Srebrenica

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Not to be confused with Srebrenik or Trzebnica.

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Srebrenica
Сребреница
Town and municipality
View of Srebrenica, 2017
View of Srebrenica, 2017
Template:Infobox settlement/columns
Location of Srebrenica within Republika Srpska
Location of Srebrenica within Republika Srpska
Coordinates: 44°06′15″N 19°17′50″E / 44.10417°N 19.29722°E / 44.10417; 19.29722Coordinates: 44°06′15″N 19°17′50″E / 44.10417°N 19.29722°E / 44.10417; 19.29722
CountryFile:Flag of Bosnia and Herzegovina.svg Bosnia and Herzegovina
EntityFile:Flag of the Republika Srpska.svg Republika Srpska
Geographical regionPodrinje
Settlements81
Government
 • Municipal mayorMiloš Vučić[1] (Template:Polparty)
Area
 • TotalTemplate:Infobox settlement/areadisp
 • TownTemplate:Infobox settlement/areadisp
Population
 (2013)
 • Total13,409
 • DensityTemplate:Infobox settlement/densdisp
 • Town
2,607
 • Town densityTemplate:Infobox settlement/densdisp
Time zoneUTC+1 (CET)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+2 (CEST)
Area code(s)56
Websitesrebrenica.gov.ba

Srebrenica (Template:Lang-sr-cyrl, sh) is a town and municipality in eastern Republika Srpska, Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is located in the Podrinje region, near the Drina valley. The area has historically been associated with mining, especially silver, lead and zinc, as well as with mineral springs and spa tourism.

During the Bosnian War, Srebrenica became internationally known as the site of the Srebrenica massacre, in which more than 8,000 Bosniak men and boys were killed in July 1995 after the town was captured by the Army of Republika Srpska. The massacre was later ruled to be an act of genocide by the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia and the International Court of Justice.

According to the 2013 census, the town had 2,607 inhabitants, while the municipality had 13,409 inhabitants. The municipality's population declined sharply from 36,666 in 1991.

Etymology

The name Srebrenica is derived from the South Slavic word srebro, meaning "silver". It refers to the silver deposits and mining activity historically associated with the area. The old Latin name Argentaria had the same meaning.

History

Antiquity

File:Manastir Sase22.JPG
Roman tombstone excavated near Sase Monastery

The wider Srebrenica area was inhabited in antiquity and was known for its mineral resources. During Roman rule, the mining settlement of Domavia developed near present-day Srebrenica and became one of the most important mining centres in the region.[2] Silver ore from the area was transported along routes connected with the Via Argentaria.[3]

An early Christian church dated to the 6th century has been discovered in the area.[4]

Middle Ages

In the medieval period, Srebrenica was an important mining and trading town. The first known written reference to the name Srebrenica dates from 1376. By that time, the town had become a centre of silver mining and trade in the western Balkans. Merchants from the Republic of Ragusa were active in the town and played an important role in the export of silver through Dubrovnik.[5]

During the 14th and 15th centuries, Srebrenica was contested by regional powers because of its mines and strategic location. It was controlled at different times by the Bosnian Kingdom, the Serbian Despotate, the Kingdom of Hungary and the Ottoman Empire.[6]

Ottoman period

File:Srebrenica Stari Grad.JPG
Remains of the medieval fortifications of Srebrenica

Srebrenica came under Ottoman rule in the 15th century. Its economic importance gradually declined compared with the medieval period, although mining and local trade remained important. The Franciscan church of St Nicholas was later converted into the White Mosque, reflecting the town's religious and demographic changes during Ottoman rule.[7]

The nearby region of Osat was briefly affected by the First Serbian Uprising in the early 19th century. Rebel activity spread across parts of the Drina region, but Ottoman authority was restored by 1813.

Austro-Hungarian period

File:White Mosque Srebrenica 1905-Colourised.jpg
The White Mosque in 1905
File:Guber-Quelle.jpg
Advertisement for Guber-Quelle mineral water from Srebrenica, marketed by Mattoni before 1918

After the Congress of Berlin in 1878, Srebrenica came under Austro-Hungarian administration, together with the rest of Bosnia and Herzegovina. The period brought new administrative structures, roads, schools, postal services and other modern infrastructure.

The mineral springs of Crni Guber became an important part of the local economy. The Bohemian company Mattoni developed infrastructure for bottling and exporting the water, marketed as Guber-Quelle.[8]

During the First World War, eastern Bosnia and the Drina region were affected by fighting between Austro-Hungarian and Serbian forces. After the war, Bosnia and Herzegovina became part of the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes, later renamed Yugoslavia.

Second World War and socialist Yugoslavia

During the Second World War, the Srebrenica area was affected by violence and fighting involving occupying Axis forces, the Ustaše, Chetniks and Yugoslav Partisans. After the war, Srebrenica became part of the Socialist Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina within socialist Yugoslavia.

In the Yugoslav period, mining, industry and spa tourism were important parts of the local economy. The Banja Guber spa was developed around the area's mineral springs. Before the 1990s, the spa recorded tens of thousands of overnight stays annually and generated significant income for the municipality.[9]

Bosnian War

File:Memorijalni centar Srebrenica-Potočari2.JPG
Srebrenica Genocide Memorial
Main articles: Srebrenica massacre, Siege of Srebrenica, and Bosnian genocide

During the Bosnian War, Srebrenica became a Bosniak-held enclave in eastern Bosnia, surrounded by Bosnian Serb forces. The town received large numbers of refugees from nearby villages and municipalities in the Drina valley. In April 1993, the United Nations declared Srebrenica a UN safe area, to be protected by UNPROFOR.[10]

In July 1995, forces of the Army of Republika Srpska, commanded by Ratko Mladić, captured the enclave. In the days that followed, more than 8,000 Bosniak men and boys were killed in organised executions, while women, children and elderly people were separated and expelled from the area.[10][11]

The International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia ruled in the Krstić case that the massacre constituted genocide, a finding later upheld by the International Court of Justice.[12] In 2004, the government of Republika Srpska acknowledged responsibility for the massacre and apologised to the victims' families.[13]

Under the Dayton Agreement, Srebrenica became part of Republika Srpska, one of the two entities of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Post-war period

After the war, Srebrenica experienced major demographic, economic and social changes. Many displaced people returned, but the municipality's population remained much smaller than before the war. Religious buildings destroyed during the war, including mosques, were gradually reconstructed.[14]

The local economy has struggled with unemployment, depopulation and the slow recovery of pre-war industries. Plans to revive the mineral-water and spa sector, especially the Banja Guber complex, have repeatedly been delayed.[15]

Politics

In 2007, the Srebrenica municipal assembly adopted a resolution calling for a special status for the municipality outside Republika Srpska but within Bosnia and Herzegovina. Serb representatives did not support the resolution.[16]

Mladen Grujičić was elected mayor in 2016 and re-elected in 2020. In the 2024 local elections, Miloš Vučić was elected mayor of Srebrenica.[17][1]

Local communities

The municipality is divided into the following local communities (Template:Lang-sr / mjesne zajednice):[18]

Demographics

According to the 2013 census, Srebrenica municipality had 13,409 inhabitants, down from 36,666 in 1991.

+ Ethnic composition of Srebrenica municipality
Ethnic group 1961{{Sfn % 1971{{Sfn % 1981{{Sfn % 1991{{Sfn % 2013{{Sfn %

- [[Muslims (ethnic group) align="right" align="right" align="right" align="right" align="right" align="right" align="right" align="right" align="right" align="right" - [[Serbs of Bosnia and Herzegovina align="right" align="right" align="right" align="right" align="right" align="right" align="right" align="right" align="right" align="right" - Croats and others align="right" align="right" align="right" align="right" align="right" align="right" align="right" align="right" align="right" align="right" -

Total align="right" colspan="2" align="right" colspan="2" align="right" colspan="2" align="right" colspan="2" align="right" colspan="2"

}

Culture and landmarks

File:Манастир Сасе.jpg
Serbian Orthodox Sase Monastery
File:Srebrenica Mosque.JPG
The White Mosque

Important cultural, religious and historical sites in the municipality include:

Economy

File:Crniguber2.jpg
Crni Guber ferruginous spring water

Before the Bosnian War, Srebrenica had mining, industrial and spa-tourism sectors. The surrounding area contained lead, zinc and other mineral deposits, while the town was also known for the Crni Guber mineral springs. After the war, economic recovery was slow, and unemployment and depopulation remained major problems.

The following table shows the number of registered people employed in legal entities by main activity in 2018:[20]

Activity Total
Agriculture, forestry and fishing 135
Mining and quarrying 537
Manufacturing 480
Electricity, gas, steam and air conditioning supply 23
Water supply; sewerage, waste management and remediation activities 27
Construction 14
Wholesale and retail trade; repair of motor vehicles and motorcycles 83
Transportation and storage 63
Accommodation and food services 26
Information and communication 8
Financial and insurance activities 9
Professional, scientific and technical activities 20
Administrative and support service activities 10
Public administration and defence; compulsory social security 232
Education 186
Human health and social work activities 104
Arts, entertainment and recreation 28
Other service activities 28
Total 2,013

Notable people

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 "Miloš Vučić – Načelnik opštine Srebrenica". Opština Srebrenica (in Serbian). Retrieved 1 June 2026.
  2. ↑ W. Carter 1977, p. 411.
  3. ↑ "Remembering Srebrenica – a town that once prospered from its metal industry and spa tourism, before the war came". This City Knows. 11 July 2017. Archived from the original on 24 June 2021. Retrieved 16 June 2021.
  4. ↑ "Srebrenica: Ostaci crkve iz šestog vijeka za vjerske obrede, nastavu i turiste". RTRS (in Serbian). Archived from the original on 7 March 2021. Retrieved 8 March 2021.
  5. ↑ Konstantin Jireček: Die Handelsstrassen und Bergwerke von Serbien und Bosnien während des Mittelalters: historisch-geographische Studien. Prague: Verlag der Königlich Böhmischen Gesellschaft der Wissenschaften, 1879.
  6. ↑ Jireček 1952, p. 403.
  7. ↑ A Short History of Bosnia, pp. 53–55.
  8. ↑ "Guber voda: Kako je sve počelo i gdje smo sada". Archived from the original on 22 May 2017. Retrieved 11 July 2020.
  9. ↑ "Banja Guber – nada bolesnicima i Srebreničanima". Deutsche Welle. 24 November 2013. Archived from the original on 12 July 2020. Retrieved 12 July 2020.
  10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 White, Thomas; Karčić, Hikmet (Winter 2024). "Genocide in Bosnia-Hercegovina: A Short History" (PDF). Keene State College: Educational Handouts.
  11. ↑ Corder, Mike; Cohadzic, Amer (9 July 2015). "Srebrenica 20 years after the genocide: The Dutch peacekeepers still haunted by memories of the massacre". The Independent. Retrieved 1 April 2026.
  12. ↑ "Prosecutor v. Radislav Krstić – Appeal Judgement" (PDF). International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia. 19 April 2004. Retrieved 1 June 2026.
  13. ↑ "Serbs sorry for Srebrenica deaths". BBC News. 10 November 2004. Archived from the original on 4 September 2008. Retrieved 11 July 2009.
  14. ↑ "Obnova džamija u Srebrenici: Nakon rušenja 23 bogomolje, 19 ih je obnovljeno". Faktor.ba. Archived from the original on 3 April 2017. Retrieved 12 January 2022.
  15. ↑ "Banja Guber ne počinje sa radom ove godine". 10 December 2019. Archived from the original on 14 July 2020. Retrieved 12 July 2020.
  16. ↑ "Srebrenica pushes for partition". B92. 25 March 2007. Archived from the original on 4 June 2012. Retrieved 29 March 2007.
  17. ↑ "Vučić proglasio pobjedu u Srebrenici". Nezavisne novine (in Serbian). 6 October 2024. Retrieved 1 June 2026.
  18. ↑ Local communities map Archived 14 April 2008 at the Wayback Machine
  19. ↑ "Remains of Carsija Mosque in Srebrenica found, mined and demolished in 1995". Sarajevo Times. 8 February 2020. Archived from the original on 17 July 2020. Retrieved 15 July 2020.
  20. ↑ "Cities and Municipalities of Republika Srpska 2019" (PDF). rzs.rs.ba. Republika Srpska Institute of Statistics. 25 December 2019. Archived (PDF) from the original on 31 December 2019. Retrieved 31 December 2019.
  21. ↑ "Selman Selmanagić: The Architect from Srebrenica". Archived from the original on 31 January 2021. Retrieved 27 January 2021.

Sources

Template:Political divisions of Bosnia and Herzegovina

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