Material Modalities and Processes of Remembering in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina

Abstract

Three decades following the end of the siege of Sarajevo (1992–1996), the urban landscape exhibits a significant proliferation of commemorative interventions, ranging from the immediate postwar emergence of “Sarajevo Roses”—mortar shell damage patterns preserved in concrete—to the proliferating development of formal monuments and memorial sites. This entry examines three varied case studies: the Markale marketplace memorial, the Red Cross building commemorative site, and the Tunnel D-B Memorial complex, to critically evaluate predominant methodologies in the conception and administration of collective memorial spaces. Through these examples, this entry interrogates the often overlooked mechanisms of civic participation and engagement in memorial processes. The investigation posits that understanding contemporary trajectories in material memorial production necessitates a thorough examination of both the sociopolitical processes underlying their materialization and their long-term social sustainability within the urban fabric. By looking into the case of Sarajevo, this entry aims to contribute the broader discourse on postconflict commemoration practices and their role in shaping collective memory and urban identity.