National and University Library of Bosnia and Herzegovina
The National and University Library of Bosnia and Herzegovina (NUBBiH) (Bosnian, Croatian, and Serbian: Nacionalna i univerzitetska biblioteka Bosne i Hercegovine) is the national library of Bosnia and Herzegovina, located in the city of Sarajevo.
History
On August 25, 1992 Serbian shelling during the Siege of Sarajevo caused the complete destruction of the library; among the losses were about 700 manuscripts and incunabula and a unique collection of Bosnian serial publications, some from the middle of the 19th century Bosnian cultural revival.[1] Before the attack, the library held 1.5 million volumes and over 155,000 rare books and manuscripts.[2] Some citizens and librarians tried to save some books while they were under sniper fire, at least a person died.[2]
References
- ^ For foreigners an event that defined the cultural objectives of the besiegers occurred during the night of August 25, 1992, the intentional shelling and utter destruction with incendiary shells of the irreplaceable Bosnia National and University Library, the central repository of Bosnian written culture, and a major cultural center of all the Balkans. Among the losses were about 700 manuscripts and incunabula and a unique collection of Bosnian serial publications, some from the middle of the 19th century Bosnian cultural revival. Libraries all over the world cooperated afterwards to restore some of the lost heritage, through donations and e-texts, rebuilding the Library in cyberspace.
- ^ a b Erasing the Past: The Destruction of Libraries and Archives in Bosnia-Herzegovina (Archived at WebCite)
See also
External links