Vienna's UNO Square Becomes a Memorial: “Flower of Srebrenica” Monument Unveiled
On United Nations Day, the “Flower of Srebrenica” memorial was ceremoniously unveiled on United Nations Square in Vienna-Donaustadt. Located directly in front of the UN building, the monument is a permanent symbol of remembrance for the victims of the genocide of Bosniaks in Srebrenica in July 1995 and a warning against forgetting.
Austrian Foreign Minister Beate Meinl-Reisinger attended the unveiling of the “Flower of Srebrenica” memorial in Vienna. / Picture: © BMEIA Bundesministerium für Europa, Integration und Äußeres / Michael Gruber / Flickr Attribution 2.0 Generic (CC BY 2.0 DEED)
The “Flower of Srebrenica” is considered a powerful symbol of remembrance, peace, and reconciliation. It serves as a reminder of the devastating consequences of hatred, exclusion, and violence. “Remembering Srebrenica is our moral duty. Especially today, in view of the human suffering in Gaza, we realize how precious peace is and how important humanity, justice, and responsibility remain,” President Vural emphasized in his speech.
The memorial, a 3.8-meter-high and 4.5-meter-wide sculpture made of white and silver steel, was erected on the initiative of the umbrella organization of Bosnian-Herzegovinian associations in Austria – Consilium Bosniacum. The base of the sculpture consists of eleven figures symbolizing the mothers of Srebrenica, holding flowers in their hands as a sign of innocence, pain, and remembrance. In the center is a prism with inscriptions in German, English, and Bosnian, conveying the universal message of truth, solidarity, and human dignity.
The main organizer of the project, Consilium Bosniacum, received the building permit from the City of Vienna two years after the Austrian Parliament unanimously adopted the resolution on the Srebrenica genocide on July 6, 2022. The erection of the memorial is considered a historic step for the entire Bosnian diaspora and European culture of remembrance.
Damir Saračević, president of Consilium Bosniacum, said in his speech that the spomenik (monument) is "not only a symbol of pain, but also a message to the world that the truth must be preserved and hatred must never be repeated. Vienna has today become the guardian of memory.“ He added,” We want Europe and the world to never forget what happened in July 1995. It is our duty to ensure that new generations learn from the truth and not from oblivion."
Numerous guests of honor attended the solemn ceremony, including representatives of the Republic of Austria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, the diplomatic corps, cultural and religious institutions, and the “Mothers of Srebrenica.” Among those announced were the Chairman of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Željko Komšić, and the Austrian Foreign Minister, Beate Meinl-Reisinger.
Background: The Srebrenica genocide
The term “Srebrenica genocide” refers to the war crime that took place during the Bosnian War (1992–1995). From July 11 to July 19, 1995, Bosnian Serb soldiers of the Vojska Republike Srpske (VRS) under the command of General Ratko Mladić, as well as Serbian guerrilla fighters, including the paramilitary group “Skorpione,” systematically murdered more than 8,372 Bosniak (Muslim) men and boys from the former UN safe area of Srebrenica.
The massacre is considered the most serious war crime in Europe since World War II. International courts, in particular the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY), have classified the acts as genocide. Many of the victims were buried in mass graves; thousands are still missing today. In May 2024, the UN declared July 11 the annual International Day of Commemoration and Remembrance of the 1995 Srebrenica Genocide.
The unveiling of the memorial in Vienna thus sends a clear message to the international community to take responsibility for the past and work towards a future without hatred and violence.