Recollecting Our Past: St. Louis Bosnians a Generation after the War

Project Overview

This exhibit shows photos of the destruction of the city of Sarajevo when it was under siege from 1992 to 1996. The exhibit also shows the buildings that were destroyed during the siege, depicting how the Bosnian people’s way of life was gone and how they were forced to leave behind what they valued. Elsie Roth is an RN/MSN. She traveled to Bosnia from St. Louis, MO and worked with Hadassah to lead the largest private relief effort in Bosnia during the war. She delivered supplies to the besieged city of Sarajevo in 1993, 1994, and 1995.

The Center's Elsie Roth collection includes documents, videotapes, audio tapes, artwork drawn by children, newspaper articles, and slides. I hope this photo exhibit will help visitors understand why the Bosnian community is important in St. Louis and to appreciate their culture and way of life.

Michael is a history major at Fontbonne University.