Srebrenica, 30 years later: Contested memory

The Srebrenica genocide is one of the most harrowing events in recent European history. Its 30th anniversary is approaching. On this occasion, the Heinrich Böll Foundation and the Federal Agency for Civic Education invite you to join in remembrance and reflection.

In July 1995, units of the Army of Republika Srpska murdered more than 8,000 Muslim Bosniaks—mainly men and boys—within just a few days. The bodies were buried in mass graves, later partially exhumed and reburied in an attempt to cover up the crime. In November 1995, the Dayton Agreement brought an end to the war in Bosnia and Herzegovina, recognized the independent state within its existing borders, and formalized its division into two entities. As part of this agreement, the town of Srebrenica was assigned to Republika Srpska, the predominantly Serb entity of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

In 2025, 30 years later, the Potočari Memorial in Srebrenica had to be temporarily closed for security reasons: The nationalist secessionist policies pursued by the President of Republika Srpska, Milorad Dodik—including the denial of the Srebrenica genocide—are leading to a worrying rise in tensions and pose a threat to the memorial and its staff.

In Germany, too, 80 years after the Second World War, Nazi memorial sites are facing renewed hostility and threats driven by right-wing extremism. Financial and political support for their work is declining.

With our guests from Bosnia-Herzegovina and Germany, we want to discuss the work of memorials in a politically polarized context. What means and ways do memorials have at their disposal to profile and defend their work in public? What civil society and artistic forms of remembrance are necessary today to counter the political backlash against remembrance? And what does it mean for the democratic public if the culture of remembrance is met with rejection, devaluation or indifference? A particular focus is on the role of artistic means in dealing with trauma, loss, the feeling of emptiness left behind and the search for identity. We cordially invite you to a diverse program on two evenings: 

1st evening: Film screening & discussion

Sunday, June 29, 2025, 7:00 p.m.

Cinema Central, Rosenthaler Str. 39, 10178 Berlin

ŠTO TE NEMA ("Where Have You Been")

Please find more information and registration here. 

2nd evening: Discussion & artistic presentations

Monday, June 30, 2025, from 5:00 p.m.

Heinrich Böll Foundation, Schumannstraße 8, 10117 Berlin

5:00 pm - 6:30 pm

Memorials today: remembrance policy work in a polarized environment

How can memorials to the Srebrenica genocide and National Socialism carry out their remembrance work today in a polarized environment? How is the genocide remembered in Germany and Bosnia and Herzegovina today? What political, social and legal challenges exist? How can justice be possible if responsibility for crimes is not accepted? 

With

• Hasan Hasanović, curator of the Srebrenica Memorial in Potočari
• Dr. Julia Landau, curator at Buchenwald and Mittelbau-Dora Memorials Foundation Weimar
• Dr. Sabina Subašić Galijatović, lawyer, University of Sarajevo

Moderator: Walter Kaufmann, Heinrich Böll Foundation Berlin

The discussion will be held in Bosnian and German with simultaneous interpretation.

7:00 pm - 8:30 pm 

Using the means of art against the silence of society

What can art created in times of war and destruction teach us about the human will to survive and the importance of culture in times of crisis? How can art and empathy help to fill the emptiness left by immeasurable loss and trauma? Can they heal the wounds caused by the silence of society and the failure of institutions? 

With: 

• Aida Šehović, initiator, "Što te nema" (Where have you been) artist, New York, Sarajevo
• Hana Bajrović-Čardaković, MESS. Memory Module Sarajevo

Moderation: Paola Petrić, Heinrich Böll Foundation Sarajevo

The discussion will be held in English, with simultaneous interpretation into German. 

Admission is free. We look forward to your participation.

Information
Katja Giebel
sen. programme officer East and Sout East Europe 
Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung Berlin
E giebel@boell.de

» Participation on site
at the the Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung Conference Center, Schumannstr. 8, 10117 Berlin

Please register in advance. Unfortunately, the number of seats for this event are limited. If we are at capacity, the conversation will be transmitted via video to other rooms.

» Towards Greater Accessibility
At the Heinrich Böll Foundation, we are constantly striving to remove barriers. Whether in our building, in the release of publications or at online events. All information on this can be found under the following link: https://www.boell.de/de/auf-dem-weg-zur-barrierefreiheit

» Livestream
Alternatively, you can follow the event via the livestream without registering.
Livestream in German (5:00 PM - 8:30 PM) 
Livestream in Bosnian (5:00 PM - 6:30 PM) 
Livestream in English (7:00 PM - 8:30 PM)