Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Worth
▲▲▲
for anyone who wants to better understand the atrocities in Bosnia's recent
history, this important, emotionally exhausting exhibition uses photographs and video clips
to tell the story of the remote Bosnian village that experienced the worst massacre on
European soil since World War II. It's well worth the extra 2 KM to tour the exhibition
withaguide(departingregularly—askwhenthenexttourbegins,andpassanywaitingtime
watching the powerful videos).
Cost and Hours:
10 KM, or 12 KM with a tour, daily June-Sept 9:00-22:00, May
and Oct 10:00-20:00, Nov-April 10:00-18:00, Trg Fra Grge Mati
ć
a 2/III, tel. 033/953-170,
Visiting the Exhibition:
Because of the horrifying massacre that took place there (de-
some of the worst crimes against humanity in recent memory. The date you'll see every-
where—11/07/95—commemorates July 11, 1995, when Bosnian Serb forces invaded
Srebrenica, beginning their genocidal attack. This exhibit, consisting mostly of haunting
photographs by Tarik Samarah, documents the process of piecing together exactly what
happenedthere.Photosshowthefacesofjust640ofthemorethan8,000victims;conditions
in the refugee camps where survivors lived after the massacre; the process of exhuming,
documenting, and investigating the many mass graves that have been discovered (mass fu-
nerals are held on July 11 each year to honor victims who were identified during that year);
andsomegraphicandunsettlinggraffitibyUNtroopsfromtheNetherlands,whichsuggests
that they felt more contempt than sympathy for the people they were assigned to protect.
Perhapsthemostpowerfulpartoftheexhibitisthegripping,wrenching27-minutevideo
loop, which outlines (with English subtitles) the harrowing chain of events that led to the
fall of Srebrenica and the ruthless murders of so many of its residents. Maps on the wall
nearby identify the locations of mass graves that have been found so far. Out in the hallway,
a 50-foot-long wall lists the name and date of birth of each of the 8,372 victims who have
been identified so far; the alphabetical list makes it clear that entire extended families were
wipedout.Nearby,touchscreenswithheadphonesletyouviewindividualtestimonials from
survivors and victims' relatives (subtitled in English). For even more information, sit at one
oftheterminalsinthefirstroom,whereyoucanclickthroughmorethanfourhoursofvideo
documentation. Thequoteonthewallremindsvisitorsofalessonthat,itseems,needstobe
repeated again and again: “All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do
nothing.”
For the most interesting approach to this area from the Old Town (Baš
č
aršija), see my self-
guided walk, earlier.
