Rural Remembrance: Srebrenica Genocide Memorial

On July 11, 1995, Bosnian Serb troops entered the protected city of Srebrenica and rounded up the men, women, and children who had taken refuge there. By the end of the week, these troops had committed the largest single act of genocide seen in Europe since the end of World War II. Over 8,000 men were killed, while the women and children were raped and tortured. The bodies of those killed were buried in numerous mass graves, located across the country. Every year on July 11, more victims are buried in the cemetery in Srebrenica, because bodies are still being located and identified.

A small segment of the rows of grave markers at the Srebrenica cemetery. Behind the memorial pavilion is the warehouse that has been converted into a museum.
Photo taken June 2016

The horrors that were committed in Srebrenica are so vile that they are almost unthinkable. This warehouse in the middle of the Bosnian countryside was supposed to be a safe haven for those trying to escape the violence. Instead, it became the site of their worst nightmare. Entire families were slaughtered in an attempt by Serb troops to erase Bosnian Muslims from the country.

Part of the memorial pavilion. The perimeter of the pavilion is a list of the names of those killed after taking refuge in Srebrenica. Over 8000 names are listed.
Photo taken June 2016

While the cemetery and memorial pavilion are sobering in and of themselves, the museum is heartbreaking. Pictures are not allowed inside the museum, but imagine rows and rows of personal items recovered from mass graves, cleaned but still bearing the remnants of dirt and blood. One wall is dedicated to those who ordered and participated in the slaughter, along with their sentences. Far too many of them received minimal jail time or did not even make it to trial. The general in charge of the genocide, Ratko Mladic, was only sentenced in 2017, after successfully evading capture for over two decades. One of the rooms in the warehouse has been preserved in the same state it was found in after the war, and bears evidence of torture — the bloodstains can still be seen on the floor. One of the walls houses a TV, where testimonials from survivors are played continuously, stories of grief and terror. There is one more photo that is incredibly striking: the Dutch general in charge of the peacekeeping troops is seen toasting and drinking with Mladic the night before Serb troops entered the city.

The innocuous exterior of the warehouse hides the horrors of what occured in Srebrenica.
Photo taken June 2016

The Srebrenica memorial is a necessary reminder of the destruction of war. It is haunting and incredibly moving, forcing visitors to confront the evil that was perpetrated here. The sprawling cemetery ensures that all who see it are aware of the sheer scope of the tragedy, and the interior of the museum conveys the horror felt by those caught in the violence. However, Srebrenica is incredibly rural and difficult to access. The museum does not have standard operating hours, and so visitors are highly encouraged to arrange their visit through a tour company. Between the distance from any major city and the planning is necessary for a trip, Srebrenica is not an easily accessible site of memory. This is not a place that many people would visit regularly.

The Srebrenica Prayer, translated into English, engraved on marble and located at the Srebrenica memorial pavilion.
Photo taken June 2016

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