Death Anniversary Derviš Korkut

Today, on the anniversary of his death, we visited the grave of the great Derviš M. Korkut.

He worked as a curator and librarian at the National Museum of Bosnia and Herzegovina from 1927 to 1929, and from 1937 to 1944.

As a descendant of a famous Muslim family, Dervish Korkut was extremely educated, and as an expert he distinguished himself in different segments of his work, and today we can talk about him as a scientist, polyglot, translator, orientalist, humanist, anti-fascist, righteous and dedicated protector of his fellow citizens who found themselves under the attack of racist laws, above all Roma and Jews.

Today, the name of Derviš Korkut is most often mentioned in the context of saving the Sarajevo Haggadah during the Second World War, as well as other important library materials. According to the records made by the Ministry of Education of the NR BiH in 1945, Derviš Korkut moved the Haggadah and the charter of King Tvrtko outside the Museum to a place known only to him and the director, while he camouflaged the other most valuable manuscripts and documents and left them among other books so that German soldiers could not find them.

After World War II, Derviš Korkut, as a proven anti-fascist, was sentenced to eight years in prison in a staged trial as an “associate of the occupiers” even though he had promoted the brightest universal values ​​of humanity and anti-fascism throughout his entire life and work.

In 1994, the Jewish memorial center Yad Vashem proclaimed Derviš Korkut and his wife Servet as Righteous Among the Nations because they saved a Jewish girl in their home during World War II, even though they were endangering their own lives and the lives of their children.

He died in Sarajevo in 1969.

Today is the right time to thank and affirm people like Derviš Korkut, who saved people and cultural and historical heritage.