Publications
Impact of biodeterioration on the durability of the historical bridge of Mehmed Pasha Sokolović in Višegrad
Biodeterioration significantly impacts the durability of the Mehmed Pasha Sokolović Bridge, threatening its structural integrity and longevity. The study reveals that biological agents such as algae, mosses, lichens, and fungi, combined with environmental factors like seismicity, moisture, air pollution, and hydroelectric power plant effects, accelerate deterioration in stone joints, materials, and concrete components. To address this, the research developed a decision-making platform for improved maintenance and monitoring, leveraging new technologies to extend the bridge's service life. This approach aims to inform future conservation strategies and secure funding through business planning. The findings underscore the need for proactive measures to safeguard this UNESCO World Heritage Site.
La Durée in The Bridge on the Drina
A novel approach to understanding time through the lens of Henri Bergson's 'la durée' reveals how subjective experiences of time, shaped by individual consciousness, are reflected in the lives and narratives surrounding the Mehmed Paša Sokolović Bridge. This 16th-century Ottoman stone bridge, central to Ivo Andrić’s historical novel The Bridge on the Drina, serves as a metaphor for the passage of four centuries, witnessing the fates of Višegrad residents until its destruction in World War I. The study demonstrates that time is not merely objective or measurable but is deeply tied to human perception and emotional experiences, challenging conventional temporal divisions. By analyzing the novel’s narrative, the research highlights how characters' consciousness alters their experience of time—whether swift or slow—without breaking its indivisible nature.
Zmienność i trwałość skażonych krajobrazów nadrzecznych w ujęciu geobiograficznym – casus Driny
This study reveals how landscapes shaped by historical trauma and suffering can be both mutable and enduring, with their perception influenced by cultural narratives. Focusing on the Drina River, particularly around the Mehmed Paša Sokolović Bridge in Višegrad, it demonstrates that rivers, inherently ephemeral due to their dynamic nature, serve as repositories of hidden wickedness while literature plays a pivotal role in solidifying the permanence of their perceived image. The research employs a geobiographical approach, integrating literary analysis—such as Ivo Andrić’s The Bridge on the Drina—with sensory experiences to construct an individually perceived landscape. This interplay between real and imagined landscapes highlights how cultural texts like Saša Stanišić’s How a Soldier Repaired the Gramophone and Ed Vulliamy’s reportage collection shape our understanding of contaminated riverine environments, offering a nuanced perspective on the intersection of history, memory, and place.
Death, Grief, and Mourning in an ICTY Film: Exploring Relational and Non/Living Worlds
A queer relational approach to analyzing the ICTY documentary 'Crimes Before the ICTY: Višegrad' reveals that death, grief, and mourning are not merely evidentiary tools but also relational encounters involving more-than-human elements like buildings, bridges, and artifacts. This analysis challenges the reductive representation of violence in international criminal justice, highlighting how these elements serve as vestiges, witnesses, and sites of loss. By drawing on Queer Death Studies and relational ontologies, the study enriches attempts to understand and feel loss in the wake of violence, while also critiquing civilizational logics that dominate such representations.
The image of Višegrad in the architectonics of Ivo Andrić’s novel “The Bridge on the Drina”
Ivo Andrić's novel The Bridge on the Drina employs architectural ekphrasis to depict Višegrad as a 'Drina text,' where the city's development is intricately linked to its iconic bridge over the Drina River. The study reveals that this narrative structure—categorized as a 'novel-fresco' or mosaic—serves as a mediator across multiple dimensions, including time, space (e.g., between East and West), and historical crises spanning nearly four centuries. Through descriptive, chronotopic, intermedial, and stylistic analysis, the research demonstrates how Andrić uses the bridge and city imagery to symbolize existential themes, such as death and destruction, often through isomorphs like water, circles, or mountains. The novel's 'Drina text' framework highlights its philosophical exploration of human existence amid historical upheaval.
On Translating Some Culture-specific Elements of Oriental Origin in Italian Translations of the Novel Na Drini Ćuprija by Ivo Andrić
Translating culture-specific elements of Oriental origin poses significant challenges for translators, as demonstrated by an analysis of Italian translations of Ivo Andrić's novel 'Na Drini Ćuprija' (The Bridge on the Drina). The study found that these elements, which denote state, social, and religious titles and occupations, do not exist in the Italian language repertoire due to significant spatial and cultural distance. This leads to difficulties in maintaining the authenticity of the original text, as these realia are often perceived as archaisms or regionalisms even in contemporary Bosnian language. The research involved excerpts from the novel, contrasting analysis of their frequency in the original and both Italian translations (1960 by Bruno Meriggi and 2001 by Dunja Badnjević), revealing a notable gap that translators must navigate to preserve cultural context.
Theorizing History in the Works of Ivo Andrić and Leo Tolstoy
This chapter identifies distinct approaches to irony and historical theorization in the works of Ivo Andrić and Leo Tolstoy. It argues that Andrić's irony is sceptical, rooted in relativity, while Tolstoy's is 'holy,' blending reverence with impiety. The study compares their narratives, particularly focusing on the Višegrad Bridge's historical significance and the political polemics surrounding it, as well as the complexities of characters like Prince Andrew and Pierre. It also explores how Aristotle's concept of entelechy influences their views on history's trajectory, whether driven by divine or nationalistic forces.
Oral tale motifs in the novel The Bridge on the Drina
Oral tales in Ivo Andrić’s novel The Bridge on the Drina serve as both narrative tools and didactic instruments, reflecting the traumatic history of Višegrad and its inhabitants. These tales—ranging from historical and mythical to demonological and eschatological—intertwine genres while preserving cultural meaning. Analyzed through historical, ethnological, and anthropological lenses, they reveal oral literature’s aesthetic and social functions, reinforcing collective memory amid conflict. The study highlights how these motifs shape the novel’s thematic depth, offering insights into the intersection of storytelling, history, and identity in a UNESCO-listed site.
An Erased Memorial, a Rape Motel, and a Nationalist Disneyland: Bosnian Genocide Denial and the Fight for Memory in a Bosnian Town
A study on Višegrad, Bosnia and Herzegovina, reveals intentional historical revisionism aimed at erasing the memory of genocide against its Bosniak population. The research highlights three key aspects: the de-Turkification of the town, the construction of Andrićgrad—a symbol of Serb nationalism—and the ongoing operation of Vilina Vlas, a spa hotel repurposed as a rape camp during the 1992 genocidal campaign. The findings demonstrate that this amnesia is systematic and largely successful, with authorities going to extreme lengths to alter or suppress historical narratives. The study uses qualitative methods, including analysis of documented atrocities and contemporary events, to illustrate the deliberate erasure of traumatic history in Višegrad.
From Maritsa to Mostar
Ottoman stone bridges, particularly those spanning the Balkan rivers from Edirne to Mostar, stand as both engineering marvels and cultural symbols, inspiring poetry, prose, and metaphors across centuries. These structures, including the Mehmed Paša Sokolović Bridge in Višegrad, the Stone Bridge in Skopje, and the Mostar Bridge, were not only vital for military logistics but also became enduring subjects of artistic expression. The bridges' architectural grandeur and symbolic significance—often likened to the Sirat Bridge or celestial phenomena—reflect their deep cultural resonance. This study identifies and interprets these bridges through literary works, revealing their role as connectors between history, art, and geography.
Tuz Kentleri ve Drina Köprüsü Romanlarında Sömürcü Tahribatı
This study reveals how colonialism, initially driven by economic motives, led to significant cultural and social disruption in indigenous communities. Through literary analysis of novels 'Cities of Salt' by Abdelrahman Munif and 'The Bridge on the Drina' by Ivo Andrić, the research demonstrates the negative impacts of colonization on cities like Harran and Višegrad. Both authors depict the transformative effects of colonialism, with Munif focusing more on contemporary issues compared to Andrić's historical perspective. The study employs a comparative literary approach to highlight the shared narrative of destruction caused by colonizers, despite differences in time periods and literary canons.
Reconstructing Heritage in the Aftermath of Civil War: Re-Visioning the Nation and the Implications of International Involvement
Post-conflict heritage reconstruction can both aid reconciliation and perpetuate symbolic violence, depending on the intentionality behind rebuilding efforts. This study reveals that while international interventions often promote a universalized 'heritage of mankind' framework, they may overlook local valuations and long-term ethical consequences, potentially undermining reconciliation. The research examines three key aspects: the guiding principles behind reconstruction choices, the resulting symbolic landscape, and the ethical dilemmas posed by third-party involvement. By analyzing the Mehmed Paša Sokolović Bridge in Višegrad, Bosnia and Herzegovinathe study highlights the tension between global heritage standards and local interpretations, emphasizing the need for a nuanced approach to post-conflict reconstruction that balances international values with community perspectives.
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