32 years ago, the Sarajevo City Hall, a symbol of the Austro-Hungarian period, was tragically destroyed in a fire during the shelling of 1992. Today, as we remember this event, the memories are still vivid.
Kemal Cacan, a firefighter who battled the flames that night, remembers the building vividly. He has not entered the renovated City Hall, feeling that it no longer holds the same significance it did in his youth.
The National University Library of BiH, which was housed in the City Hall at the time of the fire, lost about 80% of its collection. The library now stands on the University of Sarajevo campus, honoring the past and emphasizing the importance of libraries in society.
The reconstruction of the City Hall took 18 years, finally reopening in 2014 as a national monument of BiH. This anniversary serves as a reminder of the tragedy but also as a symbol of resilience and hope for the future.
Let us remember the past, honor the resilience of the people, and look towards a future where such destruction never occurs again.