Srebrenica
Bosnia and Herzegovina, near the border with Serbia. Srebrenica was first mentioned in 1352 . At that time it was an important economic and trading centre due to its rich silver mines in the surrounding area. In the later Yugoslavia, Srebrenica was a health resort with numerous facilities for promoting health and rehabilitation due to its healing springs. At its peak, Srebrenica had around 7,000 inhabitants. Today, around 2,000 people still live in the city.
But Srebrenica is also a place that carries a tragic history with it. It is closely linked to the Srebrenica massacre, which took place during the Bosnian war.
Bosnia and Herzegovina, near the border with Serbia. Srebrenica was first mentioned in 1352 . At that time it was an important economic and trading centre due to its rich silver mines in the surrounding area. In the later Yugoslavia, Srebrenica was a health resort with numerous facilities for promoting health and rehabilitation due to its healing springs. At its peak, Srebrenica had around 7,000 inhabitants. Today, around 2,000 people still live in the city.
But Srebrenica is also a place that carries a tragic history with it. It is closely linked to the Srebrenica massacre, which took place during the Bosnian war.
The Srebrenica massacre took place between July 11 and 19, 1995, when soldiers of the Republika Srpska army, the police and Serb paramilitaries led by Ratko Mladić committed a war crime in which more than 8,000 Bosniaks were murdered. The town of Srebrenica was protected by Dutch blue helmet soldiers at the time, but they were militarily inferior and had no authorization to take up arms.
The massacre is considered the most serious war crime in Europe since the Second World War. It was systematically planned and carried out and classified as genocide. In the years that followed, there were political reactions, criminal proceedings and debates about the role of the blue helmet soldiers. The Dayton Agreement finally ended the Bosnian war in November/December 1995. In 2024, on the anniversary of the Srebrenica massacre, the United Nations General Assembly decided to observe a World Day of Remembrance for all genocide crimes.
The Srebrenica massacre took place between July 11 and 19, 1995, when soldiers of the Republika Srpska army, the police and Serb paramilitaries led by Ratko Mladić committed a war crime in which more than 8,000 Bosniaks were murdered. The town of Srebrenica was protected by Dutch blue helmet soldiers at the time, but they were militarily inferior and had no authorization to take up arms.
The massacre is considered the most serious war crime in Europe since the Second World War. It was systematically planned and carried out and classified as genocide. In the years that followed, there were political reactions, criminal proceedings and debates about the role of the blue helmet soldiers. The Dayton Agreement finally ended the Bosnian war in November/December 1995. In 2024, on the anniversary of the Srebrenica massacre, the United Nations General Assembly decided to observe a World Day of Remembrance for all genocide crimes.
