Editing Srebrenica (section)

==History==

===Roman era===
[[File:Manastir Sase22.JPG|thumb|left|upright|Roman tombstone, excavated close to [[Sase Monastery]]]]
[[Illyrians]] inhabited Srebrenica and mined the silver in a nearby mine. Silver was also the main reason behind the Roman invasion of the area.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Hajdarbegovic|first=Emir|title=Istorijat Srebrenice|url=https://www.srebrenica.gov.ba/index.php/homepage/istorijat-srebrenice|access-date=2021-03-08|website=www.srebrenica.gov.ba|language=en|archive-date=2020-10-31|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201031044132/http://www.srebrenica.gov.ba/index.php/homepage/istorijat-srebrenice|url-status=live}}</ref>

During the [[Roman Empire|Roman]] times, there was a settlement of Domavia, known to have been near a mine.{{Sfn|W. Carter|1977|p=411}}<ref>{{Cite web|title=Сребреница кроз историју {{!}} Туристичка организација Републике Српске|url=https://turizamrs.org/srebrenica-kroz-istoriju/|access-date=2021-03-08|language=sr|archive-date=2022-07-06|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220706033539/http://turizamrs.org/srebrenica-kroz-istoriju/|url-status=live}}</ref> Silver ore from there was moved to the [[Mint (facility)|mint]]s in [[Salona]] in the southwest and [[Sirmium]] in the northeast using the [[Via Argentaria]].<ref name="This City Knows 2017">{{cite web | title=Remembering Srebrenica – a town that once prospered from its metal industry and spa tourism, before the war came | website=This City Knows | date=2017-07-11 | url=https://www.thiscityknows.com/remembering-srebrenica-town-that-prospered-from-metal-industry-and-spa-tourism-before-the-war/ | access-date=2021-06-16 | archive-date=2021-06-24 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210624202248/https://www.thiscityknows.com/remembering-srebrenica-town-that-prospered-from-metal-industry-and-spa-tourism-before-the-war/ | url-status=live }}</ref> The current settlement of Srebrenica was also known by the Romans as Argentaria.<ref name="The Forum for Cities in Transition 2014">{{cite web | title=Srebrenica | website=The Forum for Cities in Transition | date=2014-08-19 | url=https://citiesintransition.net/srebrenica/ | access-date=2021-06-16 | archive-date=2021-06-24 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210624195848/https://citiesintransition.net/srebrenica/ | url-status=live }}</ref>

A Roman [[tombstone]] was excavated near [[Sase Monastery]].

===Middle Ages===
An early Christian church dated to the 6th century was discovered in Srebrenica.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Srpska|first=RTRS, Radio Televizija Republike Srpske, Radio Television of Republic of|title=Srebrenica: Ostaci crkve iz šestog vijeka za vjerske obrede, nastavu i turiste (FOTO)|url=http://lat.rtrs.tv/vijesti/vijest.php?id=424133|access-date=2021-03-08|website=DRUŠTVO - RTRS|archive-date=2021-03-07|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210307152019/https://lat.rtrs.tv/vijesti/vijest.php?id=424133|url-status=live}}</ref>

In the 13th and 14th century the region was part of the [[Banate of Bosnia]], and, subsequently, the [[Bosnian Kingdom]].  The earliest reference to the name Srebrenica was in 1376, by which time it was already an important centre for trade in the western Balkans, based especially on the silver mines of the region. (Compare modern [[wikt:srebro|srebro]] "silver".) By that time, a large number of merchants of the [[Republic of Ragusa]] were established there, and they controlled the domestic silver trade and the export by sea, almost entirely via the port of Ragusa ([[Dubrovnik]]).<ref>Konstantin Jireček: ''Die Handelsstrassen und Bergwerke von Serbien und Bosnien während des Mittelalters: historisch-geographische Studien''. Prag: Verl. der Kön. Böhmischen Ges. der Wiss., 1879</ref> During the 14th century, many German miners moved into the area.<ref>Mihailo Dinić: ''Za istoriju rudarstva u srednjevekovnoj Srbiji i Bosni'', S. 46</ref>  There were often armed conflicts about Srebrenica because of its mines. According to Czech historian [[Konstantin Josef Jireček]], from 1411 to 1463, Srebrenica switched hands several times, being [[Kingdom of Hungary|Hungarian]] one time, Serbian five times, Bosnian four times, and Ottoman three times.{{Sfn|Jireček|1952|p=403}} The mines of Bosnian [[Podrinje]] and [[Usora (region)|Usora]] were part of the [[Serbian Despotate]] prior to the Ottoman conquest.<ref name="Kulenović1995">{{cite book|author=Salih Kulenović|title=Etnologija sjeveroistočne Bosne: rasprave, studije, članci|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=G90xAAAAMAAJ|year=1995|publisher=Muzej istočne Bosne|page=20|access-date=2016-01-01|archive-date=2023-03-24|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230324114853/https://books.google.com/books?id=G90xAAAAMAAJ|url-status=live}}</ref>

===Ottoman period===
[[File:Srebrenica Stari Grad.JPG|thumb|left|upright|Remains of medieval fortifications of the old town (''Stari grad'')]]
With the town coming under Ottoman rule, becoming less influenced by the Republic of Ragusa, the economic importance of Srebrenica went into decline, as did the proportion of Christians in the population. The [[Franciscan]] church of St. Nicholas was converted into the [[White Mosque (Srebrenica)|White Mosque]], but the large number of Catholics, Ragusan and Saxon, caused the transformation of the town to Islam to be slower than in most of the other towns in the area.<ref>''A Short History of Bosnia'', S. 53 ff.</ref>

The area of [[Osat]] was liberated for a short time during the [[First Serbian Uprising]] (1804–13), under the leadership of [[Kara-Marko Vasić]] from [[Crvica, Srebrenica|Crvica]]. Upon the breakout of the uprising, Metropolitan Hadži Melentije Stevanović contacted Vasić, who met with the rebel leadership. After participating in battles on the Drina (1804), Vasić asked [[Karađorđe]] for an army to liberate Osat; [[Lazar Mutap]] was dispatched and the region came under rebel rule. In 1808, the Ottomans cleared out Osat, and by 1813, the rebels left the region.

===Austro-Hungarian period===
[[File:White Mosque Srebrenica 1905-Colourised.jpg|thumb|upright|left|The [[White Mosque (Srebrenica)|White Mosque]] in 1905]]
[[File:Guber-Quelle.jpg|thumb|Advertisement for ''Guber-Quelle'' mineral water from Srebrenica, marketed by [[Mattoni]] before 1918]]

The town came under [[Austria-Hungary|Austro-Hungarian]] rule in 1878, when the [[Congress of Berlin]] approved the occupation of the [[Bosnia Vilayet]], which later in 1908 became a [[Condominium (international law)|condominium]] under the joint control of [[Cisleithania|Austria]] and [[Transleithania|Hungary]]. The natural [[mineral water]] springs [[Crni Guber]] ("Black Guber") developed into an important part of the local economy. The Bohemian company [[Mattoni]] established a distribution infrastructure to tap and export the water named ''Guber-Quelle'' ("Guber Spring") throughout the monarchy and abroad.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.esrebrenica.ba/vijesti/guber-voda-kako-je-sve-pocelo-i-gdje-smo-sada.html |title=Guber voda: Kako je sve počelo i gdje smo sada |access-date=2020-07-11 |archive-date=2017-05-22 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170522212016/http://www.esrebrenica.ba/vijesti/guber-voda-kako-je-sve-pocelo-i-gdje-smo-sada.html |url-status=dead }}</ref> The construction of a [[spa]] was recommended.<ref>{{Google books|hjpjDwAAQBAJ|Durch Bosnien und die Hercegovina kreuz und quer|page=186|keywords=Guber|text=|plainurl=}}</ref> Modern infrastructure such as [[Administration (government)|administration]], [[electricity]], [[roads]], [[schools]], [[telephone]], [[healthcare]], a [[Mail|postal]] service and other things were introduced.<ref>{{Google books|hjpjDwAAQBAJ|Durch Bosnien und die Hercegovina kreuz und quer|page=187|keywords=Konak|text=|plainurl=}}</ref>

Although the Austrian rulers tried to stop the spread of [[nationalism]] and favoured a multi-religious and multi-cultural makeup with religious tolerance under their hegemony, Serbian nationalism was viewed with suspicion and hostility, since it demanded a unification of Bosnia with Serbia. As modern education raised the levels of general literacy, ideas spread through the advent of [[newspapers]] and publications. The region became increasingly restless as nationalism spread to all groups.

During the [[First World War]], one of the region's main battle areas was in Eastern Bosnia and the Drina, from where the units of Austria-Hungary advanced towards the Kingdom of Serbia. In late summer 1914 Srebrenica was taken over by Serbian volunteers under Kosta Todorović but later retaken by Austro-Hungarian units. Following World War I, Bosnia was incorporated into the South Slav [[Kingdom of Yugoslavia|kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes]], which later was renamed Yugoslavia.

===Second World War===
During the [[Second World War]] there were many atrocities committed by the [[Chetniks]] and [[Ustaše|Ustashas]]. Partisans fought [[Chetniks]] and [[Ustashe]] during the war and the people of Srebrenica built a partisan memorial cemetery monument for the fallen victims.

===Yugoslav period===
Tourism gained importance during the communist Yugoslav period and wellness spa and taking to the waters became an important part of the local economy. The ''Banja Guber'' was constructed for that purpose.  Up to the 1990s over 90,000 overnight stays were recorded and an annual income of about three million dollars generated.<ref>{{Cite web|url = https://www.dw.com/bs/banja-guber-nada-bolesnicima-i-srebreni%C4%8Danima/a-17248768|title = Banja Guber – nada bolesnicima i Srebreničanima &#124; DW &#124; 24.11.2013|website = [[Deutsche Welle]]|access-date = 2020-07-12|archive-date = 2020-07-12|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20200712173221/https://www.dw.com/bs/banja-guber-nada-bolesnicima-i-srebreni%C4%8Danima/a-17248768|url-status = live}}</ref>

===Bosnian War===
[[File:Memorijalni centar Srebrenica-Potočari2.JPG|thumb|[[Srebrenica Genocide Memorial]]]]
{{main|Srebrenica massacre|Bosnian genocide}}
The town of Srebrenica came to global prominence as a result of events during the [[Bosnian War]] (1992–1995). The strategic objectives proclaimed by the secessionist Bosnian Serb presidency included the creation of a border separating the Serb people from Bosnia's other ethnic communities and the abolition of the border along the River [[Drina]] separating Serbia and the Bosnian Serbs' Republika Srpska.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.icty.org/x/cases/tolimir/ind/en/tol-ii050210e.htm|title=Tolimir et al. CASE NO. IT-04-80-I|access-date=2010-08-26|archive-date=2016-03-12|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160312233654/http://www.icty.org/x/cases/tolimir/ind/en/tol-ii050210e.htm|url-status=live}}</ref> The Bosnian Muslim/Bosniak majority population of the Drina Valley posed a major obstacle to the achievement of these objectives. In the early days of the campaign of forcible transfer (ethnic cleansing) that followed the outbreak of war in April 1992 the town of Srebrenica was occupied by Serb/Serbian forces. It was subsequently retaken by Bosniak resistance groups. Refugees expelled from towns and villages across the central Drina valley sought shelter in Srebrenica, swelling the town's population.<ref name=":0">{{Cite journal |last=White |first=Thomas |last2=Karčić |first2=Hikmet |date=Winter 2024 |title=Genocide in Bosnia-Hercegovina: A Short History |url=https://www.keene.edu/academics/cchgs/resources/educational-handouts/genocide-in-bosnia-hercegovina-a-very-short-history/download/ |format=PDF |journal=Keene State College: Educational Handouts}}</ref>

The town and its surrounding area was surrounded and [[Siege of Srebrenica|besieged by Serb forces]]. On 16 April 1993, the [[United Nations]] declared the Bosnian Muslim/Bosniak [[Enclave and exclave|enclave]] a [[United Nations Safe Areas|UN safe area]], to be "free from any armed attack or any other hostile act", and guarded by a small Dutch unit operating under the mandate of [[United Nations Protection Force]] (UNPROFOR), which did not get permission to use force from the UN, which they needed to defend the local population.<ref name=":0" />

Srebrenica and the other UN safe areas of [[Žepa]] and [[Goražde]] were isolated pockets of Bosnian government-held territory in eastern Bosnia. In July 1995, despite the town's UN-protected status, it was attacked and captured by the [[Army of Republika Srpska]] led by general [[Ratko Mladić]]. Following the town's capture, all men of fighting age who fell into Bosnian Serb hands were massacred in a systematically organised series of [[summary execution]]s.<ref name=":0" /> The women of the town, boys below 12 years of age, and men above 65 were transferred by bus to [[Tuzla]].<ref name=":0" /> The [[Srebrenica massacre]] was the deadliest massacre in Europe since World War II,<ref>{{cite web|title=Srebrenica reburies 308 victims of massacre|url=https://www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna25639691|date=11 July 2008|work=NBC News|access-date=11 July 2009|archive-date=6 October 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141006201328/http://www.nbcnews.com/id/25639691/|url-status=live}}</ref> being the only incident in Europe to have been recognized as a genocide since the Holocaust.<ref>{{cite web|title='It's getting out of hand': genocide denial outlawed in Bosnia|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/jul/24/genocide-denial-outlawed-bosnia-srebrenica-office-high-representative|date=24 July 2021|work=The Guardian|access-date=24 July 2021|archive-date=24 July 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210724042604/https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/jul/24/genocide-denial-outlawed-bosnia-srebrenica-office-high-representative|url-status=live}}</ref>

In 2001, the Srebrenica massacre was determined by judgement of the [[International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia]] (ICTY) to have been a crime of [[genocide]] (confirmed on appeal in 2004).<ref>{{cite web|title=Krstic – Judgement |url=https://www.un.org/icty/krstic/Appeal/judgement/index.htm|date=19 April 2004|publisher=[[International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia]]|access-date=11 July 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080710085141/http://www.un.org/icty/krstic/Appeal/judgement/index.htm|archive-date=10 July 2008}}</ref> This finding was upheld in 2007 by the [[International Court of Justice]]. The decision of the ICTY was followed by an admission to and an apology for the massacre by the Republika Srpska government.<ref>{{cite web|title=Serbs sorry for Srebrenica deaths|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/3999985.stm|date=10 November 2004|publisher=[[BBC]]|access-date=11 July 2009|archive-date=4 September 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080904004658/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/3999985.stm|url-status=live}}</ref>

Under the 1995 [[Dayton Agreement]] which ended the Bosnian War, Srebrenica was included in the territory assigned to Bosnian Serb control as the Republika Srpska entity of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Although guaranteed under the provisions of the Dayton Agreement, the return of survivors was repeatedly obstructed. In 2007, verbal and physical attacks on returning refugees continued to be reported in the region around Srebrenica.<ref>{{Cite web |date = 21 February 2008 |title = 7th Session of the UN Human Rights Council |work = Society for Threatened Peoples |pages = 2 |url = http://forum-menschenrechte.de/cms/upload/PDF/ab_05-2008/aides_memoires/Bosnia_Herzegowina-GfbV.pdf |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20110719021433/http://forum-menschenrechte.de/cms/upload/PDF/ab_05-2008/aides_memoires/Bosnia_Herzegowina-GfbV.pdf |url-status = dead |archive-date = 19 July 2011 }}</ref>

====Fate of Bosnian Muslim villages====
In 1992, Bosniak villages around Srebrenica were under constant attacks by Serb forces. The Bosnian Institute in the United Kingdom has published a list of 296 villages destroyed by Serb forces around Srebrenica three years before the genocide and in the first three months of war (April–June 1992):<ref>Bosnian Institute UK, the 26-page study: "[http://www.bosnia.org.uk/news/news_body.cfm?newsid=2771 Prelude to the Srebrenica Genocide – mass murder and ethnic cleansing of Bosniaks in the Srebrenica region during the first three months of the Bosnian War (April–June 1992)] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130906121145/http://www.bosnia.org.uk/news/news_body.cfm?newsid=2771 |date=2013-09-06 }}", 18 November 2010.</ref>

{{quotation|More than three years before the 1995 Srebrenica genocide, Bosnian Serb nationalists – with the logistical, moral and financial support of Serbia and the Yugoslav People's Army (JNA) – destroyed 296 predominantly Bosniak (Bosnian Muslim) villages in the region around Srebrenica, forcibly uprooting some 70,000 Bosniaks from their homes and systematically massacring at least 3,166 Bosniaks (documented deaths) including many women, children and the elderly.}}

According to the [[Naser Orić#The verdict|Naser Orić trial judgement]]:<ref>{{cite web| url = http://www.icty.org/x/cases/oric/tjug/en/ori-jud060630e.pdf| title = Naser Oric Trial Judgement, ICTY| access-date = 2009-10-10| archive-date = 2011-06-06| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20110606110019/http://www.icty.org/x/cases/oric/tjug/en/ori-jud060630e.pdf| url-status = live}}</ref>

{{quotation|"Between April 1992 and March 1993, Srebrenica town and the villages in the area held by Bosnian Muslims were constantly subjected to Serb military assaults, including artillery attacks, sniper fire, as well as occasional bombing from aircraft. Each onslaught followed a similar pattern. Serb soldiers and paramilitaries surrounded a Bosnian Muslim village or hamlet, called upon the population to surrender their weapons, and then began with indiscriminate shelling and shooting. In most cases, they then entered the village or hamlet, expelled or killed the population, who offered no significant resistance and destroyed their homes. During this period, Srebrenica was subjected to indiscriminate shelling from all directions on a daily basis. Potočari in particular was a daily target for Serb artillery and infantry because it was a sensitive point in the defence line around Srebrenica. Other Bosnian Muslim settlements were routinely attacked as well. All this resulted in a great number of refugees and casualties."}}

===Post-war period===
The town has a religious makeup of roughly half Muslim and half Orthodox. Most of the town's 23 mosques that were destroyed were reconstructed with donations and aid, also from abroad.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.faktor.ba/vijest/obnova-dzamija-u-srebrenici-nakon-rusenja-23-bogomolje-19-ih-je-obnovljeno-163352 |title=Obnova džamija u Srebrenici: Nakon rušenja 23 bogomolje, 19 ih je obnovljeno &#124; Faktor.ba |website=www.faktor.ba |access-date=12 January 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170403014056/http://www.faktor.ba/vijest/obnova-dzamija-u-srebrenici-nakon-rusenja-23-bogomolje-19-ih-je-obnovljeno-163352 |archive-date=3 April 2017 |url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://bnn.ba/vijesti/u-srebrenici-svecano-otvorena-dozica-dzamija |title=U Srebrenici svečano otvorena Đozića džamija &#124; BNN |website=bnn.ba |access-date=12 January 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170403013710/http://bnn.ba/vijesti/u-srebrenici-svecano-otvorena-dozica-dzamija |archive-date=3 April 2017 |url-status=dead}}</ref>

Unemployment rates are high since the economy was destroyed and reconstruction progresses slowly, as in many parts of the country. There are plans to revive the mineral water and spa business again. The reconstruction of the ''Banja Guber'' was scheduled for 2019 but experienced delays.<ref>{{Cite web|url = https://istinomjer.ba/banja-guber-pocinje-sa-radom-do-kraja-godine/|title = Banja Guber ne počinje sa radom ove godine|date = 10 December 2019|access-date = 12 July 2020|archive-date = 14 July 2020|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20200714024328/https://istinomjer.ba/banja-guber-pocinje-sa-radom-do-kraja-godine/|url-status = live}}</ref>