© Alina Simmelbauer
© History Museum of Bosnia and Herzegovina
“Walter” was the alias of a myth-enshrouded resistance fighter in Sarajevo, whose identity the Nazi occupiers were unable to find out. In the project, the question “Wer is Walter?” is symbolic of the observation that we in Europe often know little to nothing about the history(s) of resistance to Nazism and Nazi occupation during World War Two in other European countries. The project researched unknown stories about resistance in Europe during World War II.
The aim of the project was to strengthen the exchange and knowledge about resistance to Nazism in Europe and how it has been dealt with since 1945, and thus to contribute to the development of a European memory space. The differences and similarities in the history and memory of resistance to Nazism in Europe were examined on the basis of four countries: Bosnia-Herzegovina, Croatia, Germany and France. By actively including post-Yugoslav countries, the project wanted to promote the integration of a region often neglected in Europe as a full part of a European memory space.
Concerning the reception of the resistance against the Nazi regime from 1945 to the present day, the project focused on two dimensions: the scientific examination of the topic and its presentation in museums. The contents was developed and presented by a team of experts from the four countries in four workshops and three conferences.
There are three concrete outputs:
The exhibition “Wer ist Walter? Topography of antifascist resistance in Bosnia and Herzegovina 1941-1945” at the History Museum of Bosnia and Herzegovina in Sarajevo.
The digital platform “Wer ist Walter?” gathers 100 stories about resistance against Nazism, fascism, occupation and collaboration in Europe during World War II. The focus is on 4 countries that represent different regions and historical and political contexts within Europe: France as occupied and collaborating country in western Europe, Germany as the country that attacked and occupied most of Europe, within which resistance activities also developed, and Bosnia and Herzegovina and Croatia in southeastern Europe, as parts of the Yugoslav space and more specifically of the collaborating Independent State of Croatia between 1941 and 1945.
The book „Wer ist Walter? International Perspectives on Resistance in Europe during World War II” gathers 32 contributions and case studies on the history of resistance against Nazism, fascism, occupation and collaboration during World War II, as well as on its transmission after 1945, especially in Museums.
crossborder factory (cbf) is a European think-and-do tank founded in 2014, based in Berlin with an office in Sarajevo. cbf organises international and intercultural projects, especially for young people and multipliers, with a geographical focus on France-Germany and the Western Balkans. This project is carried out by crossborder factory in cooperation with partner organisations in Bosnia and Herzegovina, France and Croatia.
Project partners:
Historical Museum of Bosnia and Herzegovina
Centre International de Formation Européenne (CIFE)
Jasenovac Memorial Site
Funding countries: Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, France, Germany
Duration: 01.08.2022 until 31.07.2024