Bosnia — Memory, Resilience and Everyday Life

I visited Bosnia for the first time last year (2025) on a road trip. It was one of those countries that, certainly since the civil war in the 1990s, had beckoned me time and time again, but somehow things got in the way.

Until…

Apart from the natural beauty of the country, a few things struck me.

The continuing divisions between Serbs, Bosniaks and Croats. Both on a political level (the north and eastern Serb dominated Republika Srpska and the central Bosniak Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina), as well as on a trust relational level. Many of the conversations I had with either a Serb or a Bosniak included one or other of them castigating the other.

Another takeaway was the reticence of many to remember back to the Siege of Sarajevo (1992 - 1996). Most of the people I spoke to that had lived in the city during this time, just wanted to focus on the present and future (EU integration or not etc). I spoke with one couple who had lived through the siege and were at the famous U2 concert in 1997. They were stunned when I showed them, on my phone, a copy of the 1978 class photo from Mount Temple where I am standing next to Edge with Ali and Bono together in the front row!

Lastly, I guess it was seeing the completely restored Old Bridge in Mostar with hundreds of visitors crossing and photographing it daily, whilst being aware that the communities on each side of the bridge (western side is predominantly inhabited by Croats, while the eastern side is home mostly to Bosniaks) continue to be divided. This ethnic rift continues to shape the daily lives of locals, infrastructure, and governance - even getting down to disputes over garbage collection…

And of my hotel porter, once hearing I was from Ireland, wanted to tell me repeatedly how Conor McGregor was his hero. Maybe I’ll stick with U2 Sarajevo!