Drvar
Encyclopedia
Drvar is a town and municipality in western Bosnia and Herzegovina
, located on the road between Bosansko Grahovo
and Bosanski Petrovac
, also near Glamoč
. It is administratively part of Canton 10
of the Federation
.
Drvar lies in the vast valley, the southeastern part of Bosanska Krajina
, between the Osječenica, Klekovača
, Vijenca and Šator
mountains of the Dinaric Alps
. The southeast side of boundary extends from the Šator over Jadovnika, Uilice and descends to Lipovo and the Una River.
This extremely hilly region comprising the town of Drvar and the numerous outlying villages covers approximately 1030 square kilometers/640 square miles. The town itself is mainly spread out from the left side of the river Unac, and its elevation is approximately 480 meters/1574 feet.
Drvar is approximately 120 kilometers from Šibenik
, Croatia, 80 kilometers from Bihać
, and 125 kilometers to Banja Luka
.
word 'drvo' which means 'wood'. During socialist Yugoslavia, Drvar was named Titov Drvar in honor of Josip Broz Tito
.
• Bastasi
• Boboljusci
• Bosanski Osredci
• Brda
• Bunčevac
• Drvar
• Drvar
• Gornji Tiškovac
• Gruborski Naslon
• Kamenica
• Ljeskovica
• Mali Cvjetnić
• Malo Očijevo
• Martin Brod
• Mokronoge
• Motike
• Mrđe
• Očigrije
• Palučci
• Podić
• Podovi
• Poljice
• Potoci
• Prekaja
• Srnetica
• Šajinovac
• Šipovljani
• Trninić Brijeg
• Trubar
• Uvala
• Veliki Cvjetnić
• Veliko Očijevo
• Vidovo Selo
• Vrtoče
• Zaglavic
Total - Approximately 6,806:
May 1996
Total - Approximately 4,483, predominately Croat
Eventually poor labor conditions led to the first organized strikes in Drvar in 1906. These strikes continued until 1911 when the Austro-Hungarian Empire banned all such activities.
Raid on Drvar, codenamed "Operation Rösselsprung", on May 25, 1944 by Nazi German invaders in an attempt to assassinate Tito
. Tito, the main Partisan commander, was sheltered in the Partisan General Staff headquarters in what is now called "Tito's Cave" in the hills near Drvar at the time.
During the 4 years and 1 months of the war, Drvar was under occupation for just 390 days. 767 Drvar civilians were killed and only 13 pre-war houses still stood. Approximately 93% of the infrastructure of the town was destroyed, and the livestock population had been reduced by more than 80%.
Drvar was first occupied by the German army in April of 1941, followed shortly thereafter by the Italians. Drvar continued to experience fierce fighting through mid-1942 when the last of the German and Italian forces were expelled. The Germans re-entered Drvar in 1943 and left it a burned ruin when they departed.
On April 10th, Zagreb
Croatia, aligned with aligned with Nazi Germany, declared the Independent State of Croatia
(NDH) and claimed as part of its territory the entire area known as Bosnia and Herzegovina
. In Drvar, this resulted in the beginning of the presence of the Ustaše
government, the movement chiefly responsible for the World War II Holocaust in the Independent State of Croatia in which approximately three hundred thousand (estimates vary widely) Serbs, Jews, Roma, Croat resistance members and political opponents were sent to Nazi concentration camps and killed or killed in concentration camps such as Jasenovac
in Croatia. In the beginning the Ustaše contingent in Drvar was consisted of the Croatian population residing in Drvar, but they were soon reinforced by others who came from outside Drvar. In June of 1941 Ustaše arrested a large group of prominent Drvar citizens, and took them to Risovac near Bosanski Petrovac, where they were tortured, killed and thrown into a pit. Drvar citizens fought the Ustaše, forming highly organized guerrilla detachments with Kamenički, Javorje, Crljivičko-zaglavički, Boboljusko-cvjetnički, Trubarski, Mokronog and Tičevski, and Grahovo area Grahovsko-resanovski.
Leading up to 1995, Drvar was populated almost entirely by Bosnian Serbs. During the Bosnian War
that began in 1991-1992 and up until 1995, Drvar was controlled by what is now called the Republika Srpska
.
DRVAR during the War in Bosnia and Herzegovina
In 1995, Drvar (as well as some other municipalities) was taken over by Croatian forces, and the Serb population was expelled. Many fled to Banja Luka
. During this period, Drvar was nearly deserted.
On August 3rd 1995, the Croatian Rrmed Forces with the help of Bosnian Croats began shelling Drvar, from the mountain of Šator. Two Drvar citizens were killed and older men and women began to evacuate to Petrovac. One day later, the Croatian Government armed forces began "Operation Storm", called by European Union Special Envoy to the Former Yugoslavia Carl Bildt, "the most efficient military operation we've seen in the Balkans, and probably the best", in the "Dalmatinska zagora" region of Croatia, and columns of hundreds of thousands of refugees in cars, on tractors, wagons and on foot began to pass through Drvar as they fled their homes in Croatia. The shelling on the outlying areas of Drvar by Croatian Government forces was renewed and continued for days.
Drvar after the War in Bosnia and Herzegovina
In late 1995, after the Dayton Peace Accord
was signed, Drvar became part of the Federation
after which Croat politicians enticed up to 6000 Croats, mainly displaced persons from Central Bosnia, to move to Drvar, by promising such things as jobs and keys to vacant homes. A further 2,500 Croat HVO
troops and their families were stationed there, also occupying the homes of displaced Bosnian Serb citizens. This drastically changed the population and from 1995-1999 the population was primarily Croatian.
In 1996, small numbers of Serbs began to try to return to their homes but faced harassment and discrimination by the Croats. The return continued nonetheless despite the ongoing looting and burning of their homes in 1996-1998.
In 1998, Croat opposition to the return of displaced Bosnian Serb citizens culminated in riots and murders. Buildings and houses were torched, United Nations International Police Task Force personnel, SFOR
personnel and Mayor, Mile Marceta (elected with Serb refugee votes) were attacked, and two displaced elderly Serbs who had recently returned to Drvar were murdered.
Much of the damage done to the town of Drvar was done not during the war, but during its subsequent occupation by Croat civilians and military personnel as the homes and business of displaced Bosnian Serbs attempting to return to Drvar were looted and burned.
The local government and companies, the few that exist, are dominated by the Croats, and the Serbs have difficulty finding employment.
Famous landmarks include 'Tito's Cave' and the so-called 'Citadel'. At the latter mentioned location one can find an Austrian-Hungarian cemetery (in a very poor state) which may contain some (unknown) number of German soldiers buried after the attack of 1944. On this spot there is also a Roman roadsign (+/- 100 AD). Another one can be found on the way to Bosanski Petrovac
near Zaglavica.
Drvar is also renowned for its local rakija
, a type of plum brandy, popular all over the Balkans
.
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina , sometimes called Bosnia-Herzegovina or simply Bosnia, is a country in Southern Europe, on the Balkan Peninsula. Bordered by Croatia to the north, west and south, Serbia to the east, and Montenegro to the southeast, Bosnia and Herzegovina is almost landlocked, except for the...
, located on the road between Bosansko Grahovo
Bosansko Grahovo
Bosansko Grahovo is a town and municipality in western Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is located near the border with Croatia, near the towns of Drvar, Livno and Glamoč...
and Bosanski Petrovac
Bosanski Petrovac
Bosanski Petrovac is a town in western Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is also the name of the municipality. The town and municipality are part of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Una-Sana Canton.-People:...
, also near Glamoč
Glamoc
Glamoč is a town and municipality of the same name in western Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is in Canton 10, in the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina...
. It is administratively part of Canton 10
Canton 10
Canton 10 or County 10 is the tenth canton of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, located in the western part of Bosnia and Herzegovina. The capital of County and its president is in Kupres...
of the Federation
Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina
The Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina is one of the two political entities that compose the sovereign country of Bosnia and Herzegovina . The two entities are delineated by the Inter-Entity Boundary Line...
.
Drvar lies in the vast valley, the southeastern part of Bosanska Krajina
Bosanska Krajina
Bosanska Krajina or Bosnian Frontier is a geographical region, a subregion of Bosnia, in western Bosnia and Herzegovina enclosed by three rivers - Sava, Una and Vrbas. It is also a historic, economic and cultural entity of Bosnia and Herzegovina....
, between the Osječenica, Klekovača
Klekovača
Klekovača is a mountain in the Dinaric Alps of western Bosnia and Herzegovina, located near Drvar and Bosanski Petrovac. The highest peak is the Velika Klekovača at ....
, Vijenca and Šator
Šator
Šator is a mountain in the Dinaric Alps, in the western regions of Bosnia and Herzegovina. The name šator means "tent". The highest peak Veliki Šator is a.s.l...
mountains of the Dinaric Alps
Dinaric Alps
The Dinaric Alps or Dinarides form a mountain chain in Southern Europe, spanning areas of Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, Kosovo, Albania and Montenegro....
. The southeast side of boundary extends from the Šator over Jadovnika, Uilice and descends to Lipovo and the Una River.
This extremely hilly region comprising the town of Drvar and the numerous outlying villages covers approximately 1030 square kilometers/640 square miles. The town itself is mainly spread out from the left side of the river Unac, and its elevation is approximately 480 meters/1574 feet.
Drvar is approximately 120 kilometers from Šibenik
Šibenik
Šibenik is a historic town in Croatia, with population of 51,553 . It is located in central Dalmatia where the river Krka flows into the Adriatic Sea...
, Croatia, 80 kilometers from Bihać
Bihac
Bihać is a city and municipality on the river Una in the north-western part of Bosnia and Herzegovina, in the Bosanska Krajina region. Bihać is located in the Una-Sana Canton in the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina.-History:...
, and 125 kilometers to Banja Luka
Banja Luka
-History:The name "Banja Luka" was first mentioned in a document dated February 6, 1494, but Banja Luka's history dates back to ancient times. There is a substantial evidence of the Roman presence in the region during the first few centuries A.D., including an old fort "Kastel" in the centre of...
.
Name
The word Drvar stems from the Serbo-CroatianSerbo-Croatian language
Serbo-Croatian or Serbo-Croat, less commonly Bosnian/Croatian/Serbian , is a South Slavic language with multiple standards and the primary language of Serbia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Montenegro...
word 'drvo' which means 'wood'. During socialist Yugoslavia, Drvar was named Titov Drvar in honor of Josip Broz Tito
Josip Broz Tito
Marshal Josip Broz Tito – 4 May 1980) was a Yugoslav revolutionary and statesman. While his presidency has been criticized as authoritarian, Tito was a popular public figure both in Yugoslavia and abroad, viewed as a unifying symbol for the nations of the Yugoslav federation...
.
Settlements
• AtaševacAtaševac
Ataševac is a village in the municipality of Drvar, Bosnia and Herzegovina.-References:...
• Bastasi
Bastasi (Drvar)
Bastasi is a village in the municipality of Drvar, Bosnia and Herzegovina.-References:...
• Boboljusci
Boboljusci
Boboljusci is a village in the municipality of Drvar, Bosnia and Herzegovina....
• Bosanski Osredci
Bosanski Osredci
Bosanski Osredci is a village in the municipality of Drvar, Bosnia and Herzegovina.-References:...
• Brda
Brda (Drvar)
Brda is a village in the municipality of Drvar, Bosnia and Herzegovina.-References:...
• Bunčevac
Bunčevac
Bunčevac is a village in the municipality of Drvar, Bosnia and Herzegovina.-References:...
• Drvar
• Drvar
• Gornji Tiškovac
Gornji Tiškovac
Gornji Tiškovac is a village in the municipality of Drvar, Bosnia and Herzegovina....
• Gruborski Naslon
Gruborski Naslon
Gruborski Naslon is a village in the municipality of Drvar, Bosnia and Herzegovina.-References:...
• Kamenica
Kamenica (Drvar)
Kamenica is a village in the municipality of Drvar, Bosnia and Herzegovina.-References:...
• Ljeskovica
Ljeskovica (Drvar)
Ljeskovica is a village in the municipality of Drvar, Bosnia and Herzegovina.-References:...
• Mali Cvjetnić
Mali Cvjetnić
Mali Cvjetnić is a village in the municipality of Drvar, Bosnia and Herzegovina.-References:...
• Malo Očijevo
Malo Očijevo
Malo Očijevo is a village in the municipality of Drvar, Bosnia and Herzegovina.-References:...
• Martin Brod
Martin Brod
Martin Brod is a village in the municipality of Drvar, Bosnia and Herzegovina.-References:...
• Mokronoge
Mokronoge (Drvar)
Mokronoge is a village in the municipality of Drvar, Bosnia and Herzegovina.-References:...
• Motike
Motike (Drvar)
Motike is a village in the municipality of Drvar, Bosnia and Herzegovina....
• Mrđe
Mrđe
Mrđe is a village in the municipality of Drvar, Bosnia and Herzegovina.-References:...
• Očigrije
Očigrije
Očigrije is a village in the municipality of Drvar, Bosnia and Herzegovina.-References:...
• Palučci
Palučci
Palučci is a village in the municipality of Drvar, Bosnia and Herzegovina.-References:...
• Podić
Podić
Podić is a village in the municipality of Drvar, Bosnia and Herzegovina.-References:...
• Podovi
Podovi (Drvar)
Podovi is a village in the municipality of Drvar, Bosnia and Herzegovina.-References:...
• Poljice
• Potoci
Potoci (Drvar)
Potoci is a village in the municipality of Drvar, Bosnia and Herzegovina....
• Prekaja
Prekaja
Prekaja is a village in the municipality of Drvar, Bosnia and Herzegovina.-References:...
• Srnetica
Srnetica
Srnetica is a village in the municipality of Drvar, Bosnia and Herzegovina.-References:...
• Šajinovac
Šajinovac
Šajinovac is a village in the municipality of Drvar, Bosnia and Herzegovina.-References:...
• Šipovljani
Šipovljani
Šipovljani is a village in the municipality of Drvar, Bosnia and Herzegovina....
• Trninić Brijeg
Trninić Brijeg
Trninić Brijeg is a village in the municipality of Drvar, Bosnia and Herzegovina.-References:...
• Trubar
• Uvala
Uvala
Uvala is a village in the municipality of Drvar, Bosnia and Herzegovina....
• Veliki Cvjetnić
Veliki Cvjetnić
Veliki Cvjetnić is a village in the municipality of Drvar, Bosnia and Herzegovina.-References:...
• Veliko Očijevo
Veliko Očijevo
Veliko Očijevo is a village in the municipality of Drvar, Bosnia and Herzegovina.-References:...
• Vidovo Selo
Vidovo Selo
Vidovo Selo is a village in the municipality of Drvar, Bosnia and Herzegovina.-References:...
• Vrtoče
Vrtoče (Drvar)
Vrtoče is a village in the municipality of Drvar, Bosnia and Herzegovina.-References:...
• Zaglavic
Zaglavic
Zaglavic is a village in the municipality of Drvar, Bosnia and Herzegovina....
Demographics
January 2007Total - Approximately 6,806:
- Serbs: 6 759 (99,31%)
- Croats: 7 (0,10%)
- Bosniaks: 40 (0,59%)
May 1996
Total - Approximately 4,483, predominately Croat
| Year of census | total | Serbs Serbs The Serbs are a South Slavic ethnic group of the Balkans and southern Central Europe. Serbs are located mainly in Serbia, Montenegro and Bosnia and Herzegovina, and form a sizable minority in Croatia, the Republic of Macedonia and Slovenia. Likewise, Serbs are an officially recognized minority in... | Muslims Muslims by nationality Muslims by nationality was a term used in Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia as an official designation of nationality of Slavic Muslims. They were one of the constitutive groups of Bosnia and Herzegovina... | Croats Croats Croats are a South Slavic ethnic group mostly living in Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and nearby countries. There are around 4 million Croats living inside Croatia and up to 4.5 million throughout the rest of the world. Responding to political, social and economic pressure, many Croats have... | Yugoslavs Yugoslavs Yugoslavs is a national designation used by a minority of South Slavs across the countries of the former Yugoslavia and in the diaspora... | others |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 17,126 | 16,608 (96.97%) | 33 (0.19%) | 33 (0.19%) | 384 (2.24%) | 68 (0.39%) |
| 1981 | 17,983 | 15,896 (88.39%) | 26 (0.14%) | 62 (0.34%) | 1,842 (10.24%) | 157 (0.89%) |
| 1971 | 20,064 | 19,496 (97.16%) | 213 (1.06%) | 141 (0.70%) | 259 (3.21%) | 140 (0.72%) |
Early History
The first writings on Drvar and the presence of Serbs in the region date back to the ninth century. In the first half of the sixteenth century (approximately 1530) residents of this area, under the leadership of a Vojnovića from Glamoc, migrated to the surroundings of Zagreb (Metlika Zumberak and four surrounding villages). The greater area was populated in Roman Times as evidenced by the remains of Roman roads and signposts.Drvar Under Austro-Hungarian Rule
In 1878 Drvar, along with the rest of Bosnia, was subjugated to Austro-Hungarian rule. Around 1893 Austrian industrialist Otto von Steinbeis :de:Otto von Steinbeis leased the right to exploit fir and spruce forests in the mountains of Klekovača, Lunjevače, Srnetica and Osječenica. Steinbeis operated in the area until 1918 when, after the First World War, the company was taken over by the new Yugoslav state. During the 25 years that Steinbeis operated in the area, he created a complete infrastructure for processing forest products including the construction of modern lumber mills in Drvar and Dobrljin, and the construction of a network of roads and 400 km of narrow-gauge railway, and telephone and telegraph lines. During this time Drvar grew into an industrial town employing approximately 2800 persons in which homes, hospitals, restaurants, cafe and retails shops were built. Additional factories appeared in Drvar, including a cellulose factory opened by Alphons Simunius Blumer.Eventually poor labor conditions led to the first organized strikes in Drvar in 1906. These strikes continued until 1911 when the Austro-Hungarian Empire banned all such activities.
Drvar Under the Kingdom OF Serbs, Croats and Slovenes
1918 saw the fall of the Austro-Hungarian Empire and the rise of the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes, but this did not help the plight of the workers in Drvar, who became better organized and rose up to strike again in 1921. In 1932, economic crisis resulted in the layoff of 2,000 workers.Drvar During World War II
In more recent history, Drvar is perhaps most famous as the location of a daring airdropAirdrop
An airdrop is a type of airlift, developed during World War II to resupply otherwise inaccessible troops, who themselves may have been airborne forces. In some cases, it is used to refer to the airborne assault itself. Early airdrops were conducted by dropping or pushing padded bundles from...
Raid on Drvar, codenamed "Operation Rösselsprung", on May 25, 1944 by Nazi German invaders in an attempt to assassinate Tito
Josip Broz Tito
Marshal Josip Broz Tito – 4 May 1980) was a Yugoslav revolutionary and statesman. While his presidency has been criticized as authoritarian, Tito was a popular public figure both in Yugoslavia and abroad, viewed as a unifying symbol for the nations of the Yugoslav federation...
. Tito, the main Partisan commander, was sheltered in the Partisan General Staff headquarters in what is now called "Tito's Cave" in the hills near Drvar at the time.
During the 4 years and 1 months of the war, Drvar was under occupation for just 390 days. 767 Drvar civilians were killed and only 13 pre-war houses still stood. Approximately 93% of the infrastructure of the town was destroyed, and the livestock population had been reduced by more than 80%.
Drvar was first occupied by the German army in April of 1941, followed shortly thereafter by the Italians. Drvar continued to experience fierce fighting through mid-1942 when the last of the German and Italian forces were expelled. The Germans re-entered Drvar in 1943 and left it a burned ruin when they departed.
On April 10th, Zagreb
Zagreb
Zagreb is the capital and the largest city of the Republic of Croatia. It is in the northwest of the country, along the Sava river, at the southern slopes of the Medvednica mountain. Zagreb lies at an elevation of approximately above sea level. According to the last official census, Zagreb's city...
Croatia, aligned with aligned with Nazi Germany, declared the Independent State of Croatia
Independent State of Croatia
The Independent State of Croatia was a World War II puppet state of Nazi Germany, established on a part of Axis-occupied Yugoslavia. The NDH was founded on 10 April 1941, after the invasion of Yugoslavia by the Axis powers. All of Bosnia and Herzegovina was annexed to NDH, together with some parts...
(NDH) and claimed as part of its territory the entire area known as Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina , sometimes called Bosnia-Herzegovina or simply Bosnia, is a country in Southern Europe, on the Balkan Peninsula. Bordered by Croatia to the north, west and south, Serbia to the east, and Montenegro to the southeast, Bosnia and Herzegovina is almost landlocked, except for the...
. In Drvar, this resulted in the beginning of the presence of the Ustaše
Ustaše
The Ustaša - Croatian Revolutionary Movement was a Croatian fascist anti-Yugoslav separatist movement. The ideology of the movement was a blend of fascism, Nazism, and Croatian nationalism. The Ustaše supported the creation of a Greater Croatia that would span to the River Drina and to the border...
government, the movement chiefly responsible for the World War II Holocaust in the Independent State of Croatia in which approximately three hundred thousand (estimates vary widely) Serbs, Jews, Roma, Croat resistance members and political opponents were sent to Nazi concentration camps and killed or killed in concentration camps such as Jasenovac
Jasenovac concentration camp
Jasenovac concentration camp was the largest extermination camp in the Independent State of Croatia and occupied Yugoslavia during World War II...
in Croatia. In the beginning the Ustaše contingent in Drvar was consisted of the Croatian population residing in Drvar, but they were soon reinforced by others who came from outside Drvar. In June of 1941 Ustaše arrested a large group of prominent Drvar citizens, and took them to Risovac near Bosanski Petrovac, where they were tortured, killed and thrown into a pit. Drvar citizens fought the Ustaše, forming highly organized guerrilla detachments with Kamenički, Javorje, Crljivičko-zaglavički, Boboljusko-cvjetnički, Trubarski, Mokronog and Tičevski, and Grahovo area Grahovsko-resanovski.
Post-War Years
In the years following the war, Drvar was rebuilt, its timber industry restored, and new metal, fabrication, and carpet industries developed. Eventually, electricity was brought to outlying villages. Over time, it became a tourist destination attracting approximately 200,000 visitors a year, primarily to Tito's Cave, and on November 24, 1981, Drvar changed its name to Titov Drvar.Leading up to 1995, Drvar was populated almost entirely by Bosnian Serbs. During the Bosnian War
Bosnian War
The Bosnian War or the War in Bosnia and Herzegovina was an international armed conflict that took place in Bosnia and Herzegovina between April 1992 and December 1995. The war involved several sides...
that began in 1991-1992 and up until 1995, Drvar was controlled by what is now called the Republika Srpska
Republika Srpska
Republika Srpska is one of two main political entities of Bosnia and Herzegovina, the other being the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina...
.
DRVAR during the War in Bosnia and HerzegovinaBosnian WarThe Bosnian War or the War in Bosnia and Herzegovina was an international armed conflict that took place in Bosnia and Herzegovina between April 1992 and December 1995. The war involved several sides...
In 1995, Drvar (as well as some other municipalities) was taken over by Croatian forces, and the Serb population was expelled. Many fled to Banja LukaBanja Luka
-History:The name "Banja Luka" was first mentioned in a document dated February 6, 1494, but Banja Luka's history dates back to ancient times. There is a substantial evidence of the Roman presence in the region during the first few centuries A.D., including an old fort "Kastel" in the centre of...
. During this period, Drvar was nearly deserted.
On August 3rd 1995, the Croatian Rrmed Forces with the help of Bosnian Croats began shelling Drvar, from the mountain of Šator. Two Drvar citizens were killed and older men and women began to evacuate to Petrovac. One day later, the Croatian Government armed forces began "Operation Storm", called by European Union Special Envoy to the Former Yugoslavia Carl Bildt, "the most efficient military operation we've seen in the Balkans, and probably the best", in the "Dalmatinska zagora" region of Croatia, and columns of hundreds of thousands of refugees in cars, on tractors, wagons and on foot began to pass through Drvar as they fled their homes in Croatia. The shelling on the outlying areas of Drvar by Croatian Government forces was renewed and continued for days.
Drvar after the War in Bosnia and HerzegovinaBosnian WarThe Bosnian War or the War in Bosnia and Herzegovina was an international armed conflict that took place in Bosnia and Herzegovina between April 1992 and December 1995. The war involved several sides...
In late 1995, after the Dayton Peace AccordDayton Agreement
The General Framework Agreement for Peace in Bosnia and Herzegovina, also known as the Dayton Agreement, Dayton Accords, Paris Protocol or Dayton-Paris Agreement, is the peace agreement reached at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base near Dayton, Ohio in November 1995, and formally signed in Paris on...
was signed, Drvar became part of the Federation
Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina
The Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina is one of the two political entities that compose the sovereign country of Bosnia and Herzegovina . The two entities are delineated by the Inter-Entity Boundary Line...
after which Croat politicians enticed up to 6000 Croats, mainly displaced persons from Central Bosnia, to move to Drvar, by promising such things as jobs and keys to vacant homes. A further 2,500 Croat HVO
HVO
- Organizations :*Croatian Defence Council , a military formation of the self-proclaimed Croatian Republic of Herzeg-Bosnia during the Bosnian War*Hawaiian Volcano Observatory, a unit of the US Geological Survey...
troops and their families were stationed there, also occupying the homes of displaced Bosnian Serb citizens. This drastically changed the population and from 1995-1999 the population was primarily Croatian.
In 1996, small numbers of Serbs began to try to return to their homes but faced harassment and discrimination by the Croats. The return continued nonetheless despite the ongoing looting and burning of their homes in 1996-1998.
In 1998, Croat opposition to the return of displaced Bosnian Serb citizens culminated in riots and murders. Buildings and houses were torched, United Nations International Police Task Force personnel, SFOR
SFOR
The Stabilisation Force was a NATO-led multinational peacekeeping force in Bosnia and Herzegovina which was tasked with upholding the Dayton Agreement. It replaced the previous force IFOR...
personnel and Mayor, Mile Marceta (elected with Serb refugee votes) were attacked, and two displaced elderly Serbs who had recently returned to Drvar were murdered.
Much of the damage done to the town of Drvar was done not during the war, but during its subsequent occupation by Croat civilians and military personnel as the homes and business of displaced Bosnian Serbs attempting to return to Drvar were looted and burned.
The local government and companies, the few that exist, are dominated by the Croats, and the Serbs have difficulty finding employment.
Economy
Drvar was already well known in the Austrian-Hungarian era due to the high-quality wood coming from that area. The Drvar area is still one of the largest logging and woodprocessing environments in BiH. One of the major problems in this area is the widespread corruption connected to this woodprocessing industry. It is estimated that during 2004 about 110.000m 3 of wood 'disappeared'. Average price of 1m 3 of timber (second class) is about 100 KM (100 Konvertible Mark = 50 Euros).Features
'Desant na Drvar' is a film made about the German attack on Drvar. There are still some locations visitable, which were heavily fought over in that period, that still seem to be untouched by time.Famous landmarks include 'Tito's Cave' and the so-called 'Citadel'. At the latter mentioned location one can find an Austrian-Hungarian cemetery (in a very poor state) which may contain some (unknown) number of German soldiers buried after the attack of 1944. On this spot there is also a Roman roadsign (+/- 100 AD). Another one can be found on the way to Bosanski Petrovac
Bosanski Petrovac
Bosanski Petrovac is a town in western Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is also the name of the municipality. The town and municipality are part of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Una-Sana Canton.-People:...
near Zaglavica.
Drvar is also renowned for its local rakija
Rakia
Rakia is an alcoholic beverage that is produced by distillation of fermented fruit; it is a popular beverage throughout the Balkans. Its alcohol content is normally 40% ABV, but home-produced rakia can be stronger . Prepečenica is double-distilled rakia which has an alcohol content that may...
, a type of plum brandy, popular all over the Balkans
Balkans
The Balkans is a geopolitical and cultural region of southeastern Europe...
.