“You’ve listened to my words I’ve told you all I know.”

Mak Dizdar

The UK Bosnian Memory Archive is the first archive dedicated to collecting and preserving stories and original materials of those who were affected by the Bosnian Genocide. The archive focuses particularly on the lives of the UK Bosnian Community before, during and after the war, as well as those that worked in Bosnia and here in the UK with the Bosnian Community such as journalists, aid workers, and friends of the community.

In 2022, it was 30 years since the first Bosnian refugee arrived in the UK escaping the Bosnian Genocide. There are around 25,000 Bosnians currently living in the UK, however, in comparison with documentation of Holocaust survivors, there is very little documentation about their experiences of fleeing the Bosnian Genocide and finding refuge in the UK. The existing documentation or record is scattered, endangered and in many cases inaccessible. This archive will attempt to consolidate all meaningful record of the UK Bosnian Community.

Recording survivor stories helps us identify and preserve this heritage by providing a voice for those who would otherwise not be heard. It also provides us with an invaluable learning resource that is readily available online to researchers, teachers, artists, individuals, future generations of Bosnians and residents of the UK.

If you would like access to the UK Bosnian Memory Archive, please contact us at info@bget-uk.org.

UK Bosnian Memory Archive

Gordon Bacon OBE

Una Srabovic-Ryan

Smajo Bešo has seen the worst and best of humanity. After surviving the horrors of the genocide in Bosnia, he found refuge and safety in the UK where he now proudly embraces his Bosnian roots and new-found Geordie identity.

Before I became an aid worker I had heard of Srebrenica on the news in UK, it was one of the ‘eastern enclaves’ that were frequently mentioned during reports from the war in Bosnia & Herzegovina (BiH).

I have never met my biological father and I never will. My biological mother was only a couple of months pregnant with me when he was killed in Srebrenica in July 1995. He didn’t even know I existed, my mother didn’t actually know that she was pregnant with me at that point and sadly, she never got the opportunity to share this exciting news with him.

Smajo Beso OBE

Book a Speaker

We offer a range of survivor speakers who can deliver one-off talks of varying lengths, tailored to suit your project or event.

In addition, we have speakers who have worked in Bosnia and the UK with the Bosnian community, including journalists, aid workers, and long-standing friends of the community.

Our speakers typically present for anywhere between 10 and 60 minutes. Talks can be tailored to a particular theme or topic if needed, and we have experience engaging with audiences of all ages—from primary school children to adults and the elderly.

We can provide speakers for both in-person and online events, depending on your needs.

Please get in touch if you’d like to discuss how a speaker could be included in your event.

How to get involved?

We are constantly adding to our archive and would love to hear from you if you feel you have a story to share, of yourself or a loved one, or any objects, videos or materials to donate. Please get in touch using our contact form or email address provided.