Europa Nostra and Grand Prix for employees and activists of the National Museum of Bosnia and Herzegovina

On 26 May 2016 a press conference was held in the National Museum of Bosnia and Herzegovina on the occasion of winning a prestigious EU award in the field of culture and heritage, Europa Nostra. This year’s laureates, employees and activists of the National Museum of Bosnia and Herzegovina, won not only this award, but also the Grand Prix, which was awarded to only 7 projects out of 28 that won Europa Nostra award.

On this conference a celebration of the award was exclusively announced to be held in the National Museum of BH in October this year, and in organisation of the European Union and Europa Nostra.

Short statements were given by Dr Mirsad Sijarić, director of the National Museum of BH and Ms Aida Kalender, directress of the AC Akcija.

Dr Sijarić emphasised the importance of the award for the Museum and its employees, but also for Bosnia and Herzegovina. He expressed special thanks to the Museum’s employees, citizens and activists in the campaign “I am the Museum”, Ministry of Civil Affairs of BH and Minister, Mr Adil Osmanović. He also said that the award was very well accepted among the general public, but also among the institutions involved in heritage protection, which made cooperation and involvement of the National Museum of BH into European cultural projects possible. The award would also be a way to show to our society and authority levels that culture is one of the principal economic factors of a state, and that in culture and cultural institutions should be invested. 

Aida Kalender talked about the beginnings of the campaign “I am the Museum”, which launched all other events resulting eventually in re-opening of the National Museum of BH in September 2015. She pointed out the importance of involvement of general public in this action. Special thanks she expressed to the employees and activists, as well as to Zijah Gafić, who after seven months of work with the Museum employees told through the photographs the story about the Museum and guardians of its treasures.