Chronology → Video Oral History

The Siege of Sarajevo 1992–1996

This Interactive FAMA Project integrates the documented chronology of the Siege of Sarajevo with first-hand testimonies within a single interface.

The material can be explored month by month by selecting any point between March 1992 and March 1996. For each chosen month, the user can review the corresponding textual chronology alongside video oral history interviews from the same period. By aligning the chronology of events with personal experiences, the platform enables a more layered, contextual exploration of how the siege unfolded over time.

The Siege of Sarajevo: Chronology 1992-1996

Compiled shortly after the war, this comprehensive chronology of the Sarajevo siege covers the period from March 1992 to March 1996. Structured by month and year, it draws on articles from the “Oslobođenje” newspaper, UN archives, reports from foreign correspondents, and citizen testimonies to document key social, political, military, cultural, and personal events of that time. By recording major developments and everyday survival, the chronology remains a vital reference for understanding how the siege unfolded and transformed every aspect of city life.

Oral History: The Siege of Sarajevo 1992-1996, video

Structured chronologically and thematically, this is the first and largest video oral history of the Sarajevo siege in the world, featuring nearly 1,000 interviews with over 450 citizens from diverse backgrounds. Produced soon after the war, it presents personal testimonies covering all aspects of life in the besieged city. This 30-hour collection serves as both an educational resource and a historical record, offering future generations an unparalleled insight into first-hand accounts of the longest urban siege in modern history.

Chronology

Deployment of IFOR troops in Bosnia.
William Perry: “American soldiers will enter Bosnia in tanks, but not as cowboys that will try to pick fights with the Bosnian Serb Army.”
UN ends its mandate in Bosnia on January 31, 1995.
Sarajevo: tram fired upon.
Javier Solana becomes the new Secretary General of NATO.
The French in close military cooperation with NATO.
The French are against the Pale referendum.
First landing of an American “Hercules” in Tuzla.
Ivo Komsic, member of the BiH delegation in Dayton: “If the Croatian delegation had supported the Bosnian delegation, we would have been able to obtain Posavina without difficulty, because the Americans were on our side."
London, December 7, 1995. Peace conference on Bosnia begins in London.
In Bonn a conference begins on BiH. BiH delegation: Kresimir Zubak, president of the Federation of BiH, Rasim Delic, commander of the ARBiH, Muhamed Sacirbegovic, foreign minister.
The Serbs dismantle their factories during their retreat.
Appearance of the deadly “ebola” virus in Zaire.
Before withdrawing, the Serbs burn houses in Grbavica.
Release of the French pilots.
The Dayton Peace Agreement signed in Paris.
William Perry: “NATO is the biggest and angriest dog in town.”
Start of NATO military operations, its largest since the end of the Second World War. Operation name: “Joint endeavor”.
Former UNPROFOR commander, General Rupert Smith, receives as a gesture of gratitude a Bosnian passport and a painting.
The Bosnian Serbs ask Michael Steiner for 1,000 coffins and 10,000 boxes for packing as they leave the portions of territory - which are graveyards - which now belong to the Federation.
Sarajevo: a tram is hit.
IFOR replaces UN troops.
President of the Czech Republic, Vaclav Havel, in Sarajevo.
In Vitez, a New Zealander UN member dances a traditional war dance before their base.
Clinton in a speech to Americans: “The U.S. is the world’s main creator of peace.”
The Serbs exhume the dead to carry with them in their retreat.
Midnight mass held at the Cathedral.
Statements of French pilots whom were held by the Serbs after their plane crashed: “We were dying of hunger. Every three days they would throw us food.”