Sarajevo’s historic City Hall has reopened, more than 20 years after its destruction during the Bosnian War which accompanied the break-up of Yugoslavia.
The project to the restore the building, called Vijecnica in Sarajevo, has been completed as part of preparations to mark the Centenary of the First World War.
Archduke Franz Ferdinand and his wife, Sophie, were assassinated shortly after leaving a reception there on 28th June 1914, triggering the events which led to the outbreak of war a month later.
Archduke Franz Ferdinand and Sophie Duchess of Hohenberg at Sarajevo City Hall 1914 ©IWM (Q81831)
City Hall, the most prominent building dating from the Bosnian capital’s Austro-Hungarian period, was reopened with a concert and reception on 9th May 2014 — Europe Day.
The European Union and individual member states, including Austria and Hungary, contributed towards the cost of restoring Vijecnica to its 19th century splendour.
Peter Sørenson, the EU’s Special Representative to Bosnia, said: “Bringing this jewel back to the city, to Bosnia and Herzegovina, to Europe and to the world is a lasting message of solidarity from the citizens of the EU to the citizens of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the city of Sarajevo in particular.”
Peter Sørensen speaking at the reopening of Sarajevo City Hall, watched by Mayor Ivo Komši (right); picture courtesy of European Union
City Hall, the home of the Bosnian National Library, was destroyed by artillery fire in August 1992 during the Serb siege of Sarajevo.
Opened under Habsburg rule in 1896, its moorish-style architecture reflects Bosnia’s multicultural heritage.
The Mayor of Sarajevo, Ivo Komši, says the building now stands as a symbol of his city’s strength to overcome the past and its desire for a different and brighter future.
A Centenary News interview with Mayor Komši about Sarajevo’s plans for the Centenary can be found here.
Information supplied by City of Sarajevo, EU Delegation to Bosnia and Herzegovina
Images courtesy of City of Sarajevo, Imperial War Museum and EU Delegation to Bosnia and Herzegovina
Posted by Peter Alhadeff, Centenary News