The Presidency Building (or the Building of the Presidency; sh, Zgrada Predsjedništva / Зграда Предсједништва) is the

official residence An official residence is the residence of a head of state, head of government, governor, religious leader, leaders of international organizations, or other senior figure. It may be the same place where they conduct their work-related functions. ...

of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina, located in the Centar Municipality of

Sarajevo Sarajevo ( ; cyrl, Сарајево, ; ''see names in other languages'') is the capital and largest city of Bosnia and Herzegovina, with a population of 275,524 in its administrative limits. The Sarajevo metropolitan area including Sarajevo ...

, in

Bosnia and Herzegovina Bosnia and Herzegovina ( sh, / , ), abbreviated BiH () or B&H, sometimes called Bosnia–Herzegovina and often known informally as Bosnia, is a country at the crossroads of south and southeast Europe, located in the Balkans. Bosnia and H ...

. The Bosnian government departments are also located there, including the Archive of Bosnia and Herzegovina and some government ministries.

History

After the

Austro-Hungarian campaign in Bosnia and Herzegovina in 1878 The campaign to establish Austro-Hungarian rule in Bosnia and Herzegovina lasted from 29 July to 20 October 1878 against the local resistance fighters supported by the Ottoman Empire. The Austro-Hungarian Army entered the country in two large mov ...

, the occupational administration required a headquarters in central

to house various staff and military personnel. The new government building was commissioned by the first mayor of Sarajevo Mustafa Fadilpašić and designed by architect Josip Vancaš in

Renaissance style Renaissance architecture is the European architecture of the period between the early 15th and early 16th centuries in different regions, demonstrating a conscious revival and development of certain elements of ancient Greek and Roman thought a ...

, and was constructed from 1884 to 1886. The building remained as the headquarters of the Austro-Hungarian regime in the area, housing government and military departments, as well as law courts and ceremonial rooms. After

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

, the building became the government headquarters of the Drina Banovina province in the

Kingdom of Yugoslavia The Kingdom of Yugoslavia ( sh-Latn-Cyrl, separator=" / ", Kraljevina Jugoslavija, Краљевина Југославија; sl, Kraljevina Jugoslavija) was a state in Southeast and Central Europe that existed from 1918 until 1941. From 1918 ...

. After

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...

, the building became the official residence of the President of the Socialist Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina (within

Yugoslavia Yugoslavia (; sh-Latn-Cyrl, separator=" / ", Jugoslavija, Југославија ; sl, Jugoslavija ; mk, Југославија ;; rup, Iugoslavia; hu, Jugoszlávia; rue, label=Pannonian Rusyn, Югославия, translit=Juhoslavija ...

), as well as the home of the Executive Committee of the People's Assembly. During the Bosnian War, the building was used by the

Supreme Command of the Army of the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina The Supreme Command of the Army of the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina (''Štab Vrhovne Komande Armije Republike Bosne i Hercegovine'') was the supreme command of the Army of the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina and it was headquartered in the ...

as its military headquarters. The building suffered external and internal damage during the war which has subsequently been restored. Since 1996, the building has been used as the official residence of the collective Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina. All of the collective

heads of state A head of state (or chief of state) is the public persona who officially embodies a state Foakes, pp. 110–11 " he head of statebeing an embodiment of the State itself or representatitve of its international persona." in its unity and ...

use the building as their main residence in Sarajevo, as well as their ceremonial and working office. Some

government A government is the system or group of people governing an organized community, generally a state. In the case of its broad associative definition, government normally consists of legislature, executive, and judiciary. Government is ...

departments are also located there, including the Archive of Bosnia and Herzegovina. The building is also used for state and ceremonial functions, as well as receptions and meetings with visiting foreign dignitaries and heads of state. During the 2014 unrest in Bosnia and Herzegovina, the windows of the Presidency Building were broken with stones thrown by protesters who viewed the structure as a potent symbol of Bosnia and Herzegovina's chronic dysfunction; part of the building was also set on fire.

Gallery

File:Sarajevo,_Presidency_(interior).jpg, Presidency, interiors File:Sarajevo BH-Presidency 2011-10-31 (3).jpg, Presidency, side street File:Sarajevo Tram-Stop Park 2011-11-08 (2).jpg, Presidency

References

External links

*
Presidency Building information from the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina
{{Sarajevo Official residences Buildings and structures in Sarajevo Houses completed in 1886 Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina Josip Vancaš buildings National Monuments of Bosnia and Herzegovina Official residences in Europe Office buildings in Bosnia and Herzegovina