History

The history of the region of the former Yugoslavia has, for many, been a bewildering subject. Bosnia and Herzegovina's place in this history has often been overlooked due to its geographical, and on many occasions cultural isolation, from mainstream Europe. BiH had a very distinct history from that of its eastern neighbours and therefore can be viewed in many senses as virgin ground for historical facts, particularly from the Illyrian period up to medieval Bosnia and Hum (Herzegovina) where little is known from primary sources.

Perhaps the most important thing to keep in mind while trying to fit the pieces of the Bosnian puzzle into a coherent context, is that the nationalist sentiments that were borne at the end of the nineteenth century and are alive today, do not reflect the life and sentiments of the tiny, isolated communities of this country from the seventh to thirteenth centuries. The 'mental baggage' that is carried today by Serbs, Croats or Muslims can simply not be applied to a population which previously held no affiliation to a national or ethnic identity. The Orthodox from eastern Herzegovina did not wave a Serbian flag, the Catholics from Srebra Bosna did not have dreams of coming under Zagreb's rule, and the converted Muslim community had no aspirations to create a European mecca in the heart of Bosnia. It is largely unknown whether the original Slav settlers, well into the middle ages, even referred to themselves at all as Serbs or Croats. All too often history is the story of kings and queens, conquerors and defenders, and provides little if any understanding of the life of the ordinary people. The early Slav tribes never engaged in bitter debates or wars over their Serbian or Croatian belonging; they lived in peace with each other, spoke the same language and worshiped the same god. Outside influences often divided communities but the impetus for such divisions never came from within.

In the historical context of Bosnia and Herzegovina much is still argued over, both domestically and internationally. What no one can debate, however, is today's rightful claim of all the peoples of Bosnia and Herzegovina to call this their home. Serbs, Croats and Bosniaks (the new term used for Bosnian Muslims, identifying nationality and not religion) can confidently say that their homeland is Bosnia and Herzegovina and that they have been here for many, many generations. Claiming rightful ownership of one group over another from a historical perspective, with all its complexities, is simply an impossibility.