About
Founded in 1888, the National Museum is the oldest modern Western-type cultural and scientific institution in the country. The first idea of establishing a museum dates back to the middle of the 19th century, while the territory of Bosnia and Herzegovina – as the Bosnian Pashaluk – belonged to the Ottoman Empire. However, the idea was realized almost four decades later with the arrival of the new government. Austria-Hungary occupied Bosnian Pashaluk in 1878, bringing new political and social goals, customs and values. They included the promotion of science through research, academic and institutional development.
As one of the still unexplored countries of the Balkans, Bosnia and Herzegovina attracted the interest of many scientists, especially those from Austria-Hungary, but also the attention of pseudo-scientists and treasure hunters. Already in the first years of the occupation, this resulted in the removal of cultural monuments from the territory of Bosnia and Herzegovina. This situation accelerated the realization of the idea of founding a museum: first the Museum Society was founded, and then the National Museum on February 1, 1888. The National Government, as the founder of the institution, appointed the government advisor Kosta Hörmann as the director of the Museum.
The space in which the Museum was originally located – in the then city center – soon became too cramped and unsuitable for the growing collection, so in 1909, construction began on a new museum complex consisting of four pavilions and a Botanical Garden, which was completed and opened in 1913. For a long time, it was the only purpose-built museum complex in the former Yugoslavia. The National Museum of Bosnia and Herzegovina is still located there today.