Starting in the 20s and developing until the end of 80s of the last century, the architecture and urbanism of the modernist era spread through cities in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Their reflections in contemporary architecture are still present today. The ideas of modern architecture encounter Bosnian towns with a slight resistance towards new and different space treatment. These ideas were primarily introduced through residential architecture, and later through a variety of different types of public buildings. The principles of modern architecture and urbanism were in line with the current social system in which they found fertile ground for advancement, especially after the Second World War.
In the next period, the Cultural Heritage without Borders BiH (CHwB BiH) Foundation will, in cooperation with Blue Crew Print, develop modernist maps for Sarajevo, Mostar and Banja Luka. These maps present an introduction and a guide through almost a century of development of modern architecture in Bosnia and Herzegovina, and they are designed to draw attention to the valuable, inspiring and insufficiently researched heritage. The values of the buildings and ambiences from that period can be fully appreciated only by understanding the context of several turbulent historical periods in which they were created.
In order to promote the cultural and architectural values of the modernist era, CHwB BiH is working on the development of several related activities arising from the project “Keeping it Modern” which is funded by Getty Foundation, and whose focus is the History Museum of Bosnia and Herzegovina in Sarajevo.