The Presidency Building (or the Building of the Presidency; sh, Zgrada Predsjedništva / Зграда Предсједништва) is the
official residence
An official residence is the House, residence of a head of state, head of government, governor, Clergy, religious leader, leaders of international organizations, or other senior figure. It may be the same place where they conduct their work-relate ...
of the
Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina
The presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina ( sh-Latn-Cyrl, Predsjedništvo Bosne i Hercegovine, separator=" / ", Предсједништво Босне и Херцеговине) is a three-member body which collectively serves as head of state of ...
, located in the
Centar Municipality of
Sarajevo
Sarajevo ( ; cyrl, Сарајево, ; ''see Names of European cities in different languages (Q–T)#S, names in other languages'') is the Capital city, capital and largest city of Bosnia and Herzegovina, with a population of 275,524 in its a ...
, in
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina ( sh, / , ), abbreviated BiH () or B&H, sometimes called Bosnia–Herzegovina and often known informally as Bosnia, is a country at the crossroads of south and southeast Europe, located in the Balkans. Bosnia and H ...
.
The
Bosnian government
The Politics of Bosnia and Herzegovina takes place in a framework of a parliamentary representative democracy, whereby executive power is exercised by the Council of Ministers of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Legislative power is vested in both the Cou ...
departments are also located there, including the
Archive of Bosnia and Herzegovina and some government ministries.
History
After the
Austro-Hungarian campaign in Bosnia and Herzegovina in 1878
The campaign to establish Austro-Hungarian rule in Bosnia and Herzegovina lasted from 29 July to 20 October 1878 against the local resistance fighters supported by the Ottoman Empire. The Austro-Hungarian Army entered the country in two large m ...
, the occupational administration required a headquarters in central
Sarajevo
Sarajevo ( ; cyrl, Сарајево, ; ''see Names of European cities in different languages (Q–T)#S, names in other languages'') is the Capital city, capital and largest city of Bosnia and Herzegovina, with a population of 275,524 in its a ...
to house various staff and military personnel. The new government building was commissioned by the first
mayor of Sarajevo
This is a list of people who have served as mayor or president of the city council of the city of Sarajevo, the capital of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Sarajevo has had 38 different mayors in 39 different mayorships since the position was created on 22 ...
Mustafa Fadilpašić
Mustafa-beg Fadilpašić (born Mustafa Šerifović; 6 September 1830 – 6 December 1892) was the first Mayor of Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina. He was appointed mayor in 1878 after more than 14,000 Austro-Hungarian troops, led by Josip Filipo ...
and designed by architect
Josip Vancaš
Josip Vancaš (22 March 1859 – 15 December 1932) was an Austro-Hungarian and Yugoslav architect who spent most of his career in the Bosnian city of Sarajevo, where he designed over two hundred buildings. He also designed important buildings in p ...
in
Renaissance style
Renaissance architecture is the European architecture of the period between the early 15th and early 16th centuries in different regions, demonstrating a conscious revival and development of certain elements of Ancient Greece, ancient Greek and ...
, and was constructed from 1884 to 1886. The building remained as the headquarters of the Austro-Hungarian regime in the area, housing government and military departments, as well as law courts and ceremonial rooms.
After
World War I
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
, the building became the government headquarters of the
Drina Banovina province in the
Kingdom of Yugoslavia
The Kingdom of Yugoslavia ( sh-Latn-Cyrl, separator=" / ", Kraljevina Jugoslavija, Краљевина Југославија; sl, Kraljevina Jugoslavija) was a state in Southeast Europe, Southeast and Central Europe that existed from 1918 unt ...
. After
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
, the building became the official residence of the President of the
Socialist Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina
The Socialist Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina ( sh-Latn-Cyrl, separator=" / ", Socijalistička Republika Bosna i Hercegovina, Социјалистичка Pепублика Босна и Херцеговина), commonly referred to as Socia ...
(within
Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia (; sh-Latn-Cyrl, separator=" / ", Jugoslavija, Југославија ; sl, Jugoslavija ; mk, Југославија ;; rup, Iugoslavia; hu, Jugoszlávia; rue, label=Pannonian Rusyn, Югославия, translit=Juhoslavija ...
), as well as the home of the Executive Committee of the
People's Assembly. During the
Bosnian War
The Bosnian War ( sh, Rat u Bosni i Hercegovini / Рат у Босни и Херцеговини) was an international armed conflict that took place in Bosnia and Herzegovina between 1992 and 1995. The war is commonly seen as having started ...
, the building was used by the
as its military headquarters. The building suffered external and internal damage during the war which has subsequently been restored.
Since 1996, the building has been used as the official residence of the collective
Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina
The presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina ( sh-Latn-Cyrl, Predsjedništvo Bosne i Hercegovine, separator=" / ", Предсједништво Босне и Херцеговине) is a three-member body which collectively serves as head of state of ...
. All of the collective
heads of state
A head of state (or chief of state) is the public persona who officially embodies a state Foakes, pp. 110–11 "he head of statebeing an embodiment of the State itself or representatitve of its international persona." in its unity and le ...
use the building as their main residence in Sarajevo, as well as their ceremonial and working office. Some
government
A government is the system or group of people governing an organized community, generally a state.
In the case of its broad associative definition, government normally consists of legislature, executive, and judiciary. Government is a ...
departments are also located there, including the
Archive of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
The building is also used for state and ceremonial functions, as well as receptions and meetings with visiting foreign dignitaries and heads of state.
During the
2014 unrest in Bosnia and Herzegovina, the windows of the Presidency Building were broken with stones thrown by protesters who viewed the structure as a potent symbol of Bosnia and Herzegovina's chronic dysfunction; part of the building was also set on fire.
Gallery
File:Sarajevo,_Presidency_(interior).jpg, Presidency, interiors
File:Sarajevo BH-Presidency 2011-10-31 (3).jpg, Presidency, side street
File:Sarajevo Tram-Stop Park 2011-11-08 (2).jpg, Presidency
References
External links
*
Presidency Building information from the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina
{{Sarajevo
Official residences
Buildings and structures in Sarajevo
Houses completed in 1886
Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina
Josip Vancaš buildings
National Monuments of Bosnia and Herzegovina
Official residences in Europe
Office buildings in Bosnia and Herzegovina