The lost ideology-Socialist Monuments in Bosnia

Abstract

Memory, individual or collective, is not only closely related to socio-political phenomena, but also to socio-cultural such as architecture and art. As trans-generational witnesses to historical turmoil, still stand the monuments and memorials to the NOB (national liberation struggle). In former Yugoslavia between 1950's and early 1980's many monuments and memorial complexes were built to commemorate the great heroic battles against fascists or massacres over Yugoslavian innocent population. Several of them are on the territory of today's Bosnia-Herzegovina. These memorials were designed with great passion and respect to the fallen victims by the most prominent Yugoslavian architects and sculptors. Each of these monuments is a unique sculptural masterpiece, with its size, form and volume on the border of becoming architecture. As a pride of the social heritage, generations of children, students and proletariat, until 1990's would visit and pay their respect to the fallen victims of the past in hope for better future. All the ideals these monuments used to stand for are forgotten and those remarkable structures now represent unpleasant cultural and architectural heritage with which the post war society is trying to establish relationship. Unfortunately very often these monuments are left to decay. After dissolution of Yugoslavia and aggression against Bosnia 1992-1995 Partisans' battles were forgotten. Memorials and monuments for recent victims had to be built. In this paper we want to focus on how today's society deals with inherited socialist monuments and what kind of memorials have been built in the last 15 years for the victims of the 1992-95 liberation war in Bosnia.