Exploring Bosnia and Herzegovinas Historical and Political Landscapes

Collaboration and Resistance in WWII on the Balkans

12. - 18.10.2025
Nr. 25-54070
Referent*innen: Nils Kühl und Zoran Vučkovac

Yugoslav WWII monuments stand as patient concrete giants, witnesses to the country's breakup. They embody socialist modernity through brutalist architecture, well-placed sites of historical resistance and suffering. Located amidst breathtaking natural views, they echo the guerrilla warfare of Yugoslav partisans while reflecting the local conditions of existence. 

Our base for the week will be Banja Luka, the second-largest city in Bosnia and Herzegovina, strategically situated for easy access to our selection of memorial sites.

The memorial complexes we plan to visit were, and continue to be, pivotal to Europe's mnemonic landscape. Crafted by some of the most renowned Balkan architects of the 1960s and 1970s, they transcend mere depictions of wartime suffering. Instead, they provide profound direction and visions for the future.

Unlike many European memory landscapes with shame and guilt for their WWII roles, Yugoslavia's memorial panorama is infused with hope and utopian aspirations.

Since there will be hiking included, we cannot ensure barrier free access for the program. The program includes hikes in mountainous areas between 10km and 15km long. Please make sure that you are capable of walking in rough terrain over such distances.

The participants travel independently and at their own expense.