The Sarajevo Memorial Center held its annual press conference today in its Educational Center, presenting key achievements from 2024 and outlining plans for 2025.

Speakers included Ahmed Kulanic, Director of the Sarajevo Memorial Center, Deputy Director Mirsad Delalic, and Alma Rizvanovic Kovacevic, Head of the Events Department.

Director Kulanic emphasized the successful completion of major projects in 2024, including the reconstruction and adaptation of the Freedom House within the D-B Tunnel Memorial Complex, which now hosts the Educational Center.

“This center has already become a key platform for educating youth about the historical facts of the aggression against Bosnia and Herzegovina, the siege of Sarajevo, and the heroic resistance of its citizens,” Kulanic highlighted.

Key projects included the creation of the “Heroes” registry and online platform, offering data on fallen defenders and martyrs across Bosnia and Herzegovina. The project includes mapping burial sites in Sarajevo Canton, Prijedor Region, Brcko District, Gorazde, and Olovo Municipality, with over 8,500 graves mapped to date. In 2025, the project will expand to the Una-Sana Canton, Banja Luka Region, and Tuzla Canton.

Head of Events Alma Rizvanovic Kovacevic reflected on major commemorations, including the “Path of Remembrance” project marking significant dates like the start of the Sarajevo siege.

“This project involved a month of preparations by our team, collaborators, and volunteers,” Rizvanovic Kovacevic said.

Deputy Director Mirsad Delalic discussed infrastructural and commemorative projects, cooperation with institutions, and support for organizations sharing the Center’s mission. Key efforts included constructing memorials, maintaining burial sites, and co-financing cultural remembrance initiatives.

For 2025, Kulanic announced the continuation of the “Kon-Tiki” complex reconstruction to house the “Museum of Citizen Suffering in BiH” with an Information and Documentation Center. A new archive facility meeting high archival standards will also be constructed.

Kulanic noted a significant increase in visits to the D-B Tunnel Memorial Complex in 2024. Despite offering free visits to students, the Center generated over 2 million KM, a notable rise compared to previous years. For 2025, plans include updating the museum exhibits and extending the tunnel by 25 meters to enhance its appeal to global visitors. Most visitors in 2024 came from Arab countries, Turkey, and China, underscoring the site's global importance.

The press conference concluded with a video presentation of the “Heroes” project, detailing its development and significance. The Sarajevo Memorial Center reaffirmed its commitment to strengthening collective memory and promoting the values of resistance and anti-fascism that shaped Bosnia and Herzegovina’s history.