The Sarajevo National Theatre ( Bosnian and

Serbian Serbian may refer to: * Pertaining to Serbia in Southeast Europe; in particular **Serbs, a South Slavic ethnic group native to the Balkans ** Serbian language ** Serbian culture **Demographics of Serbia, includes other ethnic groups within the co ...

: ''Narodno pozorište Sarajevo'', Народно позориште Сарајево, Croatian: ''Narodno kazalište Sarajevo'') is the largest theatre in Bosnia and Herzegovina and one of the most important cultural institutions in Southeastern Europe.

History

The founding of the Sarajevo National Theatre is marked by two significant dates. The first was 27 November 1920, when in the city of Tuzla, the theatre presented Hasanaginica by Aleksa Šantić and Jedva steče zeta by Labiche and Michel at the Bristol Hotel. The official inauguration, however, took place on October 22, 1921, marking the opening of its first season in the adapted building of the Social Hall in Sarajevo. The opening ceremonies spanned three days, drawing large audiences and numerous distinguished guests.

Branislav Nušić Branislav Nušić ( sr-Cyrl, Бранислав Нушић, ; – 19 January 1938) was a Serbian playwright, satirist, essayist, novelist and founder of Modern Rhetoric, modern rhetoric in Serbia. He also worked as a journalist and a civil ...

, then Head of the Department of Arts at the Ministry of Education in Belgrade, delivered a welcoming address, which was met with “enthusiastic applause.” Following his speech, music and dramatic performances took place over several days, with the first official productions being Nušić’s Protekcija on October 23, 1921, and

Molière Jean-Baptiste Poquelin (; 15 January 1622 (baptised) – 17 February 1673), known by his stage name Molière (, ; ), was a French playwright, actor, and poet, widely regarded as one of the great writers in the French language and world liter ...

’s The Imaginary Invalid on October 24, 1921. The first opera performed in Sarajevo was Porin by

Vatroslav Lisinski Vatroslav Lisinski (, 8 July 1819 – 31 May 1854) was a Croatian composer. Lisinski was born Ignatius Fuchs to a German Jewish family. He would later change his name to Vatroslav Lisinski, which is a Croatian calque of his original name. For ...

, staged in 1925 by the Opera from

Osijek Osijek () is the fourth-largest city in Croatia, with a population of 96,848 in 2021. It is the largest city and the economic and cultural centre of the eastern Croatian region of Slavonia, as well as the administrative centre of Osijek-Baranja ...

. Initially, The Sarajevo National Theatre operated solely as a dramatic theatre. In 1946, music performances were introduced, significantly enriching the theatre's offerings with the addition of Opera and Ballet. As the country’s central theatre, it has been pivotal to the artistic and cultural life of Bosnia and Herzegovina, especially through its organizational structure, which includes three ensembles: Drama, Opera, and Ballet. On 9 November 1946, the Sarajevo Opera premiered with a performance of The Bartered Bride by

Bedřich Smetana Bedřich Smetana ( ; ; 2 March 1824 – 12 May 1884) was a Czech composer who pioneered the development of a musical style that became closely identified with his people's aspirations to a cultural and political "revival". He has been regarded ...

, an event that marked a major milestone in Bosnian musical culture. The Sarajevo Ballet was also founded in 1946, with its first independent production, The Harvest by

Boris Papandopulo Boris Papandopulo (February 25, 1906 – October 16, 1991) was a Croatian composer and conductor of Greek and Russian Jewish descent. Ha-Kol (Glasilo Židovske zajednice u Hrvatskoj); Djela hrvatskih skladatelja Židovskog podrijetla u Beču; ...

, performed on 25 May 1950. This performance marked the beginning of the ballet’s professional presence on the National Theatre’s stage. Over the years, the National Theatre Sarajevo has contributed to the development of drama and new dramatic forms, as well as an authentic interpretation of classics across Drama, Opera, and Ballet, and has enriched the music repertoire for opera and ballet within Bosnian-Herzegovinian culture. The theatre has premiered numerous works by local and international playwrights, including Vlado Milošević’s The Badger Before the Court, Asim Horozić’s Hasanaginica and Aska and the Wolf, and Đelo Jusić’s Katarina, the Bosnian Queen. By 1996, when the Sarajevo National Theatre celebrated its 75th anniversary, it had involved more than 1,600 actors, opera singers, ballet dancers, and other theatre professionals. During this period, it had staged 1,040 dramatic premieres and 264 opera and ballet projects. The theatre has performed extensively across Bosnia and Herzegovina and internationally.

The National Theatre Building

Originally called the “Social House,” the National Theatre building in Sarajevo was constructed in 1897 based on designs by

Karel Pařík Karel Pařík (4 July 1857 – 16 June 1942) was a Czech-born architect in the Austro-Hungarian empire. Pařík spent most of his life in Sarajevo where he designed over seventy major buildings, which are today classified among the most beauti ...

. It officially opened on January 2, 1899, with a production of

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Franz Grillparzer Franz Seraphicus Grillparzer (15 January 1791 – 21 January 1872) was an Austrian writer who was considered to be the leading Austrian dramatist of the 19th century. His plays were and are frequently performed at the Burgtheater in Vienna. He ...

, performed by the Croatian National Theatre from

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, with

Silvije Strahimir Kranjčević Silvije Strahimir Kranjčević (; 17 February 1865—29 October 1908) was a Croatian poet. His most notable work is ''Bugarkinje,'' published in ''1885,'' a book of poetry exploring the themes of Homeland, Man, and Universe. Early life and e ...

reading the prologue. The building served as a social club and a performance venue during the Austro-Hungarian administration, hosting theatre productions in what was referred to as “Saaltheater.” In 1922, the building was repurposed as the National Theatre.

National Monument Status

In September 2008, Bosnia and Herzegovina’s Commission to Preserve National Monuments designated the National Theatre building as a national monument. The decision was made by a commission consisting of Zeynep Ahunbay, Amra Hadžimuhamedović,

Dubravko Lovrenović Dubravko Lovrenović (30 August 1956 – 17 January 2017) was a Bosnian and Herzegovinian medievalist, author and essayist, who worked at the Faculty of Philosophy of the University of Sarajevo, Department of History, in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herz ...

, Ljiljana Ševo, and Tina Wik. The building itself is an architectural landmark, featuring a

neo-Renaissance Renaissance Revival architecture (sometimes referred to as "Neo-Renaissance") is a group of 19th-century Revivalism (architecture), architectural revival styles which were neither Greek Revival architecture, Greek Revival nor Gothic Revival ar ...

style and a rectangular structure measuring approximately 50 by 47 meters.

Awards

* 1970: Sixth of April Sarajevo Award for the National Theatre’s Ballet * 1972: Sixth of April Sarajevo Award for Drama * 1978: Sixth of April Sarajevo Award for the play Omer Pasha Latas

References

{{Coord, 43.8569, N, 18.4208, E, source:wikidata, display=title 1921 establishments in Bosnia and Herzegovina Theatres in Bosnia and Herzegovina Opera in Bosnia and Herzegovina Buildings and structures in Sarajevo Culture in Sarajevo Tourist attractions in Sarajevo National theatres National Monuments of Bosnia and Herzegovina