prijava
SARAJEVO, August 23 (FENA) - Sarajevo City Hall, a symbol of the city and one of the most beautiful buildings from the Austro-Hungarian period in Bosnia and Herzegovina, was shelled several times during the siege of Sarajevo, but on August 25, 30 years ago, the City Hall was shelled from the hills around Sarajevo and caused the fire which engulfed and swallowed almost the entire interior with about 80 percent of the library fund and historical documents.
The City Hall, which before the aggression against Bosnia and Herzegovina housed the National and University Library of Bosnia and Herzegovina (NUBBH) and which represented a gathering place for students and all people eager for knowledge, burned down in just a few hours on August 25.
Almost 80 percent of the library fund, two million books, magazines, as well as manuscripts of inestimable value that testify to the history of Bosnia and Herzegovina were burned in the fire.
Although citizens and employees tried to save a certain part of the fund, the fire that engulfed the City Hall was almost impossible to control, and an additional problem was the constant sniper fire from the positions of the RS Army on the hills around Sarajevo.
August 25, 1992 was one of the most difficult days for all the inhabitants of Sarajevo, as well as for all the people for whom the City Hall was a symbol of the city and kind of center of knowledge.
A rich program marking the 30th anniversary of the burning was prepared by the employees of the National and University Library of BiH, which will be held on August 25.
At the beginning of the program, guests will be addressed by NUBBiH Director Ismet Ovčina, Deputy High Representative in BiH and Head of the Political and Fiscal Department Tobias Privitelli, FBiH Assistant Minister for Education and Science Jasmin Branković and the representative of the Chairman of the BiH Presidency Amel Suljović.
“Part of the program is also planned for that day, which was witnessed by the former employee Duško Toholj, who tried to save the books, and one of the firefighters Omer Šetić,” said Ovčina for Fena.
Among other things, he added, the publication "NUBBIH - Vijećnica - In search of identity" will be presented and certificates of appreciation will be awarded to prominent workers Enes Kujundžić, Amra Rešidbegović, Dušan Toholj, Nevenka Hajdarović and Bedita Islamović.
Sarajevo City Hall, in cooperation with the Government of the Sarajevo Canton and the National Theater in Sarajevo, will mark the 30th anniversary of burning down the Sarajevo City Hall with a concert of contemporary and artistic music by the No Borders Orchestra, on August 26.
(FENA) A. B.
