A Belgradian in Sarajevo

Writer and playwright Filip Grujić from Beograd just spent a month in Sarajevo as part of a residency program for young writers from the Western Balkans region. He tells Balkan Stories how he has experienced his stay in Bosnia’s capital, what Sarajevo, Beograd and his native city Novi Sad have in common – or not – and what real challenges the young generation in former Yugoslavia faces.

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Spartakus će i dalje živjeti

The world mourns Hollywood’s last legend. Kirk Douglas has died Wednesday night, aged 103 – actor, film maker, humanitarian and activist. Former Yugoslavia is a region where he is remembered particularly fondly – even though he never shot a film there.

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Imagine… John Lennon’s Family

John Lennon has roots in Ex-Yugoslavia. His secret father was a famous and controversial person of history. So claims a new video that is obviously a parody of conspiracy theories so popular in the region. The problem with the video: Somebody will believe its claims.

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Radovan ‪Karadžić and Ratko Mladić, who is also indicted for war crimes and genocide, during the Yugoslav war. Photo: AP, obtained at flickr.com by The Advocacy Project under CC license CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

Justice, After All

The Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals (MICT) has set right the injustice its predecessor, the International Criminal Tribunal for Former Yugoslavia (ICTY) created with its original verdict against Radovan Karadžić. Upholding the verdict of Guilty, it extended the sentence against the former President of Republika Srpska in Bosnia to Life in Prison.

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People Have Had It

The rape of a 16 year old girl has shocked the people in Kosovo. On Thursday, people took to the streets to express their outrage. And like in Bosnia, it seems to be about a lot more than „just“ a horrendous crime. Too many, this case shows how the authorities in their country are failing them.

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Berlin Balkanizacija

Robert Rigney, Balkan traveller, music aficionado, part time American James Bond in the eyes of many Serbs and others, and most of all writer and journalist makes his comeback in Balkan Stories. It wouldn’t be Robert if it wasn’t with a story full of craziness, ups and downs and lots of Balkan music.

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How Yugoslavia Was Buried Last Night. And Why It Still Lives.

In terms of sports, Yugoslavia won big last night at the World Cup match Serbia – Switzerland. In terms of culture and politics, it was buried. Strangely enough, Xherdan Shaqiri, one of last night’s undertakers could be the one to resurrect it. He may want to have a serious conversation with his mother first, though.

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Die Sprache der Macht und die Macht der Sprache

Am Internationalen Tag der Muttersprache möchte Balkan Stories einen kritischen Blick auf das Sprachregime in (Ex-)Jugoslawien richten. Der renommierte Übersetzer Will Firth analysiert in einem Artikel für den Verlag Lavender Ink, der auch im anarchistischen zweisprachigen Magazin Antipolitika erschienen ist, das komplexe Spiel zwischen Sprache und Macht in Jugoslawien nach 1945 und in seinen Nachfolgestaaten. Balkan Stories bringt den Artikel mit freundlicher Genehmigung von Lavender Ink.

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Sich dem Trauma annähern

Das blutige 20. Jahrhundert hat in Ex-Jugoslawien eine Reihe kollektiver Traumata verursacht. Sie prägen die Sichtweise auf die Welt bis heute. Mit ihnen setzt sich eine Reihe von literarischen Werken auseinander, die man gelesen haben sollte, wenn man die Menschen in und aus Ex-Jugoslawien verstehen will.

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