians‘ conference in Sarajevo, 18th-21th June which received sig- bassy of France in nificant funds from the European Union for the organi- Sarajevo, who described it as “a conference that had sation of numerous events. The European Commis- invited only those countries that had lost the war”. sion’s Delegation in Sarajevo, governments of Republic Milorad Dodik, the President of Republika Srpska insist- of Serbia and of the Republika Srpska (one of two state ed on this definition, emphasising that the Academy of entities in Bosnia-Herzegowina, mainly inhabited by the Sciences and Arts of Republika Srpska diagnosed that ethnic Serb population) supported some initiatives as the conference had a pro-Habsburg and anti-Serb char- well, while others were organised by institutes without acter. That is why the Sarajevo, Heart of Europe Founda- any financial support of the Foundation or of the Euro- tion denied financial support for organizing this confer- pean Union. ence of historians in Sarajevo, and only thanks to its broad cooperation with institutes from seven European In 2014, the commemoration on World War I in Bosnia countries, the Institute of History of the University of and Herzegovina had two aspects – scientific and Sarajevo succeeded in securing sufficient funds to or- manifestational. The scientific aspect was led mainly by ganise the conference titled “The Great War: Regional the Institute for History of the University of Sarajevo. As Approaches and Global Contexts”. The keynote speaker of 2011, in cooperation with scientific institutions from at the conference held from 18 to 21 June was Professor eight European countries, the Institute began preparing Mark Mazower from Columbia University, while the a conference envisaged not as a commemoration on closing paper was presented by Marie Janine Calic from the assassination in Sarajevo, but as an opportunity to Ludwig-Maximilians-University, Munich. start a dialogue on all aspects of the outbreak of WWI. It was because of this that the Institute’s idea got in the üüü TOP Forum Ziviler Friedensdienst Forum Civil Peace Service www.forumZFD.de 2 Remembrance as a mega-spectacle broadcast the concert directly. Numerous exhibitions in the museums and galleries of Sarajevo made a special Another aspect of the commemoration were events mark on the entire commemoration. The Historical M u- much more promoted in public w hich can in fact be seum organised an exhibition related to Sarajevo , Bos- called ‘mega-spectacles’. One was held in Sarajevo u n- nia and Herzegovina and Europe in the period from der the title “The 1914 to 1918, titled “And then in Sarajevo the Shot Was Century of Peace FURTHER INFORMATION Fired….”; an exhibition of documents, focused on the After the Century of Husnija Kamberović assas sination in Sarajevo was organised by the Archive Wars ”, directed by Director of the Institute for History of the of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina. In the N a- Haris Pašović. This University of Sarajevo tional Gallery of Bosnia and Herzegovina there was the music and drama ([email protected] ) exhibition “The Dignity of Man“ - a joint project of three spectacle that European cities: Vienna, Sarajevo and B rno. brought together about 300 participants from different European countries did not contain too much ideology, No vision for joined commemoration but its aesthetic achievements were very questionable: However, the main feature of all these events was that on the Latin Bridge, near the site of the 1914 Assassin a- they were organised on a local level, that there was not tion, one could hear, inter alia, songs performed by Se r- major involvement of the national institutions of Bosnia bian folk singer Šaban Šaulić and B osnian- and Herzegovina and that there was not a sing le pan- Herzegovinian pop/rock singer Dino Merlin. Bosnian event. Divided memory was further strengt h- The other mega-spectacle was held in Višegrad, d i- ened, political dimensions could not be avoided, while rected by film director Emir Kusturica. It was titled “The nationalistic rhetoric that was strongly expressed in Rebel Angels” and arranged in three acts as a reco n- Republika Srpska only deepened the differences and struction of the assassination in Sarajevo. Thi s event was divisions in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Al though it did not charged with Serb nationalism, having brought togeth- directly help the building of the surreally grandiose er controversial individuals like Matija Bećković, who monument to Gavrilo Princip in Eastern Sarajevo, the was accused before for his nationalistic statements; it European symbolised all the existing divisions in Bosnia and He r- Union was zegovina and, from my po int of view, did not have any evidently significant artistic value. The event was used to officially unpre- inaugurate Andrićgrad, an urban development project pared to dedicated to the Nobel prize winner Ivo Andrić, which is respond to constructed by Emir Kusturica´s own construction co m- the na- pany .The project is strongly supported by Se rbia and tionalistic Republika Srpska. The President of Republika Srpska rhetoric Milorad Dodik, and the Serbian Prime Minister expressed Aleksandar Vučić, by their very presence conveyed a Inauguration of the Gavrilo Princip at the in- clear political message from this event. monument in East -Sarajevo auguration In addition to these two mega-spectacles, the realis a- of that monument and thus made it clear that it was not tion of which involved huge funds (the European Co m- sure of its own perception and vision of Bosnia and He r- mission invested 250,000 Euros in “The Century of Peace zegovina. It is a paradox that, at the same time - com- After the Century of Wars”, while the amount spent on memorating the 100th anniversary of the Great War - the mega-spectacle directed by Kusturica will certainly the Vienna Philharmonic performed in Sarajevo, Eas tern remain unknown), a concert of the Vienna Philharmonic, Sara jevo organised the event called “The 21st Assembly held on 28 June 2014 in the recently rebuilt Sarajevo of Gusle Players of Republika Srpska ”. This indicates that Vijećnica (National library), was particularly
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