The ''Oslobođenje'' ( sh-Cyrl, Ослобођење; ; 'Liberation') is the
Bosnian national daily
newspaper
A newspaper is a Periodical literature, periodical publication containing written News, information about current events and is often typed in black ink with a white or gray background. Newspapers can cover a wide variety of fields such as poli ...
, published in
Sarajevo
Sarajevo ( ), ; ''see Names of European cities in different languages (Q–T)#S, names in other languages'' is the Capital city, capital and List of cities in Bosnia and Herzegovina, largest city of Bosnia and Herzegovina, with a population of 2 ...
. It is the oldest daily newspaper still in circulation in the
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina, sometimes known as Bosnia-Herzegovina and informally as Bosnia, is a country in Southeast Europe. Situated on the Balkans, Balkan Peninsula, it borders Serbia to the east, Montenegro to the southeast, and Croatia to th ...
. Founded on 30 August 1943, in the midst of
World War II
World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
, on a patch of territory liberated by
Partisans, in what was otherwise a
German-occupied country, the paper gained recognition over the years for its high journalistic standards and is recipient of numerous domestic honors and international awards in a branch.
History
The ''Oslobođenje'' was founded on 30 August 1943 in
Donja Trnova near
Ugljevik
Ugljevik ( sr-cyrl, Угљевик) is a town and municipality in Republika Srpska, Bosnia and Herzegovina. As of 2013, the municipality has a population of 15,710 inhabitants, while the town of Ugljevik has a population of 4,155 inhabitants.
The ...
, as an anti-Nazi newspaper. The first issue was printed on August 30, 1943 in Donja Trnova near Ugljevik as a newsletter of the National Liberation Front for Bosnia and Herzegovina.
The first editor was
Rodoljub Čolaković
Rodoljub "Roćko" Čolaković ( sr-cyr, Родољуб Чолаковић; 7 June 1900 – 30 March 1983) was a Yugoslavia, Yugoslav politician and writer who served as the 1st Chairman of the Council of Ministers of Bosnia and Herzegovina#Prime ...
.
Apart from Rodoljub Čolaković, the main articles for the first issue were written by
Avdo Humo and
Hasan Brkić, also editors. The two were assisted by professional
journalist
A journalist is a person who gathers information in the form of text, audio or pictures, processes it into a newsworthy form and disseminates it to the public. This is called journalism.
Roles
Journalists can work in broadcast, print, advertis ...
s Vilko Winterhalter and Milan Gavrić, and writers
Skender Kulenović and
Branko Ćopić
Branko Ćopić ( sr-Cyrl, Бранко Ћопић, ; 1 January 1915 – 26 March 1984) was a Yugoslav writer. He wrote poetry, short stories, and novels, and became famous for his stories for children and young adults, often set during World War ...
.
Meša Selimović was one of the founders of the ''Oslobođenje''. In the first issue of the ''Oslobođenje'', Selimović wrote an article about the
Orthodox Church in the
Soviet Union
The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR), commonly known as the Soviet Union, was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 until Dissolution of the Soviet ...
, according to information he heard on radio stations
Moscow
Moscow is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns in Russia by population, largest city of Russia, standing on the Moskva (river), Moskva River in Central Russia. It has a population estimated at over 13 million residents with ...
and Free Yugoslavia.
The first courier was
Raif Dizdarević. He delivered the first issues of the ''Oslobođenja'' to Jajce, where the
AVNOJ
The Anti-Fascist Council for the National Liberation of Yugoslavia,; ; commonly abbreviated as the AVNOJ, was a deliberative and legislative body that was established in Bihać, Yugoslavia, in November 1942. It was established by Josip Broz ...
was already being prepared.
The second (September) issue was also printed in Donja Trnova, without markings of the place of publication and printing due to the danger of an enemy attack. During the
World War II
World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
, the newspaper was also printed in
Tuzla
Tuzla (, , ) is the List of cities in Bosnia and Herzegovina, third-largest city of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the administrative center of Tuzla Canton of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina. As of 2013, it has a population of 110,979 inha ...
(the third, October issue), the village of
Busije near
Ribnik (the fourth, fifth, sixth and seventh issues), in
Međeđe Brdo near
Sanica (from the eighth to the 12th issue) and in
Jajce (from 13 to 29 issues). On April 12, 1945, the 30th issue of ''Oslobođenje'' was published, the last in the World War II, which was printed in
Sarajevo
Sarajevo ( ), ; ''see Names of European cities in different languages (Q–T)#S, names in other languages'' is the Capital city, capital and List of cities in Bosnia and Herzegovina, largest city of Bosnia and Herzegovina, with a population of 2 ...
, which has been the headquarters of this newspaper since then.
In mid 1970s, while
SR 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 ...
was a part of
SFR Yugoslavia
The Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (commonly abbreviated as SFRY or SFR Yugoslavia), known from 1945 to 1963 as the Federal People's Republic of Yugoslavia, commonly referred to as Socialist Yugoslavia or simply Yugoslavia, was a country ...
, the newspaper run a subsidiary office in
Frankfurt
Frankfurt am Main () is the most populous city in the States of Germany, German state of Hesse. Its 773,068 inhabitants as of 2022 make it the List of cities in Germany by population, fifth-most populous city in Germany. Located in the forela ...
in
West Germany
West Germany was the common English name for the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG) from its formation on 23 May 1949 until German reunification, its reunification with East Germany on 3 October 1990. It is sometimes known as the Bonn Republi ...
which published the edition targeted at numerous Yugoslav workers ('
gastarbeiter') and other citizens living in the country.
On August 30, 1973,
Josip Broz Tito
Josip Broz ( sh-Cyrl, Јосип Броз, ; 7 May 1892 – 4 May 1980), commonly known as Tito ( ; , ), was a Yugoslavia, Yugoslav communist revolutionary and politician who served in various positions of national leadership from 1943 unti ...
sent congratulations to newspaper on the occasion of its 30th anniversary. It was then established Day of the ''Oslobođenje''—August 30.
The most prosperous time of the newspaper was 1984. The ''Oslobođenje'' was included bid for the
1984 Winter Olympics
The 1984 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XIV Olympic Winter Games (Serbo-Croatian language, Serbo-Croatian and Slovene language, Slovene: ; Serbian Cyrillic alphabet, Serbian Cyrillic: ; ) and commonly known as Sarajevo '84 (Serbian Cy ...
, its preparations and implementation. All the capacities of the company, which had around 2,500 employees in 1984, were put to use for this historic, not only sporting, event. In the days of 14 Winter Olympics, the ''Oslobođenje'' achieved the largest circulation, and the entire system a great business success. In 1984, the ''Oslobođenje'' with 21 editions achieved 126 million printed copies of newspapers,
magazine
A magazine is a periodical literature, periodical publication, print or digital, produced on a regular schedule, that contains any of a variety of subject-oriented textual and visual content (media), content forms. Magazines are generally fin ...
s, publications and books. It was the year of the highest production for the ''Oslobođenja'' printing house since the installation of a new rotation in 1980 in Sarajevo neighborhood of Nedžarići.
During the
Bosnian war
The Bosnian War ( / Рат у Босни и Херцеговини) was an international armed conflict that took place in Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bosnia and Herzegovina between 1992 and 1995. Following several earlier violent incid ...
and the
Siege of Sarajevo, the ''Oslobođenje'' staff operated out of a makeshift newsroom in a bomb shelter after its 10-story office building had been destroyed. The war left five staff members dead and 25 wounded. Kjašif Smajlović, the ''Oslobođenje'' correspondent from
Zvornik
Zvornik ( sr-cyrl, Зворник, ) is a city in Republika Srpska, Bosnia and Herzegovina. In 2013, it had a population of 58,856 inhabitants. Zvornik is located on the Drina River, on the eastern slopes of Majevica mountain, at the altitude of ...
, was the first journalist victim of the Bosnian war.
On May 29, 1992, the ''Oslobođenja'' building was set on fire. The first, but not the last time. For months, the
Army of Republika Srpska did not give up its intentions of disabling and obstructing the work of the newspaper. No one expected the release of a new issue the next morning. However, at 6 o'clock in the morning, a news story was published on the front page with a photo of the fire and the message: ''Oslobođenje ide dalje'' (The ''Oslobođenje'' goes further). Three months later, the ''Oslobođenje'' building was set on fire for the second time. After this attack, the skyscraper's eastern and western portions collapsed due to the fires weakening its support columns.

On April 9, 1993, among many people from around the world,
US Senator
Joe Biden
Joseph Robinette Biden Jr. (born November 20, 1942) is an American politician who was the 46th president of the United States from 2021 to 2025. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, he served as the 47th vice p ...
visited the ''Oslobođenje''. At that time, his host was the newspaper's editor-in-chief,
Kemal Kurspahić
Kemal Kurspahić (1 December 1946 – 17 September 2021) was a Bosnian journalist. He was managing editor of The Connection Newspapers in Alexandria, Virginia and founder of the media in Democracy Institute, dedicated to promoting higher standard ...
.
In 1993, it was awarded the
Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought. The editors of ''Oslobođenje'', Kemal Kurspahić and
Gordana Knežević, were named International Editors of the Year for 1993 by the
World Press Review in New York, for their "bravery, tenacity, and dedication to the principles of journalism." Duo also received the
Courage in Journalism Award in 1992 from the
International Women's Media Foundation
The International Women's Media Foundation (IWMF), located in Washington, D.C., is an organization working internationally to elevate the status of women in the media. The IWMF has created programs to help women in the media develop practical so ...
in Washington, D.C.. Kurspahić was also recipient of the
Nieman Fellowship for Journalism at Harvard University in 1994, among other honors.
Immediately after the war ended in 1995, editor-in-chief Mehmed Halilović accepted the
University of Missouri
The University of Missouri (Mizzou or MU) is a public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Columbia, Missouri, United States. It is Missouri's largest university and the flagship of the four-campus Univers ...
izzouHonor Medal from the School of Journalism in Columbia, Missouri for continuous publication of the daily newspaper throughout the 1992–95 siege of Sarajevo. Editor
Zlatko Dizdarević won several international awards, including: ‘Reporters sans frontieres-Fondation de France’ in Paris, the ‘Bruno Kreisky’ prize for human rights in Vienna, and the 'Paolo Borssalino’ prize for journalistic courage in Rome.
During the war, its staff, consisting of
Bosniaks
The Bosniaks (, Cyrillic script, Cyrillic: Бошњаци, ; , ) are a South Slavs, South Slavic ethnic group native to the Southeast European historical region of Bosnia (region), Bosnia, today part of Bosnia and Herzegovina, and who sha ...
,
Bosnian Serbs
The Serbs of Bosnia and Herzegovina ( sr-Cyrl, Срби Босне и Херцеговине, Srbi Bosne i Hercegovine), often referred to as Bosnian Serbs ( sr-cyrl, босански Срби, bosanski Srbi) or Herzegovinian Serbs ( sr-cyrl, � ...
, and
Bosnian Croats
The Croats of Bosnia and Herzegovina (), often referred to as Bosnian Croats () or Herzegovinian Croats (), are native to Bosnia and Herzegovina and constitute the third most populous ethnic group, after Bosniaks and Serbs. They are also one of ...
, managed to print the paper every day, with one exception.
In 2006, the company was bought by way of the
Sarajevo Stock Exchange by the
Sarajevska pivara.
In addition to the Oslobođenje daily, this publishing house today has digital platforms—the ''Oslobođenje'', ''
Dani'' and ''Sport1'' portals. As part of this corporation, there is also ''Dječja štampa'' (''Male novine'', ''Vesela sveska'', ''Vesela sveska sveznalica''), as well as television channels ''
O Kanal'', ''O Kanal Plus'' and ''O Kanal Music''.
Notable persons
Editors
Incomplete data:
* Aziz Hadžihasanović, editor-in-chief 1970s
*
Avdo Humo, one of editors in
WWII
World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
*
Derviš Sušić, one of editors 1949-1951
*
Hasan Brkić, one of editors in WWII
*
Kemal Kurspahić
Kemal Kurspahić (1 December 1946 – 17 September 2021) was a Bosnian journalist. He was managing editor of The Connection Newspapers in Alexandria, Virginia and founder of the media in Democracy Institute, dedicated to promoting higher standard ...
, editor-in-chief 1988-1994
*
Rodoljub Čolaković
Rodoljub "Roćko" Čolaković ( sr-cyr, Родољуб Чолаковић; 7 June 1900 – 30 March 1983) was a Yugoslavia, Yugoslav politician and writer who served as the 1st Chairman of the Council of Ministers of Bosnia and Herzegovina#Prime ...
, editor-in-chief 1943-?
*
Skender Kulenović, one of editors in WWII
* Luka Popović, editor-in-chief ?-1971-?
* Ljubiša Jakšić, editor-in-chief ?-1980-?
*
Mak Dizdar, editor-in-chief 1948-1951
* Mehmed Halilović, editor-in-chief 1994-1999
* Mirko Ostojić, editor-in-chief ?-1961-?
*
Vildana Selimbegović, editor-in-chief 2008-''currently''
* Rizo Mehinagić, editor-in-chief ?-1968-?
Correspondents
Incomplete data:
* Zdravko Kokotović, from
Moscow
Moscow is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns in Russia by population, largest city of Russia, standing on the Moskva (river), Moskva River in Central Russia. It has a population estimated at over 13 million residents with ...
1974-1986
*
Gordana Knežević, from
Cairo
Cairo ( ; , ) is the Capital city, capital and largest city of Egypt and the Cairo Governorate, being home to more than 10 million people. It is also part of the List of urban agglomerations in Africa, largest urban agglomeration in Africa, L ...
1987-1991
* Vlastimir Mijović, from
Moscow
Moscow is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns in Russia by population, largest city of Russia, standing on the Moskva (river), Moskva River in Central Russia. It has a population estimated at over 13 million residents with ...
1990-1995
*
Ljiljana Smajlović
Ljiljana Smajlović (née Ugrica; born 22 January 1956, Sarajevo, PR Bosnia-Herzegovina, FPR Yugoslavia) is a Serbian journalist and the former editor of ''Politika'', the oldest daily newspaper in the Balkans. From 2009 to 2017, she was the pr ...
, from
Brussels
Brussels, officially the Brussels-Capital Region, (All text and all but one graphic show the English name as Brussels-Capital Region.) is a Communities, regions and language areas of Belgium#Regions, region of Belgium comprising #Municipalit ...
1991-1992
* Moni Žubi, from
Kosovo War
The Kosovo War (; sr-Cyrl-Latn, Косовски рат, Kosovski rat) was an armed conflict in Kosovo that lasted from 28 February 1998 until 11 June 1999. It ...
1998-1999
Associates
Incomplete data:
*
Abdulah Sidran, Bosnian writer
*
Boris Dežulović, Croatian journalist
*
Ćamil Sijarić, Bosnian writer
* Dario Džamonja, Bosnian journalist
*
Dragan Markovina, Bosnian-Croatian historian
* Dževad Sabljaković, Bosnian-Serbian journalist
* Gojko Berić, Bosnian journalist
*
Ivo Andrić
Ivo Andrić ( sr-Cyrl, Иво Андрић, ; born Ivan Andrić; 9 October 1892 – 13 March 1975) was a Yugoslav novelist, poet and short story writer who won the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1961 Nobel Prize in Literature, 1961. His writ ...
, Yugoslav writer
*
Izet Sarajlić, Bosnian writer
*
Meša Selimović, Yugoslav writer
* Mile Stojić, Bosnian-Croatian writer
*
Miljenko Jergović
Miljenko Jergović (born 28 May 1966) is a prominent Bosnian writer.
Biography
Born in Sarajevo, SR Bosnia and Herzegovina, SFR Yugoslavia to Croatian parents, Jergović received his M.A. in literature from the Sarajevo University. While at hi ...
, Bosnian-Croatian writer
*
Muharem Bazdulj, Bosnian journalist
* Zija Dizdarević, Bosnian journalist
List of awards won by ''Oslobođenje''
*

''Order of the brotherhood and unity with golden wreath'' (
SFR Yugoslavia
The Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (commonly abbreviated as SFRY or SFR Yugoslavia), known from 1945 to 1963 as the Federal People's Republic of Yugoslavia, commonly referred to as Socialist Yugoslavia or simply Yugoslavia, was a country ...
, 1963)
*

''Order of Labour with the red flag'' (
SFR Yugoslavia
The Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (commonly abbreviated as SFRY or SFR Yugoslavia), known from 1945 to 1963 as the Federal People's Republic of Yugoslavia, commonly referred to as Socialist Yugoslavia or simply Yugoslavia, was a country ...
, 1983)
* ''Golden Mercury Award 1977'' (International Committee for Development and International Cooperation,
Rome
Rome (Italian language, Italian and , ) is the capital city and most populated (municipality) of Italy. It is also the administrative centre of the Lazio Regions of Italy, region and of the Metropolitan City of Rome. A special named with 2, ...
)
*
ZAVNOBiH
The State Anti-fascist Council for the National Liberation of Bosnia and Herzegovina ( sh-Latn-Cyrl, Zemaljsko antifašističko vijeće narodnog oslobođenja Bosne i Hercegovine, Земаљско антифашистичко виjеће нар� ...
Award (1978)
*
Sixth of April Sarajevo Award (1984)
* ''The Paper of the Year in 1989'' (
Slobodna Dalmacija
(, where "Free" is an adjective) is a Croatian daily newspaper published in Split.
History
was first issued on 17 June 1943 by Tito's Partisans in an abandoned stone barn on Mosor, a mountain near Split, while the city was occupied by the I ...
declared Oslobođenje the best newspaper in SFR Yugoslavia)
* ''The Paper of the Year Award in 1992'' (BBC and Granada TV –
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Northwestern Europe, off the coast of European mainland, the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...
)
* ''Andrei Sakharov Award for Human Rights 1993'' (European Parliament – Strasbourg, France)
* ''Freedom Award in 1993'' (Dagens nyheter, Stockholm; and Politiken Copenhagen)
* ''Oscar Romero Award 1993'' (The Rothko Chapel – Houston, Texas)
* ''Nieman Foundation's Louis M. Lyons Award for conscience and integrity in journalism in 1993'' (Harvard University – USA)
* ''Achievements in Journalism Award in 1993'' (Inter Press Service, Rome – previously the ''International Journalism Award'')
* ''University of Missouri Honor Medal in 1995 by the School of Journalism for continuous publication of the daily newspaper throughout the 1992–1995 siege of Sarajevo''.
* ''Golden plaque of the
MESS
The mess (also called a mess deck aboard ships) is a designated area where military personnel socialize, eat and (in some cases) live. The term is also used to indicate the groups of military personnel who belong to separate messes, such as the o ...
in 2015 for continuous devotion to culture in Bosnia and Herzegovina''
* ''
Johns Hopkins University
The Johns Hopkins University (often abbreviated as Johns Hopkins, Hopkins, or JHU) is a private university, private research university in Baltimore, Maryland, United States. Founded in 1876 based on the European research institution model, J ...
Award for Contribution to Investigative Journalism in 2015''
* ''The Paper of the Year in Bosnia and Herzegovina'' (2016)
* ''Special recognition of the Italian 22nd Giavera Festival for perseverance in the fight for human rights'' (2017)
* ''Gold plaque of the Association Education builds Bosnia and Herzegovina'' (2019)
The ''Oslobođenje'' Journalist Awards
The ''
Kemal Kurspahić
Kemal Kurspahić (1 December 1946 – 17 September 2021) was a Bosnian journalist. He was managing editor of The Connection Newspapers in Alexandria, Virginia and founder of the media in Democracy Institute, dedicated to promoting higher standard ...
International Journalist Award'' is recognition to journalists who published the story in
Bosnian,
Croatian,
Montenegrin or
Serbian. It is awarded every two years. The ''Hamza Bakšić Award'' is one and awarted only to journalists from the Oslobođenje Service Media Group. It is awarded annually. They were awarded for the first time in 2023 on the 80th anniversary of the Oslobođenje.
Kemal Kurspahić
Kemal Kurspahić (1 December 1946 – 17 September 2021) was a Bosnian journalist. He was managing editor of The Connection Newspapers in Alexandria, Virginia and founder of the media in Democracy Institute, dedicated to promoting higher standard ...
International Journalist Award
2023
* Nerzuk Ćurak, ''Opasni ljudi'', ''tačno.net''
*
Edvin Kanka Ćudić, ''Grobnica nade'', ''
Danas''
* Goran Dakić, Bajka o Baji, ''
Dani''
Jury members
Hamza Bakšić Journalist Award
2023
* Matea Jerković (''for a series of articles about the rights of the
LGBTIQ+ community'') and Amir Papić (''Bio jednom jedan ćiro'')
2024
* Dženisa Zukančić (''for researching the real estate market on all our platforms announced the problems of young people and some of the reasons why they leave Bosnia and Herzegovina'') and Adnan Bajrović (''Kandidat za rektora pao na prvom ispitu'')
Jury members
References
External links
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Oslobodenje
Newspapers published in Sarajevo
Newspapers published in Yugoslavia
Newspapers established in 1943
Sakharov Prize laureates
1943 establishments in Bosnia and Herzegovina
Centre-left newspapers