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James Mason | all galleries >> Galleries >> Yugoslavia_1980 > World War One began here
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Oct 92 James Mason

World War One began here

Princip's Bridge, Sarajevo

"On this place on 28 June, 1914 Gavrilo Princip with his shot expressed the national protest against tyrany and for the eternal striving of our peoples for freedom."

That's carved into the stone just outside the museum commemorating Princip's assassination of Archduke Ferdinand and his wife Sophia, which sparked the first world war. The museum was destroyed in 1992, completely looted when I saw it in May of that year. The footprints in the cement where Princip stood when he fired the shots were still there, but I don't recall seeing this inscription. Can somebody from Sarajevo please tell me if this writing is still there? Has the museum been restored?

Why is this inscription in Serbian?

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Sumar 13-Aug-2009 01:02
I would say it's in Serbian because Gavrilo Princip was a Serb and the "freedom" being talked about is that of the Serbs

During that time the Croats were with the Hapsburgs and the Bosnian Muslims most of all wanted to rejoin the Ottoman Empire because they culturally identified with it so it would be pointless to put it in Latinic text (which the Hapsburgs practically forced onto the population)
milan 03-May-2009 09:23
Bosnian language doesn't exist at the first place... renaming the bridge and remaking the museum are just signs of trying to establish some history that doesn't exist!
James Mason14-Feb-2007 00:18
Erbatur:

Send me your email address and I'll tell you what I think. Email me at james@jamesmason.us

thanks
Erbatur 13-Feb-2007 21:00
This sign has been replaced with a new impartial plaque in Bosnian and English. You can see it here (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Sarajevo11.jpg). As for the Cyrillic letters, I think the sign was put up in old pre-WWII Yugoslavia which was very Serb dominated. The bridge has also been renamed to Latin bridge from Princip bridge, and the footsteps are gone as well. When I was in Bosnia in 2003 the museum still looked like it was being renovated, and I'm not sure if it's open yet.

This a very interesting photo album you have. Did you work for a news organization when you were in Bosnia during the war? You seem to have been close to Croats, and I am wondering what your thoughts were on the war between Bosniaks and Croats. Who started the war? Who committed more war crimes? I think it's the Croats, but I would like to hear your opinion on it. It's also interesting to see a photographer from the war who openly (and understandably) displays his contempt for the Serbs.