National and University Library marks 33 years since the burning of Sarajevo’s City Hall and National Library

Despite the loss, and despite its unresolved legal and financial status, the Library continues to stand as a guardian of Bosnia and Herzegovina’s cultural memory and identity, speakers emphasized during the commemoration.

After the Bosnian national anthem, acting director Adisa Zero recalled the night of 25–26 August 1992, when the iconic City Hall — a symbol of Sarajevo and Bosnia’s shared cultural heritage — was shelled and engulfed in flames. She paid tribute to those who tried to save what they could “under a rain of shells,” including staff members who lost their lives coming to work to rescue valuable materials.

Hatidza Jakic, representing Presidency member Denis Becirovic, stressed that the National Library “belongs to all the citizens of Bosnia and Herzegovina, preserving knowledge, culture, and identity through decades.” She underlined that its fight for survival has lasted 33 years and called for permanent support, including secure state budget funding.

Federal Minister of Education and Science Jasna Durakovic called Vijecnica “a symbol of our past and collective cultural identity.” She reminded attendees that the fire destroyed not just books, but also “the written word, historical memory, and heritage of all peoples of Bosnia and Herzegovina.” Culture, she said, “is not a luxury but the foundation of our existence — without culture and tradition, there is no future.”