The Bosnien in Berlin book and blog project was born from a panel discussion during the Berlin Science Week 2020 at HU, which was titled „Remembering, Researching, Coming to Terms / Srebrenica in Berlin: Young Berliners from Bosnia or How Traumas Can Become Research Topics.“ Five young women from Bosnia-Herzegovina, Serbia, and Germany came together for the discussion, providing a range of viewpoints.
Despite their varying ages and backgrounds, the speakers had one thing in common: they all invest significant personal and academic energy into examining the Bosnian War (1992–1995) and its impact on their lives. The war, which ended over 25 years ago, culminated tragically with the genocide at Srebrenica in July 1995. This event and the Dayton Agreement were the inspirations for the first panel, which was set up by the Chair of South Slavic Studies at HU Berlin and was moderated by historian Thomas Schad.
You can find the entire two-hour conversation on YouTube. However, after the event, each participant felt that their stories lacked full representation. Driven by the strong public interest and the positive response, they swiftly decided to keep sharing their stories through a multiperspective book, tentatively titled Bosnien in Berlin.
A diverse array of genres is embraced by this project, including autobiographical and (semi-)fictionalized texts, essays, and artistic pieces, as well as interviews and, at times, academic contributions. The goal is to establish a connection with a broad and diverse audience. The book will be a mosaic of memories and stories about escape, arrival, youth, and careers before, during, and after the war.
The book seeks to add to a modern, multiperspective culture of remembrance that is as much a part of Berlin and Germany as the Baščaršija is of Sarajevo.
Every author chooses what to share and what to keep private. All contributions will be translated into Jezik, the BKMS language, and the book will be published in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The editorial team translates all contributions and website content into Jezik. While we work on a better multilingual website, you can find all Jezik posts under the same category (Jezik*).
[Cover picture: Sabrina Halilović, 2021.]