Life in Bosnia: Shocking and Stunning All in One Building

Life in Bosnia: Shocking and Stunning All in One Building

This article was submitted by ISA BELLE, a Dutch student studying in Mostar, Herzegovina.

Are there still people who do not know there was a war in Bosnia from 1992 until 1995? Are there still people who haven’t heard of terrible things that happened during that war? No, there is no need to tell those stories again since they have been retold countless times. However, who knows what that war was like? Who knows how war looks like? In Mostar, signs of war are still seen everywhere, especially along the former front lines with the remains of more destroyed houses than standing ones. Unless you have been living in a wonderland or are unaware of the invention of television, you can guess that a war happened here.

The building which stands out the most is a former bank, several floors high and completely destroyed. It is located next to the Spanish Square, where Bosniaks and Croats still often clash.If you think you can handle it, you should have a look inside. It might seem a little strange at first to enter a vacant and ruined building, but you can and if you have the chance you should. Seeing how plain and empty the ground floor looks, you will not expect the first floor to preserve many things. These left-behind items will give you an idea of how it was back then. There are rooms with fallen desks, chairs, books and paper strewn everywhere on the ground. In a larger room at the end of the corridor, you can even find copy machines. The experience can be confronting and engaging at the same time.

A friend of mine said: “When you see this, you can imagine those employees from both ethnic groups upon hearing the news that they are in a war with each other, and how they would react on that.” If you pick yourself up after this experience, then proceed all the way to the upper floor where you might run into a couple in search of privacy who perhaps want to share the splendid view of the beautiful Mostar.

If you do not suffer from fear of heights, continue even further up to the roof using stairs against the walls outside. The view is just stunning contrasting to whatever it is that you have just seen. The world is, indeed, full of contradictions.

Photo Credit: Terra Libera via Compfight cc