Sarajevo part 2

This is the sad post about Sarajevo. As most of you probably know, yugoslavia broke up, and a huge war and ethnic cleansing campaign began. The city of Sarajevo was mercilessly shelled, and much of it was razed to the ground. There are many memorials to those who lost thier lives, most poignant and noticeable of all, is the Sarajevo Roses.

These are just pictures of a few, there are dozens around the city, although many have been lost in recent years when the pavements and roads are Repaved. When a mortar or shell fired into the city killed someone, the ensuing holes left in the pavement were filled with a red resin, to signify someone had died there. It's a rather touching and personal tribute, and one which was most memorable for me.

This is perhaps the most distressing of memorials. I took this in the war child museum. It's a collection where children who lived and survived the war in Bosnia donated thier toys and objects, along with a message about what it meant to them. It's a heart breaking museum, and not one to be taken lightly. However, it has messages of hope too, and you come out with a whole new perspective on the war on childhood.

Other places to visit are the Srebenica gallery called 11/07/95. It's a very difficult place to visit, with video and pictures, as well as testimonials from those who survived.

Just down the street is the museum of crimes against humanity, which looks at crime committed though out the whole war.

It's hard to believe this was all happening while I was born. I came into a world of happiness, family gathering round to see the new arrival. Yet there were people in Sarajevo gathered round  table identifying thier loved ones who were leaving this world.

It dosnt bear thinking about.