FBU-2017-12-21

Interviewer

Ben Moore

Date of Interview

Fall 12-21-2017

Interview Location

St. Louis, MO

Length of Interview

88:55

Date of Birth

1957

Gender

Male

Religion and/or Ethnicity

Muslim

Description

He was born to a secular Muslim family in Prijedor. His father passed away when he was only 17, and he lived with his mother. He recalls having many Serb friends and girlfriends. He worked as an electrician in Omarska from 1984-1992. Everything changed after Independence Declared. At work, his hours were cut and given to Serbs. He was eventually laid off entirely. Serbs gathered all Muslims at the old hotel downtown. Men 16-65 were separated and but on busses to Omarska. A highly detailed description of life in Omarska Concentration Camp. Eventually, he was transferred to Trnopolje Concentration Camp, where British journalist Penny Marshall interviewed him—released from camp by signing away all his belongings to Serbs. He was Smuggled to Belgrade wrapped in a carpet on an Army truck and eventually made his way to Germany via Hungary and Czechoslovakia. He stayed in Germany for three years. Eventually, he came to the US and settled in Fargo, ND, for a short time. He lived for a time in Chicago and Shreveport, LA, before finally settling in St. Louis in 2000. Did not find assimilating to America difficult but was laid off and hit hard during the 2009 recession.

Keywords

Prijedor, Omarska, Trnopolje, Concentration Camp, Belgrade, Hungary, Czechoslovakia, Germany, Penny Marshall, Escape

Pre-War Residence

Prijedor

Wartime Residence

Prijedor

First Country of Residence

Germany

First US Residence

Fargo, ND

Document Type

Oral History

Collection

Fontbonne University

Digital Format

MP3

Digital Publisher

Center for Bosnian Studies

City

St. Louis, MO

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In Copyright - Educational Use Permitted.