Story Archive | Bosnian Genocide Educational Trust

UK Bosnian Memory Archive

The UK Bosnian Memory Archive is the first archive dedicated to collecting and preserving stories and original materials of those who were affected by the Bosnian Genocide. The archive focuses particularly on the lives of the UK Bosnian Community before, during and after the war, as well as those that worked in Bosnia and here in the UK with the Bosnian Community such as journalists, aid workers, and friends of the community.

In 2022, it was 30 years since the first Bosnian refugee arrived in the UK escaping the Bosnian Genocide. There are around 25,000 Bosnians currently living in the UK, however, in comparison with documentation of Holocaust survivors, there is very little documentation about their experiences of fleeing the Bosnian Genocide and finding refuge in the UK. The existing documentation or record is scattered, endangered and in many cases inaccessible. This archive will attempt to consolidate all meaningful record of the UK Bosnian Community.

Recording survivor stories helps us identify and preserve this heritage by providing a voice for those who would otherwise not be heard. It also provides us with an invaluable learning resource that is readily available online to researchers, teachers, artists, individuals, future generations of Bosnians and residents of the UK.

How to get involved?

We are constantly adding to our archive and would love to hear from you if you feel you have a story to share, of yourself or a loved one, or any objects, videos or materials to donate. Please get in touch using our contact form or email address provided.

“You’ve listened to my words

I’ve told you all I know.”

Mak Dizdar

Smajo Beso

Smajo Beso was born in Bosnia and came to Newcastle upon Tyne as a refugee at the age of 9, fleeing the Bosnian genocide. Smajo is a qualified architect and has been ...

Una Srabovic Ryan

Una was born in Tuzla during the war and was immediately put up for adoption. At only 6 months old, Una was adopted by a British couple who brought her to live in the UK.

Gordon Bacon

Gordon was born in Newcastle upon Tyne and grew up in Sunderland. He became an Emergency Aid Worker in the war-torn Balkans in 1992, as head of a British Charity, Feed the Children.

Amer Dulic

Amer Dulic was 17 in 1992. He now shows young people around the bone hospital as part of a scheme to educate the youth of Bosnia about the crimes committed in the 1990s.

Selma Jahic

Selma Jahic was only 4 years old when the war started in Bosnia. In July 1995 her and her family were ordered to gather in Potocari along with thousands of other Bosniak Muslims where men and boys were separated from women and children. Selma and her mother put onto a truck and driven towards the Bosnian government controlled town of Tuzla.