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Throughout the many centuries of their sojourn in Bosnia and Herzegovina under various empires and regimes, the Bosnian Jews were integrated—socially, politically, economically, and culturally. There was a long and peaceful intermingling of the Jewish community with the Bosnian Muslim, Serb, and Croat communities, whose leaderships showed a mutual acceptance and respect for the habits and rituals of the different religious groups. However, the events of the mid-twentieth century destroyed that characterization. Preserved letters written by Sarajevo Jews detailing some of their living conditions shed light on their situation. The chapter provides insight into life in wartime Sarajevo and a situation when references to belonging and history meant nothing to representatives of the occupying forces.

DOI: 10.1007/978-3-319-71252-9_8

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