Suburban Remembrance: The Tunnel of Hope and Park of Friendship

Like the Sarajevo Roses, both the Tunnel of Hope and the Park of Friendship commemorate the Siege of Sarajevo. However, unlike the roses, these sites are located on the outskirts of the city. This distance separates both memorials from the daily life of the city.

Map of Siege of Sarajevo at the Tunnel of Hope memorial site.
Photo taken July 2016

During the Siege of Sarajevo, Serb troops were unable to completely surround the city, as the UN held the airport, represented by the pale blue strip on the map. However, Serb forces shot anyone who attempted to enter or exit the city by crossing the airport, and UN forces were required to maintain neutrality. Thus, over the course of several months, soldiers on each side of the airport dug a tunnel underneath the runway in order to smuggle food and medicine into the city, and smuggle the wounded out. Communicating only by radio, the architects of the tunnel managed to connect their two halves underneath the airport. All the while, they were fearful of Serb troops discovering their project and destroying it.

The tunnel is called the Tunnel of Hope because it was a light in the darkness of the siege. Without the food and supplies that were brought into the city, the residents would have starved long before the siege ended. Near the end of the siege, Serb troops discovered the house that hid the entrance to the tunnel on the outside of the city, and heavily shelled the house. However, for long months, the tunnel was the one small piece of hope that the residents could cling to.

The exit to the small section of the tunnel still open to the public.
Photo taken July 2016

Today, the house that hid the entrance to the tunnel has been turned into a museum dedicated to the siege. About half an hour’s drive from Sarajevo proper, the museum is very popular with tourists looking to learn more about the war. The entire building has been converted into exhibits on conditions in the city during the siege, such as food and fuel rationing. In the basement, the original entrance to the tunnel is still accessible, and there are several meters of tunnel that have been preserved. Visitors can walk down the rails that were used to transport large shipments of supplies and those who were too injured to walk.

The exterior of the house that hid the tunnel entrance. The pockmarks on the walls are the marks of bullets, a reminder of the Serb attack on the house.
Photo taken July 2016
Down this hall is the entrance to the tunnel, still open to the public.
Photo taken July 2016

Like the Tunnel of Hope museum, the Park of Friendship is located on the outskirts of Sarajevo. On a hill overlooking the city, the park contains a cafe, an amphitheater, a children’s play area, and a monument to those killed during the siege. This site was once held by Serb troops, and it was from this site that snipers killed many residents of Sarajevo. By turning the hilltop into a memorial to those killed, the city is ensuring that the victims are honored.

View of Sarajevo from the Park of Friendship
Photo credit Balkan Investigative Reporting Network

While these two sites are incredible memorials that celebrate both those who were killed and those who survived the siege, their physical distance from the city creates a different impact than that of the Sarajevo Roses. The roses are a memorial that is confronted daily, while both the Tunnel of Hope and the Park of Friendship are destinations. Their location near the city allows the residents of Sarajevo to visit frequently, but it must be a conscious choice to visit. In this way, visitors to these two sites are more mindful of the history and grief connected to the memorials.

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