About the Project

The Border Area of Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina - History, Population, and Migrations (POHIB)

Croatia shares its longest border with Bosnia and Herzegovina. The border area between BiH and Croatia represents a zone where two cultures meet, and historically, two civilizations. This project focuses on researching the history of migrations in this region from the 19th century to the present day, exploring the connections (familial, religious, cultural, etc.) between the two territories, the cultural characteristics of the two zones, the everyday life of people in both countries, and the positions of minorities (religious and national) in the border areas of both states.
By conducting research in archives, libraries, museums, and analyzing available media content about the history, culture, and heritage of this region, the project team will gather information on the studied topic over a period of 48 months. Field research will be conducted, with special attention given to each individual border canton or municipality and border counties. Through collaboration with local authorities, cultural associations, religious organizations, local media, and minority organizations, the history, heritage, and culture of the border zones will be investigated. Part of the research will focus on the culture of memory and the current state of cultural, linguistic, and religious diversity in the border area.
The project aims to extract the experiences of the border population from Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Republic of Croatia to provide examples and recommendations for other border regions in Southeastern Europe. The project also offers guidelines for creating peace, protecting the rights of national minorities and human rights, and encouraging cooperation between border communities in Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina.

The main goals of the project "Border Region of Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina – History, Population, and Migrations" are:

1. Better understanding of the challenges of life along the Croatia-Bosnia and Herzegovina border: The project addresses the issues faced by Croatian citizens living near the border with Bosnia and Herzegovina, as well as Bosnian citizens living near the Croatian border. This will certainly help the Republic of Croatia to develop strategies to support Croatian citizens living in the border zone.

2. Preservation of identity and cultural heritage: Croatian citizens in the border region will become familiar with the cultural values that exist along the Croatia-Bosnia and Herzegovina border and will be guided on how to preserve this cultural heritage, which is part of their identity.

3. Preservation of cultural, national, and religious specificities: Through the project, Croatian citizens will be introduced to the specificities of the border zones, particularly religious and national specificities.

4. Minority protection policy: Based on the project, Croatia can further develop protection for national minority groups, such as Bosniaks, Serbs, Ukrainians, Poles, Rusyns, Roma, Albanians, and Montenegrins living in the border zones of Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina. This could also include the protection of linguistic specificities.

5. Regional stability: The project will strengthen positive relations in the border zones, and minorities in both countries, as well as the majority populations, will contribute to regional stability.

6. Strengthening mutual cooperation and dialogue between Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina: Through the project, Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina will strengthen mutual dialogue, which will also serve as an example of cooperation in other border areas (e.g., Croatia-Serbia, Croatia-Hungary, Croatia-Slovenia, and Croatia-Montenegro).

7. Increasing the knowledge and expertise of Croatian scientists involved in the project, as well as their understanding of the specific issues in the border zone between Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Additional goals are:

1. Analysis of specific aspects of the situation of border populations** to identify the biggest challenges they face.

2. Determining the role of the homeland** (Croatia or Bosnia and Herzegovina) in the areas across the border.

3. Analysis of the role of cultural memory** in shaping the identity of individual national communities along the border.

4. Analysis of regional stability** and the role of border populations in that process.

5. Analysis of local cross-border cooperation** in the process of implementing the Schengen area at the Croatia-Bosnia and Herzegovina border.

6. Promoting cooperation between Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina** and their national minorities to support the preservation of minority identities.

Purpose and justification of the research:

Border zones in Europe are often areas of conflict between two countries. The recent aggression of Russia against Ukraine in these very border regions reminds us that the lessons from the past are never enough. A similar situation occurred in the border zone between Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina. Since the time of the Military Frontier, this area has been a military zone where wars were fought practically until the second half of the 19th century. This is evidenced by the border changes in the 17th and 18th centuries, and later in the 19th century, as well as by a series of military fortifications along the border line between Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina. After the conflicts of World War II, the Croatian-Bosnian border area again became a war zone during the most recent conflict, the Homeland War, when almost the entire zone along the Sava River became a battlefield.

After the conflicts subsided and the borders were established along the Sava, Una, Glina, Korana, Lička Plješivica, Dinara, Kamešnica, and in the Dubrovnik hinterland, the lessons learned from the wars and border disputes need to be applied to other regions. The goal is for the population along the Croatia-Bosnia and Herzegovina border to show, by example, how it is possible to live without conflict, while preserving human rights and the rights of national and religious minorities on both sides of the border.

The purpose of this project is to compare the border zones of Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina, highlighting their models of coexistence, and to identify other models for border regions in Southeast Europe and beyond. Although each border area has its differences (most often related to historical circumstances, mutual conflicts, and disputes), there are also similarities that will be highlighted through comparison with other border zones. By studying the Croatia-Bosnia and Herzegovina border zone, other regions can gain insights for promoting cross-border dialogue and the cultural, social, and historical values of borderlands.

Project's innovation

The project is innovative due to the new methodologies that will be employed in this area, particularly oral history and comparative methods related to archival research. The innovation of the project also lies in its contribution to the existing knowledge about the border region. The project will have practical applicability, as the recommendations published in articles will certainly lead to a better understanding of the issues in border areas and the conflicts that have arisen in these zones.

Over the course of four years, all local communities along the Bosnia and Herzegovina-Croatia border will be studied. In this way, small local communities and their interconnections will be explored (e.g., Vojnić, Slunj, and Velika Kladuša, or Hrvatska Kostajnica, Hrvatska Dubica, and Kozarska Dubica and Kostajnica, then Stara Gradiška and Gradiška, Brčko and Gunja, Čapljina and Metković, Dubrovnik and Trebinje, etc.). It should not be overlooked that the inhabitants of these areas, regardless of state borders, have been interdependent for centuries. Therefore, it will be interesting to compare the data, especially in light of the events of the 1990s, which changed the ethnic landscape of the border area.

It will also be necessary to investigate how and to what extent the shifting of the Schengen border will affect the population on both sides. Furthermore, it is important to consider that a significant portion of the border population holds dual citizenship; for example, many residents of Bosnia and Herzegovina (not just ethnic Croats) possess Croatian documents, which is a key factor in population migration to the EU. Through a multidisciplinary approach, the project will explore how connected (or still connected) local communities are (linguistically, culturally, religiously, economically) and to what extent the border serves as a dividing factor.

Since similar research on most small local communities along the Croatia-Bosnia and Herzegovina border, focusing on the period from the late 19th century to the present, has not been conducted, this project will be pioneering in nature and beneficial for small local communities.