Title
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
Copyright Note
These oral histories are made available by the Center for Bosnian Studies for research, educational, scholarly, and/or creative purposes only. All uses should adhere to the principle of fair use established under Section 107 of Title 17 the 1976 Copyright Act. More on fair use is available here: https://www.copyright.gov/fair-use/.
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