Bosnia 2025 - August
Throughout 2025, Ian Bancroft is collecting reflections on Bosnia-Herzegovina thirty years on from the end of the war. These reflections, supplemented by other insights and stories, explore various dimensions (peacebuilding, reconciliation, culture,education, politics), while reflecting on the past and the future.
To contribute your reflections on Bosnia-Herzegovina, please click here.
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The younger generation has been roused into activism. Tamara Zrnović, from the Center for Nonviolent Action (CNA), is part of an informal group of activists who have made it their mission to mark sites of suffering throughout the country.
For Tamara, ‘the future of society and the state is in such a state of collapse that today these obstacles to dealing with the past are everyday.’ The deep divisions within society, whether visible or invisible, constitute the main obstacles to ‘building lasting trust and dialogue, and ultimately building peace.’
In response to the refusal of local authorities to remember the victims, CNA have pioneered a unique formed of commemoration designed to directly challenge these entrenched narratives. Marking so-called ‘unmarked sites of suffering’ (‘Obilježavanje neobilježenih mjesta stradanja’ or ONMS) involves the erection of temporary plaques on which is written:
‘Unmarked place of suffering – at this place, in the past war, inhuman acts were committed against people - by not leaving these events to oblivion, we stand in solidarity with all the victims - that never repeat itself to anyone.’
CNA’s approach subverts the official, selective memory that sanitises the past. ‘When it comes to the current culture of remembrance, the focus is usually on the suffering of people from one's own community,’ Tamara insists, with the suffering of others ignored and even denied. Instead, they want to send a message that ‘every victim deserves respect.’ What is unique about such actions is that ‘they cross the invisible line of demarcation that exists in BiH society, where the goal is to point out that such places exist and to somehow encourage questioning of the war past,’ Tamara explains.
In August, thoughts turn to the grape harvest and the nervous last few weeks, when unseasonal rains could wreak havoc on the vintage. While there are vineyards in the vicinity of Banja Luka and elsewhere, it is the vineyards of Herzegovina that are the most renowned.
Josip Brkić, from Čitluk, is one of BiH’s most renowned winemakers and the first to implement biodynamic principles. His approach is grounded in minimal intervention and maximum respect for nature. He is also committed to nurturing two of the country’s signature native varieties, Žilavka and Blatina. One of his most famous creations is Mjesečar (meaning ‘Moonwalker’), Žilavka aged ‘sur lie’ (on its lees) in new oak barrels from BiH.
‘Viticulture and winemaking are like no other economic activity related to Herzegovina,’ Josip says, ‘wine is woven into the genes of these people.’ The tradition is ancient, with evidence of continuous production for over 2,000 years, dating back to Roman times. Herzegovinian wines were once so esteemed that they were served at the Austro-Hungarian imperial court in Vienna. During Yugoslav times, Žilavka and Blatina were the most exported.
The most compelling anecdote, however, involves the legendary artist, Pablo Picasso. ‘After he made a poster for the most expensive film in the former Yugoslavia, the ‘Battle of the Neretva,’ he did not want to be paid in money but demanded that several packages of Blatina from Herzegovina be sent to Paris,’ Josip tells me. It is inspiration in liquid form.
Despite this storied past, winemakers in BiH face significant challenges. ‘There is always very little money from the state for agriculture,’ Josip says, a lack of investment that makes it ‘impossible to maintain a similar level in production and technology with neighboring countries that invest much more in viticulture.’ This is compounded by problems ‘with purchasing power because generally poor people live in BiH.’
For an anonymous source from Sarajevo, ‘BiH is, unfortunately, still in transition.’ ‘Peace is fragile, unstable, and completely under the control of political elites,’ they add, politicians who ‘use the fear of a new war as an instrument to manipulate the population, deepen divisions and the way they are maintained by those in power.’ It is a continuing struggle.
They argue that ‘systematically, the state is not functional,’ with a divided education system, unequal access to social and health services, and neglect of the most vulnerable part of the population (despite a high percentage of GDP being allocated for social benefits).
Fortunately, the new generations inspire optimism, particularly those ‘young people who do not want to waste their lives on hatred and division, but instead to build a promising future with an understanding of the past.’ The source contends that while they may appear more radical than adults, they are often ‘much more willing to hear the other side and create spaces for dialogue,’ adding that ‘their experience with past wars is narrative, not experiential, which makes them more adaptable in relationships.’
Another source of hope is the ‘unification of activists’ dedicated to maintaining and protecting BiH’s natural resources, thereby ‘unifying activism across entity borders.’ It serves to safeguard the country’s beauty, a beauty that an increasing number of foreign tourists are beginning to savour.
To contribute your reflections on Bosnia-Herzegovina, please click here.
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Ian is a writer based in the Balkans. He is the author of 'Dragon's Teeth - Tales from North Kosovo' and 'Luka'. Follow Ian on Twitter @bancroftian.
Currently in: Belgrade, Serbia — @bancroftian