A journey to Bosnia and Herzegovina in 1999 

July – September 1999, text and all pictures by Marcel Stoessel.

 

From the pilgrimage place of Medjugorje, where Catholics from all over the world pray for peace, I hitchhike down to Mostar, the city of apartheid in continental Europe. “The weather is strange”, I say to the nice Croat who gives me a ride down the hills of the Herzegovina, “rain and sunshine at the same time”. He laughs: “This is the Balkans - crazy!”

 

Sarajevo near the destroyed parliament building, 1999

Two months in all parts of Bosnia and Herzegovina showed me that the man was right. Please enter by clicking on the above door.

Important Disclaimer: Everything in Bosnia and Herzegovina is divided according to ethnic lines, including the truth. Looking for truth is essential, but almost impossible. I am neither a Bosniak (Muslim), nor a Croat (Catholic), nor a Serb (Orthodox). What you can read here is what I’ve seen, heard, felt and read myself. Don’t expect nothing from this – especially not the truth. The opinions expressed are only mine.


 Chapter 1: Medjugorje – Oasis of Peace

Chapter 2: Mostar – the City of apartheid

Chapter 3: Sarajevo – it exists

Chapter 4: One Day in Srebrenica

Chapter 5: Pale and Gorazde

Chapter 6: Banja Luka

Conclusion


Recommendation for a good translator

 


NZZ (24/25 February 2001)

Slow Democratisation in Bosnia and Herzegovina (English version)

 

Paper on The Role of the OSCE in Bosnia and Herzegovina (in *.pdf format; very long)

Stoessel Marcel (2001). The Role of the OSCE in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Geneva: IUHEI.

 

NZZ (Samstag/Sonntag 24./25. Februar 2001), p.5. 
Harzende Demokratisierung in Bosnien und Herzegowina (*.html, *.pdf)

 

Kasseler Friedensforum
Fünf Jahre nach dem Dayton-Abkommen: Eine ernüchternde Bilanz

 


 

 For background and practical up-to-date information (books), click here.

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